Failure to install the product from the file: ...\Program Files\Altiris\UNIX Agent\Config\UnixAgent.config

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

You are trying to upgrade from one version (for example ITMS 8.6 RU3) to a newer one (like ITMS 8.7.2).

While SIM (Symantec Installation Manager) is trying to configure the new config files, it fails at this step:

The upgrade installs almost everything except the "Symantec Management Platform) - it fails at the Configuration step (25 of 87)

 

SIM Log entries:

 

Entry 1:

Starting configuration for product 'Symantec Management Agent Install - UNIX, Linux and Mac' (33b4ff4d-a382-44f4-9357-a887dc425403), version 8.7.3127.0.

 

Entry 2:

Failed to install product.

 

Entry 3:

Finishing configuration for product: 'Symantec Management Agent Install - UNIX, Linux and Mac' (33b4ff4d-a382-44f4-9357-a887dc425403)

 

Entry 4:

Operation completed: installing product 'Symantec Management Agent Install - UNIX, Linux and Mac' (33b4ff4d-a382-44f4-9357-a887dc425403), transacted=False, succeeded=False, total time=0:00:00.33

 

Entry 5:

Failed to install the product from the file: C:\Program Files\Altiris\UNIX Agent\Config\UnixAgent.config
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   [NullReferenceException @ Altiris.Diagnostics.dll]
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Utility.HexOps.ToHexStringUpperCase(byte[])
   at Altiris.NS.Security.Cryptography.CertificateManager.GetSiteHttpsCertificate(string, bool)
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.GetHttpCertificateHashString()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.get_RawInstallXml()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.get_RawInstallXmlWithPortAndProtocol()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.PackageGenerators.BootstrapGenerator.RegenerateBootstrapFiles(string)
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.OnInstallProduct(XmlNode)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct()
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(string, bool, SerializationMode)

Exception logged from:
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(int, string, string, Exception, string)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(string, bool, SerializationMode)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct()
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext, ContextCallback, object, bool)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext, ContextCallback, object, bool)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext, ContextCallback, object)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()

 

Entry 6:

Failed to configure: C:\Program Files\Altiris\UNIX Agent\Config\UnixAgent.config

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   [NullReferenceException @ Altiris.Diagnostics.dll]
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Utility.HexOps.ToHexStringUpperCase(byte[])
   at Altiris.NS.Security.Cryptography.CertificateManager.GetSiteHttpsCertificate(string, bool)
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.GetHttpCertificateHashString()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.get_RawInstallXml()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.get_RawInstallXmlWithPortAndProtocol()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.PackageGenerators.BootstrapGenerator.RegenerateBootstrapFiles(string)
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.OnInstallProduct(XmlNode)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct()
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(string, bool, SerializationMode)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct()
 
Exception logged from:
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(int, string, string, Exception, string)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct()
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext, ContextCallback, object, bool)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext, ContextCallback, object, bool)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext, ContextCallback, object)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()

 

 

If you try to run UnixAgent.config manually (by running it under aexconfig.exe /configure command) and it failed the same way according to the NS logs.

Environment

ITMS 8.7.x

Cause

Known issue.

Looks like the initial failure with UnixAgent.config during upgrade was caused by the following:

------------------------

According to the stack trace from the log entry,

Failed to install the product from the file: C:\Program Files\Altiris\UNIX Agent\Config\UnixAgent.config

Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

   [NullReferenceException @ Altiris.Diagnostics.dll]

   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Utility.HexOps.ToHexStringUpperCase(byte[])

   at Altiris.NS.Security.Cryptography.CertificateManager.GetSiteHttpsCertificate(string, bool)

   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.GetHttpCertificateHashString()

   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.get_RawInstallXml()

   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.Data.Agent.get_RawInstallXmlWithPortAndProtocol()

   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.PackageGenerators.BootstrapGenerator.RegenerateBootstrapFiles(string)

   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.OnInstallProduct(XmlNode)

   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct()

   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(string, bool, SerializationMode)

 

The fault is in the code which reads the certificate hash.

In case when binding is created programmatically, this situation can occur.

Resolution

This issue  has been addressed in our ITMS 8.7.3 Release.

Workaround:

Check under IIS Manager if you have a certificate under the HTTPS (Port 443) binding.

If there is not a certificate selected for HTTPS binding, please assign one and try the upgrade process again.