What is the Altiris Agent Bootstrap Program? How does it work?
How does it use AeXSWDInstSvc (Altiris Agent Installation Program)?
Answer
Note: This information can be found in the Notification Server 6.0 SP3 Reference Guide pages 19–20.
When the Altiris Agent is installed using a Push or Pull installation, a small (approximately 100 KB) bootstrap program is used. This program, the Altiris Agent Bootstrap program, downloads a larger (approximately 4.5 MB) program, the Altiris Agent installation program, that actually performs the Altiris Agent installation. The Altiris Agent Bootstrap program gets sent to all managed computers at the same time to prevent an overload of the network. The Altiris Agent Bootstrap program then handles the network throughput (starting and stopping), until it downloads the Altiris Agent installation program to the managed computer.Because the Altiris Agent Bootstrap program controls how fast the Altiris Agent installation program gets downloaded to the managed computer, it can reliably download the Altiris Agent on remote computers or managed computers with poor connections.The following steps show the installation process during an Altiris Agent installation using a Push or Pull installation:
The Altiris Agent Bootstrap program (AeXSWDInstSvc.exe) is downloaded to the managed computer (either by Push or by Pull). This program is quite small (approximately 100 KB) and can be sent quickly even over a slow line. Because the Altiris Agent Bootstrap program is an NT service, it runs as soon as it is downloaded. Note: The Altiris Agent Bootstrap program creates a log file, AeXSWDInstSvc.log, in the operating system directory. This log file records the process of downloading the Altiris Agent installation program and installing it. It displays "Sending 'Remote Install Finished: Success' message to Notification Server" when the process of downloading and installing the Altiris Agent installation program is complete. Some messages recorded in this log file are sent back to the Notification Server and logged in the Notification Database.
The Altiris Agent bootstrap program downloads the Altiris Agent installation program (AeXNSC.exe) from the Notification Server. It has the ability to stop and start again until the Altiris Agent installation program is downloaded completely.
The Altiris Agent bootstrap program runs the Altiris Agent installation program.
The Altiris Agent installation program installs the Altiris Agent onto the computer.Note: The Altiris Agent installation program adds itself to the registry run key so that, if the computer is rebooted, it will run when a user logs on.
When the installation is complete, you will see an Altiris Agent icon in the system tray of the managed computer, if you selected that option. Note: During the installation process, status messages are sent back to the Notification Server. There is a chance that one or more of these messages can end up in a Bad event directory on the Notification Server and not be processed into the Notification Data base. However, the Altiris Agent installation could still be successful.
Note: From the time you start a Push or Pull installation, it can take several minutes before the Altiris Agent icon appears in the system tray. This is because the Altiris Agent Bootstrap program is downloaded, then the Altiris Agent Bootstrap program downloads the Altiris Agent installation package, then the Altiris Agent installation package installs the Altiris Agent on the computer. Depending on the network traffic, this process can take some time. Note: There is an MSI program available, AeXNSCInstSvc.msi, that also installs the Altiris Client Installation Service. This service downloads the Altiris Agent installation program from the Notification Server and installs it on the managed computer. The only parameter that AeXNSCInstSvc.msi takes is [NS=NSName.domain .com], where NSName is the name of your Notification Server and domain is the domain that your Notification Server is on. This MSI supports the elevated privilege install.
These are the commands that can be used as additional parameters for the AeXSWDInstSvc (Altiris Agent Installation Service):
AeXSWDInstSvc
[-u URL] [-s server_name] [-w URL] [-d path] [-c chunk_size] [-p pause_interval] [-exe] [-checkonly] [-notrayicon] [-nostartmenu] [-preconfig] [-?] [-h]
AeXSWDInstSvc Parameters
u URL URL to download the Altiris Agent setup program from. This is an HTTP site. This argument is required.
s server_name Name of the Notification Server that the Altiris Agent will report to (without leading \\). This argument is required.
w URL
URL that the Altiris Agent will use to report to the server. This argument is required.
d path
Destination path the Altiris Agent will be installed to.
c chunk_size
Size (in bytes) of data to download each time. If omitted, 1 KB is used.
p pause_interval
Time (in ms) between downloading each chunk. If omitted, 25 ms is used.
exe
Forces the program to run as an .exe under Windows NT/2000/XP/ 2003, ignoring any service registration to this .exe. This option has no effect under Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, or Me.
checkonly
Forces the program to check the Altiris Agent minimum requirements are met. Details are displayed on screen.
notrayicon
Specifies that the Altiris Agent will not show the tray icon on initialstartup. This will be overridden by the Altiris Agent Settings policies as soon as they are downloaded.
nostartmenu
Specifies that no start menu item will be installed for the Altiris Agent.
preconfig
If specified, the program and the Altiris Agent will use the existing client proxy configuration. If omitted, both will attempt to connect to the Notification Server directly.
? or h
Shows the usage dialog.
14 April 2008
Installing the NS Agent on Ubuntu Linux
By Jonathan Jesse
While Ubuntu is not a supported operating system by Altiris, the NS Agent can still be installed and Inventory can function correctly. Since Ubuntu does not use the RPM format for maintaining packages, software inventory will not be as complete as when run on a supported build of Linux. These instructions were written for Kubuntu 7.10, the latest version, but can be easily adopted for Ubuntu or any other supported version.
The first thing we need to do is to make sure we can ping the Notification Server. From the terminal, verify through ping, connectivity to the Notification Server. Once we can ping the server we will need to make sure the correct tools are installed. There is an RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) tool for Ubuntu that is not installed by default. From the terminal, type "sudo apt-get install RPM" and type in the administrator password, as the screen shot shows.
Click to view.
Select Y to install the packages.
The NS Agent cannot be pushed to Ubuntu for two reasons: 1. There is no root user enabled by default 2. SSH is not enabled by default. If we wanted to push to Ubuntu there are many changes to make, so we will do a pull install. Open up your web browser, if you are using Kubuntu it will be Konqueror, and navigate to the Altiris Unix/Linux Agent Download page which is found at http://SERVERNAME/UnixAgent/AltirisUnixAgentDownload.aspx?Id=56 which will look like the following:
Click to view.
Downloading and Installing
Follow these steps to download and execute the file for setup:
Click on the link to download the aex-bootstrap.gz file
Save it to the correct location (For this example it is saved in /home/USERNAME/
Open up a terminal session and navigate to the saved directory
Unzip the file by typing the command: gunzip aex-bootstrap.gz
Type the following command to change the file to allow execution: chmod u+x aex-bootstrap
Execute the aex-bootstrap utility by typing the following command: sudo ./aex-bootstrap http://SERVERNAME
While Ubuntu is not a supported operating system by Altiris, the NS Agent can still be installed and Inventory can function correctly. Since Ubuntu does not use the RPM format for maintaining packages, software inventory will not be as complete as when run on a supported build of Linux. These instructions were written for Kubuntu 7.10, the latest version, but can be easily adopted for Ubuntu or any other supported version.
The first thing we need to do is to make sure we can ping the Notification Server. From the terminal, verify through ping, connectivity to the Notification Server. Once we can ping the server we will need to make sure the correct tools are installed. There is an RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) tool for Ubuntu that is not installed by default. From the terminal, type "sudo apt-get install RPM" and type in the administrator password, as the screen shot shows.
Click to view.
Select Y to install the packages.
The NS Agent cannot be pushed to Ubuntu for two reasons: 1. There is no root user enabled by default 2. SSH is not enabled by default. If we wanted to push to Ubuntu there are many changes to make, so we will do a pull install. Open up your web browser, if you are using Kubuntu it will be Konqueror, and navigate to the Altiris Unix/Linux Agent Download page which is found at http://SERVERNAME/UnixAgent/AltirisUnixAgentDownload.aspx?Id=56 which will look like the following:
Click to view.
Downloading and Installing
Follow these steps to download and execute the file for setup:
Click on the link to download the aex-bootstrap.gz file
Save it to the correct location (For this example it is saved in /home/USERNAME/
Open up a terminal session and navigate to the saved directory
Unzip the file by typing the command: gunzip aex-bootstrap.gz
Type the following command to change the file to allow execution: chmod u+x aex-bootstrap
Execute the aex-bootstrap utility by typing the following command: sudo ./aex-bootstrap http://SERVERNAME
Deployment Solution 6.9 supported platforms and system requirements
The Following KB descibes the supported platform for DS69.
Link
Link
08 April 2008
Adding mass storage drivers for Windows PE
Question
How do I add mass storage drivers for Windows PE?
Answer
This applies to Deployment Solution 6.5 SP1 and older only. For Deployment Solution 6.8 code, skip to the bottom.
Download the attached MassStorage.zip file and uncompress. There should be nine files in this .zip file. (https://kb-secure.altiris.com/article.asp?article=20566&p=2)
If in PXE, choose your WinPE boot option and then click Edit. This will load the Menu Item properties.
Click on Edit Boot Image.
You'll find yourself on Step 8 of 11: Edit Configuration.
Drill down on the menu option to %systemroot%\system32.
Create a new folder called diskdrivers.
Under diskdrivers, create another new folder called storage.
Right-click on the storage folder and click Add File.
Add the nine files from extracted MassStorage.zip file
If you're in the Boot Disk Creator then you should simply be able to follow steps starting at step 5.
It may be necessary to modify the txtsetup.oem file within the driver. You can open this file with Notepad*. You'll notice that there is a [Defaults] section that looks like this:
[Defaults]scsi = iaAHCI_ICH6R
The SCSI value is what you may need to change. If you have the ability to load the computer to its operating system, you can check in the Device Manager for your specific controller type.
Here are the instructions on how to do this:
On the Start menu:
For Windows 2000, select Settings and then select Control Panel.
For Windows XP or later operating systems, select Control Panel.
Open the System applet (you may first have to select Switch to Classic View).
Select the Hardware tab.
Select the Device Manager button.
From the Device Manager, look for an entry named "SCSI and RAID Controllers." If this entry is present, expand it and look for one of the following controllers:
Intel(R) 82801GR SATA RAID Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7R system in RAID mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801GH SATA RAID Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7DH system in RAID mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801FR SATA RAID Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH6R system in RAID mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801ER SATA RAID Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH5R system in RAID mode and no further action is required.
If none of the controllers above are shown, then the system is not running in RAID mode and you should continue on to step 6.
From the Device Manager, look for an entry named "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers." If this entry is present, expand it and look for one of the following controllers:
Intel(R) 82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7M system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801GR SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7R system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801GH SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7DH system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH6M system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801FR SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH6R system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
If this controller is not present, then your system is not in AHCI mode. No other modes are supported by the Intel Matrix Storage Manager software and you should continue on to step 7.
Your system does not appear to be running in RAID or AHCI mode. If you feel that your system is running in RAID or AHCI mode and you do not see any of the controllers listed above, you may choose to contact your system manufacturer or place of purchase for assistance.The attached driver file has shown promise in working with several laptops and WinPE. You're welcome to use this driver as is or modify the TXTSetup.OEM so that the driver needed is on top.
For information on how to add new drivers into WinPE through the Boot Disk Creator, see article 19067.
For Deployment Solution 6.8 build 206, 282, and 378, follow these steps for adding a mass storage device driver:
When creating a new configuration for WinPE, you eventually get to the point where you have to choose a NIC driver. At this point in the build process, you can actually add Mass Storage Device Drivers.
Click on Have Disk.
When this loads, click on Browse.
When the Browse box loads, click on the Files of type drop-down and choose file type (*.oem.).
You can then browse to your txtsetup.oem file associated to your mass storage device and add the driver. The driver will be added correctly and no further modifications are needed.
How do I add mass storage drivers for Windows PE?
Answer
This applies to Deployment Solution 6.5 SP1 and older only. For Deployment Solution 6.8 code, skip to the bottom.
Download the attached MassStorage.zip file and uncompress. There should be nine files in this .zip file. (https://kb-secure.altiris.com/article.asp?article=20566&p=2)
If in PXE, choose your WinPE boot option and then click Edit. This will load the Menu Item properties.
Click on Edit Boot Image.
You'll find yourself on Step 8 of 11: Edit Configuration.
Drill down on the menu option to %systemroot%\system32.
Create a new folder called diskdrivers.
Under diskdrivers, create another new folder called storage.
Right-click on the storage folder and click Add File.
Add the nine files from extracted MassStorage.zip file
If you're in the Boot Disk Creator then you should simply be able to follow steps starting at step 5.
It may be necessary to modify the txtsetup.oem file within the driver. You can open this file with Notepad*. You'll notice that there is a [Defaults] section that looks like this:
[Defaults]scsi = iaAHCI_ICH6R
The SCSI value is what you may need to change. If you have the ability to load the computer to its operating system, you can check in the Device Manager for your specific controller type.
Here are the instructions on how to do this:
On the Start menu:
For Windows 2000, select Settings and then select Control Panel.
For Windows XP or later operating systems, select Control Panel.
Open the System applet (you may first have to select Switch to Classic View).
Select the Hardware tab.
Select the Device Manager button.
From the Device Manager, look for an entry named "SCSI and RAID Controllers." If this entry is present, expand it and look for one of the following controllers:
Intel(R) 82801GR SATA RAID Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7R system in RAID mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801GH SATA RAID Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7DH system in RAID mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801FR SATA RAID Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH6R system in RAID mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801ER SATA RAID Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH5R system in RAID mode and no further action is required.
If none of the controllers above are shown, then the system is not running in RAID mode and you should continue on to step 6.
From the Device Manager, look for an entry named "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers." If this entry is present, expand it and look for one of the following controllers:
Intel(R) 82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7M system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801GR SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7R system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801GH SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH7DH system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801FBM SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH6M system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
Intel(R) 82801FR SATA AHCI Controller: If this controller is present, the system is an ICH6R system in AHCI mode and no further action is required.
If this controller is not present, then your system is not in AHCI mode. No other modes are supported by the Intel Matrix Storage Manager software and you should continue on to step 7.
Your system does not appear to be running in RAID or AHCI mode. If you feel that your system is running in RAID or AHCI mode and you do not see any of the controllers listed above, you may choose to contact your system manufacturer or place of purchase for assistance.The attached driver file has shown promise in working with several laptops and WinPE. You're welcome to use this driver as is or modify the TXTSetup.OEM so that the driver needed is on top.
For information on how to add new drivers into WinPE through the Boot Disk Creator, see article 19067.
For Deployment Solution 6.8 build 206, 282, and 378, follow these steps for adding a mass storage device driver:
When creating a new configuration for WinPE, you eventually get to the point where you have to choose a NIC driver. At this point in the build process, you can actually add Mass Storage Device Drivers.
Click on Have Disk.
When this loads, click on Browse.
When the Browse box loads, click on the Files of type drop-down and choose file type (*.oem.).
You can then browse to your txtsetup.oem file associated to your mass storage device and add the driver. The driver will be added correctly and no further modifications are needed.
07 April 2008
AD imported computers not being removed by Directory Synchronization
Several old computers that no longer exist inside Active Directory are still showing up in the All Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista without the Altiris agent installed collection even though the Discovery Synchronization Schedule is enabled. Resource Manager shows that both the OU Membership and the Global Active Directory Details data classes have been populated. These fields only exist if the computer was discovered by an AD import rule.
No errors are showing up in the Notification Server logs during the synchronization or during the imports.
Cause
The computer's guid is no longer listed in the Inv_Import_Rule_Imported_Items table that is used by the Directory Synchronization to determine which unmanaged computers need to be purged.
Resolution
The following SQL query will show which resources (Computer or Virtual Machine) no longer have entries in the Inv_Import_Rule_Imported_Items table, but have the OU Membership & Global Active Directory Details dataclasses.
SELECT vr.Name, rt.Name AS 'Resource Type', vr.guidFROM vResourceEx vrJOIN Inv_OU_Membership ou ON ou._ResourceGuid = vr.guidLEFT JOIN Inv_Import_Rule_Imported_Items ii ON ii._ResourceGuid = vr.guidJOIN ResourceType rt ON rt.guid = vr.ResourceTypeGuidWHERE vr.IsManaged = 0AND ii._ResourceGuid IS NULLAND vr.ResourceTypeGuid IN ('493435F7-3B17-4C4C-B07F-C23E7AB7781F', '2C3CB3BB-FEE9-48DF-804F-90856198B600')
This query can be used to create a report or collection.
To find out more information about which process (Purge Maintenance or Directory Synchronization) will be used to remove a computer from the Notification Server see article 34954
No errors are showing up in the Notification Server logs during the synchronization or during the imports.
Cause
The computer's guid is no longer listed in the Inv_Import_Rule_Imported_Items table that is used by the Directory Synchronization to determine which unmanaged computers need to be purged.
Resolution
The following SQL query will show which resources (Computer or Virtual Machine) no longer have entries in the Inv_Import_Rule_Imported_Items table, but have the OU Membership & Global Active Directory Details dataclasses.
SELECT vr.Name, rt.Name AS 'Resource Type', vr.guidFROM vResourceEx vrJOIN Inv_OU_Membership ou ON ou._ResourceGuid = vr.guidLEFT JOIN Inv_Import_Rule_Imported_Items ii ON ii._ResourceGuid = vr.guidJOIN ResourceType rt ON rt.guid = vr.ResourceTypeGuidWHERE vr.IsManaged = 0AND ii._ResourceGuid IS NULLAND vr.ResourceTypeGuid IN ('493435F7-3B17-4C4C-B07F-C23E7AB7781F', '2C3CB3BB-FEE9-48DF-804F-90856198B600')
This query can be used to create a report or collection.
To find out more information about which process (Purge Maintenance or Directory Synchronization) will be used to remove a computer from the Notification Server see article 34954
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)