Altiris Blog Site

VMware Workstation 8 new features detailed

2012-01-06T10:16:00.001+01:00

More detail can be found here

IT Management Suite 7.1 SP2 (Valencia)Documentation

2011-12-15T08:10:00.001+01:00

All documentation can be found here

How the Retired status for a computer works

2011-11-03T21:53:00.001+01:00

Article URL http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO52993

When a computer's status is changed to Retired (which is a Notification Server core status type), several functions occur to this computer:

The Retired status does not uninstall agents from the computer.
If the Inventory Solution agent is installed on the computer, it will release one license for Inventory Solution.
When the Clean Inventory task runs, software licenses are then cleaned up.
If this is for Symantec Management Platform 7.x, if an agent is still installed on the computer, when basic inventory checks in, the status of the computer will automatically change to Active. Note: In SQL, the computer's IsManaged field is set to 1 when its status is Active (managed). If the status is changed to Retired (no longer managed), IsManaged is set then to 0. This will revert back to 1 once the agent checks back in with inventory, however

Improving IIS and Notification Server response times by disabling debug mode

2011-11-03T21:09:00.001+01:00

How can I disable debug mode compiling of ASP.NET code on my Notification Server 6.x and Symantec Management Platform 7.0 & 7.1?

Article URL http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO6940

About how application metering summary is sent

2011-11-03T21:07:00.001+01:00

The metering summary data is sent to the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) in batches. You can also specify to send event data in batches when you create an application monitor policy.

An application metering usage summary is sent for all application metering policies for which the applications are marked as allowed. The summary is sent daily by default.

See About application summary data.

See Configuring application metering data.

To prevent an overload to the system when this data is sent, the data is not all sent at the same time. The data is randomly sent over an interval of time. A value in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\Application Metering registry key on each client computer determines the length of the interval. The name of the value is Fuzzy Factor and its default value is 10.

This value specifies the time interval when the data can be sent as a percentage of the total batch creation time. For example, the data is sent to the CMDB every seven days (168 hours) and the Fuzzy Factor value is 10. Then the length of the interval is 10% of seven days or about 17 hours. Half of this interval precedes the specified send time and half of it follows. Thus the time interval in which the data is sent would start after about 159 hours and end after 177 hours.

To change the length of this time interval, you must change the value of this registry key on each client computer. Any registry changes should be done with caution.

Removing Dell branding

2011-10-24T16:42:00.001+02:00

Removing Dell branding after DMC install on NS 7.0 was done by this query:

UPDATE Item SET ModifiedDate = ( select getdate() )
WHERE Guid = (    SELECT Item.Guid
                        FROM Item
                        Join ItemClass ON Item.Guid = ItemClass.Guid
                        WHERE ItemClass.ClassGuid = '1f768417-511a-4c22-afbc-4a66720f793a'
                        and Item.Name like 'Default%' )

Dell Solutions and the Symantec Management Console

2011-10-20T04:30:00.001+02:00

Article URL http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO59488

How do I configure Patch Management 7.1 SP1 to operate without internet connection.

2011-10-20T04:29:00.001+02:00

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO59024

How to Turn Off/On a Policy on the SMP database

2011-10-20T04:26:00.001+02:00

If for some reason you can't turn off/on a policy (the Symantec Management Agent Installation policy) or you can't access the SMP Console or load the actual policy page, how can you turn on/off a policy directly on the database?

To disable (turn off) a policy, run the following query:

update i
set State = REPLACE(cast(State as nvarchar(max)), '<enabled>True</enabled>', '<enabled>False</enabled>')
from Item i
where Guid = '124D0571-4725-466C-8F43-998160D3CFF2' --Place the Policy GUID in this area. As an example we are using the GUID for the Symantec Management Agent Installation policy

To turn On (enable) a policy, change the entry [ '<enabled>False</enabled>', '<enabled>True</enabled>' ] on the query above.

Article URL http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO59606

DS 6.9 - What is different between using the AClient and the DAgent when doing remote control?

2011-10-20T04:25:00.001+02:00

Ref : http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO59807

There are some differences between using DAgent and AClient when using Deployment Solution 6.9's Remote Control feature.

WIth the AClient, you are allowed to connect to a client computer when no-one is logged in. With the DAgent, someone must be logged in at the client computer before DS can control that computer. This means that if a user logs out of a Remote Control session using DAgent, the connection will drop. This difference is designed to improve security of Remote Control. You can try a different Remote Control tool Refer to the document: How to setup VNC to remote clients in Deployment Solution available at http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO8690

Backup Exec Guide about Agents and Optoins

2011-10-04T16:59:00.001+02:00

A nice microsite on BE2010 and his agents and options can be found here

Altiris Agent for Mac 7.1 SP1 HF1 - Adding Support for OS X 10.7 (Lion)

2011-09-21T15:34:00.001+02:00

The article can be found here

Activity Center 7.1 SP1 HF2 Rollup

2011-09-21T05:17:00.001+02:00

Article URL http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO58413

Symantec Management Platform and Altiris Solutions Support Matrix

2011-09-20T19:36:00.001+02:00

Article URL http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO9965

Enterprise Vault Server Settings Migration wizard

2011-09-19T06:40:00.001+02:00

A migration Wizard can be found here

Symantec System Recovery 2011 Service Pack 1 (ex BESR)

2011-09-11T09:43:00.001+02:00

I am pleased to announce you that the following eCRT releases have achieved GA milestone on Thursday 8/September/2011.

1) SSR 2011 Service Pack 1 (10.0.1)

Build Number: 10.0.1.41704

WinLogo certification

New Device Support: SATA RDX based drives

Support of Subscription Based license for SSR Server Edition

GEARWorks security fix

2) SSR-MS 2011 Service Pack 1 (10.0.1)

Build Number: 10.0.1.41708

SMP 7.1 SP1 integration

SSRMS scalability fixes - support for 10000 clients

Windows 2008 R2 SP1 & Windows 7 SP1 support

3) SSR-L 2011 Service Pack 1 (2.0.1)

Build Number: 2.0.1.41572

RHEL 5.7, SUSE 10 SP4 platform support

EXT4 File system support

Uploads to FileConnect has been completed. The uploads to LU server is expected to get completed by Friday 9^th September 2011.

SSR-MS 10.0.1 is available on SIM listing.

Backup Exec 2010 R3 - Hot Fixes Released

2011-09-11T09:40:00.001+02:00

I am pleased to announce that the following eCRT releases have achieved GA milestone on September 8, 2011:

1) Backup Exec 2010 R3 Hot Fix 159965 (Internal: Nicobar HF12)

Tech Note: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH159965

Also available via LiveUpdate

2) Backup Exec 2010 R3 Hot Fix 164220 (Internal: Nicobar HF13; “Elephanta”) <= VSphere 5.0 Support!

Tech Note: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH164220

Also available via LiveUpdate

3) Backup Exec Management Plug-In for VMWare (with Virtual Machine Validator)

Tech Note: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH169148

NOT available via LiveUpdate

How does the Altiris Agent know when to delete a package?

2011-08-31T09:12:00.001+02:00

The details are captured in the AeXSWDPolicy.xml file located at C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Software Delivery\.
There’s a section under any given package that has the following values:
cleanupAfter="10080"
postedExpiry="true"
expiredAt="2008-12-19 09:17:51"

Note: This setting is automatically provided in NS6 and SMP 7.1. This is not available in SMP 7.0
Expired packages expire the moment a configuration request update provides a config XML that no longer has any task that references the package. This is starting point for counting down until deletion. The date is set at that time and then when the cleanupAfter value is reached, the package is deleted.

How to create an Automation Policy to move resources into an Organizational Group

2011-08-30T09:09:00.001+02:00

Below is an example of how to set up an automation policy to dynamically add resources to an Organizational Group

1.In the NS7 Console click on Manage and then choose Organizational Views and Groups

2.Right Click on the folder Organizational Views

3.Choose New -> Organizational View

4.In the right hand pane click on New Organizational View and rename the Organizational View to Subnet.

5.Right click on the Subnet Organizational View in the left hand pane

6.Choose New -> Organizational Group

7.In the right hand pane click on New Organizational Group and rename the Organizational Group to 172.xxx.xxx.xxx Group.

8.At the top of the NS7 Console click on Manage and then choose Automation Policies

9.On the Schedules tab, above the left pane, click on “New policy”.

10. Name the new policy Assign to 172.xxx.xxx.xxx Group and click OK

11. In the right hand pane set the schedule to anything you would like it to be

12. In the details section set the data source to be a Raw SQL query

13. Click on Save changes

14. Click on Edit query

15. Put a query that returns the resources you want to add to the organizational group into the Parameterized Query Pane.

16. Click OK

17. Leave the Evaluation Rule Condition to Run for non-empty data

18. Click on select a job or task

19. Click on the + in front of the folder System Jobs and Tasks

20. Click on the + in front of the folder Notification Server

21. Click on the + in front of the folder Automation Policy Tasks

22. Choose the Assign to Organizational Group Task

23. Click OK

24. Click on Edit input parameter

25. For Organizational Group select the 172.xxx.xxx.xxx Group in the Custom Value Dropdown

26. For Action click on Must at least contain

27. For Resource choose Results as CSV in the dropdown menu

28. Click OK

29. Click Save Changes button

30. Click Test Automation Policy

31. In the NS7 Console click on Manage and then choose Organizational Views and Groups

32. Click on 172.xxx.xxx group. You will see all of the resources that have been assigned to the group through the automation policy.

EV 10 : Overview of Enterprise Vault licensing

2011-08-29T07:10:00.001+02:00

Enterprise Vault uses the Enterprise Licensing System (ELS). To run the associated Enterprise Vault services, you must install a license key file that covers the Enterprise Vault features that you want to implement.

The following types of Enterprise Vault license are available:

Production license. This license comprises a product base license and any additional feature licenses. When the license file is installed, the functionality of Enterprise Vault depends on the feature licenses that you have purchased.
Production licenses generally do not have an expiry date.
Trialware license. With this 30 day license, the full functionality of Enterprise Vault is available, but the functionality is time-limited, as defined by the key.
When the license expires, the software continues to run in restricted, read-only mode, which allows archived items to be viewed and retrieved, but no items can be archived. Enterprise Vault tasks will not start, and you cannot migrate the contents of personal folder (PST) files to Enterprise Vault.
Temporary licenses. Temporary licenses are available for 10 day to 90 day duration.
When the license expires, the software continues to run in restricted, read-only mode, which allows archived items to be viewed and retrieved, but no items can be archived. Enterprise Vault tasks will not start, and you cannot migrate the contents of personal folder (PST) files to Enterprise Vault.

See Obtaining license keys for Enterprise Vault

See Installing Enterprise Vault license key files

See Replacing Enterprise Vault licenses and installing additional licenses

How to obtain the installation download and license keys for Enterprise Vault.

2011-08-29T07:08:00.001+02:00

Problem

Symantec Technical Support does not have access to licensing information, Technical Support is not able to provide direct assistance with application licensing. If assistance is required with licensing, please contact a regional Customer Care representative. The number for the US and Canada is 1-800-721-3934.
To obtain a Customer Care phone number for other regions around the world, please visit Customer Care Assistance & Information at http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/support/assistance_care.jsp

Solution

Note: Enterprise Vault license keys and downloads can be obtained by following the steps and/or viewing videos found at the links below.
Licensing:
For new product license keys:
https://licensing.symantec.com/NP-video/New_Purch.html
For product version upgrade license keys:
https://licensing.symantec.com/VU-video/VU_process.html
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about Software Version Upgrades: http://www.symantec.com/business/products/licensing/upgrades/faq.jsp
Additional Helpful Links:
Product Activation & Licensing Keys site:
http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/licensing/activation/index.jsp
Licensing Portal User Guide:
http://www.symantec.com/LicensingPortalHelp
Where to find downloads:

Symantec FileConnect - http://fileconnect.symantec.com
Enterprise Vault 7.5 (2007) and lower "Service Packs": Enterprise Vault Download site

Enterprise Vault Download site:

Enterprise Vault: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/downloads.jsp?pid=50996

Compliance Accelerator: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/downloads.jsp?pid=51025

Discovery Accelerator: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/downloads.jsp?pid=51022

Symantec FileConnect: http://fileconnect.symantec.com
Symantec FileConnect - List of Available Products:    http://www.symantec.com/downloads/fileconnect/index.jsp
     This index is arranged by
                     - Product family
                     - Within each product family, by language.
A serial number is required to initiate the software download through FileConnect.   The serial number will either come with an upgrade or purchase letter. This serial number is specific to the FileConnect site and is not the Enterprise Vault license key. The serial number can be found in the license file (.slf) located on the EV server in \Enterprise Vault\Installed Licenses. Open the .slf file in Notepad. The following line will show near the top of the file, and the serial number is the letter followed by 10 digits.
<serial_number>M0123456789</serial_number>
If this information is not available, a serial number can be procured from:
           Symantec Licensing Portal:
https://licensing.symantec.com/acctmgmt/index.jsp
           or request a FileConnect serial number through Symantec Customer Care:
http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/support/assistance_care.jsp
Because application downloads require access to licensing information to which Technical Support does not have, Technical Support is not able to provide assistance with application downloads.   If assistance is required with either of the two download locations, please review the licensing PDF documents as referenced in the Licensing section above.
If further assistance is required, please contact a regional Customer Care representative. The number for the US and Canada is 1-800-721-3934. To obtain a Customer Care phone number for other regions around the world please visit Customer Care Assistance & Information at      http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/support/assistance_care.jsp

EV10 Landing Page

2011-08-23T17:23:00.001+02:00

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=landing&key=50990

EV10 Tech Center

2011-08-23T17:06:00.001+02:00

http://techcenter.symantec.com/ecampus/enterprise?siteName=sena&courseNo=DP6002

Commonly Used Articles for Deployment Solution 7.0, 7.1, 7.1 SP1. (Work in progress)

2011-08-23T10:20:00.000+02:00

A very nice landing page for DS7.X can be found here

DS7.x How to add NIC and Mass Storage drivers to Preboot Configurations and/or DeployAnywhere.

2011-08-23T10:10:00.000+02:00

Why it may be Needed

This is required when drivers are needed that are not already bundled into the WinPE build.
Common Symptom:

The most common manifestation of a missing driver is the inability to boot to WinPE with the error: "Restarting DHCP client service retry 1..." which will repeat 19 times before giving up and booting without network support. This generally indicates that a driver required for the NIC in the system booting to WinPE is missing, and can't bind correctly to the card, thus can't send a valid DHCP request.

Procedure can be found here

DS 7.1 SP1 Technical Document: Architecture & Dataflow

2011-08-03T14:06:00.001+02:00

Nice article can be found here

Bandwidth throttling and speed tests, how does it work?

2011-08-01T11:57:00.001+02:00

Ever wondered how the bandwidth throttling is working?

Click here to find out more

Symantec Management Platform and Altiris Solutions Support Matrix

2011-08-01T11:54:00.001+02:00

The Support Matrix got updated a bit and can be found Here

Patch Management 7.1 SP1

2011-07-18T16:18:00.000+02:00

Client Management Suite Now Includes Broader Patch Coverage

Altiris Client Management Suite 7.1 extended its patch management coverage by adding support for 24 commonly used third-party Windows applications with the recent release of Patch Management Solution 7.1 SP1. This release helps customers address a top priority risk according to SANS -- unpatched client-side software. The release also includes:

Updates to Microsoft applications and operating systems
Support for security and non-security related updates (including service packs)
Improved IT Analytics with trend reporting capability that lets administrators track key performance indicators with respect to updates from both Microsoft and supported third-party vendors
Simplified configuration with a First Time Setup Wizard

SMP 7.1 Platform Database Schema

2011-05-30T08:30:00.001+02:00

The Database Schema can be found here

ITMS 7.1 SP1 is out

2011-05-30T08:25:00.001+02:00

The release notes can be found here

A nice landing page can be found here

Map Values to Altiris Asset Management and Helpdesk Solutions

2011-05-30T08:23:00.001+02:00

Introduction

This white paper will outline the technical aspects of leveraging an organizations investment in Microsoft Active Directory and Altiris solutions such as the Active Directory Connector, Inventory Solution, Asset Management and Helpdesk solutions. It will focus on how to create new resource types within Active Directory and the Altiris CMDB and export the information from Active Directory to be imported and mapped to Altiris Resources to be made available for use with other Altiris Solutions. This ability improves the integration of Altiris and Microsoft while reducing time of manually entering data into Altiris, reducing human typographic errors and reduces likely errors from incorrect or missing updates.

http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/map-values-altiris-asset-management-and-helpdesk-solutions

KNOWN ISSUE: Many files, registy keys and values, and directories are not removed when Symantec Management Platform is uninstalled

2011-05-27T11:39:00.001+02:00

A file to solve this issues is available to download here

ITMS 7.1 SP1 documentation Landing Page

2011-05-27T11:36:00.001+02:00

Most release notes on Platform, CMS, SMS and ITMS can be found here

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&key=55274&channel=DOCUMENTATION

Microsoft SCEP Implementation Whitepaper (for MMS).

2011-05-18T12:46:00.001+02:00

This paper can be found Here.

Workflow Solution 7.1 Known Issues and Associated KB Articles for All Builds

2011-04-22T07:14:00.001+02:00

A nice article on the known issues and Release Notes can be found here

BE2010R3 Releases on 2de of may

2011-04-12T14:45:00.001+02:00

We are excited to announce that Backup Exec 2010 R3 is now GOLD!

New features include:

· Virtual Vault support for the Archive Option

· Support for protection of Enterprise Vault v10 when released

· Improved DeDuplication rates for VMware images

Supportability and customer satisfaction improvements include:

· Install enhancements based on telemetry data

· Install-integrated NPS survey

· Virtual agent updates

· DeDuplication updates, including the PDDE team’s Rock Solid efforts

Backup Exec 2010 R3 (build 5204.4) will be released into First Availability within the week. RTM is April 25, with GA following on May 2.

How to create a Pre-defined Computer using only a MAC address in DS 7.1

2011-04-08T13:33:00.001+02:00

Please read the attached document, "How to create a Pre-defined Computer using only a MAC address in DS 7.1" for details.

Attachments

this is the actual article that describes how the process is done

How to create a Predefined Computer using MAC address only in DS 7.1.docx (111 kBytes)

This is the Pectagent for DS 7.1 up to and including MR4 (32bit version of NS/DS)

PECTAgent.exe (610 kBytes)

This is the X86 Pectagent for DS 7.1 sp1 build 1374 (64bit version of NS/DS) • C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\Task Handler\bootwiz\oem\DS\winpe2\x86\Base\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent

PECTAgent.exe (610 kBytes)

/apps/media/inquira/resources /resources

This is the x64 Pectagent for DS 7.1 sp1 build 1374 (64bit version of NS/DS) • C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\Task Handler\bootwiz\oem\DS\winpe2\x64\Base\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent

PECTAgent.exe (610 kBytes)

DS 7.1 Predefined Computers boot to production ("Next Device") or initial deployment instead of the correct PXE menu option.

Article URL http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO44397

SEP 11.0, RU6 MP3 is Released

2011-04-08T12:13:00.001+02:00

This build's version is: 11.0.6300.803.

This build's information is located here.

This build's zipped DVD files can be downloaded from here.

This build's Release Notes: Release_Notes_SEP_11_RU6_MP3.pdf.

This build's Fix Notes: Fix_Notes_for_SEP_11_RU6_MP3.docx.

ITMS 7.1 SP1

2011-04-05T13:18:00.001+02:00

The intention is there to support WIN2008r2SP1 in ITMS7.1SP1 at the end of may, but if any issue is found it will not be in this release.

Mobile Management is NOT yet available for ITMS7.1

2011-04-04T08:30:00.001+02:00

Mobile Management is only available for ITMS7.0 and a SP4 is scheduled for Q3 2011.

When there will be a version for 7.1 is not clear yet

WIN2008r2 SP1 is NOT supported for ITMS7.1 till further notice

2011-04-04T08:28:00.001+02:00

WIN2008r2 SP1 is not yet supported for ITMS7.1.

As soon as it changes I will make a note in the blog.

Getting the hang of IOPS

2011-04-04T08:14:00.001+02:00

Very very good article that everyone should read…

http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/getting-hang-iops

Facts About Combine License Workshop

2011-04-04T08:09:00.001+02:00

http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/facts-about-combine-license-workshop

The License Workshop can be used to download the licenses for all Altiris products registered to your company (or group of companies), or to combine and download licenses for a particular Altiris product.

Combining Licenses

When two or more license certificates for the same product are combines into a single certificate, the new maintenance date that is embedded in the certificate is the lesser of all the dates.

For example, if you combine 100 nodes of a product with a maintenance date ending 01-01-2007 with 100 nodes with a maintenance date ending 06-01-2007, the new certificate will be created for 200 nodes with a maintenance expiration date of 01-01-2007.

When the maintenance expires on the combined license you can use the License Management Portal to received your licenses in a new configuration, or you may contact your Sales Representative to have your maintenance dates co termed to a single date.

During the co terming process, the maintenance expiration dates on combines licenses will also be combined. All combined licenses will assume the shorted maintenance duration available from the individual licenses.

Example, if you combine two license files, one having 6 months remaining and the other having 8 months remaining, the maintenance window of the combined license files will have a maintenance duration of 6 months) At the end of the combined licenses term, you will have the opportunity to use the remaining two months of support in the example by installing the individual license key containing the remaining maintenance.

The Maintenance assigned to the license is the lesser of the Maintenance dates assigned of the licenses being combines or 7 months from the day the license is being created. When licenses are, the .txt files must have at least 7 months of Maintenance assigned or the license will timed out.

Using the License Workshop

* Option 1
Allow you to download the licenses for all your Altiris products at once. When choosing this option, the system will automatically combine licenses for products you own into as few license files as possible, placing the licenses into a single ZIP file that is downloaded to your computer.

The licenses downloaded will be for all Altiris companies associated with your Symantec account, and is not affected by the check boxes show in the Option 2 area of the page.

* Option 2 Download Selected Licenses (Combined)

When more than one Altiris company is associated with your account, a list of those companies will be displayed on the page. New license purchase with your Symantec account will be listed under the name ' New Licenses'. (There may be multiple companies listed due to grouping that was done in Altiris, and also grouping that was done when Altiris information was moved to Symantec)

Using the check boxes nest to the company names, choose the companies associated with the products to be combined (to keep things simple, you may wish to leave all companies selected) . As you change the selected companies, the list of products will change to show all combinable products for the selected companies. If there is only one company associated with your account, you will not be able to deselect it.)

Next select a product to combine from the list of products- only combinable products with active support will be listed. Please not that only individual products are combinable- suites of products are not.

Finally, combine the desired licenses using the arrows, and click on the download button to obtain a single combined license file for the selected product (the maintenance co termination rules noted above will apply.)

Remote Altiris Agent Diagnostics 2.0 (RAADv2)

2011-04-04T08:05:00.001+02:00

How do I remotely troubleshoot an agent without logging into the machine?

"Remote Altiris Agent Diagnostics" (RAAD) version 2 expands on the diagnostic checks and remediation actions performed by RAAD version 1 (KB 45023) to allow those checks and actions against a list of machines and not just the one machine. The Health Checks in RAAD version 2 are designed to take a look at the state of the Altiris solution plug-ins such as Patch, Task, SWD and Recovery to determine if they are working properly. Version 2 also allows the ability to run a Custom Inventory XML against the set of machines and return the results immediately so you can customize your own health check. You can examine more in-depth details of the Agents using the Diagnostics tab which is essentially RAAD version 1. The biggest advantage with version 2 is that you can run remediation actions such as Configuration Request and Start Patching Cycle against as many machines as you'd like and all at once.

The process is to get a list of machines, run a health check against them, then by evaluating the results or drilling down into the diagnostics choose a remediation action to run against the machines you choose.

Features:

Diagnostics and Health Checks
x86 and x64 compatible for remote clients
Ability to pass credentials used to connect to remote clients
Multi-Threaded
Agent, sub-agent, and customizable Health Checks
Ability to run an action against multiple remote clients at once
Customizable User Interface and captured

* Please see KB 45023 for application functionality

Download:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO21449

Requirements:

Run the executable locally, not from a share
Host and remote machine must be Windows OS
Do not use 'Run As' - you can pass credentials in this version
.NET 1.1 framework installed on host and remote machine
Altiris Agent must be installed on host
Firewall on the remote machine will also prevent Altiris actions.
You will need to add AeXNSAgent.exe to the Firewall exclusion by running the following command on the remote machine:
```
netsh firewall add allowedprogram "%programfiles%\Altiris\Altiris Agent\AeXNSAgent.exe" ENABLE
```
Or you can simply run this command from the 'Remote Execute Option' button from the application

Usage:

To distribute desired application settings such as Remote Execute options edit the RAAD.exe.config and place it in the same folder as RAAD.exe. If user has altered application settings have them go to Settings - Change Application Settings and choose Restore All Setting to Default which will import your altered RAAD.exe.config.

pcAnywhere Diagnostic and Connect Tool v1.0013

2011-04-04T07:59:00.001+02:00

pcAnywhere Diag Features

Encrypts and stores connection and diagnostic credentials
Remembers the last PC connected to
Ability to store a favorites list
Single click to modify, double click to set as connection PC
Checks the client status and repairs any issues
Eliminates the “Raising Encryption” message upon connect
Works even if the Altiris console is unavailable

Link to the article can be found here

Deployment Solution Samples for v7.1 SP1 (on SMP/CMS 7.1) x64

2011-04-04T07:57:00.001+02:00

Well, it was a long time coming, and it's not 100% perfect. Call this a public BETA of sorts. Support was given permission to release a set of Deployment Samples for the current shipping code. This set is an x64 installation and thus will not run on previous versions of the product. The XML files that it extracts MIGHT work on previous versions, but of course it will be use-at-your-own-risk. (Truthfully, MOST of it should work fine, but we don't have time to test it).

A link to this article can be found here

Web Page for Enabling Support to Deploy Tasks or Packages to Specific Machines in NS7

2011-04-04T07:56:00.001+02:00

Do you ever need to push a package out to a single computer but the hassle of creating a job in the console takes too long? Wouldn't you like to give desktop support or the helpdesk this ability and still control what packages they can deploy? Then this is the answer to all you have hoped for! We've been using this page for months now on NS7 and it rocks!

Link to tis nice article can be found here

DS 69SP5 is available here

2011-04-04T07:40:00.001+02:00

You can find the download for DS69SP5 here

The Release Notes can be found here

Backup Exec SBS (Small Business Server) Licensing is not accepted on a physical host machine running Windows Standard Edition and backups to tape hard

2011-03-19T10:02:00.001+01:00

Problem

Backup Exec SBS (Small Business Server) Licensing is not accepted on a physical host machine running Windows Standard Edition and backups to tape hardware are not possible if the SBS Licensing is entered on a Hyper-V Guest running Windows SBS

Cause

Backup Exec Small Business Server Edition (BE SBS) is designed, licensed, and priced for the Microsoft Small Business Server operating system. The Backup Exec SBS Edition includes all of the necessary components to protect both the Standard and Premium versions of the Microsoft Small Business Server platform, including Microsoft SBS 2008 R2. As a result, Backup Exec SBS Edition will only install on a Microsoft SBS operating system and will perform verification during installation to ensure the product is installed only on a Microsoft SBS operating system.

Microsoft SBS 2008 R2 introduces a number of enhancements and now includes Hyper-V components necessary to virtual the SBS operating system as a Guest virtual machine. Backup Exec SBS Edition is supported when virtualized and installed into the SBS Guest virtual machine. However, BE SBS Edition cannot be installed on the physical Hyper-V host server or the second “Line of Business” Windows 2008 Server operating system (included in the Premium versions of Microsoft SBS) because they are not running the Microsoft SBS operating system required by the Backup Exec SBS Edition.

As a result of the requirement that Backup Exec SBS Edition be installed in the Guest virtual machine running the SBS operating system when virtualized, there are will be limitations on what backup devices can be supported. The Hyper-V 2008 and 2008 R2 platform do not currently support the virtualization of tape devices connected to the physical Hyper-V host through to the SBS Guest virtual machine. As a result, tape devices cannot be currently used when Backup Exec SBS Edition has been virtualized on the Hyper-V platform since tape communication cannot be passed through to the Guest SBS virtual machine. This is a limitation of the Hyper-V platform and not Backup Exec SBS Edition.

Solution

I. For backing up to tape from the host machine
The issue with the SBS Licensing not being accepted by the host machine is resolved with Backup Exec 2010-R2. The install now looks at the active guest machines for an SBS 2008 or greater server during the installation to the host. For tape backup in this environment, install Backup Exec 2010-R2 with the SBS License to the host machine. Per Microsoft KB (957006) Microsoft does not suport SBS 2003 server running as a virtual machine on a Hyper-V host.
II. For backing up to non-tape media from the guest machine
Continue using the Backup Exec SBS Edition Licensing and install it in the Guest virtual machine running the Microsoft SBS operating system for use with backup-to-disk devices or Deduplication storage folders only.
Related Articles

Backup Exec reports Evaluation mode on Hyper-V host and no serial numbers present after rebooting the Hyper-V host
How to troubleshoot issues with a Robotic Library (autoloader/changer) and/or Tape Drive(s)
How to obtain the installation source download and license keys for the Backup Exec core product, agents, and options
Backup Exec 12.5 Hardware (HCL)
Backup Exec 12.5 Software (SCL)
Customer Pricing and Licensing Guide: Symantec Backup Exec (TM) 12.5 for Windows Servers

Updated version of Platform Support Matrix ITMS7.1

2011-03-18T08:42:00.000+01:00

An updated version of Platform Support Matrix has been posted to the following KB article:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO9965

Important changes for this version:
• Updated: SQL Server 2008 SP2 support for ITMS 7.1
• Updated: Windows Server editions for ITMS 7.1
• Updated: Descriptions for OS support with CMS/SMS
• Updated: Description for Agent Localization

{CWoC 2010} A Scripting Guide to Simulating Agent Workload on the Notification Server / Symantec Management Platform

2011-03-14T19:40:00.001+01:00

Nice article about stress testing and simulating an agent.

(well done Ludo…)

http://98.129.119.162/connect/zh-hant/articles/scripting-guide-simulating-agent-workload-notification-server-symantec-management-platform

Management Platform (Formerly known as Notification Server)

2011-03-14T19:13:00.001+01:00

Official Documentation Landing Page : http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&key=55274&channel=DOCUMENTATION

Symantec Management Platform and Altiris Solutions Support Matrix

2011-03-14T19:11:00.001+01:00

Link to the Support page : http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO9965

Migrate to ITMS 7.1

2011-03-14T08:51:00.001+01:00

Comprehensive Migration Resources

Product Management and Development created a full complement of best practice recommendations to enable customers to design, migrate, and deploy Altiris 7.1 suites and solutions successfully. The documents cover planning and implementation, effective migration of agents, how to use available migration wizards, and more.

A dedicated migration area is now live on Symantec Connect.

Altiris 7.1 Suites and Solutions are Now Generally Available

2011-03-14T08:49:00.001+01:00

On March 7, 2011 Altiris 7.1 Suites and Solutions were release to general availability. This release includes IT Management Suite and its integrated suites: Client Management Suite, Server Management Suite, Asset Management Suite and ServiceDesk. Symantec will issue a public press release on April 11, 2011.

This release not only includes tremendous quality advances, but also significant improvements in performance and scalability. In addition to a solid release vetted by over 500 beta customers there are many new features that improve IT operational efficiency and control costs.

Altiris 7.1 is a release to feel confident about in terms of quality and competitiveness:

· Scalability increase of 320% and an overall increase of 480% in hierarchy minimizes our overall management footprint - a fraction of the typical Microsoft System Center implementation

· A new management interface delivers the fastest console performance with consolidated management of common tasks, drag and drop functionality, and tighter product integration – ease of use is a strength

· Deeper automation and intelligence drives innovation and optimizes software expenditures – freeing up valuable human and financial capital

· Broad patch management coverage helps organizations protect against a growing list of non-Microsoft, 3^rd party applications – over 2/3 of vulnerabilities exist in third party desktop applications

Release Notes ITMS 7.1

2011-03-14T08:48:00.001+01:00

Can be found here

Backup Exec Known Issues

2011-02-11T09:14:00.001+01:00

A special page has being created to list all known issues.

You can find the page here

Backup Exec 2010 revision 2896 Service Pack 1

2011-02-10T14:33:00.001+01:00

A new Service Pack have being released. A link can be found Here

Altiris IT Management Suite 7.0 MR3 Release Notes

2011-01-12T14:18:00.001+01:00

We are pleased to announce the release of Altiris IT Management Suite 7.0 MR3. This release continues to build on the progress that our previous releases have provided to our customers. We want to thank everyone involved and those who continue to help make our products better.

To obtain this release use the following:

- http://www.solutionsam.com/solutions/pl/symantec.pl.xml.zip

Also, you can find the release notes at http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC3465

Dell DMC 2.0 (Based on NS7.1)

2011-01-03T09:44:00.001+01:00

Dell DMC 2.0 has launched. This build is based omn SMP 7.1 platform.

The other CMS/SMS/AMS/Service Desk solutions from Symantec will be launched at 07 of march.

Click Here to go to the download link

Skip the readiness checks for NS7

2010-11-19T11:42:00.001+01:00

To disable the check for SIM prerequisites:
Add the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\AIM to the registry.
Create a DWord called IgnoreInstallPrerequisites and set the value to 1.

To enable the Next button if any of the install Readiness checks fail:
Add the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\AIM\InstallReadinessCheck\
to the registry. Create a DWord called EnableNextbutton and set the value to 1.

Recovery Solution for Clients Beta is Now Available

2010-11-18T09:44:00.001+01:00

The Recovery Solution for Clients 6.2 SP4 beta is now available on SYMANTEC CONNECT.

Available in this beta are the following features:

Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit) support for RS Agent
Rollup of all existing official 6.2 SP3 hot fixes
WBFR-based recovery audit reporting in the File Recovery History report
No reboot requirement for RS Agent upgrade

ITMS 7.0 SP5 en MR2

2010-10-20T10:26:00.001+02:00

•Product Listing

–Externally: http://www.solutionsam.com/solutions/pl/symantec.pl.xml.zip

•Symantec Installation Manager (Build 814)

–Externally: http://www.symantec.com/business/it-management-suite (select Trialware)

•Release Notes:

–http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC1956 (SMP)

–http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC2165 (MR2)

DS 7.1: Support Tools for DS 7.1.013

2010-10-20T10:24:00.001+02:00

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO26135

Beta SMP 7.1 (Hampton)

2010-09-08T17:38:00.001+02:00

The first Beta is available :

http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/itms-71-beta-now-available

Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 3.2 MR1 Release Notes

2010-09-08T17:37:00.001+02:00

Introduction

Altiris Deployment Solution offers enhanced Dell server deployment capabilities that dramatically reduce the time and cost of deploying and managing your Dell servers. Deployment Solution uses prebuilt scripts to quickly and easily deploy Dell servers. Deployment jobs enable you to update and configure hardware and system settings (including BIOS, RAID, and DRAC configurations), deploy a Microsoft Windows or Linux operating system, install applications (databases and email servers), and more. All from a central, remote console.

For a collection of videos that are a good introduction to Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 3.2 MR1, see Symantec Connect.

New features

This release includes the following new features:

Support for the latest version of the Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit (DTK version 3.2.1) in the WinPE environment.
Improved performance.
Sample Jobs to provide access to Lifecycle Controller drivers on 11th Generation Dell Servers for use during scripted OS installations.

Prerequisites

System Requirements

Deployment Solution software provides the infrastructure and the core functionality that is used by Deployment Solution for Dell Servers. Before using this product, you should be familiar with the functionality and requirements of Deployment Solution.

Deployment Solution 6.9 SP4. See the Deployment Solution release notes, article 51559. Deployment Solution 6.9 SP4 documentation is available at http://www.altiris.com/support/documentation.

Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 3.2 MR1 has the following requirements in addition to those of Deployment Solution 6.9 SP4:

Installation of Deployment Solution for Dell Servers on Windows versions later than Windows 2000.
The Deployment server, console, and datastore (deployment share) must be installed on the same machine as Deployment Solution for Dell Servers.

Supported Dell servers

This release provides support for the servers that are included in version 3.2.1 of the Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit (DTK) in the WinPE environment
This release provides support for the servers that are included in version 3.1 of the Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit (DTK) in the Linux environment.

Operating system files for scripted installations

When you install Deployment Solution for Dell Servers, the Configuration Wizard prompts you to provide installation (source) files for each operating system that you select to create automated scripted installation jobs. The files are copied to the deployment share if they are located elsewhere.

Drivers for Windows scripted installations

Drivers for supported Dell server models can be automatically located and copied from the following Dell OpenManage CDs or DVDs: Dell Server Assistant, Dell Systems Build and Update Utility, or Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation.

The Configuration Wizard prompts you for the CDs or DVDs for your selected systems (supported systems are listed on the front of each disc). If the discs are not available, ISO images can be downloaded from support.dell.com. Browse to the downloads section for your server model and operating system, and then select the Systems Management category.

Supported platforms for scripted installations

DS includes jobs to perform scripted installations of the following operating systems:

Windows Server 2008 (32- and 64-bit)
Windows Server 2003 (all versions, 32- and 64-bit)
Windows 2000 Server and 2000 Advanced Server
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 3, 4, and 5 (all versions, 32- and 64-bit)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 3, 4, and 5 (all versions, 32- and 64-bit)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 (32- and 64-bit)

Installation

Complete installation instructions are contained in the Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 3.2 MR1 documentation, which is available at http://www.altiris.com/support/documentation.

Please refer also to the demo videos on the Symantec Connect site.

Where to download

You can download released versions of Altiris products from http://www.altiris.com/Download.aspx.

You can download Beta versions of Altiris products from http://beta.altiris.com.

WinPE and Linux pre-boot files

You can download files for the Microsoft WinPE and Linux pre-boot or automation environments from the Deployment Solution for Dell Servers download page. Go to http://www.altiris.com/Download.aspx, and then select the appropriate version of Deployment Solution for Dell Servers.

Upgrade

To upgrade, perform a standard installation as outlined in the Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 3.2 MR1 documentation, which is available at http://www.altiris.com/support/documentation.

During the upgrade, any existing folder that is named “Dell” within the Deployment Share is renamed to “Dell_prev.” Any Dell jobs that exist prior to an upgrade remain intact, but their references to the Dell directory in the Deployment Share might need to be redirected to the Dell_prev folder to operate properly.

Performing an upgrade has the following effects:

Deployment Console jobs folder

The jobs from the previous version should still appear in the Deployment Console. They are located in the folder that is named according to the version. For example, Deployment Solution for Dell Servers v3.2Linux. The new jobs in the Deployment Console are in a separate folder that is named according to the version and pre-boot environment. For example, Deployment Solution for Dell Servers v3.2 MR1 Linux.

Deployment share file-system folder

The Deployment share is usually located in the C:\ProgramFiles\Altiris\eXpress\Deployment Server\ folder. The old Dell file-system folder in the Deployment Share is renamed to "Dell_prev" (or something like Dell_prev1 if a Dell_prev folder already exists). A new file-system folder named "Dell," which contains the version 3.2 MR1 files, is created in the Deployment Share.

Deployment Console tools menu

The tools menu in the Deployment Console is updated to refer to the new version 3.2 MR1 items. The previous versions of each utility (Configuration Utility, Job Builder, Configuration Wizard) reside in their respective Dell_prev folders. Using these versions is not supported because they might not interact correctly with the updated database schema.

SMP / CMS/ AMS / SMS SP2 MR1 Released

2010-06-22T07:59:00.001+02:00

As of today the MR2 is released

Didn’t see a Release note yet, but I guess it is KB 51945

Dagent command line Parameters

2010-06-01T15:07:00.001+02:00

DAgent.msi /qn TCPaddr= 172.19.17.180 tcpport=402

McAfee rebooting Windows XP Systems - False positive detection of w32/wecorl.a in 5958 DAT - svchost.exe - Fix via Deployment Solution

2010-04-22T04:06:00.001+02:00

A possible way to fix it is just being released and is to be found here https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=52533&p=1

Limitations when runnning Sysprep for WIN7

2010-03-17T15:25:00.001+01:00

If you want to know more about Sysprep you can find more here http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744512(WS.10).aspx#ResettingWindowsActivation

There is a limit of 3 times a sysprep can run on a single computer if you do not use rearm option

If you anticipate running the Sysprep command multiple times on a single computer, you must use the SkipRearm setting in the Microsoft-Windows-Security-Licensing-SPP component to postpone resetting the activation clock. Because you can reset the activation clock only three times, if you run the Sysprep command multiple times on a computer, you might run out of activation clock resets. We recommend that you use the SkipRearm setting if you plan on running the Sysprep command multiple times on a computer.

Inventory Solution 7.0 Database Schema

2010-03-14T19:36:00.001+01:00

Answer

The schema information can be accessed using the Symantec Connect links provided:
http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/inventory-solution-70-database-schema
http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/inventory-solution-70-database-schema-part-1-operating-system-inventory
http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/inventory-solution-70-database-schema-part-2-hardware-inventory
http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/inventory-solution-70-database-schema-part-3-software-and-user-inventory
http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/inventory-pack-servers-database-schema-part-1-virtual-machine-data
http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/inventory-pack-servers-database-schema-part-2-database-and-web

Altiris™ IT Management Suite 7 Release Notes

2010-03-01T19:45:00.001+01:00

Finally the TMS7 or in the new naming IT Management Suite 7 is released for download. More info to be found here.

https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=51492&p=1

The ITMS7 contains:

CMS7, SMS7, SD7 and AMS7, but also DS7.1 (With PXE) and Virtual management

AssetManagement 7.0

2010-02-28T17:14:00.001+01:00

the Asset workflows that will ship with the product, they are:

1. Ownership Verification
2. Software Purchase Request
3. Hardware Purchase Request

The installation file is a ZIP file to be found in the root folder of the NSCAP Share. Unzip the file and run the exe AFTER you have installed the Workflow engine.

Software Catalog Data Provider 7.0 Release Notes

2010-02-23T12:08:00.001+01:00

Software Catalog Data Provider enhances Notification Server's ability to identify the software that has been detected on the managed computers in your environment. It uses rules to identify software that otherwise could not be identified. It can then automatically import data into the Software Catalog to create a software resource for the software. After it creates a software resource in the Software Catalog, you can add package resources along with other software information. You can then create policies or tasks that deliver or manage this software on the managed computers in your environment.

Software Catalog Data Provider is needed to identify software in the following instances:

The information that identifies the software cannot be gathered from Add/Remove Programs.
The software is identified as a suite, and you need to identify a specific product in the suite.
The software is identified as a product, and you need to identify the suite.

Home Use: Norton 360 Version 4 - Finally!

2010-02-19T23:34:00.001+01:00

See this article to know more about the home edition of Symantecs Antivuris.

KNOWN ISSUE: With SIM 7.0.555 (Symantec Installation Manager) installed, SIM is not properly recognizing certain proxy configurations

2010-02-01T16:09:00.001+01:00

With SIM 555 installed, it may not properly recognize a proxy configuration (regardless of proxy credentials).

In this case, The SIM can never 'connect' to our servers to obtain the proper information for our Product Listing, meaning all Products install items will appear grayed out.

Here is how it was noticed:

1. SIM 553 installed on a customer system
2. Customer updated the Product Listing and received SIM 555 upgrade
3. When SIM 555 launched, it could not 'see' Products install items. All showed as unavailable and grayed out with 'requires internet connection' message.
4. In some other cases SIM was not able to recognize the customer's Proxy settings so he was not able to obtain access to the Internet

Cause

Some changes in SIM 555 code caused some unexpected behaviours during our attempts to connect to the Internet

Resolution

This issue has been reported to our Development Team. A permanent fix has been developed. This issue is fixed with SIM 7.0.556 version. Please check for updates in SIM.

Note: If SIM is not warning you about installing a new version or it is not able to obtain it, please see the attached file. It should be SIM 7.0.556. Just unzip the file and run the executable to upgrade SIM.

Symantec Backup Exec 2010

2010-01-31T21:37:00.001+01:00

Please find some news on the BE2010 new upgraded product on http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/are-you-ready-upgrade

Click on the link to find a document on How to Upgrade to Backup Exec 2010 in 3 Simple Steps

Windows 7 Nonpaged Pool Srv Error 2017

2010-01-28T12:12:00.001+01:00

I’m using my Windows 7 machine as a file server to host my BESR2010 images. I’m using a share. However, I ran into a problem after using the mounted share for a small amount of time. I found a simple solution after a bit of research.
After checking the Event Viewer System log, I found the following error:

Source: srv Event ID: 2017 Level: Error The server was unable to allocate from the system nonpaged pool because the server reached the configured limit for nonpaged pool allocations.

Some research led me to find this Google Groups discussion about the problem and this Microsoft Technet article discussing the solution (look at the bottom of the page). Apparently you need to tell Windows that you want to use the machine as a file server and that it should allocate resources accordingly. Set the following registry key to ‘1′:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\LargeSystemCache

and set the following registry key to ‘3′:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters\Size

After making these changes and restarting, I haven’t seen this issue arise again. Fixed!

ServiceDesk install reports "An error has occurred at: AddProfileValueDefinitions"

2010-01-27T01:08:00.001+01:00

• ServiceDesk Solution 7.0

Problem/Symptoms

This issue can manifest itself in a number of ways both during the ServiceDesk installation process as well as after the installation (if errors during the installation process are missed or ignored). We will add new symptoms as we are made aware of them:

1) During the ServiceDesk installation the following error appeared:

An error has occurred at: AddProfileValueDefinitions

Error Message: Server was unable to process request. ---> Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> could not save object ProfileServiceDeskSettings ---> Could not insert or update. insert error message: String or binary data would be truncated. The statement has been terminated. update error message: String or binary data would be truncated. The statement has been terminated. ---> String or binary data would be truncated. The statement has been terminated.

Stack Trace: System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: Server was unable to process request. ---> Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> could not save object ProfileServiceDeskSettings ---> Could not insert or update. insert error message: String or binary data would be truncated. The statement has been terminated. update error message: String or binary data would be truncated. The statement has been terminated. ---> String or binary data would be truncated. The statement has been terminated. at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapClientMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCall) at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.Invoke(String methodName, Object[] parameters) at LogicBase.Core.Ensemble.Profile.ProfileService.SaveProfileValueDefinitionsWithInitialValues(String sessionID, ProfileValueDefinition[] profileValueDefinitions, KeyValuePair[] nameValuePairs) at LogicBase.Components.Ensemble.Profile.AddProfileValueDefinitions.Run(IData data) at LogicBase.Core.ExecutionEngine.SinglePathProcessComponentExecutionDelegate.Execute(IData data, IOrchestrationComponent comp, String& outputPath, IExecutionEngine engine, TLExecutionContext context) at LogicBase.Core.ExecutionEngine.AbstractExecutionEngine.DoRunComp(IOrchestrationComponent comp, IData data, TLExecutionContext context)

The installation process is allowed to continue despite this error, however the ServiceDesk will not function properly when it is complete.

2) When attempting to create a new incident after the ServiceDesk 7.0 install is complete, the following error appears:

"Value cannot be null. Parameter name: uriString"

Cause

This error is caused by outdated versions of SQL components that must be installed on the ServiceDesk server as prerequisites. Specificially, one or more of these components may be missing or out-of-date:

SQLServer2005_ADOMD_x64.msi (Microsoft ADOMD.NET)

SQLNCLI_X64.msi (Microsoft SQL Server Native Client)

SQLServer2005_XMO_x64.msi (Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Management Objects Collection)

Resolution

We currently recommend that these files be downloaded from the Feature Pack for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 - December 2008.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=536fd7d5-013f-49bc-9fc7-77dede4bb075&displaylang=en

Hydraq

2010-01-21T11:26:00.001+01:00

Ref Link

Hydraq is a targeted attack that is also currently referred to as Aurora, Google Attacks, and the Microsoft IE Vulnerability (advisory number 979352). Through the exploitation of a vulnerability, it attempts to install a trojan on a specific computer that steals information from that machine. The trojan attempts to make contact with command and control servers in order to receive instructions and to upload any information that it may have collected. This type of attack is often called an advanced persistent threat because of the sophistication and persistence of the attack within a business.
This attack is of concern to all computer users because vulnerabilities used in this attack are now widely know and likely to be exploited by other cybercriminals.
Symantec customers are protected from Hydraq both today and in future using updates, as well as the products and services outlined in the tabs below.

Remote Altiris Agent Diagnostics 2.0

2010-01-12T12:42:00.001+01:00

Download of latest version can be found here

Ref Link : https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=49683&p=1

“Remote Altiris Agent Diagnostics” (RAAD) version 2 expands on the diagnostic checks and remediation actions performed by RAAD version 1 (KB 45023) to allow those checks and actions against a list of machines and not just the one machine. The Health Checks in RAAD version 2 are designed to take a look at the state of the Altiris solution plug-ins such as Patch, Task, SWD and Recovery to determine if they are working properly. Version 2 also allows the ability to run a Custom Inventory XML against the set of machines and return the results immediately so you can customize your own health check. You can examine more in-depth details of the Agents using the Diagnostics tab which is essentially RAAD version 1. The biggest advantage with version 2 is that you can run remediation actions such as Configuration Request and Start Patching Cycle against as many machines as you’d like and all at once.

Features:
        - Diagnostics and Health Checks
      - x86 and x64 compatible for remote clients
      - Ability to pass credentials used to connect to remote clients
      - Multi-Threaded
      - Agent, sub-agent, and customizable Health Checks
      - Ability to run an action against multiple remote clients at once
      - Customizable User Interface and captured
    * Please see KB 45023 for application functionality

Requirements:
- Run the executable locally, not from a share
   - Host and remote machine must be Windows OS
   - Do not use 'Run As' - you can pass credentials in this version
   - .NET 1.1 framework installed on host and remote machine
   - Altiris Agent must be installed on host
   - Firewall on the remote machine will also prevent Altiris actions.
           You will need to add AeXNSAgent.exe to the Firewall exclusion by running the following command on the remote machine:
                 netsh firewall add allowedprogram "%programfiles%\Altiris\Altiris Agent\AeXNSAgent.exe" ENABLE
           Or you can simply run this command from the 'Remote Execute Option' button from the application

Usage:
To distribute desired application settings such as Remote Execute options edit the RAAD.exe.config and place it in the same folder as RAAD.exe. If user has altered application settings have them go to Settings - Change Application Settings and choose Restore All Setting to Default which will import your altered RAAD.exe.config.

Changes:
Ver. 2.1.9.0
         - First GA Release
Ver. 2.1.10.0
         - Fixed Buttons to show on Vista and Windows 7
         - Fixed Collection Picker to import into List after selection
         - Add Trusted Connection for database connections to use current Windows Authentication and not just SQL credentials
         - Added Stop and Start Recovery service to Actions
         - Included RAAD.exe.config to zip so application settings can be distributed to end users. See Usage above.
Ver. 2.1.11.0
         - Embedded both dlls into executable so RAAD.exe is a single distributable
         - Fixed Recovery Agent Service and Stop
Ver. 2.1.12.0
         - Now RAAD minimizes to System Tray on Exit
         - Added ability to connect to Client's Diagnostics from System Tray
         - Added Select All and Select None on Diagnostic and Health Check options
         - Added ability to double-click client from Health Check results or Computer List to launch Diagnostics
         - Added horizontal scroll to SWD Packages
         - Fixed Task History to show local time not GMT
         - Fixed Task History column sizes
         - Fixed Logs not refreshing when switching clients
         - Fixed exception when running RAAD.exe <computername> from command line
Ver. 2.1.13.0
          - Added Garbage Collection to help memory issues
Ver. 2.1.15.0
         - Added caching and populating credential password
         - Added ability to hit Enter after entering password
         - Added populating NS from local agent when using Redirect Agent
         - Fixed Redirect Agent UI not executing
         - Changed Copy to Ctrl-F so not to impeed Ctrl-C

Query7: Show OwnerNS for Computers

2009-12-24T08:40:00.001+01:00

SELECT     vRM_Resource_Item_Partitioned.Name, vRM_Resource_Item_Partitioned.Guid, Item.Name AS ResourceType, Item_1.Name AS OwnerNS,
                      vRM_Resource_Item_Partitioned.IsManaged
FROM         vRM_Resource_Item_Partitioned INNER JOIN
                      Item ON vRM_Resource_Item_Partitioned.ResourceTypeGuid = Item.Guid INNER JOIN
                      Item AS Item_1 ON vRM_Resource_Item_Partitioned.OwnerNSGuid = Item_1.Guid
WHERE     (vRM_Resource_Item_Partitioned.ResourceTypeGuid = '493435f7-3b17-4c4c-b07f-c23e7ab7781f') OR
                      (vRM_Resource_Item_Partitioned.ResourceTypeGuid = '2c3cb3bb-fee9-48df-804f-90856198b600')

Query7: Show when a filter has being last updated

2009-12-24T08:25:00.001+01:00

SELECT     Item.Name, Collection.LastUpdated, Collection.LastUpdateEventDate, Item.Description
FROM         Collection INNER JOIN
                      Item ON Collection.Guid = Item.Guid
ORDER BY Collection.LastUpdated DESC

Notification Server 6 Agent for Macintosh Update for Mac OS X 10.5 and 10.6

2009-12-23T08:56:00.001+01:00

An update that provides support for Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.6 (Snow Leopard) by the Notification Server 6.2 Agent for Macintosh is now available. This update allows 10.5 and 10.6 clients to be managed by an NS and for retrieval of Basic Inventory from these clients. This only updates the agent. The solutions, i.e., Inventory and Software Delivery, do not support Snow Leopard.

The update can be found at: https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=50717&p=1.

Supported platforms:

Previously supported Mac OS X versions will remain the same: 10.2.8 – 10.4.X. New platforms with agent-only support in this addon are:

Mac OS X 10.5 (ppc and x86)

Mac OS X Server 10.5 (ppc and x86)

Mac OS X 10.6 (Intel only platform)

Mac OS X Server 10.6 (Intel only platform)

Prerequisite: NS 6.0.6074 with Altiris Agent for Mac 6.2.1302.

Site Server / Package Service/Task Service Support for NS7 SP3

2009-12-19T09:04:00.001+01:00

Package Service

For Deskstops:

As of WIN2000 SP4 till VISTA SP2 64, but NOT W7 yet

For Servers

WIN 2000 SP4 to WIN2003 R2 32, but not WIN2003 R2 SP2 3W2 and 64 bit

And WIN2008 SP1 32 AND 64 bit, NOT higher

Task Service

For Deskstops:

only WIN XP SP3

For Servers

WIN2003 SP2 32, WIN2003 R2, WIN2003 R2 SP2 (all 32 bit only)

IE8 and .NET35SP1 support

2009-12-19T08:55:00.001+01:00

Are supported as of NS7 SP3

REf : https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=46349&p=2

SQL2008 SP1 support

2009-12-19T08:53:00.001+01:00

As of NS7SP3 the SQL2008 SP1 is supported

Ref : https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=46349&p=2

Managing Microsoft Windows 7 computers using Client and Server Management Suite 7.0 SP1 and Symantec Management Platform 7.0 SP3

2009-12-16T10:18:00.001+01:00

Client Management Suite 7.0 SP 1 was released in September 2009 before the release of Microsoft Windows 7. However, when updated with the subsequent release and application of Symantec Management Platform 7.0 SP3 (December 2009), CMS/SMS 7.0 SP1 provides limited support for Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 subject to the limitations listed below. In 2010, a CMS/SMS Service Pack 2 is planned that addresses these limitations.

For more information about Client Management Suite 7.0 SP1, see article 48420.
For more information about Symantec Management Platform 7.0 SP3, see article 49356.
The purpose of this document is to note those issues that you may encounter if managing Windows 7 computers using CMS/SMS 7.0 SP1 with SMP 7.0 SP3.

Known limitations:

Inventory Solution:

The Inventory Plug-in for Windows will not install on Windows 7 client computers using the default filter (Windows Computers without Inventory Plug-in). It will install if the computer is targeted directly.
The Application Metering Plug-in for Windows will not install on Windows 7 client computers using the default filter (Windows Computers without Application Metering Plug-in). It will install if the computer is targeted directly.
Some data classes may not report back correct information.

Inventory for Network Devices (Agentless Inventory):

No issues have been discovered.

Software Management Solution:

A managed delivery policy configured to install an .exe or .msi to a software virtualization layer will not run successfully.
A managed delivery policy that is configured to run from the server will not execute on a Windows 7 client computer.
A managed delivery policy that is configured to run as a specified user will not execute on a Windows 7 client computer.

Deployment Solution:

Deployment Solution 6.9 SP3 supports Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2. Deployment Solution 7 will support these operating systems in a separately-scheduled release (either included in or prior to the CMS/SMS SP2 release).

Patch Management:

Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2 patch data will be available with the CMS/SMS SP2 release.

RTSM:

A Windows 7 client computer cannot be shutdown when the ‘Graceful power action’ option is enabled.
Deactivating SVS layers on Windows 7 clients via RTSM will not remove the application’s desktop icon or entry in the start menu. In other words, the layer will be deactivated but will appear to be active.

PCAnywhere:

Windows 7 is reported as Vista in the remote console.
The desktop background on the host and in the remote console is black rather than blue when a connection is made. When using the freehand draw capabilities of the white board, the pointer is difficult to see as it is black as well.

Out of Bands Management Component:

No issues have been discovered.

Network Discovery:

No issues have been discovered.

Altiris Service after NS7 SP3

2009-12-16T10:15:00.001+01:00

The service has a new name. It is now the Symantec Management Agent Service.

Microsoft SQL Server Management Objects Collection patch is not installed

2009-12-10T15:32:00.001+01:00

The following three files are necessary for a remote SQL host:

· Microsoft SQL Server Native Client

· SQL Server 2005 Management Objects Collection -

· Microsoft ADOMD.NET -

Use the following link to download the missing SQL components

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=D09C1D60-A13C-4479-9B91-9E8B9D835CDC&displaylang=en

NS7 SP3 Available and some critical updates

2009-12-10T13:51:00.001+01:00

AS of today the SP3 is available.

Make sure your sourcefiles are not deleted. As per design the system performs a repair first in some cases

The release notes can be found here

Turn off the Network Location Wizard in W7

2009-12-08T10:43:00.001+01:00

Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.

Registry Editor opens.
On the Edit menu, click New, and then click Key.
Enter the following registry entry:

HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Network\NewNetworkWindowOff

Migrating to W7 with Symantec on YouTube

2009-11-22T09:34:00.001+01:00

Thanks to the Symantec Digital Media team we are going viral with our Windows 7 migration video. Check out what is soon to be the most watched IT video on the web! You can also help drive awareness by sharing it with your friends on FaceBook, MySpace or Twitter.

View The Symantec Great Windows 7 Drive on YouTube.

Software Management Solution 7.0 SP1 MR1 Release Notes

2009-11-16T16:06:00.001+01:00

Today a MR1 has being released for SWM 7.0

More details can be found at KB

Make SD work on x64 platform

2009-11-06T00:43:00.006+01:00

Whenevr you install a new win2003 x64 server and enable the IIS then you might need to enable the ASP.NET still after install .NET 35
do this by running this command:
C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v2.0.50727\aspnet_regiis.exe -iru -enable

In order to avoid the system check to fail "Microsoft SQL Server Management Objects Collection patch is not installed" run these 3 programs:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/1/6/316FADB2-E703-4351-8E9C-E0B36D9D697E/sqlncli_x64.msi
http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/1/6/316FADB2-E703-4351-8E9C-E0B36D9D697E/SQLServer2005_XMO_x64.msi
http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/1/6/316FADB2-E703-4351-8E9C-E0B36D9D697E/SQLServer2005_ADOMD_x64.msi

Then download the install file from the NS and run it...it will take some time to install.

Wise Package Studio 8.0 Shipped October 29, 2009

2009-10-30T09:26:00.001+01:00

Wise Package Studio provides advanced software packaging functionality including creating and customizing packages, virtualizing software, and identifying and remediating issues that prevent software from properly functioning in a customer’s environment. Major enhancements include support for additional platforms including Windows 7.

Companies moving to Windows 7 will find Wise Package Studio a key tool for successfully migrating legacy applications to the newest Microsoft OS. Utilizing application repackaging in OS migrations means quicker and more reliable rollouts with fewer errors and helpdesk calls.

Custom Inventory Samples

2009-10-29T09:17:00.001+01:00

The KB https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=4237&p=1 has been updated and contains some example scripts for NS6 AND NS7.

There are also some Links to other KB’s on how to use the customer inventory

Scheduled tasks Disabled: Danger of installing additional components and hotfixes

2009-10-12T14:49:00.005+02:00

In some cases the Altiris Object Host Service ATRShost.exe is not stopped properly and times out at the beginning or at the end of an installation or upgrade. The reason is not know yet (by me). If it happens it will leave the Scheduled tasks DISABLED even after a reboot.

There is a quick way to fix: delete all (NS) scheduled tasks except the NS.Weekly.GUID.

Enable this task and run it. It will recreate all schedules.

To prevent it I open the Task Manager and the services.msc.

If the services is not stopped after a minute or so during install then I kill it.