Asset Management 6.5 Released

Due to the major changes in ASM 6.5 we advice no to update yet.
So don't click those Update Buttons....

Release Notes can be found here
CMDB 6.5
ASM 6.5
Connector Solution 6.5

Console 6.5

If you realy want to find out about the changes, please setup a Test Environment

SVS 2.1 Hotfix 35879 Download

Problem/Symptoms
	This hotfix addresses some driver crashes found in SVS 2.1.2069 and an integration issue with the third party product Scence.

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Environment
	This upgrade is Software Virtualization Solution 2.1.2081

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Cause
	This hotfix addresses some driver crashes found in SVS 2.1.2069 and an integration issue with the third party product Scence.

---

Resolution
	To upgrade to SVS 2.1 Hotfix 35879 (2.1.2081), download the attached file on the right side of the screen. Extract the zip file contents. Use the .exe for installing or upgrading a stand-alone installation. The msi file is provided for use with the Notification Server solution or any other process requiring this file. KB Article

Changing the status of non-active computer resources to Active when Inventory Solution data is received

Retired computer resources will have their status automatically changed to Active by the Notification Server if Inventory Solution data is received. Computer resources with statuses other than Active or Retired do not. This functionality is desired.


Cause
The automatic changing of the status to Active is dependent on the current status of the computer resource.

Investigation using Notification Server 6.0 SP3 R5 and Inventory Solution 6.1 SP2 (6.1.1075) returned the following results:




In summary, statuses of Disposed, Retired, and Returned to Lessor will revert to Active once Inventory Solution data is received. This Inventory Solution data will only be sent if the configuration policy received by the client computer while in the Active status contained the Inventory Solution tasks. That is, while a new configuration policy will not be sent if the status is anything other than Active, the client will continue to use the old policy that is currently in place.
Statuses of In Stock, Missing, On Order, RMA, and any custom statuses are static. They must be manually changed or changed via the method outlined in the resolution below.


Resolution
Create a notification policy that will set the status to Active on any computer resource whose status is other than Active, Retired, Disposed, or Returned to Lessor and has recently sent Inventory Solution data to the Notification Server.
The following query can be used in the notification policy to select computers who have sent Inventory Solution data within the last 7 days:
SELECT vfars.Guid, i.Name, vfars.Status, acir.[Collection Time]FROM vFixedAssetResourceStatus vfars JOIN Item i ON vfars.Guid = i.Guid LEFT JOIN Inv_Aex_AC_Inventory_Results acir ON vfars.Guid = acir._ResourceGuidWHERE vfars.ResourceTypeGuid IN (SELECT ResourceTypeGuid FROM vResourceHierarchy WHERE BaseResourceTypeGuid = '493435F7-3B17-4C4C-B07F-C23E7AB7781F') AND vfars.Status NOT in ('Active', 'Retired', 'Disposed', 'Returned to Lessor') AND DATEDIFF(DAY,acir.[Collection Time], GETDATE())

Vlite in RC

Vlite has gone in RC : www.vlite.net <http://www.vlite.net>
For those who do not know vLite... vLite is a tool for customizing the Windows Vista installation before actually installing it.

v1.0 RC
* new: More compatibility options
* new: 'Manual Install'
* new: 'Internet Connection Sharing (ICS)'
* new: 'Distributed Link Tracking Client'
* new: 'Computer Browser'
* new: 'Sample Pictures'
* new: 'MSN Installer'
* new: 'Malicious Software Removal Tool'
* new: 'Multimedia Class Scheduler'
* upd: 'Performance Counters' (SQL Server installation dependency)
* upd: 'Screensavers' (PhotoScreensaver removed if Gallery kept)
* upd: 'Volume Shadow' (Previous Version tab removed)
* fix: 'Windows Collaboration' (netsh dependency)
* fix: 'Windows Media Player' (portable devices)
* fix: Paint.NET compatibility option

Altiris Support for Windows 2003 SP2

Service Pack 2 for Windows 2003 was released on March 13, 2007. The Altiris testing methodology is to ensure that all new versions of Altiris solutions are compatible with current technology. Therefore, any solution that is released or upgraded on or after April 2007 will be supported for Windows 2003 SP2.

Note: More complete product compatibility support is available for the prior service pack versions of Windows 2003 (SP1 and R2)

Confirmed list
The following solutions versions have been confirmed for compatibility with Windows 2003 SP2:

* Notification Server 6.0 SP3 with Rollup 5-Note: This does not imply that Notification Server-dependent products have been tested. Any new product versions released after R5 (May 24, 2007) will be tested for compatibility with Windows 2003 SP2 as part of their normal QA approval process.
* Software Virtualization Solution 2.1 (released June 7, 2007)
* Patch Management Solution for Dell Linux Servers (released June 7, 2007)
* Recovery Solution 6.2 SP2 (released June 14, 2007)
* As of June 28, no other Notification Server-based products are currently supported for usage with Windows 2003 SP2. As new product versions are released, this article will be updated to reflect accordingly.

Support for SQL 2005 SP2

Service Pack 2 for SQL 2005 was released on February 16th, 2007.
The Altiris testing methodology is to ensure that all new versions of Altiris solutions are compatible with current technology.
Therefore, any solution that was released or upgraded on or after March 2007 would be supported for SQL 2005 SP2.

Confirmed list
The following solutions versions have been confirmed for compatibility with SP2 for SQL 2005:
NS 6.0 SP3 with Rollup #5 (Released May 24th 2007)
Application Control 6 SP1 (Released April 5th 2007)
Application Management 6.1 SP1 (Released April 5th 2007)
Application Metering 6.1 SP2 (Released April 5th 2007)
Carbon Copy 6.2 (Released April 5th 2007)
Inventory (Windows) 6.1 SP2 (Released April 5th 2007)
Monitor Solution 6 SP5 (Released April 5th 2007)
Patch Management for Windows 6.2 SP1 (Released April 5th 2007)
Software Delivery for Windows 6.1 SP3 ((Released April 5th 2007)
Wise Integration Component 6.1 SP3 (Released April 5th 2007)
SVS 2.1 (Released June 7th, 2007)
Patch for Dell Linux Servers (Released June 7th 2007)
Recovery Solution 6.2 SP2 (Released June 14th 2007)
Asset Management 6.5 (released July 26, 2007)
CMDB Solution 6.5 (released July 26, 2007)
Connector Solution 6.5 (released July 26, 2007)

Initial Testing Completed
Asset Control and Contract Management Solution 6.2
Patch Management for Windows 6.2
Patch Management for Dell Servers 6.2
Integrated Component for Microsoft Active Directory 6.1
Connector Solution 6.1
Barcode Solution 6.6 SP2
Recovery Solution 6.2.2332 (SP1)
Recovery Solution 6.2 SP2 (Not yet released, due in Q2 2007))

A new site for SVS was born

This site is focused on the benefits of using Virtual Applications based on the agent of Altiris Software Virtualisation Solution­®.
This agent is released to the public for personal use only and is the most rewarded tool ever.
On this site you will find the tools I developed for them as also a forum and a possibility to chat with people who can help you with it.
Feel free to look around and be fascinated with this whole new world of Virtualizing your applications.
This site is brandnew and under construction...
More here

Is there a way to suspend the inventory scan upon bootup?

Question:
There are a number of people who shut their computers down over the weekend. Our Full Software Inventory scan runs over the weekend. When these users come in on Monday morning the Software Inventory scan starts and slows the performance of their computers way down. Is there a way to suspend or minimize the performance hit of inventory for these users?
Answer:
There are a couple of options for doing this with the second option being the most preferred.Option 1: In the registry of the client at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Altiris Agent is a registry key called "Delay at System Boot (secs)". Setting this for a value like 600 (decimal) would theorectically delay the startup of the Altiris Agent for 10 minutes preventing the inventory tasks from running.Option 2: Configure the "Slow mode delay (milliseconds)" in the AuditPls.ini. This will slow down the scan minimzing the performance hit on the computer during the software scan. See article 3674 for details on how to configure this.

AMS & CMS Database Schema

Finally, a nice document with th DB structure ...very handy document.
Link to KB

Report Builder Document

Altiris has created a very nice document about creating Reports.
This KB can be found at https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=27167&p=1

Altiris Recovery Solution 6.2 to be released today

ALtiris has released Local Recovery Solution 6.2 and Recovery Solution Pro 6.2 today.
I will put the changes later on the blog

Altiris Software Virtualization Solution 2.1

Improvements for this release include the following new features:
Performance Enhancements
Redesigned registry handling yields significantly higher performance and scalability over SVS 2.0.
Support for Microsoft Windows Vista
This version of the SVS Agent can be run on computers using Microsoft Windows Vista 32 bit.
Note
64 bit operating systems are not supported at this time.
Altiris Task Server SVS Plug-in
An SVS Task-Server Plug-in is included in the installation of Altiris Software Virtualization Solution. The plug-in allows you to leverage the benefits of the Altiris Task Server infrastructure including automation and task sequencing.
SVS Control Panel Applet
An Altiris SVS Control Panel Applet is included as an optional component installed with the Altiris Software Virtualization Agent. It is available from the Windows Control Panel.
Depending on the installation of either SVS Admin or Virtual Package Editor (installed with Wise Package Studio) you can use the applet to create, import, export and manage virtual layers, and also configure local software virtualization options. The ability to import multiple archive files has been added. You can also add, edit, and delete Global Exclude entries as well. For more information, see the Altiris SVS Applet chapter in the Altiris® Software Virtualization Solution™ Reference Guide.Note The SVS Admin utility is still included and supported in this release.
Global Exclude Entries
Global Exclude entry support allows SVS administrators to specify, on a global level, certain file type extensions and directory locations that you do not want to be captured into application layers. This feature includes an additional API, and menu items in SVS Admin and the SVS Control Panel Applet for managing the Global Exclude entries. The SVS installer has also been updated to provide the ability to select or deselect two default global exclude entries; Desktop, and My Documents.
Single Screen Refresh
When activating or deactivating layers from SVS Admin there is now a single screen refresh.
Delete Entry Visibility Enhancements
An additional user interface component has been added to the SVS Admin utility. Now, in addition to file delete entries, registry delete entries are also visible.
Layer Data is Retained on Uninstall
To eliminate risk of data loss, uninstalling the SVS Agent 2.1 does not automatically delete all layers on the computer. However, an MSIexec command line option may be used to force the deletion of layers at uninstall time.
Virtualization of System Path Variable
SVS now fully virtualizes the system path variable. Operation works as expected when layers are activated and deactivated. No manual steps or scripting are required.
A New WMI Provider
There is a new WMI provider with improved functionality. This is an additional provider and the legacy provider will still function with this release. Note: The legacy provider will be deprecated in a future release.
Alternate Import Locations through SVS APIs
The SVS APIs support importing a layer to a location other than the default redirect area.
Additional Language Support
The SVS Agent interface has added support for the following additional languages: Danish,Dutch,Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Swedish
The SVS Solution interface on a Notification Server Environment has added support for the following additional languages: Italian and Portuguese

For more info : https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=30814&p=1

Aclient used in Runonce and using Modify Configuration

It is always a best practice to install the latest AClient agent from a runonce script after the image deployment.
In some case we work with a fixed INP file to install and configure the AClient, directly followed by a Modify Configuration task to put the PC in a specific domain.

But since the DS6.8SP1 version something has changed. After installing the Aclient the aclient.cfg that has being send by the Modify Configuration Job is cleared. The results that the configuration Job doesn't get run, but is shown as succesfully completed.

What I did is I put an empty script the runs on the client (and not as an automation) just before the Modify Configuration Task.
I also add an empty script at the end of this job to make sure that when the job is show as completed the PC is realy ready.

Upgrading Deployment Server

When you have used the default name "Express" to install your DS then this is NOT valid. If (for one reason or antoher) you used a different name as Db (other then "Express") then upgrading will finish succefull, but you server will need a lot of CPU.

Reason is that the SQL upgrade script use the USE EXPRESS setting to start with. Since this is a SQL script there is SQL log to show that there was an error. But be carefull, not all error in the log are abnormal because the script is made to migrade from all previous versions.


If you will run Server.exe from DSSetup folder (installation files) it will extract all files needed for Server installation to %Temp%\apt0 (or larger number) folder.
And you can use then Upgrade.sql file to update the database manually.

If you have NO experience with SQL the please call Altiris Support

DS agents and Vista!!!

Whenever deploying Vista with DS and using the NS to deploy the AClient then PLEASE make sure NOT to install the regular AClient , but use only the DAgent.

What happend:
We created a vista image and our XML, we deployed with Altiris Deployment Server and everything went fine. We use a runonce command to install the latetst NS and DS agent the at the first logon and the a reboot after 30 seconds.
After the reboot the NS agent agent starts communicating with the NS Server and gets its sub agents like SWD, PM, App Met, etc...If yo use the standard task to deploy the AClient then an (old) Aclient agent will be installed in addition to the already installed DAgent after a while.

In our case this resulted in a reconfiguration of the PC into the workgroup "WORKGROUP" after a reboot.
The collection of this task should be altered to prevent this task to be run on a VISTA Pc, so just clone the standard Collection to be used and add the exclusion of All Windows VISTA computers.
Running a Configuration job didn't fix the problem (I guess both agents wants to take control)

In any case, prevent the presence of 2 DS agents (Dagent and Aclient) on a VISTA...believe me.

Notification Server 6.0 SP3 R5

R5 Release notes : https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=31946&p=1

R5 includes updated versions of the Altiris Agent and the Package Server agent. After installing R5 onto the Notification Server, the Altiris Agent and Package Server agent packages will be updated. Upgrade policies for these agents are located in the Configuration tab of the Altiris Console under Configuration > Altiris Agent > Altiris Agent Rollout and Configuration > Server Settings > Notification Server Infrastructure > Package Server Agent Rollout.

Altiris Administrator Software Development Kit 1.4

New Features Release 1.4 implements the following new features:

• A PatchManagement library has been added. A list of new functions is available
• Release 1.4 has added a fourth "layer"—ASDK functionality for some solutions can now be accessed as pre-defined tasks that can be run directly in Altiris Task Management solution. These Administrator Software Development Kit tasks will appear in the Create a New Task dialog under the Server Tasks folder if you check the various "Tasks" checkboxes when installing the ASDK. (Task Management Solution and the underlying Notification Server solution must first be installed or the Task check ox for that solution will not appear.) To access the Create a New Task dialog, right-click on the Server Tasks folder in the Tasks tree in NS, then select New => Task/Job. Tasks exist for the NS, Patch Management, Asset Management, Helpdesk and Software Delivery (full) ASDK libraries.

VMWare Workstation 6.0 Released

For downloads: http://www.vmware.com/download/ws/

But be aware...This is a 275MB download

For the VISTA lovers....read the know issues...

Installing Out of Band Management OOBM does not install .NET 2.0 - Installs fail to install the Intel SCS if .NET 2.0 is not installed

Installs fail to install the Intel SCS if .NET 2.0 is not installed - Via Solution Center.
Installing with AICM causes Out of Band Management to fail to install due to the above reason.

Resolution

The following steps should be followed when installing OOBM:

1. NS should already be installed with .NET 1.1. This is essential for proper function when installing .NET 2.0.
2. Install .NET 2.0.
3. Install Altiris OOBM.

If the install is already complete for the base OOBM install, follow these steps:

1. Install .NET 2.0.
2. Download the file: Altiris_OOBSC_6_1.exe from www.solutionsam.com/solutions/6_0.

3. Execute the file on the Notification Server.

How to Create a Bootable USB Memory Key

I ran into this great article that goes through the steps to make your USB key bootable. A must read for all of us system admins. Here is the link:http://www.bay-wolf.com/usbmemstick.htm

Installing WinPE on a USB Device

A very nice document on Installing WinPE on a USB Device

http://juice.altiris.com/article/1344/installing-winpe-on-a-usb-device
http://juice.altiris.com/article/1569/installing-winpe-on-a-usb-device-part-ii-the-menu

WINPE 2.0 should be possible in DS6.8SP1

Altiris has shipped an article to allow WINPE 2.0 to be used by DS6.8SP1.
After some searching we were able to start the WINPE 2.0

The procedure is unclear about a lot of things and the ISO image created is again larger so it take longer to load.

Thx Stephane for the feedback

What causes the task message "Run Completed Asynchronously"

The Run History tab for specific advertisements shows a status of Run Completed Asynchronously. What causes this message?

Answer
While the circumstances of the actual issue may vary, the basic cause is the same. If the Altiris Agent service restarts (for any reason) while a task has not returned any sort of status, it assumes it completed successfully and displays the message about running asynchronously.
A few possible scenarios are:

• System restarts, either because of the deployed software or some other source before a return code is provided.
• The Agent service is restarted for any reason (other than reboot). If you execute a task then restart the agent service, you'll notice the asynchronously message as well.
• The software install never provided a return code back to the agent. This means the next time the computer or service restarts, this will turn the status into asynchronously.

DSEXP.exe utility will export DS data from one database into a new DB

Deployment Solution is installed on a server that is going to be moved, decommissioned, or taken away. A new one is created from a fresh install, but the data from the old server is desired to be in the new server.
How do I move the data from one Deployment Solution server to another?

Resolution
Use the DSEXP.exe utility. This utility will export all the basic data from the old database to multiple text files and then allow it to be imported into the different server. Computers and groups are transferred by this utility.

You can find this tool at http://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=34226&p=3
Thx to Anthony

Agent Updates issues on DS6.8SP1

Due to some issues the Deployment Server support team recommends that Autoupgrade in DS 6.8.282 be DISABLED. The additional load put on the Axengine to update the AClients along with the Axengine attempting to process unnecessary requests from the AClients can cause the Axengine to use upwards of 90 to 100% of the CPU and use large amounts of RAM ( >200 MB). Alternate ways to install the Aclient are documented in Chapter 5 of the ‘Deployment.pdf’ file. This file can be downloaded from the Altiris website for reading prior to installing DS 6.8 SP1. Please read KB 33129 and 33127 for a way to update only Aclients that are not current via the Remote Agent Installer. When DS 6.8 SP2 is released AutoUpgrade from build 282 of AClient will be the recommend upgrade method.

The Inventory Solution 6.1 SP2 upgrade deletes custom inventory files

The Inventory Solution 6.1 SP2 upgrade will delete any custom .xml and .ini files used by custom inventory.

Resolution
Make sure that any custom .xml or .ini files used by custom inventory are backed up prior to performing an upgrade to SP2. After the upgrade is complete, be sure to:
Restore the custom inventory source files back into the altiris\notification server\nscap\bin\win32\x86\Inventory Solution folder.
Add aexcustinv.exe command lines to the appropriate aexinvsoln*.ini files.

Upgrading Solutions

A lot of people use the Currently installed page to upgrade there solutions.

What you don't know is thats not the ideal way to do it.

These ways are far more practical and sure to upgrade all subcomponents.

First way:

Go to Configuration, Upgrade/install Additional Solution, Available Solutions, Solutions

Click on every installed solution to make sure they are all running the latest version. (If you have previously being upgrading using currently install then go through every installed component (also the component like HP or Dell Client Manager)

Second Way:

Go to Configuration, Upgrade/install Additional Solution, Available Solutions, Suites and click on the installed suite toi verify if all components are up to date

Application Metering install problem

When trying to upgrade to the new version 6.0.32 I got and error 1316
I removed App Metering and the Package Rules and I got it installed

New Releases

Altiris® Carbon Copy™ Solution 6.2
Software Delivery Solution 6.1 SP3
Altiris® Patch Management Solution™ 6.2 SP1 for Windows
Altiris® Inventory Solution® for Windows 6.1 SP2

Wise Toolkit
Application Management
Monitor Solution 6.0 SP5
Monitor Pack for SQL

Why is the Console Performance So Slow?

Problem/Symptoms
Why does the Notfication Server Console seem so slow to respond? The database connectivity seems good, config request intervals are good, patch inventories are turned off.
Cause
StringCache access from the KnownCulture table is taking a long time. This is a result of the Altiris.ClientTask.Policies.CTserverconfig assembly not caching the requests using the IItemCacheable procedure.
Resolution
Current workaround is to change the Task config request interval from 5 mins to 60 mins. However, this is a design change that will be implemented in a future release.

KNOWN ISSUE: An unexpected end of file parsing CDATA has occurred

Notification Server log files contain the following errors:
Source: Altiris.NS.ClientMessaging.FileDispatcher.ProcessFileCallback Description: Unable to process the file "F:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\EvtQFast\Process\nse482E.tmp" Moving to "F:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\EvtQFast\Bad\XmlException\nse496B.tmp". Reason: An unexpected end of file parsing CDATA has occurred. Line 84, position 1.
Additionally, the server will contain numerous .TMP files in '...\NSCap\EvtQFast\Bad\XmlException' folder.

Cause:
The Summary Data NSE is missing ending XML tags. The bottom of the incorrect NSE's will appear as below:
[Summary Data in XML in this part of the NSE] [Missing XML tags] 20070111162029.520000+420
Resolution:
One possible workaround is to rename the AexAMInventory.txt file to AexAMInventory.tx_ located in the Altiris Agent folder on a client with the application metering agent installed. This will force the client to generate a new AeXAMInventory.txt. However, doing so will also cause the client to lose all of its previous Application Metering inventory stored in the deleted AeXAMInventory.txt and it's possible that the problem can reoccur with the new AeXAMInventory.txt file as well.

This issue has been resolved in Application Metering 6.1 Service Pack 2 (build 6.1.32) , available from the Solution Center.

Altiris Agent Scan and Fix

Do you ever find that you have several computers that are no longer talking to the Notification Server even though they still have the agent running and are on-line? Here's how we keep our computers talking (even when they don't want to).
This script has proven very effective in fixing clients that have lost communication with the Notification Server. We run weekly reports on clients that have not talked in x number of days and then export that list of names to a text file.
This script uses ping and nslookup to check if the computer is still on the network. If it is, it deletes the machine's policy file, kills the agent process and the starts the service. The script uses a few utilities from Sysinternals, pskill, and psservice. Another utility we use, reg.exe, is part of Windows XP or it can be downloaded from the the Windows Resource Kit. These utilities need to be downloaded and stored locally on the PC the script is run from.
The script can be downloaded here

HII Tools 3.1.0 for Deployment Server 6.8 [updated]

HII Tools is a set of sample jobs and custom tools that empower you to easily create and deploy Hardware Independent Images using Deployment Server 6.8.
See HIITools.chm (included in HIITools.msi) for tips on using HIITools.

http://juice.altiris.com/download/979/hii-tools-3-0-2-for-deployment-server-6-8

Can the Altiris Agent uninstall status be verified from the Notification Server?

The Altiris Agent sends an uninstall events to the NS before completely removing itself so that the removal can be tracked down on the Notification Server using reports on the Software Delivery execution (if this type of events is enabled on the NS).

Here is a sample SQL query that could be used to show the computers that have executed the
Agent Uninstall package:
select ex._ResourceGuid, vc.Name as 'Computer name', vc.Domain as 'Computer domain', ex.PackageName 'Package name', ex.[Start] 'Execution start', ex.[End] 'Execution end' from Evt_AeX_SWD_Execution ex join vComputer vc on ex._ResourceGuid = vc.Guid where AdvertisementId in ( select AdvertisementId from SWDAdvertisement where name = 'Altiris Agent Uninstall' )

Improving IIS and NS response times by disabling debug mode

Some solutions still have debug-mode compiling enabled in their related web.config files. Debug-mode compiling can cause performance problems for any ASP.NET application. In particular, the following debug-mode behaviors impact NS performance:
The compilation of ASP.NET pages takes longer (since some batch optimizations are disabled)
This can be seen in the initial viewing of each NS console page
Code can execute slower (since some additional debug paths are enabled)
Much more memory is used within the application at runtime
This is of particular importance on NS servers with 2GB of physical memory, and large client facing servers with multiple Altiris solutions enabled
Additional information about debug mode is available at ScottGu's BlogNote: The current version of Altiris Notification Server utilizes ASP.NET v1. It is not currently possible to use the deployment retail="true" setting which is available for ASP.NET v2

Manual Resolution
Make the following modification to each web.config file that is part of the Altiris installation (\Program Files\Altiris). The change will be implemented as soon as another request to the related page occurs. In most cases, this will involve a visit to the related configuration or task NS console page.
Before (web.config)


After (web.config)


Automated Resolution
On the following link you can find an exe file that provides a resolution.
http://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=33499&p=3

NS60 SP3 R4 Released

Improvements for this release include the following new features:
Windows Vista:
This release enables Windows Vista to be supported as a managed resource in the Notification Server.

Updated Reports and Collections for Windows Vista:
Core reports and collections have been updated and created to include the Windows Vista operating system.

Internet Explorer 7.0
This release enables the Altiris Console to function with Internet Explorer 7.0.

and a few bug fixes:

Want to find out more? Here are the Release Notes

Package Replication Solution Articles

Nice work from Altiris to summerize all articles fof Package Replication.
The KB can be foud here

DS6.8 SP1 realeased

Today Altiris has released DS 6.8SP1
More information can be found here

Screenshot of PXE Status

Migrate to Vista

Here you can find more about migrating to MS Vista http://www.easyvistamigration.com/

DS68SP1: Quick Nice to Knows

Installing the Deployment Agent on Vista
The installation program is contained in the Agents folder on the Deployment Share. To install, launch the installation MSI on the computer using and admininstrator account and complete the prompts.
To perform a silent installation, use a command similar to the following:
DAgent.msi -qn server_tcp_addr= 172.19.17.180 server_tcp_port=402.
To remotely install combine the above instructions for a silent installation with a login script or group policy object.
Vista Remote Control
Deployment Solution uses the Remote Desktop feature of Vista to perform remote control. Remote Desktop must be enabled on the remote computer and you must have the required credentials to use remote control.
Vista Software Distribution
Due to increased security in Vista, software must meet the following criteria before it can be distributed using Deployment Solution:
􀁺 "The software you are distributing must be Vista compliant.
􀁺 "The installation is set to run as completely silent.
􀁺 "No user input is required by the installation prcess.
􀁺 "If the package requires additional files, the "copy all directory files" and/or "copy all subdirectories" options are selected to provide these files.
􀁺 "If you are attempting an installation from a remote location or UNC path, only one setup executable is required to complete the installation.
􀁺 "In the Distribute Software Task, you have left the advanced option on the default selection, "Copy files using Deployment Server then Execute," or you have provided appropriate domain credentials to perform a remote installation. See the release notes for additional information.
Vista Run Script Tasks
Due to increased restrictions placed on services in Vista, scripts executed by
Deployment Solution cannot display anything to the user. Scripts requiring user
interaction, including pause statements, will not execute correctly.
Altiris Deployment Solution 6.8 254
Vista Imaging
RDeploy fully supports imaging Vista computers similar to other Windows operating
systems. Additionally, support is provided for the WIM format using ImageX

How to scale Inventory Solution in very large environments

If you read this article you know hwo to configure Inventory

RDP 3.5

Hp Launched his RDP 3.5
Support for Vista and Integrity Servers included...AND....DS6.8SP1
More news after testing

Microsoft Office updates fail to install

Office updates fail to install on client computers. After further investigation, it is discovered that the update returned one (or more) of the following error codes:
1603
1612
-1073741510
-2147467259
1605
Cause
There could be several reasons why these error codes are returned.
The install program for the Office* update program has the Starting Window set to Normal. This causes a command prompt window to appear on the screen and, if a user is not logged on, the update will fail.
The Office update requires access to the source installation files, but cannot find a valid path to where they are stored. Typically, Office installations come from a network share. If these files are moved, or if the path to them changes, the clients become out of date and hold an invalid location in their registry. When the update cannot find these files, it will try to prompt the user for a valid location. Since the update is set to run hidden, the window is supressed and the update fails.
It is possible for the clients to have a valid network location for source files, but when the updates attempts to retrieve those files, the update again fails. This would be caused by running the Office update with the System Account and storing the files on a share with limited access.
If you are using Notification Server 6.0 SP2, then you could be running into a known issue. The Altiris Agent was known to spawn instances of update.exe to install patches, but then did not kill them once the patch was installed. When the next patch goes to install, it will fail because update.exe is already running.
Resolution
Ensure that the update is set to run hidden, see article 23997, "How do I ensure that an Office update will run silently?"
Verify that all clients have a valid path to source installation files. See article 24002, "How do I verify that clients have a valid Office source installation files location?"
Set this update to run using different credentials. See article 22705, "Can I specify an alternate account with which to install updates?"
Apply Hotfix 20 for NS 6.0 SP2 (or just apply SP3). See article 21167, "Patches fail to install with a 1603 error code."
Hint: If the location of the Office Source Install files in article 24002 is on a Network Share, the Update needs to be run with User Credentials that has Network rights. To make this change see article 22705 for how to set up the Bulletins to be installed with a Domain User account. (Verify that this Domain User has rights to the Network share.)Note: It is recommended that the latest version of Windows Installer be installed on client computers. Older versions are known to be a catalyst for the above issues

Altiris HP Client Manager 6.2 Release Notes

Windows VISTA Support
From HPCM 6.2 and later, in addition to other supported operating systems, the following types of Windows VISTA operating systems are supported in HPCM for client computers:
Vista Business
Vista Business x64 Edition
Vista Enterprise x32 and x64
HP Backup and Recovery -- Configure HP Backup
This feature lets the administrator create a backup policy to initiate a backup task of the HP Backup and Recovery Manager on the client computer. An entire system backup is taken as per the schedule mentioned in the policy. Ths feature is available only if the licensed Altiris® Software Delivery Solution™ software (Altiris - SWD Solution) is installed.
Out of Band Management
HP Client Manager now supports computers using Intel* vPro Technology (Intel* AMT). HP Client Manager 6.2 includes Altiris Out of Band Management Solution that you can use to perform discovery, hardware inventory, power management, alerting, and other configuration tasks on HP computers vPro systems, all independently of system power and OS state. HPCM 6.2 includes full reporting of AMT capabilities for HP systems.
This feature lets the administrator access Altiris® Out of Band Management Solution™ software in the Altiris 6.5 Console. A link is provided in the Additional Link section of HP Client Manager Quick Start. This link is available only if the licensed version of Out of Band Management Solution (OOB) is installed.

A lot of new Beta's available from Altiris Notification Server

There are a lot of new beta's available...most of them to support VISTA and X86...
To the right you find a list of the active Beta's
Beta's can be found here

What is Package Replication Solution?

The Package Replication Solution is just an interim solution for customers who absolutely can't wait for Hierarchy. Unless there are critical issues, there will be no update to this. Hierarchy is the solution going forward. Once Hierarchy is out, this solution will be dropped.
This should be compatible with SP3.
Originally this was planned to be released with SP3, but Altiris has decided to give it out only as requested.

Package Replication has been designed for centralized administration of packages in a network containing two or more Notification servers. It allows packages and programs to be created and configured on one NS and transmitted or "replicated" to other NSs. The NS that packages are replicating from is called the "parent NS" and the NS which packages replicate to is called the "child NS".
Note: A Notification Server can be both a child NS, with packages being replicated to it, and a parent NS replicating packages to another NS.
Package Replication is not designed to perform real-time replications. It runs daily at 2 a.m. by default but can be changed manually in Scheduled Tasks.

Office 2007 install fails with SVS layers active

Problem/Symptoms
When trying to install Office 2007 or any of its components, shortly after clicking the Install Now (or Upgrade) button, the install dialog disappears and the please send the error information to Microsoft dialog comes up.
If you look in the log file to be sent to Mircosoft, neer the end you see a line like the following:
Error: ORegistryKey.GetSubKeyNames failure: Cannot get all sub key names for registry "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall" HResult: 0x80070103.

Environment
SVS 2.0 - SVS 2.1 beta 1.6
Any active layers containing registry values under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall Microsoft Office 2007

Resolution
Work-around: Deactivate all layers before installing any Office 2007 components.
The cause of the issue has been identified and testing has reported that this issue no longer exists in current development builds of the product. This should perform correctly in the next release of SVS.

Minimum RAM size needed to run WinPE through PXE in DS 6.5?

Since VMWare Workstation 5.51 and DS 6.5SP1 the standard size of 256MB is no longer enough to boot using WIN PE 2005 in a VMWARE.
In this case WINPE boots and get stuck on the black screen with Please Wait... at the bottom.
Increasing to 300MB or higher solves this problem. After the OS is installed you can lower the Memory size if required

The following article descibes the size needed to boot with WINPE : http://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=24672&p=3

Can .NET be Tuned to Improve Performance for Notification Server and its solutions

One possible option is the following Microsoft KB.
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=821268

X64 Support Statement (Q4 2007 in NS7.0)

Compatibility Mode
Altiris has tested its products on systems running Windows 2003 Server x64 editions and leveraging AMD 64 and Intel Xeon EM64T/Itanium hardware. These processors that provide native, backward compatible 32-bit processing capabilities are currently supported in 32-bit compatibility modes.

Native Mode
The core Altiris Agent supports x64 platforms as of Notification Server 6.0 SP3.
Roadmap
The following sections contain an outline of Altiris’ plan for supporting 64-bit platforms. This is not a commitment, only an indication of current timeline estimates and strategies.

Currently Altiris Solutions are built on .NET 1.1 which does not support the x64 platform. However, the Notification Server will be moving to .NET 2.0 for the “Bennelong” release so that Altiris Solutions can be run on native x64 server platforms (Q1 2007). All Altiris Solutions will be updated to support this new version of Notification Server and subsequently the x64 platform unless otherwise noted below.

Deployment Solution—In the “Asgard” release, Altiris will facilitate automated imaging and configuration of x64 and Itanium based systems on the Windows and Linux platforms. (Q3 2006)

Additional Altiris Solutions and infrastructure may be updated to natively support 64-bit platforms in this timeframe, based on market need and customer demand.

More info can be found here