Altiris Delivery Guide Template

NS 6 Duplicate Diagnostics Page 26

Notification Server
Duplicate Diagnostics Utility

Date: November 2, 2005

Notice

The content in this document represents the current view of Altiris as of the date of publication. Because Altiris responds continually to changing market conditions, this document should not be interpreted as a commitment on the part of Altiris. Altiris cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. While this document is based upon Altiris' consulting experience, its practices may notapply in every situation or environment, and Altiris makes no warranty, express or implied, with respect to anymethodology set forth herein, Such methodologiesmerely constitutesuggested methods or processes, which may or may not be optimal given Customer's situation and environment.

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Phone: (801) 226-8500
Fax: (801) 226-8506

BootWorks U.S. Patent No. 5,764,593.
RapiDeploy U.S. Patent No. 6,144,992.

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Information in this document is subject to change without notice. For the latest documentation, visit www.altiris.com.

Contents

Introduction 4

Purpose 4

Duplicate Diagnostics 5

Installation 5

Configuration Options 8

Uninstall 11

Troubleshooting 12

Appendix A 14

Duplicate Diagnostics.xml 14

Appendix B 26

VB Script 26

Introduction

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to demonstrate how to use the Notification Server’s duplicate diagnostics tool to successfully identify and remove computers within the Notification Server database.

Duplicate Diagnostics

Installation

You can install the diagnostics tools by following the steps below. This utility will create a collection, a report, a package to remove the duplicates, and a task to schedule this package. These items are all created in a Duplicate Diagnostics folder that is created during the install.

Note: Agent version 1508 or later is required for this to work. See Appendix B if you do not have this version.

1. Find a location to install this utility. For this example we will create a folder called “Diagnostics” within the Tasks folder.

2. Highlight the folder that you created. Right-click and choose Import.

3. You will be prompted to choose the file to import. Choose the Duplicate Diagnostics2.xml.

4. Once the file has been imported into the Notification Server database, you should see the following structure under the Duplicate Diagnostics folder.

Configuration Options

Permissions

By default when this utility is installed, the owner of the folder and items will be null. The administrative role will have access to this utility, but if permissions are to be set, you should set the ownership.

Choose the Take Ownership button.

Possible Duplicate GUIDs

This collection will query the Notification Server database for all computers that have reported a change in their GUID in the past seven days. Computers in this collection will use the included task to reset the GUID on the client machines.

SQL Code:

select ResourceGuid as [Guid], count(distinct KeyValue) as [Count] from ResourceKeyChanged

join vComputerResource on Guid = ResourceGuid

where ChangeTime > getdate() - 7 and KeyName = 'name.domain'

and ResourceTypeGuid = '493435F7-3B17-4C4C-B07F-C23E7AB7781FF'

group by ResourceGuid

having count(distinct KeyValue) > 3

Note: After fixing duplicate GUIDs in the database using this utility, there is a possibility that some computers will still show up here. This collection is checking to see if the GUID has been changed in the last seven days, not if it has been fixed. To retrieve an accurate report, use the GUIDs Shared between 2 or more computers report or view the Machines that have run the ResetGuid Agent Task collection.

Machines that have run the ResetGuid Agent Task. This collection will display the computers that have run the /resetguid task, giving you a report of the machines that have completed the fix.

SQL Code:

select _ResourceGuid as [Guid] from Evt_AeX_SWD_Execution

where AdvertisementId = '2ABAAB9B-DC58-4B9A-A1FD-ADAB7AD561E4'

and ReturnCode = 0 and Status = 'Command executed'

GUIDs Shared between 2 or more computers. Analyzes machines that have been sharing the same GUID, this is recognized when a GUID flips between two or more machines. Once the duplicate GUID has been cleaned up, you will see the results in this report.

ResetGuid Agent Package. This package will run the AeXAgentUtil task. This package does not contain any source files. It will execute the following command line on the Altiris Agent machine:

AeXAgentUtil.exe /resetguid

The /resetguid switch will simply remove the following registry entry from the Altiris client machines registry.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\Altiris Agent\"MachineGuid"]

A new GUID is created by the Notification Server after the Altiris Agent sends the computer name and domain to the Notification Server. This Name and Domain is found in the AeX AC Identification class.

ResetGuid Agent Task. This task will run the ResetGuid Agent Package against the computers listed in the Possible Duplicate GUIDs collection. To enable this task simply check the Enable check box, set a schedule, and choose Apply.

Note: This will run against the computers that are in the collection the next time they update their configuration to the Notification Server. If they are scheduled to do this weekly, then you will not see this change for up to a week.

Uninstall

Remove order

To completely remove the Duplicate Diagnostic utility from your system, you should follow the steps below. This is due to the dependencies that are shared with the other items.

1. ResetGuid Agent Task.

2. Possible Duplicate GUIDs.

3. GUIDs shared between 2 or more computers.

4. Machines that have run the ResetGuid Agent Task.

5. To remove the ResetGuid Agent Package, you will first need to delete the AeXAgentUtil /resetguid Program by choosing the delete button on the Programs Page.

Troubleshooting

Problem: My collection is not updating with any computers, and I know there are duplicate GUIDs in the database.

Answer: By default, the Collection will update on the automatic schedule for collections. You can change the time the update will happen by changing the “Automatic Collection Updating”.

Problem: My collection still shows a list of computers after the scheduled task has had time to run. Why are there still computers in the Possible Duplicate GUIDs collection?

Answer: This collection will report a list of computers that have changed their GUIDs in the last month. If the task has run successfully on these computers, then these computers should not update the GUID again. You will have to wait for a month before the computers will be removed from this collection. To accurately determine if there are any remaining computers that are reporting a duplicate, the report GUIDs shared between 2 or more computers should be used.

Problem: I have run the /resetguid task for all computers. Now the GUIDs shared between 2 or more computers report is showing a number of computers if the Number of days to report on is set to a high number like 100. Are there still duplicate GUIDs in the database?

Answer: No. This report will check the database for machines that have shared this GUID at some point in time (default setting is seven days). You will need to watch the results of this report to ensure there is not any new activity of machines sharing a GUID. You will see machines show up in this report if they report back to the Notification server with a GUID used by another machine. The machine will then take over the GUID and the next time the other machine checks in it will repeat the process. If your clients are configured to check in every seven days, then this should be adequate time to see if the problem still exists.

Appendix A

Duplicate Diagnostics.xml

The following is the latest code for the duplicate diagnostics.xml dated November 2, 2005. You may copy this code and save it to an .XML file then import into the Notification Server.

<name>Duplicate Diagnostics</name>

<itemAttributes>Normal</itemAttributes>

<name>Duplicate Diagnostics</name>

</culture>

</itemLocalizations>

<url />

<aces>

</permissionGrants>

</ace>

</aces>

</security>

<name>Possible Duplicate Guids</name>

<itemAttributes>Normal</itemAttributes>

<description>Computer resource guids used by more than one computer in the past week</description>

<name>Possible Duplicate Guids</name>

</culture>

<description>Computer resource guids used by more than one computer in the past week</description>

</culture>

</itemLocalizations>

<isManualUpdate>false</isManualUpdate>

<query type="builderQuery"<queryBuilder<selectedTables<metaObject required="true" autoAddColumns="false" category="{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}"<database<![CDATA[]]</database<name<![CDATA[vResource]]</name<displayName<![CDATA[Resources]]</displayName<description<![CDATA[]]</description<columns<metaColumn keyType="{ffb6b27f-1033-4946-b45f-d225c41e2c85}"<name<![CDATA[ResourceId]]</name<displayName<![CDATA[ResourceId]]</displayName<type<![CDATA[unknown]]</type<length<![CDATA[-1]]</length</metaColumn<metaColumn keyType="{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}"<name<![CDATA[ResourceTypeGuid]]</name<displayName<![CDATA[ResourceTypeGuid]]</displayName<type<![CDATA[unknown]]</type<length<![CDATA[-1]]</length</metaColumn<metaColumn keyType="{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000}"<name<![CDATA[Guid]]</name<displayName<![CDATA[Guid]]</displayName<type<![CDATA[unknown]]</type<length<![CDATA[-1]]</length</metaColumn</columns</metaObject</selectedTables<joins /<step2Description>SELECT ... FROM [Resources]</step2Description<step3Description>SELECT [Resources].[Guid] FROM [Resources]</step3Description<fields<field required="true">[Resources].[Guid]</field</fields<conditionals /<step4Description>SELECT [Resources].[Guid] FROM [Resources]</step4Description<miscellaneous<topResults checked="False" value="10" /<distinctRows checked="False" /<sorting checked="False" /<groups checked="False" /</miscellaneous<description>SELECT [Resources].[Guid] FROM [Resources]</description<userCustomized<![CDATA[select ResourceGuid as [Guid], count(distinct KeyValue) as [Count] from ResourceKeyChanged

join vComputerResource on Guid = ResourceGuid

where ChangeTime > getdate() - 7 and KeyName = 'name.domain'

and ResourceTypeGuid = '493435F7-3B17-4C4C-B07F-C23E7AB7781FF'

group by ResourceGuid

having count(distinct KeyValue) > 3]]</userCustomized</queryBuilder</query>

</condition>

</include>

<aces>

</permissionGrants>

</ace>

</aces>

</security>

</item</itemReference>

<name>Machines that have run the ResetGuid Agent Task</name>

<itemAttributes>Normal</itemAttributes>

<name>Machines that have run the ResetGuid Agent Task</name>

</culture>

</culture>

</itemLocalizations>

<isManualUpdate>false</isManualUpdate>

where AdvertisementId = '2ABAAB9B-DC58-4B9A-A1FD-ADAB7AD561E4'

and ReturnCode = 0 and Status = 'Command executed']]</userCustomized</queryBuilder</query>

</condition>

</include>

<aces>

</permissionGrants>

</ace>

</permissionGrants>

</ace>

</aces>

</security>

</item</itemReference>

<name>ResetGuid Agent Package</name>

<itemAttributes>Normal</itemAttributes>

<name>ResetGuid Agent Package</name>

</culture>

<description>Runs AeXAgentUtil task</description>

</culture>

</itemLocalizations>

</scheduling>

<publisher>Altiris</publisher>

<originatingServer>PSY-PR1-04539.altiris.com</originatingServer>

<language>English</language>

<originatorType>NSInternal</originatorType>

<aces>

</permissionGrants>

</ace>

</permissionGrants>

</ace>

</aces>

</security>

<managed>false</managed>

</resource>

</resourceData>

<name>AeXAgentUtil /resetguid</name>

<itemAttributes>Normal</itemAttributes>

<name>AeXAgentUtil /resetguid</name>

</culture>

</itemLocalizations>

<forceRestart>false</forceRestart>

<runOnceForEachLoggedOnUser>false</runOnceForEachLoggedOnUser>

<commandLine<![CDATA[AeXAgentUtil.exe /resetguid]]</commandLine>

<workingDirectory<![CDATA[]]</workingDirectory>

<aces>

</permissionGrants>

</ace>

</aces>

</security>

</item</itemReference>

</itemReferences>

</item</itemReference>

<name>Guids shared between 2 or more computers</name>

<itemAttributes>Normal</itemAttributes>

<description>Analyzes machines that have been sharing the same guid, this is recognised when a guid flips between two or more machines</description>

<name>Guids shared between 2 or more computers</name>

</culture>

</itemLocalizations>

<enabled>False</enabled>

</scheduling>

<default<![CDATA[7]]</default>

<valueType<![CDATA[Decimal]]</valueType>

<prompt<![CDATA[Number of days to report on]]</prompt>

</parameter>

<name<![CDATA[Machines sharing this Guid]]</name>