Altiris Agent (also known as Symantec Management Agent) is installed on a client, but the client does not register and get a GUID from the server.

When looking at the 'About Altiris Agent' dialog, you will notice that there is no Altiris Server defined as well as no GUID;

The following error can be seen in the Altiris Agent logs;

Log File Name: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Logs\Agent.log
Priority: 1
Date: 2/19/2010 11:51:04 AM
Tick Count: -1173704031
Host Name: <client2>
Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (3120)
Thread ID: 484
Module: AeXNetComms.dll
Source: ResolveHost
Description: Failed to resolve host name: 'Unspecified' or '': No such host is known (-2147013895)

The following warnings can be seen in the Altiris Agent logs;

Log File Name: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Logs\Agent.log
Priority: 2
Date: 2/19/2010 11:54:09 AM
Tick Count: -1173519093
Host Name: <client2>
Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (3120)
Thread ID: 484
Module: AeXNetComms.dll
Source: AeXNetworkTransport
Description: Get 'HTTP://Unspecified/Altiris/NS/Agent/CreateResource.aspx?xml=%3CResource%20typeGuid%3D'493435f7-3b17-4c4c-b07f-c23e7ab7781f'%3E%3CAttribute%20name%3D'Domain'%20value%3D'RONLEV'%2F%3E%3CAttribute%20name%3D'Name'%20value%3D'XP2'%2F%3E%3CAttribute%20name%3D'Altkey1'%20value%3D''%2F%3E%3CAttribute%20name%3D'Altkey2'%20value%3D'00-50-56-96-67-EF'%2F%3E%3C%2FResource%3E' failed: HTTP Request Failed: No such host is known. (-2147013895)

 

Log File Name: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Logs\Agent.log
Priority: 2
Date: 2/19/2010 11:54:09 AM
Tick Count: -1173519093
Host Name: <client2>
Process: AeXNSAgent.exe (3120)
Thread ID: 484
Module: AeXNetComms.dll
Source: CoNetworkTransport(116)
Description: HTTP Request Failed: No such host is known. (-2147013895)

As an example of you run the AeXNSC.exe file without any parameters and do so with a 'clean' registry (fresh install, or after having run aexagentutil /clean, etc.) the Altiris Agent will not know the name or the webaddress of the notification server to communicate with. This is also exemplified by the above screenshot showing no Server Name.

There are two ways to address this issue

Resolution #1
---------------
As the 'servername' was never set for the client to use you can set this with the following command;
AeXAgentUtil /server:NSServerName /web:http://NSServerName/Altiris

The AeXAgentUtil resides in the Altiris Agent install directory on your client. Usually this would be C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\

If your NSServerName is nsserver.domain.com the command would look like this;
AeXAgentUtil /server:nsserver.domain.com /web:http//nsserver.domain.com/Altiris

You can also use a netbios name if you do not have the ability to resolve an FQDN. It is recommend using the FQDN whenever possible for better name resolution.

Resolution #2
------------------
Use the Altiris Agent Download webpage (pull of agent) to configure the settings properly. The URL for this would be;
http://NSServerName.domain.com/Altiris/NS/Agent/AltirisAgentDownload.aspx

Allow the ActiveX control and select to download and install the agent.

Resolution #3
---------------
Remove and Re-install the altiris agent. For the removal you can utilize the AeXAgentUtil as described above using the following command to remove the agent and (most of) the Altiris Agent files and directories;

AeXAgentUtil /clean

To (re)install the Altiris Agent once the removal has taken place you can utilize the NS Agent installer package (AeXNSC.exe). This resides in; http://NSServerName/altiris/ns/nscap/Bin/Win32/X86/NS%20Client%20Package/

Here you again need to specify the NS Server name and web address as follows;

AeXNSC ns="NSServerName.domain.local" nsweb=http://NSServername.domain.local/Altiris"
You can also see KB 150354 for the command line options for the AeXNSC.exe installer.