Configuration process failed during 'Configuration Task Configure Altiris Agent for UNIX, Linux and Mac KB45011 SP2'

When customer was trying to install Inventory Solution and Altiris Agent for Unix, Linux and Mac, the configuration process failed on step 3 of 11 every single time. Symantec Installation Manager (SIM 7) reported the following error:

Priority: 1
Date: 9/4/2009 4:05:52 PM
Tick Count: 495681859
Host Name: ServerName
Process: SymantecInstallationManager (768)
Thread ID: 18
Module: SymantecInstallationManager.exe
Source: Symantec.Installation.ConfigureNS.task_Completed
Description: ConfigureNS - task_Completed(): Configuration Task Configure Altiris Agent for UNIX, Linux and Mac KB45011 SP2... Failed: Product failed to install. See log for details.

In this case the installation was failing when configuring E:\Program Files\Altiris\UNIX Agent\Config\UNIXAgent.config

Looking on the NS logs, we found the following entries:

Priority: 1
Date: 9/4/2009 3:43:22 PM
Tick Count: 494711218
Host Name: ServerName
Process: AeXSvc (1860)
Thread ID: 43
Module: AeXSVC.exe
Source: Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct
Description: Failed to install product. [Could not logon as user "johndoe\domain". Current user is "DOMAIN\altirisservice". Token=0, LastError=1326 (Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password).]
( Exception Details: Altiris.NS.Utilities.ImpersonationException: Could not logon as user "johndoe\domain". Current user is "DOMAIN\altirisservice". Token=0, LastError=1326 (Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password).
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.Impersonate.ImpersonateUser(String domain, String user, String password, Boolean forceLogon)
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.Impersonate.ImpersonateUser(String domain, String user, String password)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.ManageDistributionPoints(PackageItem pkgItem)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.ManageDistributionPoints(Guid pkgGuid)
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.UpdateDistributionPoints()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.OnUpgradeProduct(XmlNode updateNode)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct() )
( Exception logged from:
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(Int32 severity, String strMessage, String category, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(String strMessage, String category, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.NS.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(String strMessage, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct()
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(String configFile, Boolean ownsProgressContext, SerializationMode serializationMode)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct()
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
 )
( Extra Details:  Type=Altiris.NS.Utilities.ImpersonationException Src=Altiris.NS )

******************
Priority: 1
Date: 9/4/2009 3:43:22 PM
Tick Count: 494711218
Host Name: ServerName
Process: AeXSvc (1860)
Thread ID: 43
Module: AeXSVC.exe
Source: Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal
Description: Failed to install the product from the file [E:\Program Files\Altiris\UNIX Agent\Config\UNIXAgent.config]
( Exception Details: Altiris.NS.Utilities.ImpersonationException: Could not logon as user "johndoe\domain". Current user is "DOMAIN\altirisservice". Token=0, LastError=1326 (Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password).
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.Impersonate.ImpersonateUser(String domain, String user, String password, Boolean forceLogon)
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.Impersonate.ImpersonateUser(String domain, String user, String password)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.ManageDistributionPoints(PackageItem pkgItem)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.ManageDistributionPoints(Guid pkgGuid)
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.UpdateDistributionPoints()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.OnUpgradeProduct(XmlNode updateNode)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct()
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(String configFile, Boolean ownsProgressContext, SerializationMode serializationMode) )
( Exception logged from:
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(Int32 severity, String strMessage, String category, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(String strMessage, String category, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.NS.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(String strMessage, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(String configFile, Boolean ownsProgressContext, SerializationMode serializationMode)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct()
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
 )
( Extra Details:  Type=Altiris.NS.Utilities.ImpersonationException Src=Altiris.NS )

***************
Priority: 1
Date: 9/4/2009 3:43:22 PM
Tick Count: 494711218
Host Name: MDCSMP01
Process: AeXSvc (1860)
Thread ID: 43
Module: AeXSVC.exe
Source: Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct
Description: Failed to configure E:\Program Files\Altiris\UNIX Agent\Config\UNIXAgent.config
( Exception Details: Altiris.NS.Utilities.ImpersonationException: Could not logon as user "johndoe\domain". Current user is "DOMAIN\altirisservice". Token=0, LastError=1326 (Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password).
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.Impersonate.ImpersonateUser(String domain, String user, String password, Boolean forceLogon)
   at Altiris.NS.Utilities.Impersonate.ImpersonateUser(String domain, String user, String password)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.ManageDistributionPoints(PackageItem pkgItem)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.SoftwareDelivery.SWDSupport.ManageDistributionPoints(Guid pkgGuid)
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.UpdateDistributionPoints()
   at Altiris.Agent.Unix.UnixAltirisAgentInstallation.OnUpgradeProduct(XmlNode updateNode)
   at Altiris.NS.StandardItems.Product.ProductInstallation.InstallProduct()
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProductInternal(String configFile, Boolean ownsProgressContext, SerializationMode serializationMode)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct() )
( Exception logged from:
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(Int32 severity, String strMessage, String category, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.Diagnostics.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(String strMessage, String category, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.NS.Logging.EventLog.ReportException(String strMessage, Exception exception)
   at Altiris.NS.Installation.ProductConfigurationWorker.ConfigureProduct()
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart_Context(Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.runTryCode(Object userData)
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.RunInternal(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ExecutionContext.Run(ExecutionContext executionContext, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
   at System.Threading.ThreadHelper.ThreadStart()
 )
( Extra Details:  Type=Altiris.NS.Utilities.ImpersonationException Src=Altiris.NS )

We tried to reassign the AppID account by using Article ID: 46542 "How to change the Application Identity in NS7" as well asked the customer to logout and login as the AppID account. Still same issue.

The issue is not caused by SIM itself but by the AexConfig process. This issue was caused by a bad entry in the registry keys for one of the accounts used for the Software Delivery packages.

After putting more attention to the error message, we discovered that for some reason we were using the wrong account. Meaning, it was in an inverse order:
Wrong: "johndoe\domain"
Correct: "domain\johndoe"

We found only one instance of this wrong entry in the registry keys. It was under:
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\eXpress\Notification Server\SW Delivery'. The 'PkgAccess_UserName' regeky had this wrong entry.

We changed the regkey to use the correct entry and we launched the installation one more time. It failed as well in the same spot but this time the account was correct. So we deduced that the password may be wrong as well.

We found another entries in the registries that we could use to pass the right values during the installation. Under
'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\Communications', we used 'Package Access Password' and 'Package Access User' and used those values and replaced 'PkgAccess_Password' and 'PkgAccess_UserName' with those values respectively.

Applies To
Symantec Management Platform 7.0 SP2 + HF1
Symantec Installation Manager 7.0.420