ITCM Agent clone process

[Varun kumar]

Hi All,

In our environment we are deploying ITCM agent across 40K machines using clone image,our clone process splits into two phases,i'e pre & post clone.

In our scripts we have divided the Installation in two parts first part is to install the ITCM agent(preclone) and assign the scalability server as "Localhost" and in post clone we will run the command caf setserveraddress to point to local scalability server.

Now, We are ended up with two problems.

 

1) Agent registered to ITCM console successfully and pointed to domain manager with out any issues. But Remote Control is not working, it is showing the message "The host could not open the desktop of the current user". OS version is Windows Embedded pos Ready 2009. If we are using cloned image do we need delete any entries apart from the steps available in techdoc below.

 

2) Secondly, all our agents will get rebuilt for every three months, once the rebuilt is done the machines are created duplicates entries on the ITCM console. We have followed the below techdoc process to delete the machine specific entries. Here the question is why caf start happening before host uuid deletion. Is this techdoc up to date?How can we avoid duplicate entries after rebuilt of machines? do we need to take a back up of host uuid and restore? or any other procedure ?

https://www.ca.com/us/services-support/ca-support/ca-support-online/knowledge-base-articles.TEC1717157.html

Would appreciate if you provide any suggestions.

Thanks!

[Richard Little]

HI Varun

 

1. What version of ITCM are you installing. WEPOS 2009 is not supported in r14 or above see CA IT Client Manager - Agent Compatibility Matrix - CA Technologies 
2. Are you following the techdoc before creating the image? This is essential. if you are including the agent as part of creating the image you must install the agent. then stop caf. then run follow the techdoc. At this point it is essential you do not start caf again.
   
   Now create the image and deploy it. When caf starts on the new built PC it will recreate these values. As long as there is no change in HW then you should not get a duplicate.
   
   I do however see a slight error in TEC1717157. the rc/security line is wrong, This was correct for r11 but changed in r12 and above. I suspect this is why you have RC issues.
   
   Please use
   
   ccnfcmda -cmd DeleteParamSection -ps itrm/rc/security/providers/common/users
   
   instead. I will update the tech doc re this.

regards

Rich

[Richard Little]

I have retired TEC1717157 and instead updated TEC394117 to reflect not just URC. this will take effect when the updates are replicated to the production servers.

 

Rich

[Richard Little]

https://www.ca.com/us/services-support/ca-support/ca-support-online/knowledge-base-articles.tec394117.html 

is now updated 

[Varun kumar]

Hi Richard,

 

Thanks for quick response!! Really appreciate it.

 

Now, I have separated pre clone and post clone installation steps, Could you please validate and let me know if any thing is missing here ?

 

Pre clone Image steps :-
Before generating the image, perform the following actions on the template machine:

Installing the agent and pointing it to Localhost.
Start the agent and register it with a "Localhost"  to ensure proper verification of the management server information.
Run the following commands:

caf stop
ccnfcmda -cmd DeleteParameter -ps itrm/rc/host/managed -pn convertedhostuid
ccnfcmda -cmd DeleteParameter -ps itrm/cfencrypt -pn LOCALID
ccnfcmda -cmd DeleteParamSection -ps itrm/rc/security/providers/common/users
Delete the HostUUID key from the registry:

On a 32-bit OS: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates\HostUUID
On a 64-bit OS: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ComputerAssociates\HostUUID

Generate the image to be deployed BEFORE starting the DSM agent again.

 

Post Clone Image steps :

-> caf start
-> Will run the command to point the agent machines to local scalbility server using scripts.
-> rcUtilCmd.exe CreateDefaultUsers

 

Note : On Template machine we are installing the ITCM agent and pointing to Localhost instead of Scalability server then in post clone we are running command caf setserveraddress <SS Name> to point it to respective SS.

 

Let me know if i miss anything here? please.

 

Thanks!

[Varun kumar]

To Continue further on the above, All the Agent machines are in Work-group environment, Not in domain.

[Varun kumar]

Hi Richard,

 

In our customer's environment we frequently rebuild the agent machines and the MAC address/hard disk serial number etc will change if the hardware is replaced. Is there any option that we can avoid duplicate machines in ITCM after rebuild of machines ?

This happens often in our environment and we need a way to cater for this without getting the duplicates.

Your help is highly appreciated!!

Thanks!

[lecri01]

When you do your install set the option start caf no.

 

After installation place the old uuid into the registry on the new system.

 

If the uuid is the same it will not create a new asset

 

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[Steve Parker]

As the hardware characteristics have changed CAF will generate a new HOST UUID on startup, so once you have copied you old key into the registry be sure to lock the hostuuid so that it doesn’t get changed when CAF first starts.

 

Take a look at https://www.ca.com/us/services-support/ca-support/ca-support-online/knowledge-base-articles.TEC1019453.html?intcmp=searchresultclick&resultnum=2

[Varun kumar]

Thanks Rich!!

 

Also one more question, I assume we cannot restore the hostuuid if hard disk is replaced on the rebuild machine?

 

Thanks!!

[lecri01]

You can because you have it in the client auto mdb.you can get it from the manager.

 

 

 

Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone

[mccst05]

If the HW is being replaced then it really is a new computer, and ITCM is working as designed. As Rich and Steve P said it is possible to ‘fool’ ITCM into treating the new machine as the same computer if that is what the customer really wants. In this case of course ITCM immediately loses sight of the old machine.

 

Steve McCormick, ITIL

CA Technologies

Principal Services Consultant

[e-mail]

<mailto:[e-mail]>

[Varun kumar]

Hi Stephen,

 

Thanks for the reply on this. I just wanted to understand the below commands and explanation. 

 

We are using these commands in our clone script, If incase these commands are not executed properly. How can we know  this commands are executed properly or not ? 

 

ccnfcmda -cmd DeleteParameter -ps itrm/rc/host/managed -pn convertedhostuid
ccnfcmda -cmd DeleteParameter -ps itrm/cfencrypt -pn LOCALID
ccnfcmda -cmd DeleteParamSection -ps itrm/rc/security/providers/common/users

 

I understand these are machines specific value which should be deleted from the template machine.

 

Thanks and Regards

Varun kumar

[mccst05]

These commands will return a code 0 if successful, non-zero if they fail. From a batch file you can trap ERRORLEVEL to validate. You can also run:

 

ccnfcmda -cmd GetParameterValue -ps itrm/rc/host/managed -pn convertedhostuid

ccnfcmda -cmd GetParameterValue -ps itrm/cfencrypt -pn LOCALID

 

If the values still exist they will be returned, if they were deleted the GetParameterValue commands will fail. There is no direct way to check if a ParamSection exists unless you know the name of a Parameter in that section. Since this section we are looking at may or may not have parameters in it, I can’t tell you what to look for.

 

Steve McCormick, ITIL

CA Technologies

Principal Services Consultant

[e-mail]

<mailto:[e-mail]>

[Richard Little]

Hi Varun all looks good. out of interest are you using OSIM for this or are you deploying the clones in another method

[Varun kumar]

Hi Rich,

Thanks for the support.

Yes, We are using another clone image process for ITCM agent deployment not OSIM.

Regards

Varun kumar

[Anon Anon]

HI Varun 

I was wondeirng if we answered your question in previous posts ? if so can you mark one correct please 

Thanks

Joe