Problems pushing Netclient to systems with Avast Pro

Avast Business Avast Distributed Network Manager
1

I’m really intrigued by the idea of using ADNM on my network at work. I have around 50 machines, so it’d be a big time saver. Unfortunately, I’m having trouble with two separate machines giving me similar results.

Note: I am the domain administrator, and correct credentials are being used, in DOMAIN\administrator format. Windows firewall is off, no other AV package installed. Computer1 is XP Pro, Computer2 is Vista x64. Netclient is configured using the server’s IP. This is using ADNM 4.8, fresh install.

Computer 1:
This system had Netclient 4.7 installed (I originally installed 4.7 to test, then found out 4.8 was coming soon so backed off). No matter what I did, I could not get this machine to upgrade the client to 4.8. I finally had to remove 4.7 and deploy 4.8. Is this normal? I ask because I’d hate to go through this upgrading from 4.8 to whatever comes next.

12/10/08 14:51:17:   rinstInstall begin
12/10/08 14:51:17:   Init 50 60 C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\asw2D.tmp C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Management Tools\InstPkgs NULL C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\asw2C.tmp 0
12/10/08 14:51:17:   Store
12/10/08 14:51:17:   Domains: DOMAIN, 
12/10/08 14:51:17:   Init DOMAIN\computer1
12/10/08 14:51:17:   computer1: GetAccount
12/10/08 14:51:17:   computer1: Queueing
12/10/08 14:51:17:   StartThread
12/10/08 14:51:17:   Loop
12/10/08 14:51:17:   SpawnThreads
12/10/08 14:51:17:   computer1: StartSetup
12/10/08 14:51:17:   computer1: Connecting
12/10/08 14:51:18:   computer1: Service exists
12/10/08 14:51:18:   computer1: Copying files
12/10/08 14:51:18:   computer1: CreateDirectory \\computer1\C$\~AVINSTL error 183 (Cannot create a file when that file already exists)
12/10/08 14:51:18:   computer1: RemoveFolder \\computer1\C$\~AVINSTL
12/10/08 14:51:18:   computer1: Copying aswISvc.exe
12/10/08 14:51:18:   computer1: Copying Admin.ini
12/10/08 14:51:18:   computer1: aswResp.dat not present
12/10/08 14:51:18:   computer1: Copying Tasks.xml
................................................
12/10/08 14:51:20:   computer1: Copying servers.def
12/10/08 14:51:20:   computer1: Creating service
12/10/08 14:51:20:   computer1: Starting service
12/10/08 14:52:17:   computer1: ReadProgress
12/10/08 14:58:17:   computer1: Unknown state
12/10/08 14:59:17:   computer1: ReadProgress
12/10/08 14:59:17:   computer1: CreateFile \\computer1\C$\~AVINSTL\Progress.dat error 2 (The system cannot find the file specified)
12/10/08 14:59:17:   computer1: Unknown state

Note I removed the “copying” lines to save space. After removing Netclient 4.7 (thus leaving no Avast installed) ADNM 4.8 was able to successfully push install.


Computer 2:

This is the bigger problem. Originally, Avast Pro was installed. Attempted a push install of Netclient 4.7 (during the testing phase) and would not log on with access error 0x005 - install failed. However, it appeared to corrupt Pro, as the system would not restart Pro again, ever. Furthermore, Avast was missing from Add/Remove Programs. Once ADNM 4.8 was installed, I tried another push install:

12/08/08 17:35:38:   computer2: ReadProgress
12/08/08 17:35:38:   computer2: Remote setup failed, error 5 (Access is denied)
12/08/08 17:35:38:   computer2: Finished with error in remote setup
12/08/08 17:35:38:   computer2: ReadLog
12/08/08 17:35:38:   computer2: CopyFile \\computer2\C$\~AVINSTL\Setup.log C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Management Tools\DATA\log\DOMAIN_computer2.log error 2 (The system cannot find the file specified)
12/08/08 17:35:38:   computer2: RemoveProgress
12/08/08 17:35:38:   computer2: CloseConnection
12/08/08 17:35:38:   TerminateAll
12/08/08 17:35:38:   rinstInstall end 0

This obviously never worked. This morning, I found the Avast Removal Tool, and ran that on the system from safe mode. It did appear to nuke Avast, but now the error logs show this:

12/10/08 14:41:57:   rinstInstall begin
12/10/08 14:41:57:   Init 50 60 C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\asw2B.tmp C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Management Tools\InstPkgs NULL C:\WINDOWS\TEMP\asw2A.tmp 0
12/10/08 14:41:57:   Store
12/10/08 14:41:57:   Domains: DOMAIN, 
12/10/08 14:41:57:   Init DOMAIN\computer2
12/10/08 14:41:57:   computer2: install already in progress
12/10/08 14:41:57:   computer2: Finished with error
12/10/08 14:41:57:   TerminateAll
12/10/08 14:41:57:   rinstInstall end 87

I did see that the Avast Remote Install Service is listed under services, but it will not start. No sign of being able to get rid of it.

Any suggestions? At the moment I’m more worried about Computer 2, but long-term, a solution to what ailed Computer 1 would be great as well.

2

Hello,

Computer1:

Both updating task and push install task should be able to update Netclient 4.7 to 4.8. We will try to simulate this problem in the push install. Did you try first the updating task ?

Computer 2:

The Netclient 4.7 cannot be pushed over Pro 4.8 because of the self-defence mechanism in 4.8 that is not properly handled by the Netclient 4.7.

The “install already in progress” normally means that another install task is pushing on that computer. It can probably arise also when some previous task was manually terminated from the console. It will be fixed, now you can work around it by restarting the ‘avast! Management Server’ service.

3

My fault, I didn’t look under the tasks enough to see I can create an “Update program” task. I’ll note that for the future, thanks.

Rebooting the server and the client appears to have resulted in a successful push. However the computer is currently in use so I’ll have to wait to reboot it.

So I’m clear - most of my users have Avast Pro 4.8 installed. I should have no trouble performing a push install of ADNM 4.8’s Netclient to them, correct?

Thanks for the help!

4

Tried a push install to a client running Pro 4.8 this afternoon. Interesting result - ADNM claimed a 0x005 error again. The log showed this:

12/11/08 13:45:42:   SM_CONF_ROOM: Copying servers.def

12/11/08 13:45:42:   SM_CONF_ROOM: Creating service

12/11/08 13:45:42:   SM_CONF_ROOM: Starting service

12/11/08 13:46:36:   SM_CONF_ROOM: ReadProgress

12/11/08 13:46:36:   SM_CONF_ROOM: Remote service failed, error 1006 (The volume for a file has been externally altered so that the opened file is no longer valid)

12/11/08 13:46:36:   SM_CONF_ROOM: Finished with error in remote service

12/11/08 13:46:36:   SM_CONF_ROOM: ReadLog

12/11/08 13:46:36:   SM_CONF_ROOM: Remote log: C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Management Tools\DATA\log\DCI_SM_CONF_ROOM.log

12/11/08 13:46:36:   SM_CONF_ROOM: RemoveProgress

12/11/08 13:46:36:   SM_CONF_ROOM: CloseConnection

12/11/08 13:46:36:   TerminateAll

12/11/08 13:46:36:   rinstInstall end 0

However, upon rebooting the client, the Netclient was present and working as expected, and ADNM reports the client is checking in.

I’m off to look through the guide some more, but this seems a bit off to me…

5

Can you post the Management Tools\DATA\log\DCI_SM_CONF_ROOM.log file ?
Thanks.

6

Log for sm_conf_room:

12/11/08 13:45:42:   InstSvc begin

12/11/08 13:45:42:   avast! Remote Install Service

12/11/08 13:45:42:   DSA_FileVerify C:\Program Files\Alwil Software\Avast4\Setup\Sfx\avast.setup error

12/11/08 13:45:43:   InstSvc end 0

I had a similar thing happen today on another machine. The remote install log ended in error 87, ADNM showed the same 0x005 access denied. Upon the client rebooting, the Netclient was installed. That machine however did not result in its own .log file.

7

For clients that have version 4.7 installed, create new updating task and in the iAVS section set Program, then run this task to update client’s program to latest version.