NAL application not working when using BITS

  • 3665952
  • 21-Aug-2007
  • 30-Apr-2012

Environment


Novell ZENworks 7 Desktop Management Support Pack 1 - ZDM7 SP1 Application Launcher (NAL)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Windows XP Professional Support Pack 2

Situation

When BITS is enabled and you distribute an application, the application distribution will be corrupted in cache when you restart your workstation and login workstation only.

When you start this application, NAL will try to install/run this application, but this will fail, because not all files are present.

Resolution

To obtain a hot patch with the fix for this problem, follow the instructions in KB 3484245 "Updates to Novell ZENworks 7 Desktop Management" which can be found at https://www.novell.com/support

Additional Information

STEPS TO REPRODUCE:
  1. Create an application that will copy a big zip file to a directory on the workstation and then unzip this file with e.g. winzip. Associate this application to a user. The application should be force cache and disconnectable
  2. In the launcher configuration, enable bits for the user (to which the application has been associated).
  3. It is useful installing bitsadmin on the workstation that is going to be used for the testing.
  4. Start the workstation and login with the user the application is associated to.
  5. The application will be cached. With BITSADMIN /monitor /allusers the progress of the ZENworks job can be monitor.
  6. Restart the workstation before the application has been cached and login workstation only. Using BITSADMIN /monitor /allusers will show that there is no more ZENworks job in the queue.
  7. Restart the workstation and login to the network. When NAL is loaded try to start the application. An error will appear. When step 6 is skipped, the distribution with BITS will continue with the job, and when the application is downloaded it can be executed without problems.
When BITS is enable to distribute an application, the application distribution will be corrupted in cache, when the workstation is restarted and the user logs in workstation only. All files in c:\windows\temp-directory will be deleted. Using bitsadmin (bitsadmin /monitor /allusers) will show that the job is not present in the queue anymore. When you do a reboot of the workstation and perform a login to the network, the download of the application will not continue, but the application will be available in NAL. Starting this application, NAL will try to install/run this application, but this will fail, because not all files are present. When the workstation is rebooted during the download and are login to the network happens, the download via BITS will continue and there will be no problems installing/running the application afterwards.