This document provides an introduction and overview of Novell ZENworks Configuration Management troubleshooting. It discusses troubleshooting agents, including checking agent services, communication, cache, and using the ZENworks Administration Command (ZAC). It also covers troubleshooting servers, including checking server services, communication, and logs. Finally, it discusses ZENworks and database management, including the different database types, ZMAN usage, and system update processes.

1. Introduction to Novell ZENworks ® ®
Configuration Management Troubleshooting
Edward Carter Kurt Finlayson
Escalation Engineer Escalation Engineer
Novell Inc./edcarter@novell.com Novell Inc./kfinlayson@novell.com
Shaun Pond
Escalation Engineer
Novell Inc./spond@novell.com

2. Objectives Of This Session
• Basic troubleshooting
• Key logs
• Tools
• Strategies
• Key Processes
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3. Agent Troubleshooting

4. Agent Troubleshooting
• Services running on the agent
• Communication
• Agent cache
• ZAC commands
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5. Agent Services
• Novell ZENworks Agent Service
® ®
• Novell Identity store
• Remote Management
• Novell ZENworks PreAgent
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6. Communication
Ports
80, 443, 2645, 5950, 7628
Testing listening ports
– VNC
– Telnet
telnet <IP address> <port number>
Testing Quicktask port
http://<Agent IPaddress>:7628/RURunning
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7. Agent Cache
• Cache location
• Cache DBs
• ZAC cache command
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8. ZENworks Administration Command ®
Line Interface (ZAC)
• What is ZAC?
• ZAC usage information
• ZAC zeninfo
• Most important files to examine.
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9. ZAC Commands (1)
• zac -- help (Lists the commands that can be used)
• zac <option> --help (Describes what the command
does)
– zac bundle-list --help
– zac register --help
• zac policy-list (pl)
• zac bundle-list (bl)
• zac file-system-guid (fgs)
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10. ZAC Commands (2)
• zac logger (log)
alternative to using the z-icon
– zac logger level debug
– zac logger resetlog
• zac emp wakeup
– make sure all messages are in the zmd-
messages.log
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11. ZAC zeninfo
• zac zeninfo-collect
– zac zeninfo-collect [<targetfile>]
one-step log collector
• Queries the runtime state of the ZenworksWindowsService for
detailed information.
– ZenworksWindowsService must be running for zac zeninfo to
work.
– Collects metadata about cached data on workstation.
• Must extract zeninfo-date-time.zip for html links to work
• Pre ZCM 10.2, this command was “zac info-collect”
– zeninfocollect*.zip still available in
installdownloadstools folder for use in case agent is not
functional.
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12. ZAC zeninfo
(cont.)
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13. Contents of zeninfo*.zip
• zac zeninfo creates zeninfo-date-time.zip in the
%TEMP% folder by default
– Folders in the zeninfo-date-time.zip
> AgentCacheInfo
> ConfigInfo
> DebugLogs
> MDStatus
> ProductInfo
> PropPageInfo
> RefreshInfo
> systemInfo
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14. Contents of zeninfo*.zip
(cont.)
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15. configInfo
• configInfoZENWORKS_HOMEconf
– DeviceData hashed representation of the device
password
– DeviceGuid GUID should match the GUID in ZCC
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16. debugLogs
• Contains Windows Event View Logs
• ZENWORKS_HOMElogsLocalStorezmd-
messages.log
• Additional logs collected when zac zeninfo is run on a
server
– loader-messages.log
– services-messages.log
– zenworks-installation*.log
– zcc.log
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17. Agent Logging Setup
• (zmd-messages.log) = Contains most of the agent side logging information
• (NWGINA.LOG) = Contains information related to GINA startup
• (zenlgn.log) = Login process
• (casaauthtoken.log) = CASA Client Log
• (nalshell.txt) NAL Shell Log = The NAL Shell log contains information related to the ZENworks ®
explorer shell extension.
• (system-update.log) = logs a SU from the time the systemupdatemodule takes over.
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18. Enable Agent Logging
• Screenshots for zicon
• Casa and remote
• Log locations
• Xml, config, registry
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19. Server Troubleshooting

20. Server Troubleshooting
• Services running on the server
• Communication
• Logs
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21. Server Services
Novell ZENworks loader
® ®
Novell ZENworks preboot policy service
Novell ZENworks preboot service
Novell ZENworks remote management
Novell ZENworks server
Novell ZENworks services monitor
Novell ZENworks tftp service
Novell ZENworks proxy DHCP service
Novell ZENworks embedded datastore
CasaAuthTokenSvc
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22. Communication
• Database ports
– Sybase 2638
– Oracle 1521
– SQL 1543
• LDAP
– 389 and 636
• SOAP
– 80 and 443
• PDHCP
– 67 and 4011
• TFTP
– 69
• Preboot policy
– 13331
• Preboot server
– 998
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23. Logs
see TID 3418069 for information on how to obtain these
logs.
• loader-messages.log
– Log from ZENworks loader ®
• serviceservices-messages.log
• CASA logs (ats.log ats.trace)
• zcc.log
• catalina.out
• Preboot stuff
• System-update logs
• Install log
• Windows event logs
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24. ZEN and The Art of Database Management

25. Database Types
• Embedded Sybase
• External Sybase
• MS SQL 2005
• Oracle 10g
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26. Database Types
(cont.)
Think before you install
Choose the right database
Database Suitable for
Sybase (embedded) As many as 1,000
Sybase (external) As many as 5,000
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 5,000 to 40,000
Oracle 10g 5,000 to 40,000
http://www.novell.com/documentation/zcm10/zcm10_deployment_bp/data/index.html
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27. zman
• Command-line interface for ZCM
• Runs on any Primary server
• Can be used to script operations
• zman
– Lists all commands
• zman <category> /?
– Gives specific commands within the category, e.g.,
zman policy /?
• zman <command> --help
– Command-level usage and examples, e.g.,
zman policy-list --help
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28. Embedded Sybase
zman dgc
ZENworks 10 Configuration Management Command Line Utilities Reference
®
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29. Embedded Sybase
(cont.)
Maintenance – everyone needs this
– Backups
> Zone
“Backing Up and Restoring the ZENworks Server and Certificate Authority.”
®
http://www.novell.com/documentation/zcm10/zcm10_system_admin/data/bb2j7h6.html
> Database
“Backing Up the Embedded Sybase SQL Anywhere Database”
http://www.novell.com/documentation/zcm10/zcm10_system_admin/data/ban0rcu.html
– Size
> “System Planning, Deployment, and Best Practices Guide”
http://www.novell.com/documentation/zcm10/zcm10_deployment_bp/data/index.html
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30. External Databases
• Befriend your DBA
– Tools to backup external databases are provided by the
database company, not by ZENworks ®
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31. System Update

32. System Update Overview
• System Update is a mechanism to download ZENworks ®
Configuration Management (ZCM) updates from a Novell ®
Customer Center (NCC) Server.
• The system update architecture is designed to integrate with
the ZCM content, assignment and agent processes.
• The basic flow of an update is outlined in three major
sections:
– Check for update
– Download/Import
– Apply Downloaded Update.
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33. Check for Update
• System Updates are available to any Primary server but can be set via
ZCC under Configuration>System Update Settings. This event contacts
the NCC server and downloads product patches and installations.
https://you.novell.com/zenworks/systemupdate-version2/external/zcm/10.1/
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34. Check for Update
(cont.)
update.xml
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35. Download/Import
• The next important process occurs when you initiate a download
of an update or import of an update. The download can be done
from ZCC or by using the “zman sudu” command equivalent. The
process for importing from a manual .zip file can only be done
from “zman sui <uid>” command.
– System update module checks to see if there is sufficient space
to download the system update.
– System update reads the commands and content information
from the update.xml file and populates the respective tables in
the database and imports the data into the content repository
system.
– The update is marked with the status “DOWNLOADED” in the
database. The status change is reflected in ZCC and the
update is now ready to deploy.
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36. Apply Update
• After downloading an update you must authorize the
update prior to it being deployed to your devices. This
happens automatically during deployment in ZCC or
you can use the “zman suaz” command.
– Update is scheduled
– Preglobal actions are run against zone by a primary server
– Agent takes over and installs update to device.
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37. Apply Update
(cont.)
• Logging:
– When the systemupdate module takes over on the device a log is created under
logssystem-updateGUID called system-update.log and tracks the remainder of
the update.
– The zmd-messages.log is also very valuable when set to debug and above for
troubleshooting update issues. These two logs are almost always needed for
Novell Technical Services to troubleshoot a failed System Update.
– An additional file is created under /work/system-update/in-process and is
populated with the GUID of the system update being apply. This is a status file
and will move the GUID to the update-completed file after the update is
completed. The process of moving the GUID triggers an update event to be sent
to the server stating the update completion.
– As the update progresses, individual .msi logs are captured during the msi install
and are stored in the /logs/system-update/guid folder and are also helpful when
troubleshooting a failure related to a particular .msi installation.
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