Client Management Suite

Hello

I'm trying to install the Altiris Client Management Suite 7.1.SP2b on a new installation of Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1. This server also has a fresh installation of Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise x64 with a single instance configured with FILESTREAM and Remote Access allowed.

While attempting to install the suite, I get stuck as the SQL Server configuration page because Symantec Installation Manager cannot find my SQL Server 2012 instance nor can it connect to it when I type <computername>\<instancename>.

The error message I receive is:

You have selected an unsupported SQL instance of Microsoft SQL Server. Notification Server requires Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or later. Select a different server in order to continue.

Last I checked, 2012 comes later than 2005.

The system requirements do state that Symantec recommends 2005 and 2008 SQL Servers. Is SQL Servers 2010 and 2012 really not supported?

I hope not, SQL Server 2012 Enterprise is expensive.

I even tried using a server name that I know to not have SQL Server installed to see if I get the same error message. I do not. "Could not connect to server PTHSSV2\PTHS or login failed." That makes sense; that server does not have SQL. But the server that does gets an "unsupported" error message indicating to me that it's connecting to the instance but refusing to use it.

I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling a couple different times and have even resorted to rebooting the server after each step or configuration change just to make sure. I'm at a loss and the Symantec Support team that resides in India are of absolutely no help.

Update

I read up on how picky Notification Server is with Collations in your database. I created a new database using one of the support collations: Latin1_General_CI_AS

Going back to the SIM, I used the option to select an existing database. To my surprise, it read and found the database I created specifically for it! So it can find my SQL instance just fine. I admit, I got excited, but when I clicked next, it gave me that same error message that the SQL instance is not supported.

Perhaps the Collation of the instance itself needs to be changed? So far I haven't found a way to do that. There's nothing on the SQL server so I'm not worried about losing data.

Any ideas?

Okay, as far as I can tell, there's absolutely no way to change the Server level Collation after installation.

I have removed all installed instances of SQL Server 2012 software from the server and endured the long 8 minute boot-up of all the BIOS's on this system and I'm currently in the process of reinstalling. Lo-and-behold there is a tab part-way through the setup configuration step where you can specify the Database Engine Collation and Analytic Service Collation. Both have been set to Latin1_General_CI_AS.

It will take awhile to install (about 10 - 15 minutes). I'll update again with the results.

That didn't do it. I verified that the Database services is, in fact, running on the Latin1_General_CI_AS Collation as well as the database that Altiris would use. I'm still getting that "not supported version of SQL Server" error message.

SQL Server 2012 is NOT supported by SMP, only 2005 and 2008.  At the time that error message was written, SQL 2012 was not released yet, which likely is why it says "2005 or later only".

That makes sense. I finally got a hold of someone useful at Symantec. I'm currently working on recreating the scenario with an engineer and they're going to work on a solution. My hope is in the form of a patch. SQL 2012 WILL work, it's just SIM has not yet been made to accept it.

So for the time being I'm boned.

You can see more about what is supported in the Platform Support Matrix KB article:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO9965

I would be surprised if they add support for SQL 2012 as part of a hotfix or update patch; typically something like that would require a Service Pack or a point release...but who knows. I have not heard any talk about a SP3 for ITMS 7.1.  ITMS 7.5 is supposed to be released by year-end (probably sooner) and I would suspect 2012 support will be baked in for that release.

You're going to find different answers based on the question you ask: "Will it work?" vs. "Is this supported?"  SQL 2012 is getting support with new releases of other Symantec products.  I would expect to see it in the 7.5 release, but I haven't specifically seen this mentioned.