HP Version Control issues after upgrade from version 7.2.2.0 to 7.3.0.0

[SauliusB]

After HP Version Control Repository Manager was upgraded from version 7.2.2.0 to 7.3.0.0 I've started to monitor following issues:

• Nodes with HP Version Control Agent version 7.2.2.0 and later cannot connect to HP VCRM
• HP VCA can connect to HP VCRM, but do not display server Firmware and BIOS information after upgrade to 7.3.0.0

HP VCRM downgrade to version 7.2.2.0

Do anyone have noticed similar issues and have solution for this?

Thanks in advance

[mlamczyk]

I have also noticed that firmware and BIOS updates are no longer being displayed by the 7.3 agent and/or server.  However, I believe I was able to get a 7.2.2 agents to communicate with the 7.3 VCRM by uninstalling and reinstalling the agent. 

debating if I want to downgrade or just deal with firmware updates manually until they fix that issue in a future update.

[SauliusB]

In my case downgrade/reinstall to HP VCA version 7.2.2.0 is no solving connectivity to HPO VCRM issue :(

[icculus79]

I am experiencing the same issues.  The only working combination I have found that will connect to VCRM 7.3.0.0 is a client running SMH 7.3.0 and VCA 7.3.0.0.  Makes using the VCRM to update the VCA kind of difficult if you have to manually update the SMH and VCA to get it to connect to the VCRM.  As a side note, the 7.3.0 version of SMH does not work at all on 32-bit Windows 2003 (breaks it completely).  Looks as if 7.3 releases are quite buggy and we will have to wait for HP to release updated versions of the VCRM and the SMH before things start working again.  I recommend not upgrading to VCRM 7.3.0.0.

[SauliusB]

Well...

Last week HW Support case has been raised for this...

I guess we will get this fixed soon...

[Sean Murray_1]

Been having same issues since updating.

No more BIOS, HDD firmware info on the agent side. Within the VCRM it seems to have issues trying to update from HP.

Hope they fix it soon as I am debating on going back a version.

[ChrisAbbott]

I am also seeing all the issues listed above following migration from 7.2 to 7.3 (forced on me when I moved SIM to a new server).

Come on HP, VCRM is at best pretty useless. You have now rendered it completely useless.

My list of gripes for when it does work include...

1. It's slow, taking hours to start and validate the catalog one file at a time. I dread a server restart because of this!

2. Constantly downloads things you have archived.

3. Very memory hungry.

4. Very CPU hungry.

5. Very unresponsive.

6. Kills SMH's because it insists on sending the full catalog to the VCA every time the VCA is visited (you guys not heard of AJAX!). 

7. Randomly fails to download updates you know it should.

8. Completely useless logs that tell you very little you didn't already know.

9. Despite allowing you to download software for 'Desktops', there is no VCA for Desktop machines.

Is it maybe not time to rethink VCRM and come up with a product that solves all these issues?

[SwisspostIT]

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@ChrisAbbott wrote:

Is it maybe not time to rethink VCRM and come up with a product that solves all these issues?

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Just for your information: That's already happening!

HP SIM and VCRM (and probably the hole Insight Control Suite) is going to be replaced by HP OneView and that should  (hopefully) handle that stuff better.

But back to topic:

I'm experiencing the same issues.

VCA 7.3.0.0 on VCRM 7.2.0.0 is not showing any firmware / BIOS

SMH 7.3.0.9 on Windows Server 2003 x86 isn't working at all (web debugging tool like Fiddler says: Connection actively refused by target machine)

Regards,

Ville

[Andrew_Haak]

Hello Ville,

You are correct unfortunatly Oneview is not free of charge.

Kind regards,

Andrew

[Bart_Heungens]

Hi,

HP SIM for monitoring is for free, the configuration stuff is under Insight Control license so also not for free.

Oneview 1.0 now is more configuration compared to monitoring (not really that much yet) so yes you need a license. Know that also VCEM, which was a separate license before also, is now included in the Oneview license.

Give it some more time, Oneview will be much extended with more great features, we'll see how it continues with the licensing saga...

FYI I am currently posting a list of blog posts on the installation and configuration of Oneview... Check it out!

[SwisspostIT]

So I've updated our VCRM to 7.3 now and the issue is the same:

VCA 7.2 to VCRM 7.3 is OK

VCA 7.3 to VCRM 7.2 or 7.3 is Not OK! (Firmware & BIOS is missing in the list of installed components)

I'm going to open a support case at HP.

Regards,

Ville

[MDDunn]

I am also experiencing the missing BIOS and Firmware issue after updating VCRM to 7.3.

Downgrading 7.3 to 7.2 results in the following error: The specified repository, <server name>, is invalid or not reachable. However, BIOS/Firmware versions show in VCA.

Running SMH 7.3 and VCA 7.3 results in lack of BIOS/Firmware versions.

[SwisspostIT]

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@MDDunn wrote:

Downgrading 7.3 to 7.2 results in the following error: The specified repository, <server name>, is invalid or not reachable.

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This could be due to the rebuild of the VCRM after installation. Wait 1-2 hours and it should be back up running again...

regards,

Ville 

[MDDunn]

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@SwisspostIT wrote:

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@MDDunn wrote:

Downgrading 7.3 to 7.2 results in the following error: The specified repository, <server name>, is invalid or not reachable.

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This could be due to the rebuild of the VCRM after installation. Wait 1-2 hours and it should be back up running again...

regards,

Ville 

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Thanks for the suggestion, Ville, but VCRM was actually upgraded a couple weeks ago on the SIM server, so I suspect this is a different issue.

[waaronb]

It's definitely a bug in VCRM / VCA version 7.3. I've just been fussing more with the missing firmware/BIOS info in VCA and it's just not showing anything. I tried swapping my SMH between snmp and wbem for data collection and it doesn't matter, the firmware is just plain missing either way.

In our case as well, our VCRM has been up and running for a couple weeks and it's definitely not rebuilding/verifying the catalog... trust me, I know when that's happening because each time it does that, it bugs the heck out of me. Reading one file at a time, pokey slow. Just cache the data, okay? Only re-read and extract the info from the EXE if it's actually different... how hard is that?

[SauliusB]

I've got answer form HP TS regarding HP VCA 7.2.2.0 working with HP VCRM 7.3.0.0

I did not got full answer of root cause of this issue but form provided command I suspect that it is is realted with SSL Cipher configuration.

For me these commands solved th issue.

Please try run follwing commands on server with HP VCRM 7.3.0.0:

C:\HP\hpsmh\bin>smhconfig.exe -Z ALL:!ADH:!EXPORT56:!EXPORT40:DES-CBC3-SHA:RC4-MD5:RC4-SHA:RC4+RSA:+HIGH:+MEDIUM:-SSLv2:+EXP:!LOW:!eNULL:!aNULL

C:\HP\hpsmh\bin>smhconfig.exe -r

For me these commands solved the issue.

[shark001]

The command above saved my day! I was looking for this problem since days, thanks a lot.

What in detail is this command exactly doing?

[MDDunn]

This also resolved the issue for me. Seems that it will be best to downgrade the few systems I upgraded to VCA 7.3.

Thanks, SauliusB!

[SwisspostIT]

Hi, 

are the firmware components listed again in the "installed software" list on VCA 7.3 after executing these commands?

Regards,

Ville

[MDDunn]

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@SwisspostIT wrote:

Hi, 

are the firmware components listed again in the "installed software" list on VCA 7.3 after executing these commands?

Regards,

Ville

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Hi Ville - No, I am only seeing the firmware versions on my servers running VCA 7.2. This fix seems to address the communication issue between VCA 7.2 and VCRM 7.3

[SwisspostIT]

OK thanks for your feedback!

I'll do a fresh new install of VCRM 7.3 tomorrow to test, if the VCA 7.3 lists the firmware again...

Regards,

Ville

[SauliusB · Accepted solution]

I got confirmation from HP TS that isue with HP VCA 7.3.0.0 not showing BIOS, Firmware will be solved with next version of application...

Till then I'll be using 7.2.2.0 

[SwisspostIT]

good to hear that!

my case was elevated on wednesday to L3 so I think they will close it soon...

thanks and regards,

Ville

[SwisspostIT]

hi all,

for those who didn't notice it: 

HP VCA Version 7.3.1.0 was released which fixed the issue with not displaying BIOS & Firmware!

Regards,

Ville

[MDDunn]

Thanks for the update! Had not seen that yet.