Mac OS X Computers are Duplicating/Quadruplicating

Usage and Config Platform
1

(imported topic written by mkearns)

We are seeing Mac OS X computer systems repeating computer records in console every 15-mins. Please note, we have a “BESComputerRemover” running as an hourly script that trims the duplicates. In total, we normally see a Mac OS X System (10.6 through 10.9) 2x’s, 3x’s, or even 4x’s.

I’ve had the field tech, uninstall, install the new 9.0787.0 client and restart. However, there’s no change and the duplication continues.

Examining the client logs (
/Library/Application Support/Bigfix/BES Agent/__BESData/__Global/Log)
, we see:

Client authentication setup failed: 15CertVerifyError

Any ideas?

2

(imported comment written by jgstew)

This definitely should not be happening, and we don’t see this in our environment.

It sounds like it may be duplicating every time it reports in or something like that.

Does this happen to ALL of your OS X systems, or only some of them?

What version are your relays and root server?

3

(imported comment written by mkearns)

It’s not all of the Macs, 195 are duplicating regularly out of 2370 macs total
.

None are using a deep freeze-type. The other management tool used is Apple’s Remote Desktop.

Our Relays, Root Server, and Clients are all on 9.0.787.0

The Client’s firewall has been disabled too.

Please let me know any other thoughts or suggestions!

4

(imported comment written by jgstew)

From your original description, it does not sound like this is only happening with specific OS X versions, but any from 10.6 through 10.9.

I’d suggest trying to very thoroughly uninstall the BES Client and clean up well, then try the latest 8.2.x BES client to see if that prevents this from happening. This might not be an ideal configuration, but it should work without issue for 10.6 through 10.8 machines and it would be an interesting troubleshooting measure.

Is there anything else common between these machines? Are the machines with the issue behind the same Firewall? Router? Switch? Proxy? Anything you can find in common would be helpful.

5

(imported comment written by jgstew)

Also, are you using DeepFreeze by chance? or any other management tools?

6

(imported comment written by ShaneFPS)

I don’t have an answer, but we have 600 macs at our location. I’m just here for moral support :slight_smile:

7

(imported comment written by mkearns)

Thanks! I can always use the support! :slight_smile:

8

(imported comment written by AlanM)

Can you check the masthead on a replicating Mac with the masthead on the deployment?

I have seen a few times where the masthead used during install was a very old one and one the server doesn’t recognize anymore. The masthead on the Mac is located at /Library/Application Support/Bigfix/BES Agent/actionsite.afxm

You could try replacing that masthead with the one from the server or a working Mac and see if the issue goes away. I’d save the original so we might be able to determine what went wrong.

9

(imported comment written by mkearns)

Good idea, I’ll try doing a thorough uninstall, then install using the same masthead as our server. I’ll test this on a few Mac OS X endpoints and monitor their results.

10

Sorry to bring this back to life but did anyone ever find out what was the root cause for this?

11

If you aren’t using the newest client, that could be part of the cause, though I don’t recall anything for certain. In general if you are running the newest version of OS X it is best to use the newest version of the client just because there are often some compatibility fixes within it.

If you are using anything that resets the BigFix client like Deep Freeze, that would be another reason.