GFI RM - Offline Agent caused by an Upload error

If you find that a GFI Agent cannot upload and communicate with your dashboard then try this quick check for DNS issues.

Overdue Server

So here is my issue, this server is overdue. But it is online in LogMeIn so it is not an Internet access issue. So whats up?

Agent

I check the Agent on the server and here is the issue, Upload error. The Agent cannot communicate with the servers at GFI.

Agent Log

I check the Agent Connection Log and my thoughts are confirmed, we have an invalid response from server error. Now this doesnt mean that the server gave an invalid response, in fact no response is invalid. Any response that is not the right one is invalid, such is the logic in IT.

Advanced Agent Logs

We need to check the logs for what is happening when the Agent tries to communicate. These are located in C:\Program Files (x86)\Advanced Monitoring Agent

Debug Log

The information we need is in the file debug.txt

Inside the log file

Here in the log we can see at 1. that the Agent is trying to resolve the DNS name upload4.systemmonitor.co.uk and that at 2. this is failing. Now I do not know that 0x00002ee7 means a DNS lookup failure, this is a hunch.

Nslookup

So based on my hunch I use nslookup to see if I can resolve the DNS name and I find I cannot. So this means the Agent cannot and therefore I cannot upload.

Nslookup on a working system

Here is the same nslookup on my laptop so now I know that DNS is working on the Internet and it is my server that is the issue.

DNS for Agent

The Agent is running on a network that uses a Windows 2008 R2 Server for DNS, so I check the DNS properties and find there is no forwarder. This means the DNS server cannot lookup domains that it is not responsible for. NB We could talk about Root Hints, but lets not today.

Add Forwarders

In the DNS properties I add two forwarders, I use Open DNS. You should too, there are awesome.

Nslookup with DNS

I now run my nslookup on the Agent Server again and we now have the name resolved.

Agent Checks

I re run the Agent checks and now we have Upload OK. Of course I still have my errors to deal with. I didnt say I was that good.