Duplicate PC names in enterprise console

Hello LoXodonte,

if you delete a computer using the console (as opposed to SQL DELETE it from the database) the entry is just flagged, i.e. made "invisible". If the same endpoint (or one whose attributes "sufficiently" match) the entry is undeleted. Thus a short time after deleting an active endpoint you should see it reappear in the same place with all associated information still there.

AD sync takes a computer object from AD and looks it up in the database using the available attributes (name, description, OS and, naturally, domain). If it's not found a skeleton entry is inserted into the appropriate group. Protect is scheduled if automatically is selected, the endpoint is subsequently contacted and the install task created and started. AFAIK - and perhaps a little bit surprising - no special parameter is used (not even -G grouppath). Thus when RMS contacts the server for the first time it can't send any information which would unambiguously identify it.

The subsequently commencing logic has been refined with (almost) each SEC version to correctly deal with various scenarios (endpoint reprotected, renamed, ..., duplicate names in a multi-site enterprise, domain join/unjoin, explicit initial group and so on) with the aim to correctly discern (as far as this is possible) but also to recognize (i.e. to avoid creating additional entries for the same machine) individual endpoints. Keep in mind that the processing doesn't run in a single serialized thread - looks like there's still the possibility of a race condition.

Anyway, one of the two entries (ideally that in the Unassigned group - there was a time when the "live" entry was in Unassigned) should be "transient" (i.e. perhaps show as disconnected and in any case not reappear once deleted). If you delete both instances one of them should reappear (i.e. get undeleted) the next time it sends a message (you might have to increase the sync-interval to observe this). If this is the case then it should suffice to delete the computers in Unassigned. - annoying but not a real problem. Further insight could likely only be gleaned from a trace - you'd need Support's assistance though.

Christian

Hello LoXodonte,

if you delete a computer using the console (as opposed to SQL DELETE it from the database) the entry is just flagged, i.e. made "invisible". If the same endpoint (or one whose attributes "sufficiently" match) the entry is undeleted. Thus a short time after deleting an active endpoint you should see it reappear in the same place with all associated information still there.

AD sync takes a computer object from AD and looks it up in the database using the available attributes (name, description, OS and, naturally, domain). If it's not found a skeleton entry is inserted into the appropriate group. Protect is scheduled if automatically is selected, the endpoint is subsequently contacted and the install task created and started. AFAIK - and perhaps a little bit surprising - no special parameter is used (not even -G grouppath). Thus when RMS contacts the server for the first time it can't send any information which would unambiguously identify it.

The subsequently commencing logic has been refined with (almost) each SEC version to correctly deal with various scenarios (endpoint reprotected, renamed, ..., duplicate names in a multi-site enterprise, domain join/unjoin, explicit initial group and so on) with the aim to correctly discern (as far as this is possible) but also to recognize (i.e. to avoid creating additional entries for the same machine) individual endpoints. Keep in mind that the processing doesn't run in a single serialized thread - looks like there's still the possibility of a race condition.

Anyway, one of the two entries (ideally that in the Unassigned group - there was a time when the "live" entry was in Unassigned) should be "transient" (i.e. perhaps show as disconnected and in any case not reappear once deleted). If you delete both instances one of them should reappear (i.e. get undeleted) the next time it sends a message (you might have to increase the sync-interval to observe this). If this is the case then it should suffice to delete the computers in Unassigned. - annoying but not a real problem. Further insight could likely only be gleaned from a trace - you'd need Support's assistance though.

Christian