Known Issue: HTTP 500 and "Could not load file or assembly" errors may occur after upgrading a beacon to version 2020 R2.2 (16.2) due to web.config file not being updated (IOJ-2183358)

[#1]

Symptoms

After upgrading a FlexNet Manager Suite beacon to the 2020 R2.2 (16.2) release, agent logging may show HTTP 500 "internal server error" failures when attempting to upload and download data from the beacon.
 
For example:

[08/03/2021 10:38:58 (N, 0)] {4108} Downloading “http://beacon/ManageSoftDL/Policies/Merged/_domain/Machine/hostname.npl?machinename=hostname&ipaddress=10.23.45.67” to “C:\Windows\TEMP\NDL29503.npl”
[08/03/2021 10:38:58 (G, 0)] {4108}   Download failure: Error 0xE05001F4: 500 Internal Server Error
[08/03/2021 10:38:58 (U, 0)] {4108} ERROR: Error (s107m857)
[08/03/2021 10:38:58 (U, 0)] {4108} ----------------
[08/03/2021 10:38:58 (U, 0)] {4108} The web server or proxy from which ManageSoft
is attempting to retrieve the application
returned the following HTTP error message:

	Error 0xE05001F4: 500 Internal Server Error

Contact your network administrator or the
originating site's Webmaster for assistance.

[08/03/2021 10:38:58 (N, 0)] {4108} Download FAILED for “http://beacon/ManageSoftDL/Policies/Merged/_domain/Machine/hostname.npl?machinename=hostname&ipaddress=10.23.45.67”

Diagnosis

To further qualify this problem, logon to the beacon and browse to http://localhost/ManageSoftDL. A beacon affected by this problem will display a page reporting an error like either of the following:

Could not load file or assembly 'System.Threading.Tasks.Extensions, Version=4.2.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=cc7b13ffcd2ddd51' or one of its dependencies.

Could not load file or assembly 'Newtonsoft.Json, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed' or one of its dependencies.

The Application event log on the beacon will also show errors like the following:

Process information: 
    Process ID: 5428 
    Process name: w3wp.exe 
    Account name: IIS APPPOOL\Flexera Beacon 
 
Exception information: 
    Exception type: HttpException 
    Exception message: Could not load file or assembly 'Newtonsoft.Json, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed' or one of its dependencies. The located assembly's manifest definition does not match the assembly reference. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131040)
   at System.Web.HttpApplicationFactory.EnsureAppStartCalledForIntegratedMode(HttpContext context, HttpApplication app)
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.RegisterEventSubscriptionsWithIIS(IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context, MethodInfo[] handlers)
   at System.Web.HttpApplication.InitSpecial(HttpApplicationState state, MethodInfo[] handlers, IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context)
   at System.Web.HttpApplicationFactory.GetSpecialApplicationInstance(IntPtr appContext, HttpContext context)
   at System.Web.Hosting.PipelineRuntime.InitializeApplication(IntPtr appContext)Could not load file or assembly 'Newtonsoft.Json, Version=6.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=30ad4fe6b2a6aeed' or one of its dependencies. The located assembly's manifest definition does not match the assembly reference. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131040)
   at System.Net.Http.Formatting.BaseJsonMediaTypeFormatter..ctor()
   at System.Net.Http.Formatting.JsonMediaTypeFormatter..ctor()
   at System.Net.Http.Formatting.MediaTypeFormatterCollection.CreateDefaultFormatters()
   at System.Web.Http.HttpConfiguration.DefaultFormatters(HttpConfiguration config)
   at System.Web.Http.HttpConfiguration..ctor(HttpRouteCollection routes)
   at System.Web.Http.GlobalConfiguration.<CreateConfiguration>b__0()
   at System.Lazy`1.CreateValue()
   at System.Lazy`1.LazyInitValue()
   at System.Lazy`1.get_Value()
   at System.Web.Http.GlobalConfiguration.get_Configuration()
   at Flexera.Beacon.IISWeb.Global.Application_Start(Object sender, EventArgs e)

Cause

This problem occurs because the beacon upgrade process may not merge new assembly bindings into the beacon's web.config file.

Solution

Modify the C:\Program Files (x86)\Flexera Software\Inventory Beacon\DotNet\Web.config file on the beacon and replace the lines within the <assemblyBinding> element with the following:

<dependentAssembly>
  <assemblyIdentity name="Newtonsoft.Json" publicKeyToken="30AD4FE6B2A6AEED" culture="neutral"/>
  <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-10.0.0.0" newVersion="10.0.0.0"/>
</dependentAssembly>
<dependentAssembly>
  <assemblyIdentity name="System.Net.Http.Formatting" publicKeyToken="31BF3856AD364E35" culture="neutral"/>
  <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-5.2.3.0" newVersion="5.2.3.0"/>
</dependentAssembly>
<dependentAssembly>
  <assemblyIdentity name="System.Web.Http" publicKeyToken="31BF3856AD364E35" culture="neutral"/>
  <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-5.2.3.0" newVersion="5.2.3.0"/>
</dependentAssembly>
<dependentAssembly>
  <assemblyIdentity name="Autofac" publicKeyToken="17863af14b0044da" culture="neutral"/>
  <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-5.2.0.0" newVersion="5.2.0.0"/>
</dependentAssembly>
<dependentAssembly>
  <assemblyIdentity name="System.Threading.Tasks.Extensions" publicKeyToken="cc7b13ffcd2ddd51" culture="neutral" />
  <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-4.2.0.1" newVersion="4.2.0.1" />
</dependentAssembly>

After editing this file, restart Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) and the Beacon Engine Windows service.

Fix status

This issue has been fixed in the following FlexNet Manager Suite releases: 2020 R2.3 / Apr 2021 (Cloud), 2021 R1 (On Premises)

Other information

Master issue ID: IOJ-2183358

Also known as: FNML-73099

[shill2]

@mcavanagh @ChrisG Hello, I just recently upgraded our beacons to 17.1.0, and we are now getting this error mentioned above when trying to test.  Is this solution still correct?  The version we are on for the cloud is FlexNet Manager Suite 2021 R1.2

https://scflexp01.proghsz.com/ManageSoftDL/test
https://scflexp01.proghsz.com/ManageSoftRL/test

And see if we can download the npl file manually as well.
https://scflexp01.proghsz.com/ManageSoftDL/Policies/Merged/prog1.com_domain/Machine/nvi202110151405.npl

[ChrisG]

@shill2 - if you are seeing similar error messages when you do the suggested diagnostic steps then it is likely that an update to your Web.config file is required. I'm not sure whether the exact details specified in this article will apply to the version that you have - you could work it out by doing a clean install of the beacon software and checking the contents of the Web.config file that gets installed. You could do that an on existing beacon by uninstalling the beacon software, ensuring the C:\Program Files (x86)\Flexera Software\Inventory Beacon\DotNet\Web.config file does not exist, and re-installing the software.

[shill2]

@ChrisG thanks for responding.  Yes, I had opened a case with the Flexera support desk.  After reviewing my other beacons, it was the same information posted above.  

[anttimustonen]

This issue seems to have resurfaced with Beacon version 20.1.0.13. I had issue with policy downloads from ManageSoftDL after auto-upgrading the beacon. Completely reinstalling and reinstalling the Beacon using this version did not work (including deleting entire Inventory Beacon install folder having web.config and ManageSoftDL & RL pages from IIS).

I removed the Beacon completely as above and  installed version 19.0.0.11 and the issue was fixed.