Power Monitoring Expert Configuration Manager - CM Tool's Write Procedure Encounters "Object reference not set to an instance of an object."
Issue
When writing to a new Power Monitoring Expert Application server during a migration, the CM Tool log publishes the following error:
Message: "Object reference not set to an instance of an object."
Component: "Component Collection Reader"
Visual Example from CM Tool Write to System Log on new application server:
Product Line
Power Monitoring Expert 2020
Power Monitoring Expert 2021
Power Monitoring Expert 2022
Power Monitoring Expert 2023
Power Monitoring Expert 2024
Environment
PME System Migration Procedure
Cause
The common issue associated with this issue is that the "Operating System Information" section within the CM Tool .zip file retrieved from a CM Tool Read procedure is missing from the ComponentCollection.json file.
Visual example of ComponentCollection.json file opened in Notepad++ with missing information:
Example of what the CollectionComponent.json file should look like:
Notice that the Operating System, Server Name, SQL Version, SQL Edition, SQL Server Name and Instance, Install Path, and Hard Drive information is populated in between the brackets that proceed "Attributes." In the first screenshot, the brackets are red and empty.
This is why the CM Tool is likely experienced the "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" error.
Resolution
What has commonly been the issue is that a security measure denied the CM Tool Read Procedure the ability to capture system information. The solution is to disable anti-virus programs, as they are the primary culprit that cause this issue.
Common anti-virus applications that are found on customer systems include:
- McAfee Application Control
- Microsoft Defender / Defender for Endpoint
- CrowdStrike Falcon
- Trellix Endpoint Security
- Symantec Endpoint Security
- SentinelOne Singularity
- Sophos Endpoint / Intercept X
- Trend Micro
- Cortex XDR
Check the customer's old PME application server to see if any of these anti-virus applications can be disabled and rerun the CM Tool Read Procedure on the old PME Application server that is being migrated away from. Utilize this new CM Tool .zip file in the CM Tool Write to System procedure on the new application server. If the mentioned error in this article was the only error in the Write to System CM Tool log, then the procedure should complete successfully.
Other key CM Tool notes for success:
- Assure that the version of CM Tool being used to read on the old PME server and write on the new PME server corresponds with the new PME version the customer is upgrading to.