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ToddMiller avatar image
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ToddMiller asked ToddMiller commented

Clients assigned to Semi-Annual Channel cannot download new applications from CDN during transition period

Given a client assigned to the semi-annual channel for O365 in the period when two versions of O365 are supported in that channel... For instance, currently v2008 and v2102 are both supported versions of O365 semi-annual channel. For clients in the newly named state Semi-Annual Channel Extended (for example running v2008 at this time) the CDN is not accessible for installing new components like Visio or Project. Looking in the registry, the client is assigned to an "AudienceID" of 89815e81-c82e-49a3-99dc-2b99229cf632 and Audience Data of "Production::DCEXT" I assume this means "Deferred Channel Extended." It doesnt appear that setup.exe knows how to cope with this classification. When attempting to install Visio on a client in this state, the installation fails with the error code 30183-2016 (400). Looking through the log file for the office install, it looks like the setup program is unable to determine the proper CDN channel to use and so applies a channel override of "Monthly"

The client is unable to download the semi-annual channel version of the CABs from the Monthly CDN channel and so it errors.

I am not positive how setup.exe determines the channel of the software installed - the channel identifiers are correct in the "Update Channel" and "CDNBaseURL" at 7ffbc etc. The only thing that seems off are those AudienceID and AudienceData values.

The client can be brought into functioning by updating the client from the Semi-Annual Extended Channel version (currently v2008) to the Semi-Annual Channel version (currently v2102) --- but BOTH versions should be in full support by Microsoft. It is not a great user experience for the setup application to break for a few months twice a year during the transition period when two version of Office are supported in the semi-annual channel.

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@ToddMiller
Could you please share us which version of Viso and Project do you have?
Such as Volume licensed versions of Project 2016 and Visio 2016 or others.

When attempting to install Visio on a client in this state, the installation fails with the error code 30183-2016 (400)

How did you install Visio in this state? Do you specific the version number and update channel for Visio?

For clients in the newly named state Semi-Annual Channel Extended (for example running v2008 at this time) the CDN is not accessible for installing new components like Visio or Project.

What does the new componets mean? Do you mean new features or newer version number?
Besides, how did you update Office?
On my test environment, I use ODT to install Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise with Semi-Annual Channel (Version 2008 (Build 13127.21704)) and Retail Visio together, if I click update in Office app, Office apps could be updated to Version 2102 (Build 13801.20864) successfully.
At the same time, Audience Data of "Production::DCEXT" changed to be "Production::DC", AudienceID changed to be "7ffbc6bf-bc32-4f92-8982-f9dd17fd3114".
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ToddMiller avatar image
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ToddMiller answered

Sorry, I see I left out a lot of information.

We are using Confiigmgr to deploy and patch Office. I don't think that has any direct bearing on the issue since this is not about updating Office - but instead is adding a new product to the installed Office suite. The SKU we are installing is Microsoft 365 Apps for Business assigned to the semi-annual channel. Clients would not be upgraded from v2008 to v2012 until we approve the update in Configmgr.

I am not trying to install a particular version of Project or Visio. Instead, I am instructing OCT's Setup.exe to match the version of Office installed using a configuration XML file passed to Setup.exe (below)

When the version of Office 365 is v2008 and the channel is semi-annual, the information in the registry is PROD:DCEXT (screenshot below) and the installation of Visio fails because Setup.exe cant figure out that this is semi-annual channel to use for the CDN URL so it defaults to Monthly. This is seen in the logs for the installation... it mentions setting the channel override to Monthly. And the URL it tries to download from looks like ... http://officecdn.microsoft.com/pr/492350f6-3a01-4f97-b9c0-c7c6ddf67d60/Office/Data/v32_16.0.13127.21704.cab .... That 492350f6... means it is trying to download from monthly channel. If I replace the 4923... with 7ffbc6bf-bc32-4f92-8982-f9dd17fd3114 and paste it into a browser, the CAB downloads fine.

If the same client is updated to v2102, then the Registry changes to match your screenshot -- to PROD:DC and Setup.exe correctly identifies the Semi-Annual channel and builds the CDN URL correctly and Visio installs properly.

Certainly, a workaround is to install the version upgrade immediately when it is released to the Semi-Annual Channel, but there also is a 3-4 month overlap when both v2008 and v2102 are considered Semi-Annual Channel and should be supported by setup.exe and the CDN. I think the problem could be solved by fixing setup.exe so it recognizes a client in the DCEXT state as Semi-Annual channel and builds the CDN URL with the regular Semi-Annual channel GUID. It shouldn't just say DCEXT??? what is that.??? and default to monthly. Alternatly, it could just use the information it finds in CDNBaseURL and trust it. Even when the client is on v2008, this value is still correct at 7ffbc6bf-bc32-4f92-8982-f9dd17fd3114

A semi-annual channel client with v2008 installed currently has this in the registry 125679-audienceidv2008.png




The XML I am using to install Visio Standard is this. I have removed the PIDKEY. I think this is a public key that signals Visio to use KMS for the license, but I am not 100% sure so better safe than sorry. You can see here that I am not specifying a version but rather telling Setup.exe to match the installed version and bitness of Office.

 <Configuration>
  <Add Version="MatchInstalled">
   <Product ID="ProjectStd2019Volume" PIDKEY="<<<KMS GUID>>>">
    <Language ID="MatchInstalled" TargetProduct="O365ProPlusRetail" />
   </Product>
  </Add>
     <Display Level="Full" AcceptEULA="TRUE" />
     <Property Name="AUTOACTIVATE" Value="0" /> 
     <Property Name="FORCEAPPSHUTDOWN" Value="TRUE" /> 
     <Logging Level="Standard" Path="%TEMP%"/> 
     <RemoveMSI>
     <IgnoreProduct ID="InfoPath"/>
     <IgnoreProduct ID="InfoPathR"/>
     <IgnoreProduct ID="PrjPro"/>
     <IgnoreProduct ID="PrjStd"/>
     <IgnoreProduct ID="SharePointDesigner"/>
 </RemoveMSI>
 <Remove>
     <Product ID="ProjectPro2019Volume">
     </Product>
     <Product ID="ProjectStdXVolume">
     </Product>
     <Product ID="ProjectProXVolume">
     </Product>
 </Remove>
 </Configuration>



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emilyhua-msft avatar image
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emilyhua-msft answered ToddMiller commented

@ToddMiller

Thanks for your detailed information.

I installed Microsoft 365 Apps for business with Semi-Annual Channel (Version 2008 (Build 13127.21736)) specificed, then I installed volume licensed Project Standard 2019 via the similar configuration file as yours, the installation of Project failed.

The log as fowllowing shows the download source path is "http://officecdn.microsoft.com/pr/492350f6-3a01-4f97-b9c0-c7c6ddf67d60/```", which points to the Current Channel instead of Semi-Annual Channel.

126643-image.png

So I suggest you specific the update channel in your configureation file, <Add Version="MatchInstalled" Channel="SemiAnnual"> .

If I use the configuration file, this issue would go away.
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@ToddMiller
Iam checking this thread, is there any update?
If yes, you may also share with us.

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It is time again where there is overlap with the semi-annual channel and the problem is back.
I think it is a workaround to specify the channel in the XML. If I do this, I cant use the same installation method for client with any other channel of Office 365, I would like to have an installation process that works for clients on Monthly, Semi-Annual Preview etc.

I am not sure how to get this bug in front of the M365 Apps for enterprise team at microsoft. It seems like a change to setup.exe is required so that setup knows that the new classification of PROD:DCEXT is = semi-annual and should be pulled from that CDN location. I guess I should probably check to see if there is a new version of setup.exe where this is fixed before I post this update...? Nah... post first look for solutions later.

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