Error deploying solution, timer job stuck

Solution deployment timer job stuck and results in an error in WSP deployments.

Investigation steps..

·         Checked SharePoint services (including timer service) on all  boxes which I found to be running.

·         Opened central administration-->operations-->Servers in farm

·         Checked the version column and found that one of the WFE was having SharePoint version (12.0.0.6421) lower than other WFEs which were having version 12.0.0.6529.

·         Ran SharePoint Product technology wizard on the WFE having version 12.0.0.6421 and as expected, wizard failed to connect to SQL server due to schema version differences.

Problem resolution steps…

·         Disconnected the affected WFE from the farm.

·         Requested hotfix (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978395  and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/978396 ) downloads from Microsoft website as installation of both these hotfix updates the SharePoint to the version which other WFEs were having.

·         Installed Office-kb978395-fullfile-x64-glb.exe and restarted the affected WFE.

·         Installed Wss-kb978396-fullfile-x64-glb.exe post the restart.

·         Ran the SharePoint product and technology wizard.

·         Post the successful completion of wizard checked the version (central administration-->operations-->Servers in farm)

·         Version of all WFE were same.