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**HOW TO TROUBLESHOOT** the generic error 'An error occurred while trying to access server' when launching Controller

Troubleshooting


Problem

Scenario #A - User launches Controller. User receives error message. Scenario #B - User launches Controller. User then receives database selection menu. User selects their database. User then receives error message.

Symptom

Screen message:

    An error occurred while trying to access server

Event Viewer (Application Log)
Depending on the exact scenario which caused the problem, you will typically find a unique error message recorder inside the application log (inside the Windows Event Viewer).

Cause

This is a generic error message. Therefore there are a large number of different potential causes:

  • Scenario #1 - The Controller SQL login (for example 'fastnet') cannot read the required information (for example, the 'dbversion') from the Controller database table(s)
    • For example, see separate IBM Technote #1345403
  • Scenario #2 - The client PC is configured to *not* use 'SelectDb', but there is no database connection named 'Default'
  • Scenario #3 - The client PC cannot resolve the WSSUrl value inside 'Client Distribution Server' configuration
  • Scenario #4 - The application server has not been configured correctly
  • Scenario #5 - Cognos 8 security is enabled, but not configured correctly
    • For example, see separate IBM Technote #1347413
  • Scenario #6 - Gateway server has not been correctly configured
  • Scenario #7 - Database server offline, or other connection problem with database server
  • Scenario #8 - Incorrect Provider specifed in Database Connections
  • Scenario #9 - Dispatcher configuration is incorrect
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1375638
  • Scenario #10 - NTFS permissions problem on Controller server's installation folder
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technotes #1345788 and 1345789.
  • Scenario #11 - Incorrectly configured Oracle server
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1346220
  • Scenario #12 - COM+ Security problem on Controller application server
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technotes #1367316 & 1371331.
  • Scenario #13 - NTFS permissions problem on Controller server's TEMP/TMP folder
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1345976
  • Scenario #14 - Controller application server cannot locate the SQL server
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1347102
  • Scenario #15 - SQL database name has at least one comma in its name
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1423649
  • Scenario #16 - SelectDb has not been configured correctly.
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technotes #1346525 &1346971
  • Scenario #17 - NTFS permission problem on folder c:\inetpub\wwwroot\web.config
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1395843
  • Scenario #18 - Missing 'wwwroot' folder on webserver
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1437698
  • Scenario #19 - End user's Windows Regional Settings are invalid
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1403299
  • Scenario #20 - Incorrect "Data Source" entry for SQL database server instance
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1587926
  • Scenario #21 - COM+ Windows user's password has expired (e.g. inside Active Directory)
    • For more information, see separate IBM Technote #1370816

Scenario #A - User does not see database selection screen:
Most of the above causes are possible.

Scenario #B - User selects database and then receives error:
Most of the above causes are possible (except #2). However, the most likely (so this is where you should start looking) is cause #1.

Diagnosing The Problem

The screen message is a generic one. Therefore, there are a large number of IBM Technotes that could explain your cause/solution. To help narrow down the cause, try the following suggestions to help with troubleshooting:

(i) Event Viewer Application Log

  1. Start - Run - "EventVwr" <Enter>
  2. Open the 'Application Log"
  3. Search for error messages at the time when the problem occurred.
  4. Search the IBM Technotes for any text inside here.

(ii) Test the ASP.NET-COM+ interface website

  1. On the client device, launch the ASP.NET-COM+ interface website (http://servername/cognos8/controllerserver/ccrws.asmx)
  2. If working correctly, then you should be presented with a list of approximately 250 COM+ objects. However, if you get an error message, search the IBM Technotes for any text inside the error.

==================

However, this IBM Technote shall also describe another test, which specifically relates to one cause:

Scenario #1


To confirm that this is the problem, do the following:
  1. Launch 'Controller Configuration' and open 'Database Connections' section
  2. Highlight database
  3. Click 'test' icon (green 'tick') - is this succesful?

Alternatively:
  1. Open the database UDL file (inside C:\Program Files\Cognos\c8\data) and click 'test connection'
  2. Click 'DbConv' icon (green 'play' button)
  • is the value of the DbVersion zero (bad) or a high number (good)?
  • Is the database 'actual' version the same as the 'dbconv' version (good)?

Also, assuming that you have a problem, you can narrow down the cause of this by opening the Windows Event Viewer, and opening the 'application log'. For example:
    Login failed for user 'fastnet'. Reason: The password of the account has expired. [CLIENT: 10.5.1.15]

In this case, you would have to change the SQL 2005 server's policy on the SQL login (e.g. 'fastnet') so that the password does not periodically expire

Resolving The Problem

Cause #1
TIP: A common cause of problems here is if the SQL login user (for example 'fastnet') has been given too many SQL rights. For example, it has 'System Administrators' (sysdba) ticked/enabled. To solve this, untick the server role 'system administrators'.

  • See KB#1040325 for full details.

Cause #2
Open the client PC's 'ccr.config' file (inside %appdata%\cognos\ccr) with NOTEPAD.EXE. Search for 'SelectDb'. If this is set to 'False' then a database connection called 'Default' is necessary. Alternatively, simply change the value to 'True' and re-test.
  • For full details, see separate KB article #1027807

Cause #3
  • Ensure that the client PC can resolve the WSSUrl path/value inside the Client Distribution Server configuration section of 'Controller Configuration'.
  • Ensure that there is not a network policy/device blocking client access to the server
    • For example, ensure that there is not an 'Intrusion Protection System' device on the application server.

Cause #4
For example:
  • In IIS, verify that ASP.NET (or aspnet_client) is installed/configured correctly
  • Check the COM+ settings (Uncheck the "Enforce access checks..." tickbox and try adding 'everyone' to the list of users that can access the com+ package
  • Open a browser window and browse the following URL: http://servername/cognos8/controllerserver/ccrws.asmx
    • If it works then try doing the same thing from the client PC
    • If it doesn't work, the error message will indicate the cause of the problem
  • Doublecheck the configuration programs (both 'Cognos' and 'Controller' configuration), make sure to replace any occurrence of 'localhost' with the actual servername used.
  • Make sure that the 'web' user has access to the 'temp' folder.
Open the Application Log (inside 'Event Viewer') on the server. It may report a more descriptive error, which you can search for.
See separate KB articles #1031381, #1036125 and #1023494 for more details.

Cause #5
If the Controller Server Authentication is set to Series 8, confirm that Controller Administrators and Controller Users have been added to Cognos 8 and are configured with appropriate permissions
Verify that the user login must be a member of the groups above.
  • If using Series8 authentication, CAF may need to be be True
  • If using 'Native' security, CAF may need to be set to 'False' in order to get Standard Reports to work correctly.
    • See separate KB article #1036430.

Cause #6
See separate KB article #1037507.

Cause #7
Cannot resolve SQL instance name - see separate KB article #1032887.

Cause #8
Cognos Controller Configuration - Database Connections, ensure that the Provider for the database is correct, i.e. SQLOLEDB.1 for a SQL Server database connections or ORAOLEDB.ORACLE.1 for an Oracle database.

Steps:
The attached document ('04. An error occurred while trying to access server - Explanation and Fixes - July2006.pdf') gives a description of some of the most popular causes.

Related Information

1375638 - Error 'An error occurred while trying to acce

1347413 - an error occurred while trying to access serv

1345403 - An error occurred while trying to access serv

1345788 - An error occured while trying to access serve

1345789 - An error occured while trying to access serve

1346220 - An error occured while trying to access serve

1367316 - Error 'Retrieving the COM class factory for..

1345976 - An error occurred while trying to access serv

1347102 - An Error occured while trying to access serve

1371331 - Launching Controller: An error occurred while

1423649 - 'An error occurred while trying to access ser

1346971 - Error 'File name or class name not found duri

1346525 - An error occurred while trying to access serv

1395843 - 'Access is denied' on file 'c:\inetpub\wwwroo

1437698 - Missing 'wwwroot' folder on webserver causing

1403299 - 'An error occured while trying to access the

1587926 - 'An error occurred while trying to access ser

1370816 - "An error occurred trying to access the serve

1041951_1.pdf - 1041951_1.pdf

[{"Product":{"code":"SS9S6B","label":"IBM Cognos Controller"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU059","label":"IBM Software w\/o TPS"},"Component":"Controller","Platform":[{"code":"PF033","label":"Windows"}],"Version":"8.5;8.4;8.3;8.2","Edition":"All Editions","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB10","label":"Data and AI"}}]

Historical Number

1041951

Document Information

Modified date:
15 June 2018

UID

swg21366724

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