Troubleshooting
Problem
After rebooting API Connect VMs deployed via OVA, users may encounter failures when running apic commands. Here are few examples:
Error: unknown command "unlock" for "/usr/bin/apic"
Run 'apic --help' for usage.
Error: unknown command "health-check" for "apic"
Run 'apic --help' for usage.
Error: unknown command "status" for "apic"
Run 'apic --help' for usage.
Error: unknown command "subsystem" for "apic"
Run 'apic --help' for usage.
Cause
The issue occurs because the original apic binary (installed as part of the API Connect OVA deployment) has been inadvertently replaced by the API Connect Toolkit (client) binary in the /usr/bin directory. You can distinguish between the two binaries by running:
apic version
Example Outputs:
Toolkit (Client) Binary:
APIConnect toolkit client
Version: V10.0.8.1
Built: 2024-11-05T02:54:48Z
Tag: o.26cb550-g.f747c27
OS/Arch: linux/amd64
Git commit: f747c274f99753239bd5d94f5ca5f76533c979ec
OVA Deployment Binary:
INFO[0000] Log level: info
Control plane: 1.30.1
Appliance base 5.3.0
GitCommitSha:10.0.8.0-24-g2231821
Packages:
- appliance-base:5.3.0
- appliance-runtime-5.3.0:1.0.0
- appliance-setup-5.3.0:1.0.0
- subsystem-management:1:10.0.8.1
Resolving The Problem
1. Restore the Original Binary:
If a backup of the original /usr/bin/apic binary exists, restore it to its original location. Example: you could have created a file apic.orig when you replaced it at /usr/bin directory.
2. Prevent Future Conflicts:
Avoid installing the API Connect Toolkit (client) directly on the VM hosting the OVA deployment.
Instead, download and run the toolkit on a separate machine (e.g., macOS, Windows, or Linux VM) to keep environments isolated.
Instead, download and run the toolkit on a separate machine (e.g., macOS, Windows, or Linux VM) to keep environments isolated.
Document Location
Worldwide
[{"Type":"MASTER","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB77","label":"Automation Platform"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU048","label":"IBM Software"},"Product":{"code":"SSMNED","label":"IBM API Connect"},"ARM Category":[{"code":"a8mKe000000CaZWIA0","label":"API Connect-\u003EAPIC Platform - Install\/Upgrade\/Migrate"}],"ARM Case Number":"TS020518782","Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"and future releases;10.0.5"}]
Was this topic helpful?
Document Information
Modified date:
15 October 2025
UID
ibm17248050