cannot properly start ams

[bslorence]

My AMS quit working today. I first noticed the problem when I tried to log in with the ADNM console, and got the error "no connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it."

As a forewarning: my demo license expired on January 27, which was the last day I successfully used the software (didn't use it all weekend). I was very happy with the demo and would like to purchase Avast, but I will need a couple of days to get the payment worked out with management. In the meantime I would like to keep the 10 or so PCs protected that I've already installed.

So I uninstalled (but did not uninstall MSDE or the database), downloaded a fresh copy, and reinstalled. This one says the demo license is good through February 3 - perfect. But I can't get it to work.

I've read several threads about similar problems but didn't see any that were quite like what I'm seeing. So I'll try to be thorough:

1. I'm using XP Pro with service pack 2, and the MSDE, not stand-alone MS-SQL.

2. Windows service "avast! Management Server" does not start with boot. Event Viewer shows this in Antivirus log:


Database check on ITSERVER\avast  server failed with 0000A410 error. Use AMS Tool to fix the problem. 


And this in System log:


The avast! Management Server service terminated with the following error:
%%42000


3. Windows service "MSSQL$AVAST" is running.

4. When I go in to AMS Maintenance and run "Check DB", I get the following:


AMS database is not compatible! (0x0000A410)
*: Going to check version of database of avast! on MS SQL Server "ITSERVER\avast", using user "sa"...
Cannot initialize data source, error 0x80040E4D


5. DebugView shows the following when I try to manually start the Windows service "avast! Management Server":

[3260] Calling sqlInit()...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] Initialize failed...
[3260] *** ERR: cleaning up sqlInit() (err 80004005, thread 3160)...
[3260] sqlPurgeConnectionPool exit: total num = 0
[3260] quiting sqlInit()...
[3260] *sqlInit FAILED!!...
[3260] Setting quit event...
[3260] Destroying server object...
[3260] Freeing low level scheduler...
[3260] Closing quit event...
[3436] Initialize failed...


Is it just a license problem, and it will work OK when I purchase a real license? Or is something really wrong here?

Thanks, Ben

[Vlk]

It seems that the program is unable to connect to the database for some reason. The problem should not be related to the license in any way.


BTW you're saying: "So I uninstalled (but did not uninstall MSDE or the database), downloaded a fresh copy, and reinstalled". So, if you did not uninstall MSDE - how did you know the "sa" password?

I mean, connecting to an existing SQL engine is only possible if you know the sa password. If you uninstalled the program, you basically destroyed this (cached) information in avast. So if your initial MSDE install was done with random password (which is the default), you won't be able to connect to the server anymore...

BTW2 do you have a backup copy of the database? By default, there's a schedule for the DB backup task, running every week...


Thanks
Vlk

[bslorence]

BTW you're saying: "So I uninstalled (but did not uninstall MSDE or the database), downloaded a fresh copy, and reinstalled". So, if you did not uninstall MSDE - how did you know the "sa" password?

(gulp!)

I didn't understand how the "sa" password worked when I installed, and did not provide my own. So I guess I am locked out for good.

BTW2 do you have a backup copy of the database? By default, there's a schedule for the DB backup task, running every week...

I never unscheduled any backup tasks, so I should have one. If uninstalling the management tools did not wipe it out. Where should I look? "Management Tools\DATA\backup" is empty. I searched my local disks for *.bak (that's the extension that the maintenance tool looks for when I click "restore"), but didn't find anything promising.


Thanks
Vlk

[bslorence]

Whoops, quoted your "thanks" outside of "quote" tags. Sorry.

I can see that I've probably gotten myself into trouble by not setting my own "sa" password... but the problem started before I re-installed the management tools. So the "sa" password wasn't the source of the initial problem.

Thanks, Ben

[bslorence]

One more detail -- perhaps I should have mentioned this at first. I noticed this problem after installing WinConnect XP on the machine in question. It's an RDP multiplexer from ThinSoft -- I wonder if anyone has experienced any conflicts here?

[bslorence]

Well, I worked around the problem, and without losing any configuration data. 

First I read up a bit on MSDE, thanks to a very useful document on The Code Project:

Hands on how to configure the Microsoft MSDE

What I ended up doing was copying my avast.mdf and avast_log.ldf files from the data\ subdir of [MSDE]\MSSQL$AVAST to a temporary holding-place.

Then I:

1. uninstalled Avast and MSDE and removed the database
2. re-installed Avast and MSDE (this time with a non-random "sa" password!)
3. used AMS Maintenance tool to create a default DB
4. stopped the AMS and the MSDE instance and copied the MDF and LDF files from that temporary-holding place over-writing the new ones that had just been created
5. rebooted the whole system

Now I'm able to log in just as before, with all my old configuration and history preserved -- including my AMS password!

Still don't know what caused the problem in the first place, though...

Ben

[Vlk]

Wow, thanks. Looks like a lot of work - but I'm very glad you succeded...

Also, I have to admit I was impressed by your first post -- complete with all the relevant entries from avast log files AND output from DebugView... Seems you really did some research before posting...


Your skills are wasted if you only manage a network consisting of 10 PC's...!


Cheers
Vlk

[bslorence]

Well, there are about 30 PCs, anyway. 

Thanks for the kind words.  If I ever figure out what caused the problem in the first place I'll be sure to post.

Ben

[bslorence]

OK, it turns out that it was the expiration of the demo license that caused the problem in the first place. Installing Winconnect didn't break anything; it just forced a reboot, at which point the AMS refused to start up again because the license had expired. I just had it happen again today. Looks like AMS will chug happily along after the license has expired -- as long as you don't try to restart it.

Don't get me wrong -- I am going to buy Avast for this network. But there's been a bit of an administrative delay in the purchase.

At any rate it's good to know that there was a simple and definite cause of the "problem".

[Vlk]

You're right, the license expiration checks are currently done only during the service startup. I don't know if that's good or bad - but that's the way it is.