Troubleshooting RDBMS connections

The following information can help you troubleshoot common RDBMS issues. Refer to the database vendor documentation for additional help.

Note:  If the Helix ALM Server cannot connect to the server database, errors are added to the Startup.log file in the Helix ALM application directory.

The Helix ALM Server, Helix ALM License Server, and Surround SCM Server and store server configuration information in a server database. The server databases cannot be located in the same RDBMS database.

You must stop and restart the Helix ALM Server if you drop server or tables from an RDBMS and need to re-create them. You must also stop and restart the server if you reconfigure the destination database in the ODBC Data Source Administrator.

The Helix ALM Server caches data from the database. If the underlying database is modified, the cached data no longer matches the data in the database. The connection fails if the server identifies that the backend database is different and the following error is logged: 'The server failed to initialize a connection for XYZ. The destination RDBMS database was changed'.

This error occurs when the database is in use by a different Helix ALM Server. You are prompted to reconfigure the database. Do not reconfigure the database if it is used on a different computer. You must manually modify the Helix ALM Server connection information to point to a different database and restart the server. If the database is no longer in use by a different server, reconfigure the database connection information to allow the current Helix ALM Server access to the database.

Try the following if you are experiencing ODBC connection problems.

1. Test the ODBC connection in the ODBC Data Source Administrator.

If you cannot connect to the RDBMS, click the Test Connection button in the ODBC Data Source Administrator to test the connection.

2. Make sure the DSN is a system DSN.

The data source you are trying to connect to must be configured as a system DSN in the ODBC Data Source Administrator. The Helix ALM Server Admin Utility only displays system DSNs.

Error Cause
[Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Data source name not found and no default driver specified QODBC3: Unable to connect An ODBC data source with the specified DSN was not set up in the ODBC Data Source Administrator. The DSN must be a system DSN.
Error Cause
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Login failed for user '(null)'. Reason: Not associated with a trusted SQL Server connection. QODBC3: Unable to connect Occurs on Windows. A username is not specified for the RDBMS connection and the ODBC data source was not configured to run ‘With Windows NT authentication using the network login ID’ in the ODBC Data Source Administrator.
[Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver][SQL Server]Login failed for user 'xxxx'. QODBC3: Unable to connect The username or password entered in the RDBMS connection information is not valid.
Error Cause
ORA-06401: NETCMN: invalid driver designator QOCI: Unable to logon The Oracle Instant client drivers are not installed. See Setting up Oracle databases for information about downloading the installers.
ORA-12705: invalid or unknown NLS parameter value specified QOCI: Unable to logon The full Oracle client is installed on the same computer with a language setting other than UTF8. To resolve this issue, set the following environment variable:
  • Windows—NLS_LANG=AMERICAN_AMERICA.WE8MSWIN1252
  • Linux—NLS_LANG=American_America.UTF8

You can also remove the following registry entry to help resolve the issue: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ORACLE\NLS_LANG

Note:  Refer to Oracle Metalink article 179133.1, “The Correct NLS_LANG in a Windows Environment,” for information about the correct setting, which varies based on the Windows version.
ORA-12514: TNS:listener does not currently know of service requested in connect descriptor QOCI: Unable to logon The service name specified in the RDBMS connection information does not exist. Make sure that an Oracle listener was created with the specified service name on the host computer.

This error can also occur if a version of the full Oracle client older than 10g is installed. If the full client appears in the PATH environment variable, the older oci.dll may be loaded. To resolve this issue, search for all instances of the oci.dll file. If multiple copies are found, remove the other copies or remove their directory reference from the PATH environment variable.
ORA-12154: TNS:could not resolve the connect identifier specified QOCI: Unable to logon The computer specified in the RDBMS connection host name cannot be found. Make sure the host name is correct and the host computer is running.
ORA-12541: TNS:no listener QOCI: Unable to logon The port number specified in the RDBMS connection information is not a valid TNS listener port on the specified host computer. Check the host port number.
ORA-01017: invalid username/password; logon denied QOCI: Unable to logon The username or password specified in the RDBMS connection information is not valid. Check the username and password.
Error Cause
Opening the database connection failed because the Helix ALM Server could not connect to the server or translate the host name The Helix ALM Server cannot connect to the PostgreSQL service. Check the following and then restart the server:
  • The PostgreSQL service is running.
  • The host name and port number are correct.
  • A firewall is not blocking the port.
  • If connecting to a remote PostgreSQL server, the server is configured to accept remote connections.