Troubleshooting
If there is a problem connecting to the Helix ALM Server or Helix ALM License Server, first check the following and try reconnecting:
- Make sure the server computer is running.
- Check the IP address and port number.
- Make sure you are connected to the network, intranet, or Internet.
On this page:
Helix ALM License Server and Helix ALM Server are not communicating
If the servers are not communicating, make sure the connections are configured correctly.
1. Start the Helix ALM License Server and the Helix ALM Server.
2. Start the Helix ALM Server Admin Utility and log in.
Use the local admin password to log in if your username and password are not recognized. Leave the username blank and enter admin as the password. This password only provides access to the Helix ALM License Server configuration.
3. Click Server Options and select the License Server category.
4. Make sure the server address and port number are correct and click Test Connection.
5. If the connection is successful, stop and restart the Helix ALM Server for the changes to take effect.
6. If the connection is not successful, check the following:
- If the Helix ALM Server and the license server are installed on different computers, check your network and firewall configurations to open the necessary ports.
- Check the communications password on the Helix ALM Server and license server. The same communications password must be set on both servers. To check the password in the Helix ALM Server Admin Utility, click Server Options, and then click the License Server category. To check the password in the Helix ALM License Server Admin Utility, click Server Options, and then click the Server category.
Users cannot access a Helix ALM area they have a license for
Users may be able to log in to Helix ALM, but may not be able to access issue, requirements, or test case management functionality. Verify that the project options allow users to log in and check user licenses.
Checking project login options
1. Choose Tools > Administration > Project Options and select the General category.
2. Select any Login Options to allow users to log in to the project.
3. Click OK to save the changes.
Users must restart Helix ALM if any changes were made. If users still cannot access functionality, make sure the correct license is assigned.
Checking user licenses
1.Choose View > Users.
2. Select a user and click Edit.
3. Click the License tab.
4. Verify that user has a license for the area they cannot access. Assign a license if necessary.
5. Click OK to save the changes.
Users must restart Helix ALM if any changes were made.
Windows installer no longer displayed after ‘InstallAnywhere is preparing to install’ progress dialog box is displayed
During installation, the Helix ALM Windows installer is no longer displayed after the InstallAnywhere is preparing to install progress dialog box is displayed. This may occur because the default Java memory heap size is too large for the system the installer is running on.
Diagnose the issue
After starting the installation, press and hold the Ctrl key while the InstallAnywhere is preparing to install progress dialog box is displayed. Continue to hold the Ctrl key until progress completes and a console window with debugging information is displayed. Toward the end of the output, you will see messages such as 'Error occurred during initialization of VM' and 'Could not reserve enough space for 1073741824 object heap' if the Java memory heap size is too big.
Resolve the issue
Use a command-line parameter provided by the installer to specify a different Java memory heap size.
1. Open the command prompt using Run as administrator.
2. At the command prompt, navigate to the directory that contains the Helix ALM installer.
3. At the command prompt, enter the installer name followed by the -jvmxmx command and a new heap size, such as 500m (for 500 MB).
- Full installer example:
ttwininstall.exe -jvmxmx 500m
- Client installer example:
ttwinclientinstall.exe -jvmxmx 500m
The example heap size of 500m may not work on all systems to get the installer to work. Typically, a size value of 100m – 1000m should work.
If the installer still is not behaving correctly after changing the heap size, view the debugging information again. If the value is too low, you will see messages such as 'Initial heap size set to a larger value than the maximum heap size'. You may also see messages returned by the installer such as 'Unable to load and to prepare the installer in GUI mode'. You could also see the installer start correctly and then freeze indefinitely when it gets to the installation phase. Adjust the value until you see the correct installer behavior.
'Required public key is not found' message when logging in
If RSA key exchange is enabled on the Helix ALM Server for additional security, a public key must be stored in the server connection. If the public key is not found or does not match the key on the server, the user cannot log in.
Helix ALM Client users
Import a server settings XML file provided by the Helix ALM administrator.
The administrator can download the XML file in the server admin utility. See the Server Admin Utility help for information.
1. Click Setup in the Helix ALM login dialog.
2. If the server connection is new, click Add. If the connection already exists, select it and click Edit.
3. Click Import, select the XML file and, click Open.
The Server address, Port, and Public key fingerprint fields are automatically populated.
4. Click OK to save the changes.
5. Retry the login.
Helix ALM Web users
The Helix ALM administrator must update the CGI settings on the Helix ALM Server. See the Registry Utility help for information.
Users cannot log in to Helix ALM Web
If users cannot log in to Helix ALM Web, make sure they have the security permissions to log in using web clients.
1.Choose View > Security Groups.
2. Select the user's security group and click Edit.
3. Select General in the Command Security category.
4. Verify that the Allow Login Via Helix ALM Web command is selected.
5. Click OK to save the changes.
6. Retry the login.
Web clients return a '404 - Page Not Found' error
Helix ALM Web and the Helix ALM Web Server Admin Utility need access to the CGI directory and the CGI executables. This error usually occurs for one of the following reasons:
- The directory and executable do not exist or cannot be accessed
- The directory and executable location has changed
- The .exe extension is prohibited (IIS 6.0 only)
- URLScan is running (IIS only)
See Web Clients Returns a 404-Page Not Found Error for information about resolving the error.
Cannot run applications on Linux
Specific system libraries are required to run Helix ALM applications on different Linux distributions. You must install these libraries before using the applications to make sure they work correctly. See Checking for Missing System Libraries on Linux for information.
Server is not available in the login dialog box
To access a project, the Helix ALM Client must connect to a Helix ALM Server. Users need to set up a server connection if the server that contains the project is not available in the Server list in the login dialog box.
1.Click Setup in the Helix ALM login dialog box.
2. Click Add in the Setup Server Connections dialog box.
3. Enter a Server Name, Server Address, and Port number.
If the server is installed on the same computer as the Helix ALM Client, enter ‘localhost’ or ‘127.0.0.1’ for the server address.
4. Click OK to add the server connection.
Project is not available in the Projects list
The Projects list in the Helix ALM Project Selection dialog box only contains the projects that users have access to. If users do not have access, the Helix ALM administrator must add them to the project.
1.Log in to the project.
2. Choose View > Users.
3. Click Add to add a new user or click Retrieve Global User to add global users from the Helix ALM License Server.