Agile Central - DB Connector: Fatal Error. YML Config File must be modified each time to run the connector

Products

• CA Agile Central On Premise (Rally)
• CA Agile Central SaaS (Rally)

Issue/Introduction

Every time we're running the MS SQL DB Connector we are getting this error:

[2018-07-24 12:00:03 Z] DEBUG: EnvironmentalKey.identVector - Obtained conf_owner_id as: <domain username>
[2018-07-24 12:00:03 Z] DEBUG: EnvironmentalKey.identVector - Obtained config_name as: <YML file name>
[2018-07-24 12:00:03 Z] FATAL: SecurityManager.decrypt(51) - <ConfigurationError> EnvironmentalKey ident_vector not valid for decryption target value.  Reset all credential values to clear text in config file!

We must replace the Api Key in the YML config file to be able to run it again. How can we fix it?

Environment

Release:
Component: ACSAAS

Resolution

This is a known issue as mentioned in: https://techdocs.broadcom.com/content/broadcom/techdocs/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/agile-development-and-management/rally-platform-ca-agile-central/rally/integrating-top/connectors/test-management/rally-connector-microsoft-tfs-test-management/microsoft-tfs-work-items-installation-user-guide.html

<Please see attached file for image>

Let us explain this in more details:

When any of the CA connectors run, the first thing they do is encrypt the login credentials in the configuration file (or YML file ).  This is done by using a cryptographic key specific to the machine the connector is running on, and a "salt" value that contains the HASH value of the current config file.  So, whenever you change the config file. The old encryption will no longer run.  This is a protection mechanism to prevent unauthorized changes to the config file. 

In order to "Authorize" the changes, you have to re-enter the un-encrypted credentials by wiping out all the text between the > and <\ symbols and replacing it with the credential needed.

For instance, you would replace:

<APIKey>Secured:as1lkjweriokjfoaeirj938J2048mdlfj</APIKey>

with

<APIKey>theRealAPIKey</APIKey>

For YML file

You would replace:

Password            : encoded-W-V-A-L-Z-U-5-a-b-k-Y-=-

with

Password            : theRealPassword

Then, save the config (or YML) file and run the connector again.

Additional Information

More on the DB Connector to MS SQL Server: https://help.rallydev.com/ca-agile-central-database-connector-ms-sql-server