Error: "Failed to connect to server" and the Home, Monitors, and Reports tabs are blank

Products

• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

After logging on to the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM), an error message stating "Failed to connect to server" displays.

"Failed to Connect to Server. Make sure that the server is running and your connection has not timed out. If you can reach the server but cannot log on, make sure you provided the correct parameters. If you are experiencing network issues, contact your system administrator. ErrorCode: 0x80020000."

Cause

This problem can happen when the SEPM Console is unable to connect to the SEPM Reporting Web site (https://<SEPM address>:8445/reporting). Some of the reasons this can happen are:

• The Symantec Endpoint Protection Webserver service is stopped
• A port conflict on the SEPM Reporting Web server port (TCP 8445 by default)
• A firewall blocks the SEPM Reporting Web server port

Resolution

Confirm the Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager Webserver service is started

1. Open a command-prompt window as Administrator
2. Enter the following command and hit Enter:
   sc query semwebsrv
3. If the STATE returned by this command does not equal "4  RUNNING" enter the following command and hit Enter:
   sc start semwebsrv
4. This command should return a STATE value of "2  START_PENDING".
5. Enter the following command and hit Enter:
   sc query semwebsrv
6. If the STATE returned by this command equals "4 RUNNING", log off and log back on to the SEPM Console.

Check for port conflicts

If the Symantec Endpoint Protection Webserver service is stopped and fails to start, confirm that no other process is listening on the SEPM Reporter Web site port (default: 8445).

1. Open a command-prompt window as Administrator
2. Enter the following command:
   netstat -ab | find "8445"
3. If this command shows any process listening on the SEPM Web server port, re-run the Management Server Configuration Wizard, and reconfigure the SEPM Reporting server port.

To correct the port conflict, follow the steps below on the SEPM server:

1. In the Management Server Configuration Wizard, select Reconfigure the management server, ensure Use a recovery file to restore communication with previously deployed clients is checked,  and click Next
2. Change the Reporting port to an unused port on the SEPM computer
3. Complete the wizard

Check for connectivity

Browse to the SEPM Reporting Web site (https://<sepm address>:8445/reporting by default). If the SEPM Web server service is running, and not blocked by a firewall, you will be prompted to log in to the Reporting Web site. This Web site uses the same credentials as the SEPM Console. If you are not able to connect to the SEPM Reporting Web site, check the firewall configuration on the SEPM computer and the Console computer (if using a remote console) for firewall rules that block the Reporting Web site port.