Error : Initializing shm:application/x-tex-tfm.1820113 errno=2 in SPS

Products

• SITEMINDER
• CA Single Sign On Secure Proxy Server (SiteMinder)

Issue/Introduction

 

When starting the CA Access Gateway (SPS), the Apache process doesn't
start properly. No process listens to the port 80. CA Access Gateway
(SPS) reports error :

  [Fri Nov 05 09:01:53.215254 2021] [jk:emerg] 
  [pid 1820113:tid 140174192141760] Initializing shm:application/x-tex-tfm.1820113 errno=2.
  Unable to start due to shared memory failure.

or 

  [Tue Dec 21 08:56:46.543517 2021] [jk:error] [pid 3539570] [Tue Dec 21 08:56:46.543 2021] 
  [3539570:140544702113216] [debug] jk_shm_close::jk_shm.c (744): 
  Closed shared memory /opt/CA/secure-proxy/httpd/logs/jk-runtime-status.3539570 childs=1

Commenting out the "User <service-account>" line in the httpd.conf
make the httpd service to start properly. But the process uses root as
account which cause a security risk.

 

Environment

 

CA Access Gateway (SPS) 12.8SP5 on RedHat 8;

 

Cause

 

  - httpd.conf :

    User myserviceuser

  - Running grep command :

    # grep myserviceuser /etc/passwd

    returns nothing, as the user myserviceuser isn't defined in
    /etc/passwd file;

  - Modifying the httpd.conf to have user nobody instead of
    myserviceuser makes the httpd process to start fine;

Resolution

 

  - In order to solve this issue, add the user myserviceuser to the
    /etc/passwd file or configure the httpd.conf file with a User
    which is already in the /etc/passwd file;