Symantec Directory : After cloning a DSA, start up fails with assertion error on ssl1.c(154) along with "Cannot set SSL parameters"

Products

• CA Directory

Issue/Introduction

In an attempt to clone an existing setup:

• You have successfully installed Symantec Directory on a new node.
• You have successfully copied the config files from existing host to this new node and made all necessary change (i.e. hostname references in knowledge file, dsaname.db file renamed etc.)

Now attempting start the DSA, it fails with errors such as:

? [64] 20220705.172051.240 ERROR : Syntax Error: Line 1 in 
/opt/CA/Directory/dxserver/config/ssld/my-file.dxc near '}'
Cannot set SSL parameters
* [64] 20220705.172051.241 DSA_W1970 Configuration: Text-based configured value redefining item 'dxgrid-db-location'
* [64] 20220705.172051.241 DSA_W1970 Configuration: Text-based configured value redefining item 'cache-index'
* [64] 20220705.172051.241 DSA_W1970 Configuration: Text-based configured value redefining item 'ssl'
* [64] 20220705.172051.241 /net/cadir-master/release/HEAD.new/dxgrid/src/dsa/rstack/support/ssl1.c(154): Assertion failed
> [64] >>> };
? [64] 20220705.172051.241 ERROR : Syntax Error: Line 1 in /opt/CA/Directory/dxserver/config/ssld/my-file.dxc near '}'
Cannot set SSL parameters

Environment

Release : 14.1

Component : CA Directory

Resolution

In this specific instance, the problem was related to sourcing in the same content twice.

e.g. You have all your config being 'sourced' in the SERVERS .dxi file.

Accidentally, you may have sourced the 'ssld' portion twice which can result into the assertion failed ssl1.c(154) error.

In this instance, it was found that somehow the SERVERES 'dsaname.dxi' file was renamed as 'my-file.dxc' and placed under SETTINGS folder. Basically, the same content was being read twice during the startup phase and when it came to 'ssld' portion, the dxserver process did not like that by design and ended up throwing the error(s) stated above resulting into failure to start the DSA.

The solution is to make sure to use the correct config file (and make correct changes) when cloning an instance where configuration parameters from various config files do not get sourced twice.