Creation of CDB Failed troubleshooting guide
Article ID: 387315
Updated On: 03-05-2025
Products
Issue/Introduction
The following article discusses the above message which may arise when installing or upgrading the Service Management product
Environment
Release: 14.1 and higher
CA Service Management
Cause
The above error is most often due to a database connectivity issue, frequently on the application server installation being misconfigured.
Resolution
Please review the existing documentation describing the Database Requirements. Nominally, one should have the SQL Server Management Studio with access to its version of sqlcmd in place and can connect to the backend database.
Associated logs that may be examined are the install_mdb.log and install.log. These may be found in the %TEMP%\casm directory while the installation is in flight. Legacy copies may also be found in the X:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SC\installXXXX directory (XXXX is a long integer value that represents the date and timestamp of the installation)
The following KB Articles all delve into specific causes of the above error and how to address:
KB Article 376902: issue with ODBC Drivers
KB Article 383131: Problem with Env variable PATH
KB Article 7783: Local Security Policy
KB Article 7795: Database tables missing from MDB
KB Article 387312: Incorrect SQLCMD in place
KB Article 214769: Named Pipes error
Additional Information
The CDB (Control Database) is a subset of tables that are contained in the overall MDB database, which contains the tables that are used to govern the overall Service Management installation. It is not a separate database from the MDB database. They are usually tables that start with "al_cdb":
al_cdb_componentinstallstate: Keeps track of the Service Management installation components
al_cdb_configurationparameters: Config parameters for Service Management
Other database tables, such as mdb_version may often be referenced
Direct modifications of these tables is not advisable without Support guidance.
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