Upgrade fails with error ORA-01921 conflicts with another user or role name

Products

CA Service Management - Service Desk Manager CA Service Desk Manager

Issue/Introduction

Update of Service Desk 17.4 RU3 to RU5 fails with error seen in install_<mdbname>.log

2026-02-18 08:34:36,036 INFO - MDBTools_0116I - Reconciling the database with the MDB schema information
2026-02-18 08:34:36,117 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that role 'ams_group.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:34:36,118 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that role 'workflow_admin_group.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:34:36,119 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that role 'service_desk_ro_group.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:34:36,119 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that role 'infopump_admin.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:34:36,119 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that role 'workflow_ro_group.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:34:36,120 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that role 'service_desk_admin_group.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:34:36,120 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that role 'infopump_user.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:34:36,121 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that role 'regadmin.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:34:36,602 INFO - MDBTools_0319I - Reconciliation detected that trigger 't_usp_record_lock.xml' is missing from the database
2026-02-18 08:35:00,517 INFO - MDBTools_0321I - Reconciliation found 9 objects
2026-02-18 08:35:00,636 INFO - MDBTools_0322I - Detected MDB release 1.4
2026-02-18 08:35:00,891 INFO - MDBTools_0300I - Loading DBDriver file: APM_CDB   timestamp: 2014-10-07T07:28:54+0000
2026-02-18 08:35:00,893 INFO - MDBTools_0303I - Processing role: ams_group.xml   timestamp: 2008-04-22T09:17:01+0000
2026-02-18 08:35:00,893 INFO - MDBTools_0306I - SQL text:
2026-02-18 08:35:00,893 INFO -    CREATE ROLE AMS_GROUP
Update sql failed: 
CREATE ROLE AMS_GROUP

2026-02-18 08:35:00,904 INFO - ams_group.xml is added to the retry queue.
2026-02-18 08:35:00,905 INFO - MDBTools_0303I - Processing role: workflow_admin_group.xml   timestamp: 2007-07-06T16:01:47+0000
2026-02-18 08:35:00,905 INFO - MDBTools_0306I - SQL text:
2026-02-18 08:35:00,905 INFO -    CREATE ROLE WORKFLOW_ADMIN_GROUP
Update sql failed: 
CREATE ROLE WORKFLOW_ADMIN_GROUP

2026-02-18 08:35:00,911 INFO - workflow_admin_group.xml is added to the retry queue.
2026-02-18 08:35:00,912 INFO - MDBTools_0303I - Processing role: service_desk_ro_group.xml   timestamp: 2007-07-06T16:01:47+0000
2026-02-18 08:35:00,912 INFO - MDBTools_0306I - SQL text:
2026-02-18 08:35:00,912 INFO -    CREATE ROLE SERVICE_DESK_RO_GROUP
Update sql failed: 
CREATE ROLE SERVICE_DESK_RO_GROUP
....
....
2026-02-18 08:35:01,074 INFO - regadmin.xml is added to the retry queue.
2026-02-18 08:35:01,074 ERROR - MDBTools_0304E - Possible dependency error processing role 'ams_group.xml'; error details follow:
2026-02-18 08:35:01,074 ERROR - Error occurred during batch processing: ORA-01921: role name 'AMS_GROUP' conflicts with another user or role name
2026-02-18 08:35:01,074 ERROR - MDBTools_0307E - SQL text:
2026-02-18 08:35:01,074 ERROR -    CREATE ROLE AMS_GROUP
2026-02-18 08:35:01,074 ERROR - MDBTools_0304E - Possible dependency error processing role 'workflow_admin_group.xml'; error details follow:
2026-02-18 08:35:01,074 ERROR - Error occurred during batch processing: ORA-01921: role name 'WORKFLOW_ADMIN_GROUP' conflicts with another user or role name
...
2026-02-18 08:35:01,076 ERROR - MDBTools_0309E - DBDriver failed to install!
2026-02-18 08:35:01,080 INFO - MDBTools_0104I - Total time: 0H:0M:26S.
02-18,08:35:01 MDBTools install error=3
02-18,08:35:01 Setupmdb exit return code=3

Environment

ServiceDesk 17.4
Database on Oracle 19c

Cause

In Oracle database following SQL Queries :

SELECT * FROM DBA_ROLES;
SELECT * FROM DBA_USERS;

show that following names are present as users (in DBA_USERS) and not as roles (in DBA_ROLES) :

AMS_GROUP
WORKFLOW_ADMIN_GROUP
SERVICE_DESK_RO_GROUP
INFOPUMP_ADMIN
WORKFLOW_RO_GROUP
SERVICE_DESK_ADMIN_GROUP
INFOPUMP_USER
REGADMIN

Resolution

Make sure to have a backup of Oracle mdb
Delete these users

DROP USER AMS_GROUP ;
DROP USER WORKFLOW_ADMIN_GROUP ;
DROP USER SERVICE_DESK_RO_GROUP ;
DROP USER INFOPUMP_ADMIN ;
DROP USER WORKFLOW_RO_GROUP ;
DROP USER SERVICE_DESK_ADMIN_GROUP ;
DROP USER INFOPUMP_USER ;
DROP USER REGADMIN ;
Try again the upgrade