Connection Error When Updating Action Packs in ROC

Products

• CA Release Automation - Release Operations Center (Nolio)
• CA Release Automation - DataManagement Server (Nolio)

Issue/Introduction

An attempt to update action packs through the "Action Pack" menu under "Administration" in ROC fails with a "connection refused" error.  The following messages are found in the update-service.log file:

INFO (PollUpdate.java:554) - Error: Connection refused

ERROR (MessageHelper.java:42) - Fail to download file https://ftp.broadcom.com/user/downloads/pub/dpm/ReleaseAutomationActions/ActionPacks//pkgList.xml

Cause

The following are likely causes for the "connection refused" error:

• A network communication issue is preventing Release Automation from contacting ftp://ftp.ca.com.
• The /uploadactions folder is not empty.
• The Nolio Update service is not running.
• Release Automation cannot properly connect to and access the repository.

The following tests will help identify which cause is at play. First, to check for any possible network-related cause:

• Verify that the following URL is accessible: http://<YourNAC>:8080/datamanagement/a/actionpack/getActionPacks.
• Verify that port 8083 is both open and listening on the NAC.  For example, the command "netstat -plnt" should return a result similar to the following:
  tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:8083 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 81724/java
• From the NAC, manually connect to "ftp://ftp.ca.com/pub/dpm/ReleaseAutomationActions/ActionPacks/" (via a FTP client or web browser) and try to manually download the file.
• Similarly, from the NAC, try testing an FTP connection from the command line:
  ftp ftp.ca.com
• From the NAC, test via telnet:
  telnet ftp.ca.com 21
• (Linux/Unix only) From the NAC, test using the WGET command against the FTP address:
  wget ftp://ftp.ca.com/pub/dpm/ReleaseAutomationActions/ActionPacks

If any or all of the above tests fail, this likely means a network issue is preventing Release Automation from contacting the FTP site in order to retrieve action pack updates.

Next, check if the update service is running and if the "\uploadActions" folder is empty:

• Verify that the "nolio-update" service is running on the NAC.  If it has been stopped for any reason, this will prevent ROC from retrieving action pack updates.
• If the service is running, try restarting the service, then retest if updates are possible afterward.
• On the NAC, go to "[Release Automation installationfolder]\uploadActions" and verify that the folder is empty.  If it is not empty, this may mean something went awry in a previous update attempt that prevented the folder from being cleared out (as it is only a temporary folder for background use during the update process). 

 

Lastly, verify the NAC can connect to the repository.  The NAC updates the repository as a result of the update process, so if it cannot access the repository, it may throw a "connection refused error".  To check if this is the case:

• Login to JMX (http://<Your NAC>:20203).
• Scroll down to the category "Domain: noliocenter".
• Click the "noliocenter:type=info" link.
• Invoke "syncWithRepository" with the radio button for "True" selected.

If the above test in JMX fails, the nolio_dm_all.log file will record two error messages: "sync action packages error" and "Failed to find the repository details. Please check nolio-repo.properties file and repository hostname."  This indicates a failure connecting to the repository.

Environment

Release: NOLNAC99000-6.1-Nolio-Automation Center
Component:

Resolution

If the cause is determined to be due to a network communication issue:

• Depending on the tests suggested above, you should have a fairly reasonable idea on where in the network to focus on as a problem point.
• You may need to contact your network administrator to address network issues, such as any firewall settings that may need changing.

If the cause is due to the "uploadActions" folder still having content:

• Manually clear the folder of all contents.
• Once empty, the update service will then be allowed to resume properly processing updates.

If the the cause is due to NAC being unable to access the repository:

• On the NAC, navigate to "[Release Automation installationfolder]\conf\".
• Open and edit the "nolio-repo.properties" file.
• Verify all settings are correct, especially the username and password settings.
• Only set "passwordEncrypted" to "true" if an encrypted password is being used.  Set it to "false" otherwise.