Service Desk Manager install fails when the MS SQL Password contains special characters like ampersand
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Service Desk Manager install fails when the MS SQL Password contains special characters like ampersand

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Article ID: 135260

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Updated On:

Products

CA Service Desk Manager SUPPORT AUTOMATION- SERVER CA Service Desk Manager - Unified Self Service CA Service Desk Manager - Mobile Application CA Service Desk Manager - Xtraction

Issue/Introduction

CA Service Desk Manager fails to install if the password of the MS SQL Server system administrator has an ampersand ("&") in it.  Other special characters may cause similar failures.


Environment

Release : All supported versions

Component : SERVICE DESK MANAGER

DBMS: Microsoft SQL Server

 

Cause

The error occurs when the common installer runs the Configure tool, pdm_configure.


Case #1: The first special character in the password, from left to right, is an ampersand ("&"). 


The associated messages in $NX_ROOT\log\configure.log are similar to the following (in the example below, the characters following "&" were "Za9HibCsbHL!Drp":

...

07/29 07:02:13.561 INFO InstallMSSqlMdbTask.java 150 Using MDB path from Registry lookup as: C:\Program Files\CA\SC\Mdb 

07/29 07:02:13.561 INFO InstallMSSqlMdbTask.java 155 The MDB_COMMON_DIR path will be set as: C:\Program Files\CA\SC\Mdb

07/29 07:02:13.561 INFO InstallMSSqlMdbTask.java 168 setting SQL DB admin user:sa and password:<password>

07/29 07:02:13.561 INFO ? ? Starting Setup MDB...

07/29 07:02:13.561 INFO ? ? The command is "C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\add-ons\mdb\mssql\setupmdb.bat" -DBVENDOR=mssql -DBDRIVER=Service_Desk -WORKSPACE=Service_Desk -DBHOST=testsdm1 -DBNAME=mdb -DBPORT=1433 -DBUSER=sa -DBPASSWORD=<SYS PASSWORD> -JRE_DIR="C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SC\JRE\1.8.0_112" -MDB_TARGET_DIR="C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql" -MDB_COMMON_DIR="C:\Program Files\CA\SC\Mdb"

07/29 07:02:13.561 INFO ? ? Executing command: "C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\add-ons\mdb\mssql\setupmdb.bat" -DBVENDOR=mssql -DBDRIVER=Service_Desk -WORKSPACE=Service_Desk -DBHOST=ibntest000416 -DBNAME=mdb -DBPORT=1433 -DBUSER=sa -DBPASSWORD=<SYS PASSWORD> -JRE_DIR="C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SC\JRE\1.8.0_112" -MDB_TARGET_DIR="C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql" -MDB_COMMON_DIR="C:\Program Files\CA\SC\Mdb"

07/29 07:02:14.264 INFO ? ? 'java' is not recognized as an internal or external command,

07/29 07:02:14.264 INFO ? ? operable program or batch file.

...

07/29 07:02:14.561 INFO ? ? 07-29,07:02:14 Error: Java JRE must be version 1.5 or higher

07/29 07:02:14.701 INFO ? ? 07-29,07:02:14 Setupmdb exit /B return code=121

07/29 07:02:14.701 INFO ? ? 'Za9HibCsbHL!Drp' is not recognized as an internal or external command,

07/29 07:02:14.701 INFO ? ? operable program or batch file.

07/29 07:02:14.951 INFO ? ? Process "C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\add-ons\mdb\mssql\setupmdb.bat" completed with exit code 1

07/29 07:02:14.951 ERROR ? ? Setup MDB returns code 1

07/29 07:02:14.951 ERROR ? ? MDB RC : 1

07/29 07:02:14.951 ERROR ? ? MDB Error: Unexpected error. Check logs at C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql.

07/29 07:02:14.951 ERROR ? ? Check mdb logs at C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql.

07/29 07:02:14.951 ERROR InstallMSSqlMdbTask.java 178 SetupMDB returns code 1

07/29 07:02:14.951 INFO Task.java 276 retCode 1: Unexpected error. Check logs at C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql.

07/29 07:02:14.951 WARN ConfigThread.java 582 Configuration task (Configure MS SQL Server) is failed in step : 11

...


Case #2: The first special character in the password, from left to right, is the less-than bracket ("<"):


07/30 14:55:07.982 INFO  InstallMSSqlMdbTask.java   150 Using MDB path from Registry lookup as: C:\Program Files\CA\SC\Mdb

07/30 14:55:07.982 INFO  InstallMSSqlMdbTask.java   155 The MDB_COMMON_DIR path will be set as: C:\Program Files\CA\SC\Mdb

5:07.982 INFO  InstallMSSqlMdbTask.java   168 setting SQL DB admin user:sa and password:<password>

07/30 14:55:07.982 INFO  ?                        ? Starting Setup MDB...

07/30 14:55:07.982 INFO  ?                        ? The command is  "C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\add-ons\mdb\mssql\setupmdb.bat" -DBVENDOR=mssql -DBDRIVER=Service_Desk -WORKSPACE=Service_Desk -DBHOST=ibntest000416 -DBNAME=mdb -DBPORT=1433 -DBUSER=sa -DBPASSWORD=<SYS PASSWORD> -JRE_DIR="C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SC\JRE\1.8.0_112" -MDB_TARGET_DIR="C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql" -MDB_COMMON_DIR="C:\Program Files\CA\SC\Mdb"

07/30 14:55:07.982 INFO  ?                        ? Executing command:  "C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\add-ons\mdb\mssql\setupmdb.bat" -DBVENDOR=mssql -DBDRIVER=Service_Desk -WORKSPACE=Service_Desk -DBHOST=ibntest000416 -DBNAME=mdb -DBPORT=1433 -DBUSER=sa -DBPASSWORD=<SYS PASSWORD> -JRE_DIR="C:\Program Files (x86)\CA\SC\JRE\1.8.0_112" -MDB_TARGET_DIR="C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql" -MDB_COMMON_DIR="C:\Program Files\CA\SC\Mdb"

07/30 14:55:08.044 INFO  ?                        ? The system cannot find the file specified.

07/30 14:55:08.294 INFO  ?                        ? Process "C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\add-ons\mdb\mssql\setupmdb.bat" completed with exit code 1

07/30 14:55:08.294 ERROR ?                        ? Setup MDB returns code 1

07/30 14:55:08.294 ERROR ?                        ? MDB RC   : 1

07/30 14:55:08.294 ERROR ?                        ? MDB Error: Unexpected error. Check logs at C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql.

07/30 14:55:08.294 ERROR ?                        ? Check mdb logs at C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql.

07/30 14:55:08.294 ERROR InstallMSSqlMdbTask.java   178 SetupMDB returns code 1

07/30 14:55:08.294 INFO  Task.java              276 retCode 1: Unexpected error. Check logs at C:\PROGRA~2\CA\SERVIC~1\temp\mdb_sql.

07/30 14:55:08.294 WARN  ConfigThread.java      582 Configuration task (Configure MS SQL Server) is failed in step : 11


Resolution

When installing the product,  avoid using any special characters in the password of the system administrator user ("sa") or "mdbadmin".   After installation has completed, the password can be changed. However, when installing any subsequent patches, such as cumulative patches or roll-up patches, revert back to a password that does not contain any special character, only English alphanumeric characters.


The following special characters in the password of the SQL Server system administrator have been verified as NOT acceptable: "&", "<", "$", "\", "|", "-"

Additional Information

The file named "configure.log" is the output file of running the pdm_configure command.