FMS Admin Console cannot connect to Web Publishing Engine

[phcranston]

I am running FMS 9.0.3.325 on an intel Mac running OS X Client 10.4.11.

Whenever I click on the Web Publishing Link under configuration I get the following error:

Deployment/Configuration error -150 Starting the WPE(wpe1) component failed: error code = 2500

Also in the FileMaker Server Overview window WebPublishing Engine has a red dot by it and the following error message is at the top of the window:

An error was encountered communicating with the server.

Web Publishing is running. I am able to connect to a website running on the same box that is pulling information via PHP from FileMaker. The problem is with the Admin Console connecting to the WPE.

When I first setup the server the Admin Console connection worked fine. I also have another identical setup with a different company that works fine.

I have tried the following fixes:

- Updated FMS to 9.0.3 ( the problem originally showed up under 9.0.2

- Clicked the "Edit Server Deployment" link in the Admin console and redeployed the WPE. It finds Apache web server without any problems but the deployment script returns the original error at the end.

- Ran "Repair Permissions" from Disk Utility.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

[cwvalentine]

I (another guy here)am getting the same kinda thing. He gets deployment/configuration error 150 - error code 2504 when he trys to start the wpe. Mac OS X 10.4.? server and FMSA 9.0v3. Found a reference to this being due to the correct firewall ports not being open, but he gets the same thing even if the firewall is turned off. This just started today, he is still banging away on it whilst I look for some info for him.

[cwvalentine]

Well, didn't solve the problem itself, but we got a solution. Uninstalled and reinstalled FMAS, applied updates to v3, and it works again. Ken says he also cleared out the Java cache as part of that. Anyway, back in action, but no clue as to why it didn't work. The action that precipitated this was turning on xslt logging. Why that would kill things, I don't know.

[sysadminJC32]

We have the same problem, and it is an ongoing case with FileMaker tech support.

"Deployment/Configuration error -150 Starting the WPE(wpe1) component failed: error code = 2504"

We have installed FileMaker Server Advanced version 9.0.3.326 on a new Mac running Leopard 10.5.2.

We have installed while an ipfw firewall set of rules were in effect, and also when the ipfw firewall rules set was completely removed.

This website: http://sixfriedrice.com/wp/filemaker-firewall/ shows more accurately than FileMaker documents, the ports you would need open.

Setting aside the ipfw firewall rule set ... approach ... there is the matter of the Leopard "Firewall" which is "another beast." There are various reports online, about, how it is problematic, turning it ON and turning it OFF. We have installed with it ON and also installed with it OFF. When ON, some of the FileMaker and Java processes register. Earlier in our installation efforts, MORE of these processes registered; but later, LESS of these processes registerd. One that typically registers is fmserverd, which we figure, is the main database server of the FileMaker Server Advanced pkg. Otherwise, a java process registers, but at one point, earliest in the installation process, there were at least four processes listed.

Anyway, we have turned the Leopard Firewall OFF, and as I said, also removed our ipfw firewall rules set ... but to no avail.

Our problems began, with another bug, and that was, that the FileMaker Server Admin Console could not display the actual list of database files. You could still access them from across the network, but they would not show in the Admin Console window. A re-install of the FileMaker Server Advanced software, seemed to cure *that* problem.

Yet, after hanging up with FileMaker tech support, regarding *that* issue, and I set the General Settings > Admin Console > Restrict Access in order to enable access restrictions for administrative purposes. You are requred to restart FileMaker Server, and I chose to restart the computer anyway.

After the restart of the Mac, and while starting up the FileMaker Server Admin Console, I noticed the WPE error.

BTW, we may have also gotten that error during our first re-install, mentioned above, but the FileMaker tech said to restart the computer, and at *that,* time, the WPE worked.

On a subsequent call to FileMaker tech support, the tech suggested installing with no Ethernet (ie no network connection), and we tried that.

Viola! (we thought at first, while the tech was still on the phone), a "green light" for the WPE; but of course, as soon as we hung up on *that* call to FileMaker tech support, the WPE "just plain quit."

On yet another (our third call to FileMaker tech support, Tuesday, May 20, 2008), I tried another re-install, no Ethernet/network connection, and the WPE worked again ... but this time, we timed it to the point of ... yeah, sure enough, it quits eventually after 3 - 5 minutes.

BTW, the 2nd call to FileMaker tech support, the tech suggested, that despite our using the new software from FileMaker, version 9.0.3.326, that we try the FileMaker Server update for Mac; and we did, but all that does is replace two files in certain locations --- you do that manually --- and I noted that the replacement files were dated the same (March 2008) as the existing files of version 9.0.3.326, so effectively, no change.

Last evening (Tuesday), I created a whole new administrative level user account on the Mac, and again, I tried an installation of FileMaker Server Advanced version 9.0.3.326, but again, the WPE failure!

We do not believe, that this is an ipfw firewall issue, though it could be related to some residual problems with the Leopard "Firwall" despite the fact, that we have it disabled, ie turned OFF.

It may be one or more file permsissions problems --- that the FileMaker software itself, fails to correctly set permissions for files, that it, itself, needs access to, in order to launch everything *correctly* and *keep it running.*

We note, DESPITE the un-installer of the installation software pkg of FileMaker Server Advanced version 9.0.3.326, that UN-INSTALLING STILL LEAVES files and folders behind:

/Library/FileMaker Server/Admin/admin-master-tomcat/bin/catalina.pid

/Library/FileMaker Server/Data/Backups/FMServer_Sample.fp7

/Library/FileMaker Server/Data/Databases

/Library/FileMaker Server/Database Server/Extensions/xDBC Support/logging/.SLAgent55

/Library/FileMaker Server/Database Server/Extensions/xDBC Support/logging/.SLSocket55

/Library/FileMaker Server/Logs/web_server_module_log.txt (appears to be an empty text file - its permissions rw-r--r-- may not let it be written to?)

/Library/FileMaker Server/Web Publishing/publishing-engine/wpc/FM Web Publishing.app

You'll note, that the "FM Web Publishing.app" is curiously one of the residuals --- what other parts of *that* in other folders of the Mac OS, which the FileMaker Server Advanced installer may have used, to park some file, or to set some file during installation ... remained not restored to pre-installation, pristine condition by the FileMaker un-installer?

That is the situation, "no joy," around 11:00 AM EDT this Wednesday morning.

[sysadminJC32]

FileMaker Server Advanced v. 9.0.3.326 is finally working.

What we did:

(1) Removed that residual FileMaker Server folder: /Library/FileMaker Server/ (and all its contents --- see our preceding comments, earlier in the day).

(2) Restarted the Mac.

(3) Ran Leopard Cache Cleaner: http://www.northernsoftworks.com/leopardcachecleaner.html (requires another restart).

(4) Went to the /Utilities/Java/Java/Java Preferences.app and clicked on the delete function, as mentioned by one of the FileMaker technicians, yesterday (Tuesday, May 20th).

(5) Went to System Preferences >> Sharing and made sure that all/any sharing services was/were OFF. Also went to System Preferences >> Security and made sure that the Leopard Firewall was OFF.

(6) Our ipfw firewall list of rules ( /Library/StartupItems/Firewall/Firewall ) was in place and working --- I’d added more ports, to be open (see, following).

(7) I left the Ethernet cable connected --- yesterday, one FileMaker technician had suggested that we install with the Ethernet cable disconnected.

(8) Ran Disk Utility >> Repair Disk Permissions.

(9) Ran the FMSA installer. IMPORTANT: As one technician suggested yesterday, at the end of the installer’s progress-bar’s indication of having completed its work, when you are prompted to either Quit or Continue on to the Deployment Assistant, I chose to Quit.

(10) Restarted the Mac, and then I went to System Preferences >> Sharing and turned ON *only* the Web Sharing.

(11) Started up the FileMaker Server Admin Console ... and the steps proceeded as they should ... we did not, this time, get any error messages. The Web Publishing Engine was apparently connected to, by the Admin Console without a problem.

After a number of hours, the Web Publishing Engine (“WPE”) was still running when I left the office.

Prior to leaving, I restarted the Mac a few times, to see if the WPE could be frustrated, but it kept on running.

We are *currently* able to connect to our database file over the network, just fine.

Given that our machine is behind a router and its firewall, we relaxed the ipfw rules

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 5353

ipfw -q add allow udp from any 5353 to any 1024-65535

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 25

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 110

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 465

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 587

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 993

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 80

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 443

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 591

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 328

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 328

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 1433

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 1433

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 3306

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 3306

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 311

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 427

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 427

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 2399

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 2399

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 5003

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 5003

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 16000-16018

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 16000-16018

ipfw -q add allow tcp from any to any 49100-65535

ipfw -q add allow udp from any to any 49100-65535

We use non-standard ports at the router/WAN forwarding to some of these ports listed, on the LAN-and-server.

[sysadminJC32]

I meant to add, that by running Leopard Cache Cleaner, I used it to empty all the cache files it could find - "Deep Cleaning" for all three:

- Clean Local Cache

- Clean System Cache

- Clean All Users Cache

[MacXcited]

We spent the last week trying to get a new install of FMS9A Mac operational on an established 10.4.11 Server machine.

Tried all the suggestions in this and other forums but no matter how we installed the FMS9 Start Page alias on the desktop would launch the FMS9-Admin Console app but no window would appear. This would eventually time out with an error dialog "The admin console cannot establish a connection to the admin server."

As our server is running headless we couldn't try the "unplug ethernet" option as suggested in many places with similar symptoms. But I thought I'd try playing with our ethernet config.

Found that turning off all proxy settings for using our local internet cache/proxy server for internet access resolved the issue.

Believe now that there was never a Java, Caches, or Install Process involvement in our issue, and that the failure is a 'feature deficiency' where the Admin Console can't be used with proxies configured in the server's networking System Preferences.

Edited July 18, 2008 by Guest

[newnoob]

I followed your instructions exactly and still get error about communicating with web server

[Anatole Beams]

I have the same problem. I can only access fmsadmin on the server itself (even after restarting the server). The database and the webserving seems to work OK so I haven;t done anything, but on the fmsadmin console it says there has been an error connecting to the web engine and it say that it is not running. I can try to start it, but then after a minute or two it returns an error and reports it as stopped.

[dburnham]

I am having the same problem on a Windows 2003 server. Service Pack 2 is installed. Java 6.7 is installed and updated successfully.

I uninstalled FMS10 completely and reinstalled it, then ran the 10.2 update, and I still get the same error message: Deployment/Configuration error -150 Starting the WPE(wpe1) component failed: error code = 2504

The odd thing is that if I click the icon to start the web publishing engine, the result is that the icon changes to make the STOP icon active, but if I touch Web Publishing in the menu to configure it, the result is the same error message.

FMS_server_startup_error.rtfd.zip

Edited January 30, 2010 by Guest

[tainiko.lowman]

for anyone still running into this issue, we found that a conflict in the DNS of the machine was the cause.

 

The IP of the machine was 10.31.103.170 and the name of the machine was tsscfmdb01. When pinged, 10.31.103.70 resolved to a different hostname, even though tsscfmdb01 resolved to 10.31.103.170.

 

The reason that FM had issues starting the web publishing engine was because it is looking for IIS/APACHE on the wrong machine due to DNS conflict.

 

Change the IP to a clean, static IP, or flush the DNS cache on your router. An ipconfig /flushdns is not enough, as this only clears out the dns cache on your local machine.

 

One of the users suggested unplugging the machine from the network during installation. This seems to work at first since there is nothing for the DNS to conflict with, and so the install seems to work perfectly. However, as soon as you plug it back into the network it will conflict with whichever computer has the same dns resolution.