Unable to launch the application. Joy!

[HazMatt]

Hey Community,

FileMaker Server 11 Advanced (11.0.2.217) installed and running live databases on Mac OS X Server 10.5.8.

I recently ran some software updates on the server, including some Java updates, and that seems to have killed the ability to launch the FMS Java console. I am getting the notorious "Unable to launch the application." error message. It sounded like an FMS update addresses this issue (I have version 11.0.3.309 downloaded and waiting) but the updater, naturally, won't install if FMS is running (which it does on startup). So my normal method for closing databases safely has been denied me. Catch-22.

In trying to solve this problem, I discovered the command line of "fmsadmin stop server" but it prompts me for a username and password, like this:

username (administrator):

password:

… and not matter what I try it tells me "Permission denied", so that doesn't seem to be an option for me either.

At this point, I'm thinking of letting the 10:30 PM backup run its course, forcefully terminating the 'fmserverd', 'fmserver_helperd' and 'FM Web Publishin' processes, installing my update, and uploading my database files from the backup.

I've tried loading the FMS Java console from a variety of workstations hoping I could access the FMS from there, but each time it tells me "Unable to launch the application." I'm assuming this means that the actual Java incompatibility lies on the server?

Can anyone offer some guidance please? I'm stuck.

-Matt

[Vaughan]

A good reason NOT to set FMS to auto-start, IMHO.

[RodSierra]

Never tried this, but you might restart the server in safe mode, that may prohibit FMS from restarting.

[Wim Decorte]

The auto start (like any other FMS setting) is kept in the registry so you can change it there and then reboot the machine.

Also: the username and pw are the same as the ones that you would use to open the console. Is that not working or were you trying different credentials than the console ones?

also, you can set the FMS windows service to manual, which will prevent FMS from loading altogether. You won't be able to start the console either though because you need the service to be running for that.

[HazMatt]

The auto start (like any other FMS setting) is kept in the registry so you can change it there and then reboot the machine.

Also: the username and pw are the same as the ones that you would use to open the console. Is that not working or were you trying different credentials than the console ones?

also, you can set the FMS windows service to manual, which will prevent FMS from loading altogether. You won't be able to start the console either though because you need the service to be running for that.

This is Mac OS X Server; I've never heard of a registry on a Mac. Are you thinking Windows?

The credentials I'm attempting to use are the same as what I use to access the console. My login name is "Administrator". When it prompts me with "username (administrator):", I've tried leaving it blank (it's suggesting 'administrator', after all?), 'Administrator' and 'administrator'. Hitting Return brings me to "password:", which I enter and it doesn't actually show any characters. Then I hit Return again and it gives me this:

fmsadmin: Permission denied, please try again.

username (administrator):

It sounds like safe booting disables all startup items and login items (Mac OS X v10.4 or later). I'll find a keyboard and do the deed hopefully tonight and report back with the results.

[HazMatt]

Well, the safe boot worked. It was nice to know VNC sessions still work because I didn't have a monitor adapter handy (this is an Xserve). The FMS 11.0v3 updater installed and required a reboot, then I was back in working order again!

As a side note, I was definitely entering in the wrong password in the Terminal earlier, so that's my fault for that bit of misinformation. I had semi-recently changed the password and still had the old one in my head.

Oh, and Vaughan, I decided to turn off the autostart feature. It's a little galling to not be able to rely on things like that, but the server hardly ever requires a restart, so it's not a big deal to babysit the startup process and manually starting FMS.

Thanks a lot for the help, guys!

-Matt

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Oh, and Vaughan, I decided to turn off the autostart feature. It's a little galling to not be able to rely on things like that, but the server hardly ever requires a restart, so it's not a big deal to babysit the startup process and manually starting FMS.

Vaughan's point here is exceptionally well taken. Data integrity and availability depend on the databases not be automatically re-hosted if there has been a problem with the system. The IT Administrators or DBA's must know there has been an incident. And the files should be checked for damage before they are made available for access again.

Steven