Vista SP1 - CF Service will not start

[Mark.Gregory]

Running Vista Business. Life was good, I was productive! (CF 8 btw).

After installing Vista SP1, CF service will not start. Digging a little deeper, turns out JRUN can't fire off "coldfusion", one of the servers listed. Here is the error:

04/06 11:49:20 error Failed to create new connection

java.net.SocketException: select failed

at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.socketAccept(Native Method)

at java.net.PlainSocketImpl.accept(PlainSocketImpl.java:384)

at java.net.ServerSocket.implAccept(ServerSocket.java:453)

at java.net.ServerSocket.accept(ServerSocket.java:421)

at jrun.jms.core.kernel.mipc.MultiplexConnectionServer.run(MultiplexConnectionServer.java:154)

Some digging turned up the possiblity that the jndi.properties file isn't being read. Changed permissions on it to let everyone in. Heck, you guys can probably get at it right now form where you are its so open!

More digging, turns out Windows Firewall like to block port 2930, which is apparently used for internal communication with jndi settings or some such. Opened that up. Found evidence of further internal communication on port 900, opened that up to.

Found this very useful and a bit scary info about missing DLLs and so forth:

http://www.communitymx.com/content/article.cfm?page=6&cid=224AA

Found reference to the updated Vista TCP/IP stack being a culprit in some cases, which often seemed to come down to, get this, a new host file entry for localhost: ::1  localhost. Commented that out, still no joy.

Tried reinstalling. Still no go.

Pretty much exhausted all possibilities I was able to think of or find info about.

Any ideas or similar experiences? Or, failing that, the address of a tall building to jump off? Thanks!

[Charlie Arehart]

@original_somedude, I don't quite know why you're having the hassles you are. I run Vista and CF8 and didn't have any of the problems you describe. I also don't recall jumping through any hoops to get it running. I also updated to SP1 months ago, again with no drama at all.

Have you looked in the Windows Event viewer to see if perhaps there's more diagnostic info there?

[Mark.Gregory]

Ah, good call. I poked around the logs for a bit. There are a few places where CF failed to start, but that was about it. Was hoping to see some port choking or a network driver failing or something. Got me kind of excited at the prospect of a fix, but no joy still.

[Ken_Ford_-_ACP-QFo4AB]

have you thought about uninstalling ColdFusion and reinstalling it.

[Mark.Gregory]

Yes,thanks, have reinstalled twice. About to reinstall, running the install package as admin.

[Charlie Arehart]

Have you tried running CF from the command line (using the cfstart.bat file in [cf]\bin, or using the jrun.exe in jrun4\bin if running multiserver), rather than running it as a service?  That may give you more insight into the problem. You may also get prompts (due to Vista security) that are not offered to a "service" (since it can't respond).

If that's not it, and if you are running the multiserver version of CF, I wonder what would happen if you stopped any other instances first, and then tried to start this one instance.   

Hope that helps

/charlie

[Mark.Gregory]

Thanks for the suggestions!

I was attempting to run it from jrun.exe, which led me down the jndi.properties path and the port 2930 stuff. This one remains a serious bugger to figure out! Hoping to get a chance at another install attempt tomorrow, workload permitting.

I didn't try running cfstart.bat though. Memory is a bit fuzzy, does that simply invoke jrunsrvc.exe or something? I don't have an install in front of me atm to check the .bat file, uninstalled yesterday and today has been one of those 'build the freeway onramp during rush hour' days.

Also, it is a single server install.

[Ken_Ford_-_ACP-QFo4AB]

Close, this is the contents of the cfstart.bat file

@Echo off
setlocal
cd ..\runtime\bin
jrun -start coldfusion
endlocal

[Charlie Arehart]

Besides what Ken offered, I'd point out as well that when you're stuck like this, without an install to look at for questions related to starting/stopping CF, it's critical to remember that there's more to the CF docs than just the CFML Reference Manual (and the Developer's Guide, for those who do know of that gem). There is also "installing and using CF" and "Configuraing and administering CF", all available at livedocs.adobe.com or in PDF form at http://www.adobe.com/support/documentation/en/coldfusion/.

I don't mean that to sound like RTFM. Just trying to clarify that there is indeed a M to R, when you feel stuck like you did. 🙂 It may well offer valuable insight. Both are slim but often useful books. Hope that helps.

/charlie

[Mark.Gregory]

Read the manual?!?! No way, never! That would be like... stopping at a gas station to ask for directions!

But seriously, I did poke around there a bit. I do tend to forget that there is more to there is more there than the language reference.

Never been stuck like this though. Probably done over 100 installs dating back to CF4 on just about all windows flavors but have never had to dig in to the guts of the underlying Java like this.

Thinking it has to be something unique to this machine; I have done other Vista installs of CF8 with only minimal issues (typically having to set the service to run under an account that has permissions, maybe even set jrun.exe and jrunsvc.exe to execute under an admin account, but thats about it). Unfortunately, partially because of the environment we operate in, a fresh workstation install is a good day and half to two day ordeal.

Help me Obi Wan, you're my only hope!

[Charlie Arehart]

@somedude, I realize you weren't speaking to me (or anyone in particular) in your quip about seeking help from Obiwan, but seriously, if you'd like some direct help, where I look over your shoulders (remotely, via Connect), contact me off-list (charlie@carehart.org). I normally provide such help on a pay basis (carehart.org/consulting), which can be prorated to as little as 15 minutes of help. And clearly I provide help free here in the forums, but if what we've offered so far hasn't helped, then I'm curious about the challenge and may learn from it myself. I'm available this afternoon or over the weekend.

Message was edited by: charlie arehart--Added first phrase clarifying that I DID realize he wasn't speaking to me or anyone in particular in asking for help from obi-wan. 🙂 My offer was unrelated to his saying that.

[Mark.Gregory]

Most gracious offer Charlie, very much appreciated! Unfortunately, my workstation as the office is in a PCI DSS zone that is heavily restricted, for obvous reasons. Company does payment processing, so you can imagine what that entails. But again, than you very much for the offer!

My brain is telling me to go back to basics here. It used to work. Then it didn't. What changed? SP1 was installed. What specifically changed due to SP1 that could affect CF? It seems that the jndi.properties file isn't being read, so Jrun can't run a select statement against... seemingly some sort of internal flat file database. So what in SP1 could prevent that? I don't know, just sort of spitting out my thought process here, since the caffeine is starting to kick in for this morning.