ColdFusion 2021 - WSConfig - An unknown error has occurred.

[ibwebn65]

I installed ColdFusion 2021 Developer Edition on a newly created Azure VM runing Wndows 10 Pro, and IIS 10.  I then started the process to add a website to the VM by creating a Server instance in the CF Admin, and a webstie in IIS.  After that I ran the WSConfig.exe for the website in Administrator mode.  I clicked the "Add" button, made sure the "AppServer Host" and the "IIS Website" were for the website I added.  When I clicked the "OK" button I received a popup with the error "An unknown error has occurred."  The only option on the popup error was an "OK" button, which I clicked.  The connection was not made.  The attached image is a screen shot of a window that was running in the background.  I don't know if it helps.  Any suggestions on how I can get the WSConfig to work?

[Charlie Arehart]

ibwebn65, yours may be one of a couple issues.

First, you say that you "made sure the "AppServer Host" and the "IIS Website" were for the website".  To be clear, you should not have changed that AppServer Host value from its default of localhost. Its purpose is not to name what USERS would refer to: it's to name how the IIS site configuration for CF (the files in CF's config/wsconfig folders) should refer to the CF server. And since you say both CF and IIS are on the same machine, that value should be localhost. 

But separate from that, some people have had other issues with the connector in 2021 (it works for some, but not for others). Like the above, there could be different explanations.

But in case you find that even changing the value to localhost does not work, then check out the discussion at this CF bug tracker ticket.  I learned of it from another discussion here of a similar problem, where someone mentioned they got a fix from Adobe. I am assuming it's the same one. Currently, neither place offers a link to the update, so you can either watch those places or email adobe about it at cfinstal@adobe.com, referring to that ticket, CF-4210996.

Let us know how it goes.

[ibwebn65]

I'm sorry for using the wrong terms.  In the CF Admin > Enterprise Manager is where I used the "Add New Instance" to create a new CF Instance.  In IIS Manager > server_name > Sites is where I clicked on "Add Website" to create a new IIS site.  I then used the WSConfig to connect the "AppServer Instance" with the "IIS Website".  It is when I clicked the OK button in the WSConfig to connect the two that I received the error message popup.

Thank you for the link to the other WSConfig ticket.  It looks like the problem might be with the wsconfig.jar file.  I will send another email to the cfinstal@adobe.com to reference the ticket number CF-4210996.  Hopefully it works.  Again, thank you.

[Dave Watts]

I would generally recommend against using multiple CF instances on the same machine to service multiple IIS sites. Of course, that's a "general" recommendation and there are plenty of specific reasons why you might want to ignore it, but I guess I'm saying don't just do it because you can. A single CF instance can consume all the RAM you have to throw at it, and service any number of IIS sites on the same box.

That said, each CF instance has its own wsconfig app, and I've occasionally found that making sure running the right one helps things work better. Note "occasionally" - I'm not sure this is supposed to be necessary, it's just one of the little things I've picked up that makes my life easier sometimes.

Dave Watts, Eidolon LLC

[ibwebn65]

I have also had issues when executing the wrong WSConfig.  That is a good thought.  I did verify that I executed the correct WSConfig.  Following the information provided by Charlie Arehart above, I provided the cfinstal@adobe.com with the bug ticket and the information about the wsconfig.jar file.  Hopefully they send me the modified file.  I will upldate this ticket with the results.  Thank you.

[ibwebn65]

I emailed the Adobe ColdFusion support group using cfinstal@adobe.com.  They sent me the updated WSConfig.jar file.  It solved the problem.

[Charlie Arehart]

Very good to hear. That updated wsconfig.jar is indeed what I had been referring to.

Btw, as for "running the right one for the right instance", that problem was fixed with cf2016. In cf10 and 11, the ui mistakenly did not offer an option to pick an instance name. Since 2016, it does offer that. 

That said, since you are getting a new wsconfig.jar, and in case you or others may use that "old approach" of "running the wsconfig for each instance", you will want to be sure to put this new wsconfig.jar into BOTH instances, in their runtime/lib. (Yes, the wsconfig.exe is in the runtime/bin. That just runs whatever wsconfig jar is in the runtime/lib.) And note that when cf updates itself, it would itself drop in its new wsconfig.jar to that location, thus replacing the "fixed" one of the same name. 

Finally, don't just RENAME the old jar in an attempt to "save it". Instead, either move it to a new folder or just delete it. Java would find any jar in that folder, regardless of name (or  extension, I've found in testing), and it would look in it to see if it had the "package" of classes that it's looking for. That could lead you to mistakenly running the old one.

Hope that's helpful. 

[Charlie Arehart]

As an update on this, the updated wsconfig.jar did not make it into CF2021 update 1 as had been hoped, but it is due to be added to update 2. The discussion of that, as well as a link to the jar you can get now, see the tracker ticket.