.NET database connector failed to initialize

I have a fresh install of MBPM 9.2 on Windows Server 2008 R2 with a database created after installation of BPM on the supplied SQLExpress 2008.

Upon starting the engine I get the following error. I'm sure this is something simple, something I've missed in the configuration. Please note. The strandard ODBC connection does work, as tested by Data Sources (ODBC) tool.

The .NET database connector failed to initialize: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at eWork.Engine.ScriptHost.ScriptHostLoader.createObject(String assemblyName, String typeName)
at ManagedConfiguration.StopCoreServices(HStatus* ).

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Comments

Alan McGill

Please also note that the Administration Guide states:

Where the Engine service is to be installed on Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2
environments, a hotfix, available from Microsoft, should be applied prior to installing the Engine
component. This hotfix resolves a Transaction Connection defect as explained on the Microsoft
Connect web site:

https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/ViewFeedback.aspx?FeedbackID=449469
The hotfix is available from:
http://support.microsoft.com/hotfix/KBHotfix.aspx?kbnum=960754&kbln=en-us

But the hot fix is for .net 2 when .net 4 is required and installed.

McGaw_Phil

Hi Alan,

Have you checked the registry settings to make sure the Database Connectors are there and setup how you expect them?

Start -> Run -> regedit -> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Metastorm\e-work\Engine\Database Connectors\SQL Server DBC

The NullReferenceException suggests to me that the above might not be present, in which case re-install I'd say.

I've got a similar setup on a dev machine, so your connection string should be something like this:

Connection = Provider=SQLOLEDB;Data Source=(local)\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=Metastorm;User ID=;Password=;Trusted_Connection=Yes;

DotNetConnection = Data Source=(local)\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=Metastorm;Integrated Security=SSPI;

Worth checking.

Cheers

Phil

McGaw_Phil

Hi Alan,

As a follow up, can you try connecting to your SQL Server using the same credentials your engine uses, but through SQL Server Management Studio first, then start your engine up.

Thanks

Phil

Alan McGill

I've checked and changed my reg settings, I was supplying a username/Password when SQL was set to Windows Authentication. Now I'm getting the error:

Cannot open database connection - #0: Error: (0x80004005) [Microsoft][ODBC Driver Manager] Data source name not found and no default driver specified

So, we are getting somewhere.

Alan McGill

How utterly annoying.

I deleted the database, installed and reinstalled and it all works. The only changes I made was a) get the installer to create the database and b) use my own domain account to run the engine rather that a local administrator account I had created.

Looking at the registry settings I cannot see any difference from the ones I had before the reinstall.

The only clue was that it was actually my second reinstall attempt that worked, the first threw up an error 1609 .\\Metastorm is not a valid user or group which it it was most certainly was. However, because I am accessing a VM using remote connection I had not actually logged on using the (newly created) Metastorm account and this may have been the problem.

# I am aware that the engine account needs 'logon as a service right' but I had not explicitly checked this.

Now all I need to do is change the engine account over to the new Metastorm a/c.

McGaw_Phil

Excellent.

The occassional engine configuration error keeps you on your toes.

All the best

Jerome_Pearce

.Net, eh? So much better than COM!

Jacob_Eastman

Glad to hear you were able to get it working. Here is some additional information in case you run into it again:

As Phil mentioned, there are two registry settings for your Process Engine's database connection located here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Metastorm\e-work\Engine\Database Connectors\SQL Server DBC

These both will use the .NET connections as you saw. But there is also another connection set to use your DSN which it looks like Phil gave an example of:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Metastorm\e-work\Engine\Database

This may have been pointing to an incorrect DSN. It will also be using the x86 DSN which you can view here:

C:\Windows\SysWOW64\odbcad32.exe

It looks exactly the same as the x64 version of the DSN manager but the engine will not be able to see the x64 version.

Also, if you are using Windows Authentication for the database connection, the user that the Process Engine runs as will be what it uses to connect with. Changing the user you were running the engine as may have fixed it as well.