hp sim 7.0 installation error

[adrian-kan]

Hi,

I am having a hard time installing the HP insight manager 7.0.  It is giving a "unknown database error 16" and I cannot proceed to the next step.  I have tried everything, SIM 7.0, 6.3 as well as oracle and ms sql, both reporting the same error.

I've search through the internet and found no solution.  There is one thread mentioning about this problem, but there has been no update and no workaround posted.

Anyone have any ideas on this?

Thanks,
Adrian

[jim goodman]

Hey Adrian I'll shoot from the hip here since you didn't give any detailed info about your install environment, like OS, SQL Version, Local or Remote, etc...

Have you met all the pre-reqs for a CMS?

From the screen capture it looks like you already have a SQL Server installed locally - is that correct?

What version?

Credentials have SA rights?

Anything else using that SQL Server?

You might try starting the SQL Server Browser service, see if that makes a difference - not having the browser service running use to throw a similar error in previous versions that I'd run into every now and again.

Outside of that if SQL Express 2008 sp1 - did you install .Net 2.0? also .Net 3.5sp1 is required as well.

If you can't get around it - download the Insight Management DVD#1 and run the System Advisor, filtering everything but SIM and see what it tells you. If it passes then run that installer see if you can pass the error of if you get the same thing.

[adrian-kan]

Dear Jim,

Thanks for your prompt response.  Here is my environment:

> From the screen capture it looks like you already have a SQL Server installed locally - is that correct?
Yes, I have also tried erasing the current one and let the installation wizard installs a fresh copy for me.

> What version?
SQL Express 2008 R2
 

> Credentials have SA rights?

 Local Administrator access

> Anything else using that SQL Server?
Nothing other than the defaults system DBs created by the installation.

> You might try starting the SQL Server Browser service, see if that makes a difference - not having the browser service running use to throw a similar error in previous versions that I'd run into every now and again.
Yes I have the sql browser running as well.

> Outside of that if SQL Express 2008 sp1 - did you install .Net 2.0? also .Net 3.5sp1 is required as well.

There use to be a .net 1.1 and I have removed that and install .net 4.0.

> If you can't get around it - download the Insight Management DVD#1 and run the System Advisor, filtering everything but SIM and see what it tells you. If it passes then run that installer see if you can pass the error of if you get the same thing.

Is that the hpsimad.exe you are talking about? It shows nothing incompatible.

Thanks,
Adrian

[adrian-kan]

Jim,

I know where the security advisor you are talking about

I have run the check and there are a couple of warnings such as DNS resolution and windows update showing up.  Do you think DNS has anything to do with this?  I'll talk to our network engineer regarding the DNS resolution issue.

Thanks,
Adrian

[jim goodman]

Thr Reverse DNS almost always seems to throw an error, don't ever recall seeing it green but it does prompt me to validate DNS both ways.

Make sure UAC and FW are off.

You still need to have .Net 2.0 and 3.5 sp1 - it isn't about minimum versions it is about necessary versions that the installer looks for, interesting the Advisor doesn't throw an error I was certain it did in the past maybe I am remembering wrong. 7.0 hasn't been out long enough for me to have experienced all of the changes in the course of my engagements.

Anyway - try installing it using the integrated installer on  the DVD and see if you can pass the db credentials and installs. Once you install it with the Integrated installer you'll always need to use the Integrated Installer for updates. Just custom install and install Insight Manager only, so if you don't want to use the standalone then just try and pass the db credentials with the integrated installer and cancel. Then you'll probably want to work with support to figure out the problem.

[adrian-kan]

After 3-4 days of trouble shooting, I've figured out the problem.  While I am stuck at the database step, I look at the temporary files generated by the installer and found out it is collation issue with the mssql server.  It says something like "Count not find a java charset equivalent to collation" generated by the jtds.jar.  I've reinstalled mssql using a commonlly used collation such as latin1 and this issue appears to be gone.  No idea why it is using a different collation previously.  I suspect it has something to do with the regional settings on the sever because it is set as "Hong Kong".  Anyway, it is quite tricky to narrow down a problem when we hit an unexplained error message.

Now I have successfully passed the database step and installing the insite manager.  I'll see how things turn out.

Thanks for your time and help.

Adrian

[jim goodman]

Interesting - HPSIM defaults to the SQL_Latin_1 collation, which is pretty universal but would most definitely be a problem if the default collation is impacted by a regional setting or dependency characterset of a supporting script. Didn't know the default collation of the installer could be impacted by external factors affecting collation since the installer is self-contained in it's scripts.

Thanks for posting back your finding it is very intriguing, I'll have to do some digging into that.