secure path agent not starting

[Chris Goodrich_1]

Install in Secure Path v4.0c for Windows when it has been rebooted the Secure Path Agent will not start, get the following error:

"The Secure Path Agent service failed to start due to the following error:
The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

Have removed and reinstalled. The server is seeing this disks allocated but obviously four disks for each one allocated.

[Martin Stanjer]

Chris,
Did you install the HBA drivers from the SAN platform kit or support software CD?
Drivers from the prolient support pack or the emulex version may not include the adjunct driver required by Secure Path.
Regards,
Martin.

[Chris Goodrich_1]

Martin,
I installed the HBA drivers from the Windows Platform Kit v8.7B. Are they any registry settings to check?
Thanks for you help
Chris

[Martin Stanjer]

Chris.
I don't think you should need to make any registry changes after installing, but my experience is limited to MSA1000. You may find that your current version of secure path will not work with your current HBA drivers, and that you may have to downgrade one or both of these components. Try an earlier HBA driver first, then Secure path as well. (I don't think there is much functional difference between sp 4.0 and 4.0c, but don't use an earlier version than this if you want to use your current secure path client.)
Regards
Martin.

[RBaker]

Gotcha with securepath 4 install with the fibre disconnected (yes the fibre cables). Another gotcha if under devicemgr->disks you see DEC HSG80 rather than SecurePath Disk then update the driver for the disk so that it is SecurePath rather than HSG80 (couple of reboots maybee and the disks rollup into one). The original post was problems with the agent. Now SecurePath has driver (raidisk.sys) agent (securepathagent.exe). The agent is for comms with the manager (securepathmanager.exe), but if the disks are mucked up then the agent won't start, so try installing with no cable, the adding the cable after the reboot, still got probs then look for the disk thing.

PS haven't we all met before?

[Martin Stanjer]

Yes Richard!
We met when you were the knowledgable and helpful SAN expert at Spring. I hope all is well now that you have moved on.
I advised Chris to look at HBA driver/secure path versions, because I have experienced problems here myself recently. Chris would be wise to follow your advise before doing anything else!
Best Regards,
Martin.

[Chris Goodrich_1]

Richard,
Thanks for you help. When I look in Device Manager, Disks they all appear as DEC HSG80 disks. if I go to update driver it will not find a better driver for it. How do I make it into a Secure Path disk?
Thanks again
Chris

[RBaker]

Ignore the fact that it thinks it's got the best driver, tick the "show all compatible hardware" button or whatever it was (I've forgotten the NT4 equivalent) and you should see one or more "secure path disk" listed, use whichever is your preference, they all should work. Might have to "have disk" and point at the driver on the securepath media. Give it a reboot or three until one securepath disk is seen for each logical drive.

Same process for W2K and W2K3 by the way but unfortunately plug-and-play needs to get it's act together and the process might need repeating more than once.

[Chris Goodrich_1]

I am doing all this on a W2K3 server. When I tick 'show all compatibly hardware' I only get one option appear called 'disk drive' there is no options for Secure Path Disk. If I click on have disk and go to the cd drive with the Secure Path cd in it it does not find any drivers. what is going on???? Got a few other servers with secure path installed and it installed fine, don't understand!!!!!!!

[RBaker]

Have to select Show all hardware and it complains that it isn't a good idea but do it anyway

[Chris Goodrich_1]

I don't know if it is me being a bit stupid or what but I can't find an option to select show all hardware. Is there drivers for a secure path disk I can download from somewhere? There are none on the cd that the 'have disk' action recognise. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks for your help

[RBaker · Accepted solution]

Lets try a different approach,

1) Delete disks from device manager
2) Unplug Fibre
3) reinstall securepath4.0c over the top
4) Reboot
5) plug in fibre
6) if plug and play doesn't find them then reboot.
7) all should be ok.

Done this in my lab four times for you with various drivers, works every time.

[Chris Goodrich_1]

Thanks for all your help Richard, this has fixed it, I am realy greatful. I can go home today a happy man!!!!!!!!!!

[RBaker]

U and me both. Absolutely everyone installs securepath4 with the fibre attached (even me cos I'm lazy). The fix is to update the DISK driver or start again with the fibre disconnected, if it's found it already then you can delete. For the record if you read the installation manual then installing with the cables disconnected is in the small print.