OpenSCManager FAILED 1722: RPC server is unavailable

[Chris Bedford]

You gurus,

You are supposed to be able to stop, start, and monitor services on a remote server, and do a bunch of other stuff, using the "sc.exe" utility provided with the OS.

However when I try I am getting the above error, while nothing is logged in event log.

A search on MS support site brings up exactly one kb article (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323790/en-us) which tells me that I have to enable File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks component on the remote computer. Sadly, this is already turned on. Also there is a firewall exception enabled for File & Printer Sharing.

I also get the same error when I try the same command in the reverse direction, i.e. from "server 3" to "server 1" where I was attempting it from Server 1 to Server 3 before ("1" is Small Business Server 2003, "3" is Web Edition 2003).

Anyone have any further thoughts? Getting this working is pretty important in my backup strategy!

[Chris Ciapala]

Chris,
Are you sure firewall exceptions are the right ones?
What if you try 'net view \\remoteserver'? Or maybe try to manage machine remotely, I mean - start Computer Management, then connect to remote server?

[Chris Bedford]

Hi there

Well the firewall exceptions are those set up by default - I didn't configure or mess with them, so I have to assume they are set right ;-) ! (They are UDP 137 & 138, and TCP 139 & 445).

I can remote manage the server just fine - connect using Computer Management, go into Services, and stop & start services easily. A little slow, but it works...

What could be wrong!? :-(

CHris

[Chris Ciapala · Accepted solution]

If you are able to use Remote Management then sc should be working fine. If you try:

sc \\remotesrv query

you are still getting RPC errors?
It could be also the case which I experience sometimes than is seems like Remote Management has longer timeout for waiting for response than sc.exe.

[Chris Bedford]

Thanks Chris

All working now! I have no idea what has changed, but after I tried sc query (worked great) I tried sc stop "w32time" and it worked too! Stop, start, query all give expected results, with no delay. I can't test on the service that I want it to work on when I run "live" (there are users logged into the system now) but I'm sure it will work.

Thanks for help, your magic touch must have fixed it... :-)

PS I tried allocating points to your reply but the website just tells me URL unavailable. I will try again later - I have been having odd things with itrc, where it tells me I can't log in because my ID doesn't exist, then I go to the home page and log in fine from there.

[Chris Bedford]

Points were allocated after all. This website seems to have semi-broken links, when I post a reply it comes back with "error posting submission" or something like that, but then if I hit "back" and refresh the thread, there is my reply.

So anyway thanks again Chris, have a great day!