Cannot install 3CX - Database fails to start

[CloudBand]

All,

i am trying to install 3CX on a Windows SBS 2008 machine, with dual-core Pentium and tonnes of disk. The first part of the install goes through okay, then it says that it is going to run the installation wizard, and then a message box appears saying: 3cx phone system database server is not started. Then it closes, and that is that.

I have tried it running both Cassini and IIS, same result. As it happens if i go into the Admin Tools->Services on the machine the only 3Cx service that IS running is the 3CX PhoneSystem Database Server.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks,
CB

 

[igor.snezhko]

Install .NET 3.5 SP1

 

[CloudBand]

Not ignoring you, Igor ... just having the devil of a job getting SP1 for .NET 3.5 installed on the machine. Will keep you posted with result when this is finally done.
Thanks for the input,
CB

 

[CloudBand]

Okay, I won't bore you with the problem, but .NET 3.5 SP1 and subsequent required updates are installed on the machine okay ...

... but still no joy; same response. This is happening with v7 and v8 of 3CX.

Another source has asked me to check "ping localhost" and asked if it reports "::1:", which indeed it does. I'll post here if there is any development along that front.

In the meantime, I would be very grateful if anyone else has any more ideas. I really want to get this to work.

Thanks in advance,
CB

 

[igor.snezhko]

Disable antivirus and firewall.

 

[CloudBand]

Tried it, still no good.

Anything else?

Thanks,
CB

 

[discovery1]

Try manually running the 3CX wizard again.
It is located in c:\Program Files\3CX PhoneSystem\Bin\3cxwizard.exe

 

[SY]

drivers/etc/hosts file should specify address of localhost as 127.0.0.1 not as ::1

 

[comresource]

drivers/etc/hosts file should specify address of localhost as 127.0.0.1 not as ::1

Unfortunately SBS2008 will use the IPV6 address if available by default and you cannot disable IPV6 on SBS2008 unless you are wanting a world of pain as a lot of services depend on it.

I have SBS2008 at home, tonight I will throw 3CX on it and see if I see the same issues and let you know.

 

[SY]

drivers/etc/hosts file should specify address of localhost as 127.0.0.1 not as ::1

Unfortunately SBS2008 will use the IPV6 address if available by default and you cannot disable IPV6 on SBS2008 unless you are wanting a world of pain as a lot of services depend on it.

I have SBS2008 at home, tonight I will throw 3CX on it and see if I see the same issues and let you know.

Danny,

I'm talking about hosts file only. It doesn't remove ipv6 from the system...

 

[wzaatar]

The 3CX setup engine uses Microsoft's MSI installer.

May I suggest you run the installer with the /L logfile.log and just when you get the error message open the text log file and scroll all the way down and check the eventual error message that appears in the last few lines.

Best way to debug it.

 

[comresource]

Ok, just installed on SBS2008 with no problems, so its not a SBS specific issue.

 

[LeonidasG_3CX]

C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts
Edit this with notepad and you might see something like this.

# Copyright (c) 1993-2006 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

::1

Delete the last Entry which says

::1

and add this in it's place

127.0.0.1 localhost

 

[CloudBand]

All,

Many thanks for all the input. I have done the following:

- I changed the HOSTS file so the loopback is IPv4 (127.0.0.1).
- Attempted to re-install 3CX again, this time also using the /L flag.
RESULT: exactly the same error. The logfile reports Installation completed successfully (which if you think about it makes sense, as the install has happened, it is the wizard after the install that is failing).

I then tried to manually run the wizard again ...

RESULT: it ran. We're in, I thought ...
However, I go through the wizard and get to the Save Configuration section, and the fourth one down, Starting secondary database service, fails. A messagebox appears saying "Cannot open 3CXCfgServ service on computer '."."

I am wondering if the clue is in the "... on computer '.'" part?

Incidentally, running the wizard again gives me the initial error "database not started". I am wondering if the wizard stops and starts the database service and it is not coming back up in a timely manner?

However, don't let me lead you. Anything you guys can think of would be gratefully tested.

Thanks,
CB

 

[LeonidasG_3CX]

It's just a possibility, but if i were you i'd uninstall Framework and re-install it again now that you made the Hosts Change.
I'm not too optimistic about whether it will do anything, but i'd do it anyway just to be on the safe side.

net framwork 3.5 sp1: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=AB99342F-5D1A-413D-8319-81DA479AB0D7&displaylang=en

Also Uninstall and try to Re-Install the after you do the above PBX now that you made that change with the hosts.

Make sure that you are installing with Admin Priviledges.

 

[CloudBand]

Well ... thanks for all the help, and especially SY who has been PM'ing me with suggestions.

This is where we are: it comes down to the configuration service not starting because it cannot log onto the database becuase the password is invalid - according to the configuraiton service log file. I have tried everything, short of completely re-building from scratch the SBS2008 box - which is not going to happen. The funny thing is this a fresh SBS install; the only things on top are some anti-virus software (and, yes ... I did try turning it off). The other thing is now, after all the install/unistall's, the whole box is running like treacle, now, taking upward of 15 seconds to open a directory in windows explorer.

Alas, it looks like we are going to run with Asterisk.

Thanks again for all your suggestions. If anyone thinks of anything else I would be very interested to hear.

CB

 

[wzaatar]

Just to understand something, is it a Windows Service password error or a Database access password error?

 

[pursuit]

Hi folks,

Newbie here and I came across this very issue when trying an install of the free version under a Win2003 Eval Server virtual machine on VMWare ESXi 3.5. I appreciate not the exact same config as CloudBand but I managed to get the system running and thought I would add in the steps I took.

DB was 'Started' but PgSQL reported that config file did not exist (it did). I assumed a security issue but it was a red herring. I tried many things (including running 3cxInstallationChecker which reported nothing was installed). Taking discovery1's advice I ran 3cxwizard.exe, initially failing as it tried to bring up another instance of Cassini etc. I guessed that the issue arose because the installation process had not created the proper configs. The steps to success were:

• 
  Under "Services", make sure all relevant apps are stopped (including Cassini and any 3CXxxxxxxx apps, especially the DB).
  Start 3cxwizrd.exe from c:\Program Files\3CX PhoneSystem\Bin\3cxwizard.exe
  Opt for a "New PBX" and step through the relevant sections. (I created one extension, added SIP domain but no SIP providers etc. for now).
  The Wizard reaches the 'Building config', 'Starting DB', 'Starting secondary database' etc etc.
  At this point, after some delay, the wizard may fail. If so, check Windows Services and if the 3catabase and ConfigServer are running, you should be good to go
  Login to the Management Console (use the startup link in Start, Programs, 3CX Phone System, ManagementConsole.)
  Go to Services Status on the left hand tree display and start any services not running.

For me, this got the basic PBX running. I have yet to test full functionality. Also, I had not installed the 3CX Assistant at this stage - I installed it after I got the PBX running (and this in turn installed VS Runtime tools). I don't know if this has a bearing on the problems experienced by others. Sorry I can't comment on the underlying cause - my assumption is a failure during the original install which skipped a step - but I am more of a Linux user than Windows.

The system does appear quite slow but this could be the resource limits in force from my VMWare settings. More work to do to validate this but, otherwise, so far so good.

Hope the above steps help.

Simon
(pursuit)

 

[CloudBand]

Thanks for the update, Simon.

I thought - just out of interest - you guys might like to know how this all shook down.

The Asterisk install did not go well. No one here knows Linux, so it was all a bit doomed from the start.

In the end the performance problems on the server meant we had to rebuild in the end. installed 3CX onto that with no (real) problems (i say 'real' ... we do have an outstanding issue, but that is being raised in another post). All running great ... can make internal calls, external calls, receive external calls, voicemail, all pretty good.

So ... we will never know what the original problems were, but happy to say 3CX running great here. Quick shout out to UK's VoIP Unlimited for also helping me get this running.

CB

 

[SY]

Thanks for the update, Simon.

I thought - just out of interest - you guys might like to know how this all shook down.

The Asterisk install did not go well. No one here knows Linux, so it was all a bit doomed from the start.

In the end the performance problems on the server meant we had to rebuild in the end. installed 3CX onto that with no (real) problems (i say 'real' ... we do have an outstanding issue, but that is being raised in another post). All running great ... can make internal calls, external calls, receive external calls, voicemail, all pretty good.

So ... we will never know what the original problems were, but happy to say 3CX running great here. Quick shout out to UK's VoIP Unlimited for also helping me get this running.

CB

It is pleasure to know that the problem disappeared... but, unfortunatelly, it is not resolved because the real reasons are still unknown
Probably it may be related to specific software environment... who knows...

Thanks a lot for the update