General problems when you start the SAP services SAP<SID>_<instance_number>, SAPOscol and the SAPRouter and when you start the SAP Service Manager.
The most frequent cause for not being able to start the SAP service is an incorrect configuration; the procedure described below is designed to help you analyze it and to solve the problem.
If the R/3 System service SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number> does not start correctly, the SAP Service Manager is also not started correctly:
Cannot open pipe to SAP/R3 Service
Service Name : SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number>
Pipename : \<hostname>pipeSAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number>
Error Code : ...
Error Text : ...
If, after starting the SAP Service Manager, the traffic light for message servers and dispatchers does not change to the status 'normal' (that is, green) or it remains, either the dispatcher or the message server has communication problems.
Solution
SAP Services
1. Error messages and corresponding Event Log entries
Use entries from the NT Event Log (System or Application Log) and, if necessary, dialog boxes with error messages, when starting the service to limit the error cause. The following lists typical error messages and their possible causes. If the recommendations for eliminating the problem do not help, contact SAP support with a detailed description of the problem. Note that some Event Log messages are harmless (Note 32182).
If you use Netware links or an Oracle (< 7.3.x) or MS SQL Server (<7.0) database and discover problems concerning the R/3 System services SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number>, use Note 53211 to eliminate the problem.
a) Error messages in the Event Log (System Log):
- The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion
- Timeout (120000 milliseconds) waiting for service to connect.
Dialog box when starting the service:
Could not start the <service_name> service on \<host>
Error 2186: the service is not responding to the control function
Cause:
Service configuration error (also write error in parameters, for example). Deinstall and install the service (see Release 2.C to 2.E).
b) Error messages in the Event Log (System Log):
- Logon attempt with current password failed with the following error: Logon failure: unknown user name or bad password.
- The SAProuter service failed to start due to the following error: The service did not start due to a logon failure.
Dialog box at the service start:
Could not start the <service_name> service on \<host>
Error 1069: The service did not start due to a logon failure.
Cause:
Either the password or the user used for the start is incorrect. Change the settings in 'Control Panel -> Services -> Startup -> Logon As This Account'.
c) Error message in the Event Log:
none
Dialog box when starting the service:
Could not start the <service_name> service on \<host>
Error 1067: The process terminated unexpectedly
Cause:
Error when installing the service caused by the NT Service Control Manager (program error or forgotten option when installing service). Uninstall the service and reinstall it (see 2.C to 2.E).
d) Error message in the Event Log (Application Log):
- Unable to process specified profile: pf=<path_to_startprofile>,
Error text: Access is denied. (Error No.: 5);
- Cannot find specified profile: pf=<path_to_startprofile>,
Error text: Access is denied. (Error No.: 5);
Dialog box when starting the service:
none (service starts)
Cause:
The path name does not exist or the user who starts the service does not have access to the profile or the directory. Grant the user total access to the profile.
e) Error message in the Event Log (system log):
- The <service_name> failed to start due to the following error: Access is denied.
Dialog box when starting the service:
Could not start the <service_name> service on \<host>
Error 0005: Access is denied.
Cause:
The user who starts the service has no access to the share SAPMNT or SAPLOC. Grant the user total access to the shares.
f) Error message in the Event Log (Application Log):
- Unable to process specified profile: pf=<path_to_startprofile>,
Error text: The system cannot find the path specified. (Error No.:3)
- Cannot find specified profiles: pf=<path_to_startprofile>,
Error text: The system cannot find the path specified. (Error No.:3)
Dialog box when starting the service:
none (service starts)
Cause:
The specified start profile was not found in the path. Check the string <path_to_startprofile> in the service installation.
To remove the annoying message prefix of the type:
The description for Event ID (1) in Source (SAP) could not be found.
It contains the following insertion string(s): ...
Read Note 22971.
*** For customers with RELEASE 2.1x/2.2x ***
The SAP service for earlier R/3 releases does not contain such detailed error handling as the SAP service for Releases 3.0x/3.1x. If a service-specific error occurs when starting the service, a dialog box appears with the following message:
The <service_name> service returned service specific error 1
In the event viewer you may find a helpful entry in the application log.
Cause: No access to the shares, start profile or directory of the start profile / incorrect path or profile name in the service definition / profile does not exist / computer name and DNS name are different.
For NT internal errors (for example, incorrect user of password), the same messages appear as described above.
2. Service management in general (installation and so on)
Use the SAP tool NTSCMGR. EXE to call up the status of an SAP service and to uninstall or install SAP services. Note with service new installations that, before starting, you must assign a corresponding SAP user for the service with whom the service is started ('Control Panel -> Services -> Startup -> Log on As This Account -> <SID>ADM or SAPService<SID>').
a) Status query:
ntscmgr.exe query <service_name>
b) Removing a service:
ntscmgr.exe remove <service_name>
ATTENTION: As of Release 4.5B a new SAP service is used which can no longer be deinstalled with NTSCMGR. You can find information about (de)installation of the new service as of 4.5B in Note 142100.
c) Installation of SAPOsCol:
ntscmgr.exe install SAPOsCol -b <path_to_saposcol>saposcol.exe -p service
d) Installation of SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number> :
ntscmgr.exe install SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number> -b <path_to_sapntstartb>sapntstartb.exe -p pf=<path_to_startprofile>start_profile>
ATTENTION: As of Release 4.5B a new SAP service is used which can no longer be installed with NTSCMGR. You can find information about (re)installation of the new service as of 4.5B in Note 142100.
e) Installation of SAPRouter (see Note 41054 !!):
ntscmgr.exe install SAProuter -b <path_to_saprouter>saprouter.exe -p "service -r <parameter>"
for example, with the use of a routing table:
ntscmgr.exe install SAProuter -b <path_to_saprouter>saprouter.exe -p "service -r -R <path_to_saprouttab>"
f) Note: For the binary path (-b <path_to_executable>) do not use UNC paths (\hostshare...), but rather absolute paths (c:......).
3. SAP Service Manager
a) Startup
The SAP Service Manager does not start, instead it generates a dialog box containing the following, for example:
Cannot open pipe to SAP/R3 Service
Service name: SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number>
Computer name: <hostname>
Pipe name: \.pipeSAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number>
Error code: 2
Error text: The system cannot find the file specified.
The following error codes are possible:
- ERROR CODE 2: The system cannot find the file specified
Error: The service is not created / was not or was not correctly started / was started under the user SYSTEM / Share SAPLOC cannot be found or is blocked / SAP Service Manager was started before the SAP service had completed its initialization / the service was exited - ERROR CODE 5: (access is denied)
The named pipe that was opened by starting the R/3 System service SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number> cannot be accessed. Log on with the correct user or check the user used to start the service. - ERROR CODE 53: The network path was not found
Check the availability of the specified hosts and the settings for R/3 System services SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number> (host name changed ??)
If the SAP Service Manager connect was unsuccessful, it is most likely caused by an error function in service SAP<SAPSID>_<instance_number>. Consult the NT Event Log to determine such errors.
b) Operation (status of traffic light)
I. Dispatcher remains in the status 'yellow' - See Note 72248
II. Message server and/or dispatcher acquire the status
'Unknown' a couple of seconds after the system is started.
This may be caused by an operating system upgrade
(3.51 -> 4. 0) during which the file SERVICES was either renewed or deleted in directory %systemroot%system32driversetc. It may also be that another backup (SERVICES.OLD) was created which must now be renamed again. If this backup does not exist, the settings for SAP known ports must be subsquently set up again (see Note 52959).
The following entries should exist:
sapdp<instance_number> 3200/tcp
sapms<SAPSID> from 3600/tcp
sapgw<instance_number> 3300/tcp
Create these entries again manually. Note in this case that originally other port numbers may have been assigned and attempt to reconstruct this by means of other application server settings.
A second possibility is damaged SAP executables.
Important files may have been damaged through a system crash. With SAP start, this affects the files:
DISP+WORK.EXE
GWRD. EXE
STRDBS. CMD (on DB server only)
MSG_SERVER.EXE (on DB server only)
SAPCPE. EXE (on application server only)
Replace the executables again with operative versions.
If you have any questions, contact SAP Customer Support.