This problem started when a client attempted to add a ‘distribution point’ for System Center onto the server. This process failed, then Outlook Web Access stopped working. First line found that the World Wide Web service was not running, when they attempted to start it, this happened;
Windows could not start the World Wide Web Publishing Service
service on Local Computer.
Error 1068: The dependency service or group failed to start.
Fair enough, the dependency in question was the Windows Process Activation Service. When they attempted to start that, this happened;
Windows could not start the Windows Process Activation Service
service on Local Computer.
Error 183: Cannot create a file when that file already exists.
Solution
This was a nightmare of a problem to troubleshoot, and IIS architecture is not my subject of choice. I was pretty much convinced the error was in a config file or a setting had been changed but where?
I restored the IIS config files from the servers own backup, and from before the error started, still the services refused to start.
Time to spin up Process Monitor. If you’re unfamiliar with Process Monitor, it is to Windows what Wireshark is to network traffic. Here I’m using it to get a ‘snapshot’ of everything that’s going on when the error occurs.
1. Run Process Monitor > Start it capturing data > Attempt to start the Windows Process Activation Service > Wait for the error > Stop the capture.
2. You will have a LOT of data, so lets narrow it down. On the properties of the service, you can see to launch, it runs ‘svchost.exe -k iissvcs’. Add in the Command Line Column, then add a filter to show only results for that command.
3. Normally at this point you would go through the results column and look for errors, e.g. access denied, not found, etc, but they all looked OK. However it was apparent that it was parsing the WebDAV_schema.xml file as it should, but before it did that, it also was reading WebDAV_schema – Copy.xml.
The copy was ‘moved elsewhere’.
4. At this point, the good folk at Microsoft came back and said they had been thought the applicationHost.config file and the bindings ‘didn’t look right either’. So we took a backup.
5. The bindings for port 80 (http) and 443 (https) were set to the default.
At this point the services could be started without error, and the problem was resolved.
Conclusion
Which of the two changes fixed the problem? The honest answer is “I don’t know”, what I do know is there was nothing I could find on the internet that helped in any way. As I had a backup of the applicationHost.config file I could compare the two see see what Microsoft meant by the bindings ‘not looking right’.
Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links
Kudos to Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell for Process Monitor
Seen while installing System Center Configuration Manager 2007
Error: Setup cannot complete the specified installation on this computer for the following reasons. The site server computer’s machine account does not have Administrator’s privileges on the SQL server selected for the site database installation. To install a Configuration Manager site, all servers must be in an active directory domain and the site servers machine account must have Administrator’s privileges on the SQL Server.
Solution
First log onto the SQL server you are using to store the SCCM database.
If the SQL Server is a Domain Controller
1. Click Start > Run > dsa.msc {Enter}.
2. Expand the domain-name > Builtin > Administrators > Right Click > Properties > Members > Add > Object Types > Tick “Computers” > Then add in the server name of the SCCM Server > Apply > OK.
If the SQL Server is a Member Server
1. Click Start > Right Click Computer (or my computer) > Manage.
2. Expand Configuration > Local Users and Groups > Groups > Administrators >Right Click > Properties > Members > Add > Object Types > Tick “Computers” > Then add in the server name of the SCCM Server > Apply > OK.
Finally re-try the SCCM installation.
Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links
I had to work out how to do this for a client, and as is my modus operandi, I’ll try and save you some of the pain I endured,
Products Used
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP2 Windows Server 2008 R2 SQL 2008 R2 (At time of writing neither officially supported or not supported on SCCM)
Note: I was originally going to use SQL 2005 – hence the reason the SQL servers name is SCCM-SQL2005, however I bit the bullet and used SQL 2008 R2 instead.
Solution
Step 1: SCCM Domain pre install work.
1. Create two groups in Active Directory.
a. sccm administrator group SCCM-ADMIN b. sql administrator group SQL-ADMIN
2. Add both groups to the Domain Admin’s group.
3. Create two new users: sccmadmin and sqladmin.
4. Add sccmadmin to SCCM-ADMIN group and add sqladmin to SQL-ADMIN group.
c. Windows Authentication. d. IIS6 Metabase compatibility. e. IIS6 WMI compatibility.
3. Add the following “server Features”:
a. Background Intelligent Transfer Service. b. Remote Differential Compression.
4. If you are NOT running Windows Server 2008 R2 Download and install WebDav (already included in Windows Server 2008 R2). If you are running R2 skip to the next step.
5. Server Manager > Roles > Web Server (IIS) > Add Role Services > WebDAV Publishing > Next > Close.
6. To enable WebDav > Start > Administrative Tools > Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager > Expand {server name} > Sites > Default Web Site > WebDav Authoring Rules.
7. Select Enable WebDav (On the right hand side).
8. Select add authoring Rule > All Content > All Users > Permissions > Read > OK.
9. Select the rule you have just created > WebDav Settings.
10. Change “Allow Anonymous Properties Queries” to True > Change “Allow Custom Properties” to False > Change “Allow Property Query with Infinite Depth” to True > Change “Allow hidden files to be listed” to True > Apply.
12. From the WSUS installation choose “Full server installation” > DO NOT accept the default “Use the existing IIS Default Web site” > Use “”Create a Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2 Web site” (Note: this will use port TCP 8530 by default).
Step 3: SCCM Install SQL Server.
1. From the SQL install media run setup.exe > Installation > “New Installation or add features to an existing Installation” > OK.
2. Enter product Key if applicable > Next > “I accept…” > Next > Install > Next > Next.
5. On the Server configuration Page > Select “Use the same account for all SQL Server services > Select the User you created originally (sqladmin) > Set the SQL Server Agent and SQL Server Database Engine Startup type to “Automatic” > Next.
6. Accept “Windows Authentication” > Add in your SCCM-ADMIN group and SQL-ADMIN group > Next > Next > Next > Install.
7. When it’s completed click close.
Step 4: Prepare Active Directory for SCCM
1. Extend the schema > From the install media > SMSSETUP > BIN > 1386 > extadsch.exe
2. Check the above was successful by opening the c:extADsch.txt file it should say “”successfully extended the Active Directory Schema”.
3. We now need to create some active directory objects go to a domain controller > Start > Administrative tools > ADSI Edit > Action > connect to > leave everything on its defaults > OK.
4. Expand the Default naming context > Expand your domain name > Right click “system” > New > Object > Container > Next.
5. Call it “System Management” > Next > Finish > Close ADSI Edit.
6. Still on the domain controller > Start > dsa.msc {enter} > View > Advanced.
7. Expand “system” > Locate the container you created “System Management” > right click it and select properties > Security Tab > Add > Object Types > Tick Computers > OK.
8. Click Advanced > Find Now > Locate and add the SCCM-ADMIN group you created earlier > Also add the SCCM Server itself > OK.
9. Grant allow “Full Control” to both the SCCM admin group and the SCCMserver.
10. Now click advanced > Select the SCCM-ADMIN group > Edit.
11. Change the “Apply to” section from “This object only” to “This object and all descendant objects” > OK > Apply > OK.
12. Repeat the above for the SCCM-Server object.
Step 5: Install SCCM
1. Log on as the sccadmin user.
2. From within the SCCM setup media run splash.hta > Run the Pre requisite checker > Enter the SQL Server name > SCCM server name and the FQDN of the SCCM server > OK.
3. Note If you cannot talk to the SQL server then check that the Windows firewall is not blocking you (on the SQL server Start > run > firewall.cpl > Turn it off).
4. All being well it should say “All required pre requisite tests have completed successfully” > OK.
5. Re-run Splash.hta > This time choose > Install configuration Manager 2007 SP2 > Next > “Install Configuration Manager site Server > Next.
6. Tick “I accept these License terms > Next > Custom Install > Next > Primary Site > Next > Next > enter unlock code is applicable > Next > Accept/change the install directory > Next > Enter a Site code and friendly name > Next.
DO NOT ever try and change this code and don’t forget it!!
7. Change the Site mode to “Configuration Manager Mixed Mode” (Native mode requires certificate services and considerably more work). > Next.
8. Accept the defaults (everything except NAP) > Next.
9. Enter your SQL server name > Next > Next > Next > Next > Next.
10. Select a location to install the updates to > Next.
11. Updates will download this may take some time > when finished it should say it was successful > OK > Next.
12. It will run the pre requisite check again > when finished click begin install.
13. When finished click Next > Finish.
14.Now you need to send out the clients and configure SCCM, I’ll cover that in a later article.
Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links
