HAC Does Not Start If Database Key Does Not Exist (276681)



The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Host Integration Server 2000

This article was previously published under Q276681

SYMPTOMS

If the Host Security User Database (UDB) key can not be found when the SNA Host Account Cache (HAC) Service attempts to start, the following event errors may be posted in the event viewer.

In the System Log:
Event ID: 7024 - Source: Service Control Manager

The SNA Host Account Cache service terminated with service-specific error 3781166337.
In the Application Log:
Event ID: 22 - Source: SNA Host Security

Unable to retrieve the LSA secret. Error: The system cannot find the file specified.
You may also see the following error message in the Host Account Manager (Udconfig.exe).
Unable to locate Windows NT Account Synchronization Service in the target Windows NT domain. To browse other domains, use the "Select Domain" option of the "File" menu.

CAUSE

The UDB key does not exist. There are two possible reasons why the key does not exist:
  • An error occurred during the setup process such that the UDB key was not generated.
  • The UDB key was deleted by an Administrator.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, create a new UDB key by using the Hiudbkey.exe utility.

To get help on this utility, at a command prompt, type the following:

hiudbkey /?

To verify that the UDB key does not exist, type hiudbkey /showkey. If the UDB key does not exist, you will receive the following error message:
Unable to get the key. Error: The system cannot find the file specified.
The easiest way to create a new UDB key is to run hiudbkey /newkey /randomlen:xx.

Note that xx is a specified length of randomly generated key values. The valid range is 12-60. For example, the following is a valid command:

hiudbkey /newkey /randomlen:35

The following is not a valid command:

hiudbkey /newkey /randomlen:10

MORE INFORMATION

The Hiudbkey.exe command-line utility is used to set, delete, or retrieve the HAC database key. This key is created and stored in LSA during the installation of the HAC database component. The UDB key is the security key that is used for encrypting or decrypting the information that is stored in the Host Security User Database.

NOTE: If the UDB key is deleted after the HAC is already populated, once a new UDB key is created, you will need to run the Host Security Domain Wizard again and repopulate the cache. Once the UDB key is deleted, there is no way to recover the HAC.

Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:5/10/2005
Keywords:KB276681