Error! Connection failed to node (local) for database PC1: Reading header f

[Former Member]

We are doing a DR exercise with the content server.

We install the Maxdb database with the user sdb on the production

instance and sdbqc1 on the q/a instance. For the dr exercise we moved

the /sapdb/programs and /sapdb/data from the production to the q/a

instance. Since the sdb user is the owner of the filesystems and are

the same uid on the production and the q/a instances, we believe we

would be abe to run the x_server and the dbmcli commands with user

sdb. We receieved the following error:

Must be called by root or effective user 108 effective group 14036

Error! Connection failed to node (local) for database PC1: Reading

header from pipe:(0:NO ERROR(0)

Is there some other local file that needs to be updated as well ?

Please advise asap as we have no protection against a diaster.

[lbreddemann · Accepted solution]

Hi Denise,

> We are doing a DR exercise with the content server.

Good thing that!

> We install the Maxdb database with the user sdb on the production

> instance and sdbqc1 on the q/a instance.

Wow - wait a minute ... who told you to do that ?

> For the dr exercise we moved

> the /sapdb/programs and /sapdb/data from the production to the q/a

> instance. Since the sdb user is the owner of the filesystems and are

> the same uid on the production and the q/a instances, we believe we

> would be abe to run the x_server and the dbmcli commands with user

> sdb. We receieved the following error:

> Must be called by root or effective user 108 effective group 14036

> Error! Connection failed to node (local) for database PC1: Reading

> header from pipe:(0:NO ERROR(0)

Ok, that's no surprise.

The database software checks itself if effective user and mode of files are as it is expected.

If the installed files don't pass that test - the db won't start. We don't do that in order to prevent a behaviour of the software that might become unpredictable. Securing the data is the primary objective here - so no start with files that do not look like they should (at least roughly).

> Is there some other local file that needs to be updated as well ?

Hmm... no you should not "update" local files ever.

What you should do is read note [803452 - MaxDB directories in UNIX clusters for failover|https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/803452].

In that note it is explained how to setup a cluster for MaxDB environment.

It's also explained in that note, that the software owner on both servers has to be the same. (standard system: User sdb, group sdba)

> Please advise asap as we have no protection against a diaster.

As mentioned before, terms like "asap", "urgent", "emergency" - are meaningless once you turn to a forum. If you've got a problem that needs immediate attention and if you're a SAP customer: open a support message!

And, BTW, don't you use backups?

That is a desaster (I guess you did not really look for "diaster"-protection, did you?) protection and a cluster setup is not a reason to skip backups.

Basically consider yourself in the validation phase of your setup - the system was not secured by failover before, neither is it now, that you know. No real harm done.

KR Lars