Server does not reboot when there is no account logged on to the machine.

The server runs the remote agent as a service running under a domain administrator account.
The job is a JAL script with the REBOOT statement and is scheduled from a 24x7 master scheduler.

The server environment is Windows NT4 SP5 and SP6 (several servers are having this problem) and 24x7 version 3.3.8.

When the reboot job runs on the remote server (no one has logged on to the server) the 24x7 agent service appears to be running but does no respond to the 24x7 master or accept any other jobs. The rest of the server's services continue to run properly. The server never gets rebooted.
No services other than the 24x7 remote agent service appear to be hung.

There are no error messages in the 24x7 log or in the window's event logs.

We are trying to reboot database servers that seldom have anyone log into them. This is happening on all servers that we are trying to reboot when no account is logged on.

I stopped serveral application services thinking that maybe something was hanging but that did nothing. The server still never rebooted.

Thanks for your help.

By executing REBOOT on the agent from a remote job you are shooting yourself in the foot.

The solution to this follows. On each agent computer create a local job database if you don't have one yet (you can actually copy the same file).
In that file create a new JAL job with the REBOOT statement. Let's name this job REBOOT.

Now to reboot the agent computer instead of the REBOOT command executed by the agent you execute the RUN command, for example
Dim pid, number
Run "24x7 /JOB REBOOT", "", pid

That's it. This way the agent spawns an external asynchronous job, which in turn will reboot the server. The spawned process is independent from the agent and so the agent can gracefully report job completion and close connection to the 24x7 master and then terminate just if the computer was shutdown manually from the Windows Start Menu.

: Server does not reboot when there is no account logged on to the machine.

: The server runs the remote agent as a service running under a domain
: administrator account.
: The job is a JAL script with the REBOOT statement and is scheduled from a
: 24x7 master scheduler.

: The server environment is Windows NT4 SP5 and SP6 (several servers are having
: this problem) and 24x7 version 3.3.8.

: When the reboot job runs on the remote server (no one has logged on to the
: server) the 24x7 agent service appears to be running but does no respond
: to the 24x7 master or accept any other jobs. The rest of the server's
: services continue to run properly. The server never gets rebooted.
: No services other than the 24x7 remote agent service appear to be hung.

: There are no error messages in the 24x7 log or in the window's event logs.

: We are trying to reboot database servers that seldom have anyone log into
: them. This is happening on all servers that we are trying to reboot when
: no account is logged on.

: I stopped serveral application services thinking that maybe something was
: hanging but that did nothing. The server still never rebooted.

: Thanks for your help.

Well... your solution works about as well as my soultion when someone is logged on to Windows (that is that they do work properly).

HOWEVER... your solution and my solution DO NOT work when the server does not have anyone logged on to it (this has been my problem all along).

Please investigate this particular situation.

Thanks.

: By executing REBOOT on the agent from a remote job you are shooting yourself
: in the foot.

: The solution to this follows. On each agent computer create a local job
: database if you don't have one yet (you can actually copy the same file).
: In that file create a new JAL job with the REBOOT statement. Let's name this
: job REBOOT.

: Now to reboot the agent computer instead of the REBOOT command executed by
: the agent you execute the RUN command, for example
: Dim pid, number
: Run "24x7 /JOB REBOOT", "", pid

: That's it. This way the agent spawns an external asynchronous job, which in
: turn will reboot the server. The spawned process is independent from the
: agent and so the agent can gracefully report job completion and close
: connection to the 24x7 master and then terminate just if the computer was
: shutdown manually from the Windows Start Menu.

Didn't you say that "The server never gets rebooted?" The suggested solution would allow you to reboot the server.

Now the other problem is to make a connection after the reboot. Please turn on tracing option on the agent computer (Tools/Options, Log Options, Tracing Enabled) and reboot the machine. Check the agent.log for error messages like Listener or network error. Using the Telnet terminal try to ping the agent on the port it uses for listenning. If you didn't change the default port it is either 1096 or 10099.

: Well... your solution works about as well as my soultion when someone is
: logged on to Windows (that is that they do work properly).

: HOWEVER... your solution and my solution DO NOT work when the server does not
: have anyone logged on to it (this has been my problem all along).

: Please investigate this particular situation.

: Thanks.

The server never gets rebooted when nobody has logged on to the server through the Windows NT logon screen (your solution and my solution both fail).

When an account is logged on to the server the reboot process works (your solution and my solution).

If the server does get rebooted and no one logs on, the 24x7 agent still works because the agent is running as a service and not as an application. If the agent was running as an application then, yes, I would have a problem connecting to the agent but that is not the case.

: Didn't you say that "The server never gets rebooted?" The suggested
: solution would allow you to reboot the server.

: Now the other problem is to make a connection after the reboot. Please turn
: on tracing option on the agent computer (Tools/Options, Log Options,
: Tracing Enabled) and reboot the machine. Check the agent.log for error
: messages like Listener or network error. Using the Telnet terminal try to
: ping the agent on the port it uses for listenning. If you didn't change
: the default port it is either 1096 or 10099.

Did you check the agent.log file?

: The server never gets rebooted when nobody has logged on to the server
: through the Windows NT logon screen (your solution and my solution both
: fail).

: When an account is logged on to the server the reboot process works (your
: solution and my solution).

: If the server does get rebooted and no one logs on, the 24x7 agent still
: works because the agent is running as a service and not as an application.
: If the agent was running as an application then, yes, I would have a
: problem connecting to the agent but that is not the case.

I have run 4 test cases which are detail below. There is no agent.log but there are several other logs including a master.log on the remote server. In all cases the master log appears to have no errors. I can send you the logs for each test if you need them. Please try these same cases in your environment to see if you get the same results. Also, because I started using your reboot method, the agent now remains running properly and communicates with the master scheduler after the reboot job has tried to run even when the reboot does not happen.

Here are the test cases:

Test Case 1: -- REBOOT FAILURE
Environment:

1. A Windows account was logged on to the client server

2. Job JAL code on Master (runs job scheduler directly):

Dim pid, number

Run "d:\24x7\24x7.exe /JOB REBOOT", "", pid

3. The REBOOT job referenced in #2 above is a JAL script with the REBOOT statement.
Outcome:

1. Server did not reboot

2. Processes running on the client server after the REBOOT job tried to execute:

a. two processes called 24x7.exe

b. one process called 24x7srv.exe

3. 24x7 master was able to connect to the 24x7 agent properly.

4. Logs written to or produced:

a. schedule.log

b. script.log

c. stat.log

d. master.log (no errors found)

e. 24x7\Performance Data\142.log was produced
Assumed Failure Reason:

Job name in JAL script cannot be used. Job Id must be used.

Test Case 2: -- REBOOT SUCCESS
Environment:

1. A Windows account was logged on to the client server

2. Job JAL code on Master (runs job scheduler directly):

Dim pid, number

Run "d:\24x7\24x7.exe /JOB 140", "", pid

3. The job id 140 referenced in #2 above is a JAL script with the REBOOT statement.
Outcome:

1. Server rebooted properly

2. Processes running on the client server after the REBOOT job tried to execute:

a. one processes called 24x7.exe

b. one process called 24x7srv.exe

3. 24x7 master was able to connect to the 24x7 agent properly.

4. Logs written to or produced:

a. schedule.log

b. script.log

c. stat.log

d. master.log (no errors found)

e. 24x7\Performance Data\142.log was produced
Assumed Success Reason:

Job Id must be used instead of job name.

Test Case 3: -- REBOOT FAILURE
Environment:

1. A Windows account was NOT logged on to the client server

2. Job JAL code on Master (runs job scheduler directly):

Dim pid, number

Run "d:\24x7\24x7.exe /JOB 140", "", pid

3. The job id 140 referenced in #2 above is a JAL script with the REBOOT statement.
Outcome:

1. Server did not reboot

2. Processes running on the client server after the REBOOT job tried to execute:

a. one process called 24x7.exe

b. one process called 24x7srv.exe

3. 24x7 master was able to connect to the 24x7 agent properly.

4. Logs written to or produced:

a. schedule.log

b. script.log

c. stat.log

d. master.log (no errors found)

e. 24x7\Performance Data\140.log and 142.log were produced
Assumed Failure Reason:

A Windows NT account was not logged on to the client server.

Test Case 4: -- REBOOT FAILURE (tried starting the reboot job from a CMD file)

Environment:

1. A Windows account was NOT logged on to the client server

2. Job JAL code on Master (runs job scheduler using a Windows NT "CMD" file):

Dim pid, number

Run "d:\job_scripts\REBOOT.cmd", "", pid

3. Contents of the Windows NT "CMD" file:

d:\24x7\24x7.exe /JOB 140

4. The job id 140 referenced in #3 above is a JAL script with the REBOOT statement.

Outcome:

1. Server did not reboot

2. Processes running on the client server after the REBOOT job tried to execute:

a. one process called 24x7.exe

b. one process called 24x7srv.exe

3. 24x7 master was able to connect to the 24x7 agent properly.

4. Logs written to or produced:

a. schedule.log

b. script.log

c. stat.log

d. master.log (no errors found)

e. 24x7\Performance Data\140.log and 141.log were produced

Assumed Failure Reason:

A Windows NT account was not logged on to the client server.

: Did you check the agent.log file?

Thank you for your patience. I am still investigating this issue. I will get back to you when I find an appropriate solution or cause of the problem. In a mean time you may to check the related tip in 24x7 Scripts and Tips archive:

http://www.softtreetech.com/24x7/archive/autologon.htm

To read other tips please go to http://www.softtreetech.com/24x7/script.htm

: I have run 4 test cases which are detail below. There is no agent.log but
: there are several other logs including a master.log on the remote server.
: In all cases the master log appears to have no errors. I can send you the
: logs for each test if you need them. Please try these same cases in your
: environment to see if you get the same results. Also, because I started
: using your reboot method, the agent now remains running properly and
: communicates with the master scheduler after the reboot job has tried to
: run even when the reboot does not happen.

: Here are the test cases: Test Case 1: -- REBOOT FAILURE
: Environment: 1. A Windows account was logged on to the client server

: 2. Job JAL code on Master (runs job scheduler directly): Dim pid, number

: Run "d:\24x7\24x7.exe /JOB REBOOT", "", pid

: 3. The REBOOT job referenced in #2 above is a JAL script with the REBOOT
: statement.
: Outcome: 1. Server did not reboot

: 2. Processes running on the client server after the REBOOT job tried to
: execute: a. two processes called 24x7.exe

: b. one process called 24x7srv.exe

: 3. 24x7 master was able to connect to the 24x7 agent properly.

: 4. Logs written to or produced: a. schedule.log

: b. script.log

: c. stat.log

: d. master.log (no errors found)

: e. 24x7\Performance Data\142.log was produced
: Assumed Failure Reason: Job name in JAL script cannot be used. Job Id must be
: used.

: Test Case 2: -- REBOOT SUCCESS
: Environment: 1. A Windows account was logged on to the client server

: 2. Job JAL code on Master (runs job scheduler directly): Dim pid, number

: Run "d:\24x7\24x7.exe /JOB 140", "", pid

: 3. The job id 140 referenced in #2 above is a JAL script with the REBOOT
: statement.
: Outcome: 1. Server rebooted properly

: 2. Processes running on the client server after the REBOOT job tried to
: execute: a. one processes called 24x7.exe

: b. one process called 24x7srv.exe

: 3. 24x7 master was able to connect to the 24x7 agent properly.

: 4. Logs written to or produced: a. schedule.log

: b. script.log

: c. stat.log

: d. master.log (no errors found)

: e. 24x7\Performance Data\142.log was produced
: Assumed Success Reason: Job Id must be used instead of job name.

: Test Case 3: -- REBOOT FAILURE
: Environment: 1. A Windows account was NOT logged on to the client server

: 2. Job JAL code on Master (runs job scheduler directly): Dim pid, number

: Run "d:\24x7\24x7.exe /JOB 140", "", pid

: 3. The job id 140 referenced in #2 above is a JAL script with the REBOOT
: statement.
: Outcome: 1. Server did not reboot

: 2. Processes running on the client server after the REBOOT job tried to
: execute: a. one process called 24x7.exe

: b. one process called 24x7srv.exe

: 3. 24x7 master was able to connect to the 24x7 agent properly.

: 4. Logs written to or produced: a. schedule.log

: b. script.log

: c. stat.log

: d. master.log (no errors found)

: e. 24x7\Performance Data\140.log and 142.log were produced
: Assumed Failure Reason: A Windows NT account was not logged on to the client
: server.

: Test Case 4: -- REBOOT FAILURE (tried starting the reboot job from a CMD
: file)

: Environment: 1. A Windows account was NOT logged on to the client server

: 2. Job JAL code on Master (runs job scheduler using a Windows NT
: "CMD" file): Dim pid, number

: Run "d:\job_scripts\REBOOT.cmd", "", pid

: 3. Contents of the Windows NT "CMD" file: d:\24x7\24x7.exe /JOB 140

: 4. The job id 140 referenced in #3 above is a JAL script with the REBOOT
: statement.

: Outcome: 1. Server did not reboot

: 2. Processes running on the client server after the REBOOT job tried to
: execute: a. one process called 24x7.exe

: b. one process called 24x7srv.exe

: 3. 24x7 master was able to connect to the 24x7 agent properly.

: 4. Logs written to or produced: a. schedule.log

: b. script.log

: c. stat.log

: d. master.log (no errors found)

: e. 24x7\Performance Data\140.log and 141.log were produced

: Assumed Failure Reason: A Windows NT account was not logged on to the client
: server.