SDE Instances won't start after server reboot. SDE 9.3.1 - SLQ 2008 64-bit

[RandyKreuziger]

We have just set up 2 new SQL Server servers and both are experiencing the same problem. On each server the ArcSDE instances fail to start after a reboot. If I login I can start them manually with no problems. The SDE services are dependent on the SQL (named instance) and try to start immediately after the SQL Server Agent which has the same dependency. But SDE is trying to restart before all the databases have started. Only Master and Model have started with SDE tries to start.

It looks like I found a workaround for now by setting the SDE instances to a startup type of "Automatic (Delayed Start)." Has anyone else come across this problem?


sde_esri_sde_GeoScrtach.log:
-------------------------------------------------------
ArcSDE 9.3.1 for SQL Server Build 2785 Mon Dec 21 12:03:03 2009
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IDBInitialize::Initialize Failed
init_DB DB_instance_open_as_dba: -93
DBMS error code: 18456
Microsoft SQL Server Native Client 10.0: Login failed for user 'sde'.

Event Viewer Application Log:
Login failed for user 'sde'. Reason: Failed to open the explicitly specified database. [CLIENT: <local machine>]




ArcSDE 9.3.1 (SP1)
SQL 2008 64-bit (SP1)
Windows Server 2008 R2

[DaveWatson]

I switched the Startup Type in the services to Automatic (Delayed Start) it resolved the problem for us.

Thanks,

Dave

[RandyKreuziger]

Dave,
  Thank you.  I'm glad to see that option in Windows.  ESRI was not able to determine why a hand full of sites are having this problem.  It may be on the SQL side or Windows server.

[HectorSanchez]

When you start you 'comand prompt', run it as an Administrator (righ click the 'comand prompt' icon). Try again starting the service with 'sdemon -o start -i port'.

[RandyKreuziger]

Thanks, but it does start.  It just won't start until SQL Server is fully up.  The SDE services are dependent on SQL Server service but SQL seems to be declaring itself up before all the databases have come online.  So when SDE tries to start it can't get everything it needs from SQL Server.

[RandyKreuziger]

ESRI tried to reproduce our issue by reproducing our environment but couldn't.  They asked us to send a VM of our system but we had problems exporting the VM.  To their credit ESRI spent at least a few staff weeks trying to help us.  So we are still doing the "Automatic (Delayed Start)" workaround.  The tech did say that we weren't the only ones reporting the problem but that they still couldn't reproduce it.

[ReginaDaas]

Did anyone experience this issue on a physical server vs a virtual server?  We are are a virtural server SQL 2008 R2  Win2008 R2 and SDE v10 (no service packs or hotfixes) and we have this issue.  I changed the service to automatic with delay and it's resolved........for now. But could this issue emerge again and our db grows and load increases?????   
Thank You for the post

[RandyKreuziger]

Ours in a physical server. What ESRI wanted us to do is do a P2V or physical to virtual so we could send them the P2V and they could restore it on their side.  I hope that clears things up.

[GerryBelanger]

We experience this both in VM and Physical servers with the following configurations.

Server 2008, SQL 2008 R2 with ArcSDE 10
Server 2008 R2, SQL 2008 R2 with ArcSDE 10

Server 2008, SQL 2008 R2 with ArcSDE 10 SP1
Server 2008 R2, SQL 2008 R2 with ArcSDE 10 SP1

Anyone else find a solution other than automatic (delay)?

Thanks.

[AdrianaRangel_Sotter]

We experience this problem in VM servers with the following configurations.

Windows Server 2003, SQL 2008 R2 with ArcSDE 10 SP1

Anyone else find a solution other than automatic (delay), this option isn't available in Windows 2003?

Thanks.