Troubleshooting Computer Unreachable and Access Is Denied Error Messages

Category: Troubleshooting & error messages
Date: 20 May 2009
Product: SQL Response
If the service account selected for the SQL Response Alert Repository Service does not have local administrator privileges on the machine where the repository is located and Sysadmin rights to the SQL Instance to be monitored, you will receive either one of the following error messages:

Computer Unreachable

Access Is Denied

There are two solutions to resolve this problem.

1. Give the service account selected for the SQL Response Alert Repository Service Windows Administrator privileges on the machine where the repository is located and SQL Sysadmin privileges on the SQL Instance to be monitored.

2. Give the service account selected for the SQL Response Alert Repository Service privileges to run Distributed COM (DCOM) and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) on the machine where the repository is located.

Configuring SQL Response DCOM and WMI privileges

Follow the Instructions in this Microsoft article: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa393613.aspx - Setting Namespace Security with the WMI Control.
Please pay attention to the following points:

  · Log on locally as an administrator on the target machine
  · In the Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools.
  · In the Administrative Tools window, double-click Computer Management.
  · Expand the Services object
  · Click once on WMI Control under the Services object
  · Right-click the WMI Control under the Services object
  · Choose "Properties" from the context menu
  · Switch to the Security tab
  · Click on "Root"
  · Click the "Security" button
  · Click on "Add" and add the service account
  · Once you've added the account, you should be back at a window titled "Security for Root"
  · Click on your service account in the "Group or user names" list
  · Make sure the "Execute Methods", "Enable Account" and "Remote Enable" permissions are selected.
  · Click the "Advanced" button
  · Choose the service account from the "Permission entries" list and click the "Edit" button
  · Change the "Apply Onto" option to "This namespace and subnamespaces"
  · Click OK to close the "Permission Entry for Root" window.
  · Click OK to close the "Advanced Security Settings for Root" window.
  · Click OK to close the "Security for Root" window.
  · Click OK to close the "WMI Control Properties" window.

Next follow the instructions in this Microsoft article: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa393266.aspx - Securing a Remote WMI Connection.
Please pay attention to the following points:

  · Click Start, click Run, type DCOMCNFG, and then click OK.
  · In the Component Services dialog box, expand Component Services, expand Computers, and then right-click My Computer and click Properties.
  · In the My Computer Properties dialog box, click the COM Security tab.
  · Under Launch and Activation Permissions, click Edit Limits.
  · In the Launch Permission dialog box, follow these steps if your name or your group does not appear in the Groups or user names list:
  · In the Launch Permission dialog box, click Add.
  · In the Select Users, Computers, or Groups dialog box, add your name and the group in the Enter the object names to select box, and then click OK.
  · In the Launch Permission dialog box, select your user and group in the Group or user names box. In the Allow column under Permissions for User, select Remote Launch and select Remote Activation, and then click OK.
  · Close all windows