Trouble Shooting Notes

Basic Note:

Important Note 1.

Do not use "Copy" function to create users because "Copy" function to create users in Client-AD is disallowed.

 

The copy function to create users in Client-AD is disallowed because of issues with attributes getting copied from existing user to new user.  So the only option is to use ”Create New user” function on Client-AD where ADSync Utility is installed. When a new user is created on the Client-AD by COPYING an existing users, this corrupts the existing user in the hosted AD when the AD sync tool runs.

Scenario:


On Client-AD User A is copied to create User B
On Hosted-AD (After adsync service runs), User A has properties same as User B and hence user B is not created.

The attribute we could see that user B has from user A is Division. So following details were observed:

User A Stephen Kelly                     Division                              : PKFFPM[^]cn=s.kelly@pkffpm.com|1
User B Geoff Devlin                       Division                              : PKFFPM[^]cn=s.kelly@pkffpm.com|1


When synced, Stephen Kelly Hosted AD account was updated with Geoff Details and Geoff’s account was not created. Once we changed Geoff’s Division attribute on the customer AD to PKFFPM[^]cn=g.devlin@pkffpm.com|1 and forced a sync it worked as expected.

Therefore Please DO NOT use ’Copy’ operation for the users already synced with ADSync to the hosted.

In case this was done by mistake, how to fix such issues:


In the event that the problem has occurred and users were created on Client-AD using "Copy" function, to fix the users which are corrupted due to this copy operation, uncheck the mapping option for those users in ADSync User mapping screen and save and close the mapping form.

Reopen the user mapping form again, provide appropriate mapping for the user accounts and then save. This will fix the hosted user data corruption.

Important Note 2.

Error / Problem Statement: Access is denied when saving the ADSync configuration or saving user mapping.

Cause: The utility is trying to access a system resource (local file or active directory object) and has no sufficient privileges for read/write operation.

Resolution:  

 

  1. Please check that the user account provided in ’Admin Login/Admin Password’ fields of ADSync configuration studio has sufficient permissions set to the ADSync installation directory and also to the selected logs folder. If not then provide read/write permission for provided user account

  2. Also check that the utility is running under a user account which has access (read/write) to the installation directory and to the log files directory.

  3. Please check that the user account provided in ’Admin Login/Admin Password’ fields of ADSync configuration studio has valid permissions in active directory for all the local organizations (OUs) selected in sync profiles.

Important Note 3. 

Error / Problem Statement: Authentication Exception when trying to fetch hosted organizations from control server or hosted organizations are not listing/fetched

Causes: 

 

  1. Sync web service at  control server end is unable to validate the request due to invalid credentials provided for ’service username or service password’.

  2. For hosted organizations not listing, the service provider may not have enabled the ADSync option from control server (service director > active directory > organizations)

 

Resolution:  

 

  1. Please provide valid credentials for the fields ’service username/service password’. These must be the credentials which are used to login to customer portal of Control Panel.  You can even option control panel URL on the AD server to ensure control panel URL is accessible and that using the credentials you are able to login as End Customer which is owner of organization in question.

  2. Please verify that the organizations under the selected customer are enabled for ADSync from control server (service director > active directory > organizations).  You have to login as provider and enable ADSync for the organization.

Important Note 4. 

Error / Problem Statement:
Information not syncing to the hosted

Causes: There are several reasons due to which the ADSync may not be syncing information to the hosted active directory:

 

  1. ADSync service not running on client AD

  2. Sync configuration is corrupted

  3. Data is uploaded but not syncing due to provisioning-svc on control server not running or having some error

 

Resolution: There is no single resolution to this situation. Below are some guidelines to trace out the problem.

  1. Please confirm ADSync svc is running on client AD

  2. Re-configure the sync profiles (see below: Re-configure sync profiles)

  3. Share logs with support from ADSync client logs folder and control server (ADSyncExceptions) logs folder.

Important Note 5. 

Error / Problem Statement: All information is syncing other than the password (password not syncing)

Cause: In this case we do have multiple scenarios which are resulting in failure to sync passwords for local users to hosted.

Resolution: Please see below check list for resolution to this problem.

 

  1. In active directory on client platform ”password must meet complexity requirements” under local security policy is set to true

  2. VC++ 2010 runtime is installed (specific to OS platform i.e. x86/x64) on all PDC/ADC

  3. Check that ’ADSyncPolicy.dll’, ’ADSync.PolicyLogger.dll’ and ’ADSync.ClienHelper.dll’ files are placed inside the ’$windir\System32’ directory on all PDC/ADC

  4. Check that there exists an entry for ’ADSyncPolicy’ in following registry path ’HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\NotificationPackages’ on all PDC/ADC

  5. Are all the PDC and ADCs rebooted after installing and configuring the ADSync tool ?

 

If all of the above checklists are correct then the reason of issue may be configuration problem.  Please perform following steps.

Re-configure the ADSync/Sync Profiles:

  1. Delete all instances of the 'SyncConfiguration.xml' file from ADSync host on all PDC/ADC.  Even look for this file on other location because those instances may create issues too.  You have to be sure that only 1 file exists.

  2. Close ADSync configuration studio, re-open and re-configure sync profiles.

  3. Copy the updated 'SyncConfiguration.xml' file from PDC ADSync installation director to all ADCs ADSync installation directory.

  4. Open the user mapping screen and unselect mapping for all the users by clicking twice on ’select all’ box on top right of the users listing and then press save.

  5. Exit the user mapping screen

  6. Open the user mapping screen again and provide/verify appropriate user mapping and then press save.

Important Note 6. 

How does the utility update the information & how it should be operated?

 

Lets say you update some user information or password on Client-AD, the information will be replicated to Hosted-AD via control panel in around 15 minutes.  Below is a step by step process how this utility shall be operated.

 

  1. Save Basic configurations in utility on Primary DC.

  2. Copy config file from PDC installation folder to all ADC(s) system32 folder.

  3. Provide On-Premises to Hosted user mapping using the ADSync config studio.

  4. After providing the mapping, modify the On-Premises Active Directory user account information (Including password).

  5. To force the sync process to start immediately, please restart the ADSyncSvc (a window service) on PDC.

  6. This shall update the information to the control server.

  7. From there, control server uses provisioning svc to update the data on associated backend Hosted active directory server.

  8. Normally it should take 15 minutes to updated the information from On-Premises to Hosted server.  To force immediate update, restart ADSyncSvc on Client AD and "Provisioning Service" on control server.

 

This should update the On-Premises active directory user information to the Hosted active directory user.

In case of any issues, you should Enable Logging from configuration studio of ADSync Tool and review that for any problems.  You can also send us the log files generated from inside the selected folder for review.

Important Note 7.  

General Troubleshooting Notes:

  1. Is logging enabled in ADSync Client Configuration Screen?

  2. Does there exist ”ADSyncPolicy, ADSync.ClientHelper, ADSync.PolicyLogger” dll files in ”$windir\System32” folder?

  3. Has the client enabled ”Password Must meet complexity requirements”  in user account policy?

  4. Does there exist an entry for ”ADSyncPolicy” in [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\NotificationPackages]

  5. Is ADSync utility installed on Primary Domain Controller and all Additional Domain Controllers?   

  6. Is Client using ”ADSiEdit.msc” to change the password?   

  7. Is Client using ”DSA.msc” to change the password? 

  8. Does ADSync working fine for all the attributes other than password?  

  9. Does the user provided in ADSync Config Studio for ”Local Admin” field has read/write permissions in local AD?

  10. Does the Operating user of ADSync Utility has read/write permissions on installation directory and the directory specified for logging?

  11. Is LDAP URL correct.

  12. Does the On premises admin user have sufficient administrative rights?

  13. Does the On Premises Admin user have rights on the installation directory of Control Panel and on the .XML file?

Important Note 8.

Security and Password Policy:

 

Please note that password policy shall remain consistent between source (client) AD and Hosted (Cloud) AD, meaning that both ADs should have similar password policies.  Best to have Complex Password Policy.  Also there is no need to select the ’r;reversible password’ option in source (client) AD for syncing password. Password for a user account is secured by modern encryption schemes and is stored in a secured place. 

 

To make communication even more secure, one must apply/enable SSL certificate for Control Panel website and use the ADSync Web Service address as https:// (like https://cp.providerdomain.com/webservices/Adsyncsvc.asmx)