Products Affected

All products in the ELM family, version 5.x and 6.x

Symptoms

This message is displayed when the ELM Console connects to the ELM Server. Often there is also a load form failure or access denied message when the ELM Advisor launches during user logon. The result is the ELM Console does not automatically refresh as events are received or configuration settings are changed. Instead, the ELM Console must be manually refreshed to see changes. The ELM Advisor is unable to connect to the ELM Server, and receive ELM Advisor Notifications.

Cause

The ELM Server uses advise sink handlers to dynamically update the display in the ELM Console and the ELM Advisor as events arrive, Notifications are sent, or changes to configuration settings are made. Data is sent through the advise sink to the ELM Console and ELM Advisor using DCOM. Usually the errors occur when the ELM Server service account does not have DCOM access permissions to the user’s desktop session where the ELM Console and the ELM Advisor are running. However other permissions like DCOM launch, firewall settings, Distributed COM Users group, or untrusted domains can also cause the symptoms described.

Resolution

Giving the ELM Server service account sufficient rights to access the ELM Console will resolve the problem. Without rights, the display has to be refreshed manually by pressing F5 or clicking on the Refresh button on the tool bar. The ELM Server service account and the account of the user running the ELM Console must have DCOM Allow Access and DCOM Allow Launch permissions on the computer where the ELM Console is running. All ELM Console users must have DCOM Allow Launch permissions on the ELM Server computer. See the figure below:

ELM DCOM Permissions
Allow Access Allow Launch
ELM Console computer User account User account
ELM Server service account ELM Server service account
ELM Server computer Everyone (setup) User account

These permissions can be viewed and edited via the DCOM Configuration Utility (DCOMCNFG.exe). Follow the instructions below that correspond with your Server and Console platform(s).

In Windows 2000:

  1. Launch DCOMCNFG.
  2. Navigate to the Default Security tab.
  3. Default Access Permissions, click the Edit Default button.
  4. Verify that Everyone has Allow Access. Alternatively, you can revoke Allow Access for Everyone and grant your account and the ELM Server service account Allow Access rights.
  5. Close DCOMCNFG.

In Windows XP/Vista/Windows 7/Windows 2003/2008:

  1. Launch DCOMCNFG or the Component Services snap-in.
  2. Expand Component Services, then expand Computers so that My Computer is visible.
  3. Right-click on My Computer and select Properties.
  4. Navigate to the Default COM Security tab.
  5. In the Access Permission area, click the Edit Default button.
  6. Verify that Everyone has Allow Access. Alternatively, you can revoke Allow Access for Everyone and grant your account and the ELM Server service account Allow Access rights.
  7. Close DCOMCNFG.

You may have to reboot for the DCOM security changes to take effect.

Revision 1.4
Last Modified:  12/1/2010
Last Reviewed:  5/8/2014
Article Type:  Security