WebAgent Configuration: Incorrect Path

[Anon Anon]

Hello,

 

I receiving the following error when starting the WebAgent.  It's looking for httpd in the wrong path, but I cannot locate appropriate config file to update.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?

 

[23/Dec/2016:14:48:42] [Error] SiteMinder Agent
Failed to Start the LLAWP process.
LowLevelAgent.LLAWPExec.Failed (Invalid argument)
nm: '/etc/httpd/bin/httpd': No such file

 

Using Apache 2.4 on RHEL7

smwa-12.52-sp01-cr04

 

Thanks,

Charles

[SungHoon_Kim]

Hi, there could be multiple reasons why your apache would not startup with that message.

 

I did a quick research and could find following reasons.

 

1. All the configuration files(httpd.conf, WebAgent.conf, SmHost.conf and etc) are not owned by the user you are using to startup the web server. Instead, they are owned by a group which the user belongs to.

==> Try using changing the ownership of the files instead of using group ownership

 

2. Some intelligent tools were used to install/configure the web server forcing the web server worker mode to prefork mode.

==> Try using original httpd.conf file and use the agent configuration wizard only to configure the agent.

 

3. Non-supported environment.

==> WebAgent version and the OS was not supported configuration.

 

It would be good to open a support ticket with "strace" data if you want to dive deeper.

 

strace -Ff -t -i -v -o strace. log -s 16384 ./apachectl start

 

This would generate a HUGE strace.log file(it could be couple of gigabyte or more).

 

Then locate the "LowLevelAgent.LLAWPExec.Failed" message and track backwards to see if there are meaningful message that might explain why there is an error.

 

[Tome Pessegueiro]

Hi,

 

I also have the same issue, but apparently the agent is running fine (no other errors).

This error is shown on Apache 2.4 "error_log" file.

 

I have searched for other situations where the error has occurred and found these:

Tech Tip : CA Single Sign-On :Web Agent : How to troubleshoot agent initialization issues 

Unable to start webagent 

Cannot start LLAWP on RHEL7/Apache 2.4 

 

It seems that the web agent is trying to execute the shell command "nm" with the parameter "/etc/httpd/bin/httpd".

Is this something that only happens with Apache 2.4 installations?

Is there a way to check why is the web agent trying to run the "nm" command and why is it using that that path?

 

I am using web agent 12.51 CR10 on a Red Hat 7 with an embedded installation of  Apache 2.4  (red hat standard httpd for this system).

 

Thanks.

[Tome Pessegueiro]

I figured out the solution to the problem...

The web agent tries to find the the "httpd" binary by following the {ServerRoot}/bin path which is defined in apache 2.4  (embedded RHEL 7 version) as:

ServerRoot "/etc/httpd"

 

So, on RHEL 7 you might need to create a symbolic link :

ln -s /usr/sbin /etc/httpd/bin

 

However, after this, the error will probably change to:

nm: /usr/sbin/httpd: no symbols

And the solution would be to compile your own Apache to get symbols on the binary, as stated here:

Tech Tip : CA Single Sign-On : When doing Apache graceful restart, Web Agent reports error "PID Cache error" 

 

[Mark ODonohue]

The "nm" command was run on startup on the httpd binary as part of a fix so the agent could determine if the restart opiton could be used for apache/webagent (there was some bug when restart was performed, and this nm test was added to detect that condition). 

 

In the first installed version with that fix if it failed to run the nm command the agent would give the error and then fail.  Later versions (R12.52 Sp1 CR9 at least) when it does not find the binary it will give a different message - not a failure just a warning : 

 

[14/May/2019:00:17:56] [Error] SiteMinder Agent
Failed to initialize the configuration manager.
LLAWP unable to get configuration, exiting.
nm: '/etc/httpd/bin/httpd': No such file
[Tue May 14 00:18:01.059561 2019] [sm:warn] [pid 2991] Siteminder Web Agent: restart not supported.

 

So if you encounter this error, and it is failing, then latter version of the agent is probably what you need. 

 

Cheers - Mark

[Rod Allen]

Hi Mark,

I have experienced this same issue on an RHEL 8 based Linux server using Siteminder 12.8.0.7 policy server and the 12.52 SP01 CR 11 Web Agent (ca-wa-12.52-sp01-cr11-linux-x86-64.bin) . This worked fine on a RHEL 7 based system with the same software, but I cant get the WebAgent itself to start. I get this :-

[14/Aug/2023:21:28:11] [Error] SiteMinder Agent
        Failed to Start the LLAWP process.
        LowLevelAgent.LLAWPExec.Failed (Invalid argument)
nm: /etc/httpd/bin/httpd: no symbols
[Mon Aug 14 21:28:16.862402 2023] [sm:warn] [pid 76227:tid 140598314965312] Siteminder Web Agent: restart not supported.
[Mon Aug 14 21:28:16.863529 2023] [lbmethod_heartbeat:notice] [pid 76227:tid 140598314965312] AH02282: No slotmem from mod_heartmonitor
[Mon Aug 14 21:28:16.865993 2023] [mpm_event:notice] [pid 76227:tid 140598314965312] AH00489: Apache/2.4.37 (rocky) OpenSSL/1.1.1k configured -- resuming normal operations
[Mon Aug 14 21:28:16.866012 2023] [core:notice] [pid 76227:tid 140598314965312] AH00094: Command line: '/usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND'

Separately I found this link (Article ID: 205981) https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/205981/webagent-does-not-support-restart-with-a.html which suggests that something might be fixed in a CR12 release of the WebAgent. Do you know when a new version of the 12.52 Web Agent will be released please or do you know any other way to make it work with the dnf installed Redhat Apache (Apache/2.4.37) please?

Thanks

Rod

[Rod Allen]

I thought I had better reply again as I just got it working. I followed instructions in https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/symantec-security-software/identity-security/siteminder/12-52-01/installing/install-agents/web-agent-for-apache/install-and-configure-apache-based-agents-on-unix-linux/how-to-configure-apache-based-agents-on-unix-or-linux.html in the "On RHEL 8, perform the following steps" section, although I dont think the advice to run chmod 777 on the file /etc/sysconfig/httpd is required (works fine with chmod 644).

Contents of /etc/sysconfig/httpd are :-

NETE_WA_ROOT=/opt/ca/webagent
NETE_WA_PATH=/opt/ca/webagent
CAPKIHOME=/opt/ca/webagent/CAPKI
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/opt/ca/webagent/bin:/opt/ca/webagent/bin/thirdparty
PATH=/opt/ca/webagent/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin

output from running systemctl cat httpd.service

# /usr/lib/systemd/system/httpd.service
# See httpd.service(8) for more information on using the httpd service.

# Modifying this file in-place is not recommended, because changes
# will be overwritten during package upgrades.  To customize the
# behaviour, run "systemctl edit httpd" to create an override unit.

# For example, to pass additional options (such as -D definitions) to
# the httpd binary at startup, create an override unit (as is done by
# systemctl edit) and enter the following:

#       [Service]
#       Environment=OPTIONS=-DMY_DEFINE

[Unit]
Description=The Apache HTTP Server
Wants=httpd-init.service
After=network.target remote-fs.target nss-lookup.target httpd-init.service
Documentation=man:httpd.service(8)

[Service]
Type=notify
Environment=LANG=C

ExecStart=/usr/sbin/httpd $OPTIONS -DFOREGROUND
ExecReload=/usr/sbin/httpd $OPTIONS -k graceful
# Send SIGWINCH for graceful stop
KillSignal=SIGWINCH
KillMode=mixed
PrivateTmp=true

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

# /etc/systemd/system/httpd.service.d/override.conf
[Service]
EnvironmentFile=/etc/sysconfig/httpd

Thanks

Rod