Troubleshooting

1.  Database connectivity errors

If the CAS service fails with following error:


 faultCode: {http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/}Server.userException

 faultSubcode:

 faultString: org.apache.commons.dbcp.DbcpException: Connection

refused. Check t hat the hostname and port are correct and that the

postmaster is accepting TCP/I P connections.
  • Ensure the database properties (connectionURL, userName, password) in $GLOBUS_LOCATION/globus_cas_service/jndi-config.xml are correct.
  • Ensure that the database is set up with permission to receive TCP/IP connections.

2. Credential Errors

The following are some common problems that may cause clients or servers to report that credentials are invalid:

2.1. Your proxy credential may have expired

Use grid-proxy-info to check whether the proxy credential has actually expired. If it has, generate a new proxy with grid-proxy-init.

2.2. The system clock on either the local or remote system is wrong

This may cause the server or client to conclude that a credential has expired.

2.3. Your end-user certificate may have expired

Use grid-cert-info to check your certificate's expiration date. If it has expired, follow your CA's procedures to get a new one.

2.4. The permissions may be wrong on your proxy file

If the permissions on your proxy file are too lax (for example, if others can read your proxy file), Globus Toolkit clients will not use that file to authenticate. You can "fix" this problem by changing the permissions on the file or by destroying it (with grid-proxy-destroy) and creating a new one (with grid-proxy-init). However, it is still possible that someone else has made a copy of that file during the time that the permissions were wrong. In that case, they will be able to impersonate you until the proxy file expires or your permissions or end-user certificate are revoked, whichever happens first.

2.5. The permissions may be wrong on your private key file

If the permissions on your end user certificate private key file are too lax (for example, if others can read the file), grid-proxy-init will refuse to create a proxy certificate. You can "fix" this by changing the permissions on the private key file; however, you will still have a much more serious problem: it's possible that someone has made a copy of your private key file. Although this file is encrypted, it is possible that someone will be able to decrypt the private key, at which point they will be able to impersonate you as long as your end user certificate is valid. You should contact your CA to have your end-user certificate revoked and get a new one.

2.6. The remote system may not trust your CA

Verify that the remote system is configured to trust the CA that issued your end-entity certificate. See the Installing GT 4.1.3 for details.

2.7. You may not trust the remote system's CA

Verify that your system is configured to trust the remote CA (or that your environment is set up to trust the remote CA). See the Installing GT 4.1.3 for details.

2.8. There may be something wrong with the remote service's credentials

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between errors reported by the remote service regarding your credentials and errors reported by the client interface regarding the remote service's credentials. If you can't find anything wrong with your credentials, check for the same conditions (or ask a remote administrator to do so) on the remote system.

3. Some tools to validate certificate setup

3.1. Check that the user certificate is valid

openssl verify -CApath /etc/grid-security/certificates
  -purpose sslclient ~/.globus/usercert.pem

3.2. Connect to the server using s_clien

openssl s_client -ssl3 -cert ~/.globus/usercert.pem -key 
  ~/.globus/userkey.pem -CApath /etc/grid-security/certificates 
  -connect <host:port>

Here <host:port> denotes the server and port you connect to.

If it prints an error and puts you back at the command prompt, then it typically means that the server has closed the connection, i.e. that the server was not happy with the client's certificate and verification. Check the SSL log on the server.

If the command "hangs" then it has actually opened a telnet style (but secure) socket, and you can "talk" to the server.

You should be able to scroll up and see the subject names of the server's verification chain:

depth=2 /DC=net/DC=ES/O=ESnet/OU=Certificate Authorities/CN=ESnet Root CA 1
verify return:1
depth=1 /DC=org/DC=DOEGrids/OU=Certificate Authorities/CN=DOEGrids CA 1
verify return:1
depth=0 /DC=org/DC=doegrids/OU=Services/CN=wiggum.mcs.anl.gov
verify return:1
    

In this case there were no errors. Errors would give you an extra line next to the subject name of the certificate that caused the error

3.3. Check that the server certificate is valid

Requires root login on server.

    openssl verify -CApath /etc/grid-security/certificates -purpose sslserver 
     /etc/grid-security/hostcert.pem