Troubleshooting

1. [JWSSEC-248] Secure container requires valid credentials

This error occurs when globus-start-container is run without any valid credentials. Either a proxy certificate or service/host certificate needs to be configured for the container to start up

Solutions:

  1. If you are not looking to start up a container that uses GSI Secure Transport, which is used by the container by default, use "globus-start-container -nosec". You will be able to use insecure clients and services. However, this also implies that if you have not configured individual services with credentials, you will not be able to securely access the service.

  2. If you are running a personal container, generate proxy certificate. If proxy certificate is not in default, configure container security descriptor as described Configuring Container Security Descriptor

  3. If you are looking to use host certificates, configure container security descriptor as described Configuring Credentials

2. Failed to start container: Container failed to initialize [Caused by: [JWSSEC-250] Failed to load certificate/key file]

This error occurs if the file path to the container certificate and key configured are invalid.

Solutions:

  1. The path to container certificate and key are configured in $GLOBUS_LOCATION/etc/globus_wsrf_core/global_security_descriptor.xml. This file is loaded as described here. Ensure that the path is correct.

3. Failed to start container: Container failed to initialize [Caused by: [JWSSEC-249] Failed to load proxy file]

This error occurs if container proxy file configured is invalid.

Solutions:

  1. The path to container proxy certificates are configured in $GLOBUS_LOCATION/etc/globus_wsrf_core/global_security_descriptor.xml. This file is loaded as described here. Ensure that the path is correct.

4. Failed to start container: Container failed to initialize [Caused by: [JWSSEC-245] Error parsing file: "etc/globus_wsrf_core/global_security_descriptor.xml" [Caused by: ...]

This error occurs if the container security descriptor configured is invalid.

Solutions:

  1. The container security descriptor should conform to the Container Security Descriptor Schema

  2. Refer to the "Caused by: " section for details on specific element that is not correct.

5. [JGLOBUS-77] Unknown CA

This error occurs if the CA certificate for the credentials being used is not installed correctly.

Solutions:

  1. If this issue occurs on the server side, the container is not configured with CA certificates. The container looks for trusted certificates in default location as described Java CoG Toolkit FAQ

  2. On the server side the trused certificates can be configured as described in Trusted Certificates

  3. On the client side, trusted certificates can be configured as described in Configuring Trusted Credentials

6.  Credential Trouble Shooting

6.1. Credential Errors

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

6.1.1. 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.

6.1.2. 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.

6.1.3. 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.

6.1.4. 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.

6.1.5. 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.

6.1.6. 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.

6.1.7. 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.

6.1.8. 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.

6.2. Some tools to validate certificate setup

6.2.1. Check that the user certificate is valid

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

6.2.2. 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

6.2.3. 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