DRAFT: KB-XXXX Data server fails to start with "Could not establish WebSocket connection with HOSTNAME:PORT. The target q process exited abnormally. Check for earlier errors (e.g. license or startup errors)" in the watchdog.log file

Symptoms

When attempting to start data server after upgrade to version 18.1 and above or new installation for versions 18.1 and above, data server fails to start with below error in watchdog.log:

{"level":"ERROR","time":"YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS.mmmZ","logger":"watchdog","caller":"Watchdog.java:652","thread":"ForkJoinPool.commonPool-worker-2","msg":"Failed to start RTS-0 engine (port=port)"}
com.appian.data.server.UnrecoverableError: Could not establish WebSocket connection with hostname:port. The target q process exited abnormally. Check for earlier errors (e.g. license or startup errors).

The rts-engine.log has the below error:

'YYYY.MM.DDTHH:MM:SS.mmm host   

The output from the rts-engine.log is seen above when the license issued does not match the hostname of the server it is deployed on.

Action

The data server requires a valid k4.lic license file which is located at <APPIAN_HOME>\data-server\engine\bin\q\<operating system>64. Ex: For windows 64 bit, it would be located at <APPIAN_HOME>\data-server\engine\bin\q\w64.  

1. Generate the q output. Reference the given document for generating the q output.  
2. Compare the output for hostname in the output of q command above and hostname of the server for which license was requested.
3. In case they don't match, request a new copy of license and deploy as per the documentation.

Affected Versions

This article applies to Appian 18.1 and later.

Last Reviewed: September 2019