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• 03-31-2008, 10:26 AM

  mcdonaldnoland Joined on 02-13-2008, 9:13 PM Posts 8

  AppCMD "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first.)" Reply Contact We just got a new Windows 2008 Server setup and are installing our ASP.NET application running under IIS 7.0. The install seems to work fine including our calls using AppCMD to change default settings. E.g. "AppCmd.exe set apppool /apppool.name:MyAppPool /processModel.identityType:NetworkService /enable32BitAppOnWin64:true /recycling.periodicRestart.time:00:00:00 /processModel.idleTimeout:00:00:00" However, we have some code at the end of our install script (a Power Shell script) that simply makes sure the AppPool and Site are started. AppCmd.exe start apppool /apppool.name:MyAppPool Trying to start the apppool gives us the error "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first. )" We can start the apppool from the Server Manager UI just fine. I've also checked and the WAS service (i.e. Windows Process Activation Service) is running. We see a similar error when trying to start the site. AppCmd.exe start site /site.name:MySite This gives us the error "ERROR ( message:The W3SVC service is not available - try starting the service first. )" As with the pool, we can start the site from the Server Manager UI just fine. I've also checked and the W3SVC service (i.e. World Wide Web Publishing Service) is running. Also, when we list out the apppools or site, the state is Uknown. We're thinking this is also related. APPPOOL "DefaultAppPool" (MgdVersion:v2.0,MgdMode:Integrated,state:Unknown) APPPOOL "Classic .NET AppPool" (MgdVersion:v2.0,MgdMode:Classic,state:Unknown) APPPOOL "MyAppPool" (MgdVersion:v2.0,MgdMode:Integrated,state:Unknown) Any ideas why we are getting this behavior using AppCMD but not from the Server Manager UI?

• 03-31-2008, 3:54 PM

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  anilr Joined on 05-23-2006, 10:13 PM Redmond, WA Posts 2,343

  Re: AppCMD "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first.)" Reply Contact Have you made sure that WAS and w3svc are actually running - from an elevated command prompt, type "sc query was" and "sc query w3svc".  The UI task is not equivalent to the appcmd code - the UI task changes both the autoStart value and the current state of the site/app-pool, it probably just skips the second part if was/w3svc is not already started. Anil Ruia Senior Software Design Engineer IIS Core Server

• 04-01-2008, 9:22 AM

  In reply to

  mcdonaldnoland Joined on 02-13-2008, 9:13 PM Posts 8

  Re: AppCMD "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first.)" Reply Contact Hi Anilr.  Yes, both services are started.  See my output below from Power Shell.  Commands are in bold   PS D:\deploy\CI> get-service WAS Status Name DisplayName ------ ---- ----------- Running WAS Windows Process Activation Service   PS D:\deploy\CI> get-service W3svc Status Name DisplayName ------ ---- ----------- Running W3SVC World Wide Web Publishing Service   PS D:\deploy\CI> C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe list apppools APPPOOL "DefaultAppPool" (MgdVersion:v2.0,MgdMode:Integrated,state:Unknown) APPPOOL "Classic .NET AppPool" (MgdVersion:v2.0,MgdMode:Classic,state:Unknown) APPPOOL "MyAppPool" (MgdVersion:v2.0,MgdMode:Integrated,state:Unknown) PS D:\deploy\CI> C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe start apppool MyAppPool ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first. )

• 04-01-2008, 12:49 PM

  In reply to

  anilr Joined on 05-23-2006, 10:13 PM Redmond, WA Posts 2,343	Re: AppCMD "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first.)" Reply Contact Are you running this elevated? Anil Ruia Senior Software Design Engineer IIS Core Server

• 04-01-2008, 1:59 PM

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  mcdonaldnoland Joined on 02-13-2008, 9:13 PM Posts 8	Re: AppCMD "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first.)" Reply Contact Here is where I'll plead some ignorance; what does "elevated" mean?

• 04-01-2008, 2:07 PM

  In reply to

  mcdonaldnoland Joined on 02-13-2008, 9:13 PM Posts 8

  Re: AppCMD "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first.)" Reply Contact Well a quick "Live" search fixed my lack of knowlege on what "elevated" means!   Works: If you Right Click on Power Shell (or command prompt) and say "Run as Administrator" then run the command "C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe start apppool DocumentAppPool" you are able to start the pools. However...  Fails: If you start Power Shell (or command prompt) then run the command "C:\Windows\System32\inetsrv\appcmd.exe start apppool DocumentAppPool" you are unable to start the pools and get the following error "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first. )" While I'm starting to understand what "elevated" means, does the AppCMD error "service is not available - try starting the service first" make sense for what turns out to be a permissions error?

• 04-01-2008, 7:29 PM

  In reply to

  anilr Joined on 05-23-2006, 10:13 PM Redmond, WA Posts 2,343	Re: AppCMD "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first.)" Reply Contact There is no case I can think of where you would use appcmd unelevated - so, the error messages when running elevated are probably not the best possible - I will pass this feedback along. Anil Ruia Senior Software Design Engineer IIS Core Server

• 04-02-2008, 4:49 PM

  In reply to

  mcdonaldnoland Joined on 02-13-2008, 9:13 PM Posts 8	Re: AppCMD "ERROR ( message:The WAS service is not available - try starting the service first.)" Reply Contact Thanks.  I think you meant "the error messages when running unelevated are probably not the best possible"