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"MSDTC on server" or transaction manager error while installing a patch or upgrading a database

Symptoms

While installing a patch or upgrading a database manually using SQLImport.exe, one of the following errors occurs:

“!!! MSDTC on server ‘server_name’ is unavailable.”

“!!! The transaction manager has disabled its support for remote/network transactions.”


Reason

Project Planning Worksheet (PPW) stores temporary data, including deferred task activation data for draft tasks, in the CPTempDB database. When a draft task has been successfully activated, the data is cleared from the CPTempDB. 

When a task activation fails validation, the project manager is notified and the CPTempDB database stores the data for the failed task activation until the project manager resolves the issue. 

Prior to general patch 18.01.081.000, all PPW data was cleared from the CPTempDB during database upgrades and patch installations.

As of general patch 18.01.081.000 (released August 28, 2018), the database upgrade includes logic to preserve data for failed task activations.

In order to provide this functionality, the Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator (MSDTC) service must be running on the database server during the database upgrade. If the MSDTC service is not running, the database upgrade will fail with “!!! MSDTC on server ‘server_name’ is unavailable.” message.

If you perform the patch installation or database upgrade remotely, the machine that you run the patch installation or database upgrade from must have both the MSDTC service running and the Network DTC enabled. If the Network DTC is not enabled, the upgrade will fail with the “!!! The transaction manager has disabled its support for remote/network transactions.” message.

Note: Normal Changepoint operation, including Project Planning Worksheet, does not require MSDTC service. If your network security requirement does not allow MSDTC service, you can turn off the MSDTC service once the database upgrade step has been performed.

Resolution

Before installing a patch or upgrading a database manually, ensure that the MSDTC service is running. If you are installing or upgrading remotely, ensure that MSDTC is running and Network DTC is enabled on the machine that you are using.

To start the Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator service

  1. Click Start or Windows logo in the Taskbar, type cmd.
  2. In the search results, right-click Command Prompt, and then select Run as Administrator.
  3. Type net start msdtc, and then press Enter.

To enable the Network DTC

  1. Open the Component Services Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. To do this, click Start or Windows logo, and then type dcomcnfg.
  2. Right-click dcomcnfg and then select Run as Administrator.
  3. Expand Component Services > Computers > My Computer > Distributed Transaction Coordinator.
  4. Right-click Local DTC, and then select Properties.
  5. Click the Security tab, and then check Network DTC Access.
  6. In the Client and Administration section, select Allow Remote Clients.
  7. Check Enable XA Transactions.
  8. Click OK to close the dialog.