SharePoint Services 3.0 "Cannot connect to the configuration database." Also STS_Config_Login fails

Seeflat:

Thanks for the reply. :)

1) Yes

2) Yes

What is going on in SQL logs?

Specifically I'm looking for severity and state for the 18456 event.

I cannot see the MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE  instance per say? Is that the default?

I have

MSSQL$SHAREPOINT <- nothing really bad in the errorlog
MSSQL$SOPHOS
MSSQL.1 <- lots of bad in errorlog it seems like? Would this be the MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE ?

Hmmm...

Can you descibe this environment?

It sounds like it has been running for a while, but I want to confirm...

Has anything changed?

How was it installed? Anything odd? Like installed, uninstalled, reinstalled, that kind of thing?

The MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE is an odd instance, which is what is prompting me for the questions.

Our Sharepoint Services site I would guess has been running for a year.

Nothing had changed in the environment. I came in on a Tuesday and bam broke. I tried restores from our tape and still no go.  So now when I go to the sharepoint site it get the "Cannot connect to the configuration database."

Now if I follow KB-823287

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/823287

All the steps check out except for Method 3.  In which I cannot use the SQL 2005 Manager to even locate that there is a Sharepoint DB. All it shows on the server is my Sophos and BackupExc DB's. Which leads me to beleive it doesn't think it's there anymore.

I've even tried a repair install of Sharepoint Services 3.0 and that got me nothing as well.

I'm almost to the point of a dump it and start fresh and hope my backup db will write to the new one. :(

Anyone else have any ideas before I trash this?

Ahh...

So I understand you were having issues prior to Using repair install on SharePoint Services 3.0, but I think most of the problem you are having is related to that.

When you did the repair install, what options did you use?

The instance name is not a typical instance name for WSS.

I did a straight repair, there were no options for me to pick except "repair" so to speak.

After reboot it comes up and when I go to the Sharepoint product's and Technologies configuration wizard I get this:

"Failed to detect if this server is joined to a server farm.  Possible reasons for this failure could be that you no longer have the appropriate permissions to the server farm, the database server hosting the server farm is unresponsive, the configuration database is inaccessible or this server has been removed from the server farm.  To diagnose this problem further, review the extended error information located at {0}.  If this problem persists, choose to disconnect from the server farm.  After disconnecting, run the wizard again to create or connect to an existing server farm."

So I grab the log it refers to. Attached:  So I go on in the wizard and have it disconnect from the farm?

So the log file simply reflects that it can't connect to the db.

FarmIsJoinedFailureWhileUsingUICanOnlyDisconnect

At any rate, can you tell me all the databases you see in SQL, the state of each database, and what you think they are for.

Also, check the DSN in the registry for SharePoint:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\12.0\secure\ConfigDB\dsn

What is the value of that key?

The DB's I see in SQL MNGT Studio on this machine are:

RECFP3/BKUPEXEC
RECFP3/SOHPOS

That is all. The only other should be the sharepoint, but it cannot be seen.

That key shows:

Data Source=RECFP3\MICROSOFT##SSEE;Initial Catalog=STS_Config_11157;Integrated Security=True;Enlist=False;Connect Timeout=15;Application Name="Windows SharePoint Services"