(500) Internal Server Error in Orion Platform products

10/23/2018 8:41 PM

2/25/2025 7:53 PM

This article discusses the possible resolutions for a (500) Internal Server Error when logging in to the Orion web console.

For some other customer environments, there is a slightly different version of the same error.

Configuration file is not well-formed XML - 500 - Internal server error. 
There is a problem with the resource you are looking for, and it cannot be displayed

Orion Platform

1. Capacity issue or an Application Pool permissions issue
2. Corrupt IIS Metabase file
3. Empty web.config due to DFS (Distributed File System) replication enabled for Orion website
4. IIS functions read-only due to server hardening
5. User service account locked out
6. Firewall between SQL and Solarwinds Server breaking communication with APP and DB server

Verify if there was any windows patching that may have automatically enabled Windows firewall on SQL or Solarwinds Server.

1. Verify if DFS replication is enabled for Orion server -especially inetpub folder and if yes, then please refer to this MS KB Configuration file is not well-formed XML (© 2022 Microsoft, available at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/, obtained on January 15, 2022)

2. Verify that the SQL database & Orion Server has sufficient space on the disk and that the file groups have not met their capacity.

3. Confirm that the Local Administrator group has access to the following directories:

 

NOTE: These are the default locations created and used by the SolarWinds installer.

• C:\Inetpub\SolarWinds
• C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarWinds

4. Confirm that required Application Pool permissions are available.

• Log in to your Orion server using an account with administrative privileges.
• Confirm that you are not experiencing a permissions issue with Application Pool in IIS, as addressed in Error 500 on the Orion ( NPM / SAM ) Web Console if WSUS server is installed on the same server

5. Verify DNS, If you are using the server's FQDN or Hostname to access the Orion website, try accessing it through the IP address. If this works, ping the FQDN or server name used to see if the address resolves properly. If not, then update the DNS entry.

6.  Verify if password expiration is enabled in the environment for the SQL login.
 Note: Disabled is recommended

If the problem persists, run the IISRESET command

1. Open IIS.
2. Stop the "Default Website" so only the Orion website is running.
3. Open a command prompt as administrator.
4. Run the command IISRESET.
5. Try the website again.
6. Check Orion weblogs for further investigations.

Delete and rebuild the Orion website 

If it is not a capacity issue or an Application Pool permissions issue, complete the following procedure to delete the current Orion website and create a new Orion website.

1. Click Start > All Programs > Solarwinds Orion > Advanced Features > Orion Service Manager.
2. Click SolarWinds NetPerfMon in the IIS Web Sites group, and then click Stop.
3. Click Start > Run.
4. Enter INETMGR to open the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.
5. Expand ComputerName (local computer) > Web Sites.
6. Right-click SolarWinds NetPerfMon, and then click Delete to delete the Orion website.
7. Delete or rename the folder containing the Orion website.
   Note: The default location is C:\Inetpub\SolarWinds\
8. Confirm that the IIS Metabase file, where IIS configuration information specific to your installation of IIS is not corrupt. 
   If it is corrupt, see the following procedure to fix it.
9. To recreate the Orion website, launch the Configuration Wizard and select the option for website and run through the wizard. Once it is completed the website and directories will be recreated.

 

Fix a corrupt IIS Metabase file

1. Click Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.
2. Right-click IIS Admin Service, and then click Stop.
3. Click Yes to confirm stopping World Wide Web Publishing Service and HTTP SSL.
4. Browse to MetaBase.XML.
   Note: The default location is C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\MetaBase.XML
5. Rename MetaBase.XML to MetaBase.xmlold.
6. Uninstall and then reinstall IIS, as shown in the following procedures.

NOTES:

• You may be prompted to install additional components, provide your Windows Operating System media, or restart your computer. Restart your server if prompted, but Orion does not require the Phone Book Service.
• For more information, see http://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/29/installing-iis-7-on-windows-server-2008-or-windows-server-2008-r2/ (© 2018 Microsoft, available at https://www.technet.microsoft.com, obtained September 21, 2018)

 

Uninstall IIS 

1. Log in to your Orion server as a local administrator.
2. Click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
3. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
4. Click Application Server, and then click Details.
5. Clear Internet Information Services (IIS), and then click OK on the Application Server window.
6. Click Next on the Windows Components window, and then click Finish after completing the Windows Components Wizard.

 

Reinstall IIS

1. Log in to your Orion server as a local administrator.
2. Click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs.
3. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
4. Click Application Server, confirm it is checked, and then click Details.
5. Click Internet Information Services (IIS), confirm it is checked, and then click Details.
6. Click World Wide Web Service, confirm it is checked, and click Details.
7. Select World Wide Web Service, confirm it is checked, and then click OK.
8. Click OK on the Internet Information Services (IIS) window, and then click OK on the Application Server window.
9. Click Management and Monitoring Tools, confirm it is checked, and then click Details.
10. Confirm that both Simple Network Management Protocol and WMI SNMP Provider are checked, and then click OK.
11. Click Next on the Windows Components window, and then click Finish after completing the Windows Components Wizard.

Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds Orion > Configuration and Auto-Discovery > Configuration Wizard, and then complete the Configuration Wizard.

NOTE: You may also restart the website through the IIS manager, then wait a few minutes. Then check the console to see if you are able to log in again.
 

Verify IIS Functions/Hardening

1. IIS Feature Delegation > HTTP Response Headers
2. Make sure they are set to READ / WRITE.
3. Make sure also, that there isn't IIS hardening applied to the system incorrectly