IBM Support

Build Forge Agent Authentication fails on AIX with "CRRBF0158I" error

Troubleshooting


Problem

Attempts to set the IBM Rational Build Forge user account to disabled (cdcuser) on AIX results in the error "com.buildforge.services.common.api.APIException results in Error: CRRBF0158I".

Symptom

Authentication with the Agent Fails, Build Forge server authentication with specific user credentials fails.

You can however log into the machine as usual.

Cause

This is due to the PAM.conf file being improperly set.

When the Agent is first installed, it copies the current pam configuration for "Account Management, Password Management, Session Management, and Authentication".

It first looks to copy the SSH security settings. If it can not find the SSH files or they do not exist.

The agent will then copy the LOGIN settings specified in the PAM file. Many times when the UNIX admins make changes to the pam modules and or settings, this is not properly relayed to the four agent properties found within the pam file.

  • fagent auth
  • bfagent account
  • bfagent password
  • bfagent session
You can still log into the machine per usual, just the agent will not authenticate through a ping test and or a Server Auth within Build Forge.

When connectivity fails, to verify that this could be the potential problem. Navigate to the IBM INFO CENTER and search "Troubleshooting Agent". This will provide you instructions on how to gather helpful debugging information you can use to verify.

Diagnosing The Problem

When you see this problem, locate your pam configuration files.

  • These are system/company specific so if you do now know where they are, ask an admin. A common place where to find this file is /etc/pam.conf.

Locate the four bfagent auth, account, password, and session values at the bottom of the pam.conf.
  • Do the pam modules used for the "login" or "SSH" under "Account Management, Password Management, Session Management, and Authentication" match those of the four bfagent entries?

Note: Any type of typo within this file can cause the agent and or the security settings to not work and or partially work. You may also receive unexpected behavior.

When you notice a difference in the values as shown below? This is most likely your issue.

login auth    required        /opt/boksm/lib/pam/pam_boks.so.1
login account required        /opt/boksm/lib/pam/pam_boks.so.1
login   password  required      /opt/boksm/lib/pam/pam_boks.so.1
login session required        /opt/boksm/lib/pam/pam_boks.so.1


Notice how the four pam config sections all use pam_boks.so.1 for their login ability.

bfagent auth    required        /usr/lib/security/pam_aix
bfagent account required        /usr/lib/security/pam_aix
bfagent password        required        /usr/lib/security/pam_aix
bfagent session required        /usr/lib/security/pam_aix


Notice how the bfagent is using a different module. pam_aix.

Something has changed in the security settings of AIX and the agent was not aware, thus causing you to be able to log in to the machine while the Build Forge Agent fails to authenticate after two failed log in attempts when accessing the machine directly.

Why after two attempts? That is because the pam_module that was used for the user is different/more strict than what is being used for the agent.

  • root# chuser unsuccessful_login_count=0 <Funtional ID>
  • root# chuser maxage=0 <Funtional ID>

The first commands sets the user login attempts to zero.

You need to do both of the commands. The maxage = 0 says to cache the response. It is stale from the start and so it should revalidate the response. This causes a whole new authentication attempt regardless.

Ensure that the pam modules for the agent are the same.

Resolving The Problem

Uninstall and re-install the agent.

This will cause the agent to create a new copy of the new pam security files.

Note: If available, updating the agent using the update script in bfhome dir works as well.

[{"Product":{"code":"SSB2MV","label":"Rational Build Forge"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Component":"Agent","Platform":[{"code":"PF002","label":"AIX"}],"Version":"7.0;7.1;7.1.3.4","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB45","label":"Automation"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
16 June 2018

UID

swg21624403