Ranger 5 replication services not working

Question

Replication of the Ranger configuration does not seem to be working between my Ranger 5 servers. How can i test if it is working?

Symptoms

A number of sites have reported that the replication services have not started after the server is rebooted once the account's password has expired.

These failures will have been recorded in the servers application event log and are dependant on your site's password expiration policy.

After making a configuration change you realise that the setting is not being replicated to the other servers. This can transpire in the end user not getting the correct shortcut or Ranger Administrator not showing the same settings.

Cause

The original Ranger 5 Setup package did not correctly set an account option when creating the new Ranger replication users (FCMUser and FCRUser)

Resolution

Ensure that the "FCRUser" and "FCMUser" accounts have the "password never expires" check box set.

These two system accounts are used by the Sentinel Replication Tools to monitor and replicate file changes between Ranger servers. If the accounts expires, then the services will not be able to start correctly and replication will not work. This error should not have affected the everyday use of Ranger on your network.

Ensuring the password never expires should allow the "FCM" and "FCR" services to be started manually on each Ranger server and should fix the problem.

Testing

To test if replication is working go to the Ranger directory and create a new text document. Go to the other Ranger server and see if the new text document is copied by the replication services to this server. If the file is created, delete the file and then go back to the first server and check the file has also been deleted from here.

If the file is not created within a minute check the servers application event log for errors from File Change Monitor or File Change Replicator. Then review the error for more details. If you need further assistance contact your dealer.