VisualSVN Server's apache fails to start with TCP port

Question

For some reason after upgrading the SSH Tectia client from v6.0 to 6.1 on my Windows XP workstation, VisualSVN 2.0.7 is unable to start up its Apache service after reboot.

Event Type: Information
Event Source:   VisualSVN Server 2.0
Event Category: Apache 
Event ID:   1000
Date:       9/30/2009
Time:       3:37:48 PM
User:       N/A
Computer:   4-J25A
Description:
Disabled use of AcceptEx() WinSock2 API


Event Type: Error
Event Source:   VisualSVN Server 2.0
Event Category: Apache 
Event ID:   1002
Date:       9/30/2009
Time:       3:37:48 PM
User:       N/A
Computer:   4-J25A
Description:
alloc_listener: failed to get a socket for (null)
(OS 10106) The requested service provider could not be loaded or initialized.  


Event Type: Error
Event Source:   VisualSVN Server 2.0
Event Category: Apache 
Event ID:   1000
Date:       9/30/2009
Time:       3:37:48 PM
User:       N/A
Computer:   4-J25A
Description:
Syntax error on line 25 of C:/Program Files/VisualSVN Server/conf/httpd.conf:


Event Type: Error
Event Source:   VisualSVN Server 2.0
Event Category: Apache 
Event ID:   1000
Date:       9/30/2009
Time:       3:37:48 PM
User:       N/A
Computer:   4-J25A
Description:
Listen setup failed

If i directly launch the VisualSVNServer.exe apache process it can work and accept requests, but the VisualSVN management console still thinks the service is stopped. I am not familiar enough with the Windows version of Apache to understand what is prevent it from securing its stated port of 8443 (or can be any other port number for the matter)?

Answer 1

I tried to Repair and reinstall VIsualSVN Server to no avail. It was only after I uninstalled SSH Tectia Client did VisualSVN Server's apache start up properly again. Installing SSH Tectia Client after that seem to produce no more problems. Hope it stays that way.

Answer 2

I fixed my problem with the VisualSVN Server installation. I was seeing many errors including the one above. I had been running VisualSVN Server just fine for a long time but after a recent Windows update and reboot my server did not come back up. The support staff eventually brought it back online but it the SVN server was not running and I could not start it so I figured I would just upgrade it and let the install fix any issues. I was thinking there may have been corruption of the hard drive which would have been fixed this way.

What I learned eventually was that the 2nd IP address I had on the server was not configured anymore. And previously I had the SVN/Apache server configured to use a specific IP address which was no longer there.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VisualSVN\VisualSVN Server]

That registry key is specifically the one that was specifying the missing IP address and likely causing all my trouble. Once I added the IP address as an additional IP address I was able to run the installation successfully and access the server from my SVN client.

This registry key has values for ServerBinding and ServerName which must be used to start up Apache. Unfortunately the VisualSVN Server installation process does not allow me to view or change the IP address or server name. That would save a lot of trouble and would have revealed the real reason for my trouble.

As for managing IIS and Apache on the same server with 2 IP addresses, you will want to tell IIS not to use the 2nd IP address. The following command does that work.

netsh http delete iplisten ipaddress=333.333.333.333

Obviously that is a fake IP address. Replace it with your 2nd IP address. The next command will show you which IP address that IIS is allowed use.

netsh http show iplisten

You may need to restart IIS or reboot the machine to apply these changes successfully. Windows allocates control of the listed IP addresses early in the boot cycle so you want to ensure they are left unused so that Apache can use them.

And if you do have trouble again double check that the 2nd IP address is configured for the server. All my trouble was simply due to the missing IP configuration.