Document Conversion Problem

Question

We've tried about every configuration possible trying to get our Document Conversion process working in our load balanced, Windows Server 2008 (MOSS) environment.

Using the default ports and mimicking our working Production envrionment. Anyone else getting a never ending message like this;

"The converter framework returned the following error: CE_BACKENDUNAVAILABLE"

This is not a DC machine I'm running the Document Conversion services on, it's the Index server that has 2 WFEs attached.

More info...

(done on vanilla moss site with above settings)

1. Create site collection with Team Site template
2. Enable Document Conversion
3. Activate Office SharePoint Server Publishing
4. Activate Office SharePoint Server Enterprise Site features
5. Stop\Start Load Balancer and Launcher services
6. Enable Content Management
7. Restart services
8. Set Launcher service to None for Server
9. Turned load balancer again
10. Microsoft.Office.Server.Conversions.LoadBalancer.exe.config set to : (default)
11. Microsoft.Office.Server.Conversion.Launcher.exe.config set to : (default)
12. (Re)Enabled Enterprise Features on existing sites
13. Used DOS commands to net start/stop DC services
14. Updated NLB to get rid of 6062 error message
15. Restarted services
16. Added HVU_** to Local Administrators group [note EventViewer on WFEs give error 5448: The document converter was not able to convert the file and error 5476
17. Changed the Load Balancer service to Network Service then back
18. Restarted services in proper order

no luck!!!

Answer 1

Well...

For all those running a Win 2008 R2 server to host your MOSS farm in a load balanced environment, be forewarned to make the following updates if you are receiving Event Viewer error messages relating to duplicate IP addresses (::1) and a fairly consistent but vague error after a document conversion process: "CE_BACKENDUNAVAILABLE";

1. Disable IPv6 protocol on all servers in farm (use IPv4) unless you need to use v6 for some reason
2. Add the line <add key="keyIPExclude" value="::1"/> to both the Microsoft.Office.Server.Conversions.LoadBalancer.exe.config AND the Microsoft.Office.Server.Conversions.Launcher.exe.config files. This prevents the services from using the IPV6 loopback address ::1
3. Stop the Document Conversion Load Balancer Service
4. Stop the Document Conversion Launcher Service
5. Start the Document Conversion Load Balancer Service
6. Start the Document Conversion Launcher Service

Other things that are OOB settings and to make sure are set;

1. Enable Document Conversion in CA
2. Office SharePoint Server Publishing needs to be enabled
3. Load Balancer service runs as Local Service
4. Launcher service runs as Network Service
5. Document Conversion server can't run on a Domain Controller

Answer 2

You wrote: 3.Load Balancer service runs as Local Service 4.Launcher service runs as Network Service

This is backwards. The launcher runs as Local System (Local Service is not enough) and the balancer runs as Network Service