FIM Synchronization service wont start - Sharepoint 2010

Question

User Profile Service and User Profile Synchronization services in Central Administration site is started but FIM Synchorization Service is stopped. When i try to start it, gave me this error:

windows could not start the forefront identity manager synchronization service on local computer. for more >information, review the system event log. If this is non-Microsoft service, contact the service vendor, adn refer to service specific error code 2146234334.

Here is the event log

BAIL: MMS(2412): sql.cpp(8490): 0x80231334 (The sql connection string has unsupported values.) BAIL: MMS(2412): sql.cpp(8533): 0x80231334 (The sql connection string has unsupported values.) BAIL: MMS(2412): server.cpp(260): 0x80231334 (The sql connection string has unsupported values.) BAIL: MMS(2412): server.cpp(3860): 0x80231334 (The sql connection string has unsupported values.) BAIL: MMS(2412): service.cpp(1539): 0x80231334 (The sql connection string has unsupported values.) ERR: MMS(2412): service.cpp(988): Error creating com objects. Error code: -2145184972. This is retry number 0. BAIL: MMS(2412): clrhost.cpp(283): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): scriptmanagerimpl.cpp(7670): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): server.cpp(251): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): server.cpp(3860): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): service.cpp(1539): 0x80131022 ERR: MMS(2412): service.cpp(988): Error creating com objects. Error code: -2146234334. This is retry number 1. BAIL: MMS(2412): clrhost.cpp(283): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): scriptmanagerimpl.cpp(7670): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): server.cpp(251): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): server.cpp(3860): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): service.cpp(1539): 0x80131022 ERR: MMS(2412): service.cpp(988): Error creating com objects. Error code: -2146234334. This is retry number 2. BAIL: MMS(2412): clrhost.cpp(283): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): scriptmanagerimpl.cpp(7670): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): server.cpp(251): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): server.cpp(3860): 0x80131022 BAIL: MMS(2412): service.cpp(1539): 0x80131022 ERR: MMS(2412): service.cpp(988): Error creating com objects. Error code: -2146234334. This is retry number 3. BAIL: MMS(2412): service.cpp(1002): 0x80131022 Forefront Identity Manager 4.0.2450.49

Answer 1

Here is what i did to fix the issue.

1) I deleted User Profile Application and recreated it. 2) USP gave me an error, cannot connect to USP because application pool or User Profile Service is not started. 3) I stopped and restarted User Profile Service from CA. 4) I started USP Sync Service in CA, and it got struck on Starting. 5) Did IISRESET and recycled Timer Service. 6) Still same issue. 7) I checked Application Pool and guess what SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool is stopped. 8) I started SecurityTokenServiceApplicationPool and did IISRESET and recycled Timer Service. 9) Started User Profile Service Sync service from CA. It started which in turn also started "FIM Sync Service". 10) Ran Incremental synchronization and it worked with no issues.

First of all, i still don't know why FIM Sync service is stopped. But i followed the above steps and resolved the issue.

Thanks @RansherSingh and @Shelby for sharing your thoughts.

Answer 2

Any SharePoint Update (running PSCONFIG) will usually stop the sync service. The Sync service itself requires the Farm account be a local admin the box where it is running.

In addition to the event log I would consult your upgrade log to see if there were any warning or errors present. Check the upgrade status of both your services (on each server) and databases. If any of them are different or showing update required than attempt to force another upgrade

psconfig -cmd upgrade -inplace b2b -wait -force

If that completes successfully but the database is not upgraded you can attempt the following:

Get-SPDataBase | ft name, id -autosize

Make note of the ID for your service databases that are not upgraded

$db = Get-SPdataBase <GUID>
$db.upgrade($true);

As @RansherSingh pointed out check out Spence Harbars articles - It's basicly the bible on UPS.

Last but not least - consider how complicated your setup is. If you are using out the box UPS and don't have a lot of custom attributes or import rules, it is probably just quicker to create a new UPS. It doesn't make sense T/S something for a couple of days if you can deploy a new one in an hour.