Directory database is disconnected - If the Directory database of your main server is disconnected and not communicating properly, troubleshoot with the following possible causes and solutions. - Security Center 5.10 - 5.14 - Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting the main server in Security Center
Product
Security Center
Content type
Troubleshooting
Version
5.14
5.13
5.12
5.11
5.10
ft:locale
en-US
Last updated
2026-07-15

If the Directory database of your main server is disconnected and not communicating properly, troubleshoot with the following possible causes and solutions.

Is the database local?

On the main server page in Server Admin, ensure that the name in the Database server field indicates that the SQL server is local.

Directory section of the server page in Server Admin with the local part of the database server name highlighted.
  • To troubleshoot in SQL Server Management Server (SSMS):
    • Verify that the server instance name is correct.
    • Verify that the server running the SQL service is online.
    • Go to Management > SQL Server Logs and double-click on Current to check the Log File Viewer for credentials or permissions issues .
  • To troubleshoot in Server Admin, select your server, then click Actions > Console > Loggers. The Logs panel on the right displays any current issues.
  • If the database is not local:
    • Instead of connecting to the remote database server using the SQL Server instance name, open Server Admin and connect using the server's IP address.
    • Ensure that the remote database server ports are open and reserved for the SQL server.

Is the database version incompatible?

On the main server page in Server Admin, check the Database status for the following error: Database version is higher than the current version.

If the database version is incompatible after you have updated Security Center, restore your database to a previous version, or ensure that the correct version of Security Center is installed.

Does the user who is running the Genetec™ Server service have permission to access the Directory database?

The Genetec™ Server service logon user might not have the necessary rights on the Directory database in SQL. Open SSMS to verify the Directory database permissions, and add the required permissions where necessary.

  1. In the Object Explorer pane, click Security > Logins.
  2. Right-click on the user running the Genetec Server service, and select Properties.
    NOTE: If the user running the Genetec™ Server service is Local System, then the corresponding user in SSMS is NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.
  3. Click Server roles and verify that all server-level roles for the Directory database are selected.
    SQL Server Management Studio showing the server-level user permissions for the Directory database.
  4. Click User mapping, select Directory, and verify that all database-level roles for the Directory database are selected.
    SQL Server Management Studio showing the database-level user permissions for the Directory database.
For more information about the required permissions, see the basic administrative privileges.

Is the Directory database full?

You can check to see if your Directory database exceeds its size limit.
  1. Open SSMS.
  2. In the Object Explorer pane, click Databases.
  3. Right-click on the Directory database and select Properties > General.
  4. Check the Space Available field to see if the Directory database has reached its size limit.
SQL Server 2025 Express has a 50 GB size limit. Previous versions have a 10 GB size limit. If your database is full, contact Technical Support to help you troubleshoot.

Is there a Directory failover configuration issue?

If your Directory is configured for failover, check Windows Event Viewer for the following error:
Event Source: GenetecDirectory.exe
Description: Unable to take the database lock, another Master Directory may be running on this database, restarting Directory service

If this error occurred, use Windows Services to restart the Genetec™ Server service on your failover server.

Is the SQL database transaction log (LDF file) too big?

You can use SSMS to see if your SQL LDF file is too big.
  1. In the Object Explorer pane, click Databases.
  2. Right-click on the Directory database and select Properties > Files.
  3. In the Database files section, check the size of the LDF file.
If the LDF file is the reason your SQL database exceeded its size limit, Contact Technical Support.

Is your Directory database corrupted?

In Server Admin, create a new Directory database to see if the Directory server starts with a clean database.
IMPORTANT: Do not overwrite the existing database.
If the Directory starts with a clean database:
  • The existing Directory database could have incorrect configuration or an information conflict.
  • The existing Directory database could be corrupted.
To troubleshoot:
  • In Server Admin, select your server, then click Actions > Console > Loggers. The Logs panel on the right displays any current issues.
  • In Event Viewer, click Application and Services Logs > Genetec, and then look for related warning and error messages in the panel on the right.
If you can't resolve the issue, Contact Technical Support and provide them with a backup copy of the original database so they can troubleshoot the issue.