How to fix failing Open Directory (database "cn=authdata" cannot be opened, err 12) after hang

Question

A Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5 server running Open Directory hung. SSH was still possible but the sudo reboot command didn't restart the server within 15 minutes. That is why a power cycle was issued. After the power cycle Open Directory would no longer start and the System log is filled with a new message every 10 seconds:

com.apple.launchd[1] (org.openldap.slapd[1153]): Exited with code: 1
com.apple.launchd[1] (org.openldap.slapd): Throttling respawn: Will start in 10 seconds

Repairing disk permission, neither another reboot doesn't solve the issue.

Slapd in Tool mode outputs:

$ sudo /usr/libexec/slapd -Tt
bdb(dc=nl2,dc=probackup,dc=nl): unable to allocate memory for mutex; resize mutex region
bdb_db_open: database "dc=nl2,dc=probackup,dc=nl" cannot be opened, err 12. Restore from backup!
backend_startup_one (type=bdb, suffix="dc=nl2,dc=probackup,dc=nl"): bi_db_open failed! (12)
slap_startup failed (test would succeed using the -u switch)

How to fix this?

Answer 1

Check if the OD database is the problem

$ sudo /usr/libexec/slapd -Tt

No further action is needed if the output tells something like:

...
bdb_db_open: database "dc=hostname,dc=domainname,dc=tldname": recovery skipped in read-only mode. Run manual recovery if errors are encountered.
...

Try repair

To repair the Open Directory authdata database:

$ sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.openldap.slapd.plist

Now start the database recovery using the command below that matches your OS version.

$ sudo db_recover -h /var/db/openldap/authdata/ # Mac OS X 10.7
$ sudo db_recover -h /var/db/openldap/openldap-data/ # Mac OS X 10.6

Now slapd in tool mode outputs:

$ sudo /usr/libexec/slapd -Tt
bdb_db_open: database "dc=nl2,dc=probackup,dc=nl": unclean shutdown detected; attempting recovery.
bdb_db_open: database "dc=nl2,dc=probackup,dc=nl": recovery skipped in read-only mode. Run manual recovery if errors are encountered.
bdb_monitor_db_open: monitoring disabled; configure monitor database to enable
config file testing succeeded

Now turn back on Open Directory:

$ sudo launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.openldap.slapd.plist

And issue another restart to be better safe than sorry:

$ sudo reboot

Open Directory should now be up and running again. In case it isn't running, try below.

Try Time Machine restore

First have a look at the available back-upped versions:

$ ls /Volumes/Time\ Machine/Backups.backupdb/*/

Pick the most recent version when Open Directory was still running correctly, for example 2018-07-22-091106.

Start again with unloading the daemon.

$ sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.openldap.slapd.plist

Then remove (or rename) the database directory (when it is available Time Machine won't restore correctly) and start restore:

$ sudo rm -rf /var/db/openldap/ && sudo tmutil restore -v /Volumes/Time\ Machine/Backups.backupdb/*/2018-07-22-091106/Macintosh\ HD/var/db/openldap/ /var/db/

Force repair the database:

$ sudo db_recover -cv -h /var/db/openldap/openldap-data/

Repair permissions and reboot:

$ sudo diskutil repairPermissions / && sudo reboot

Answer 2

This is how I usually repair a broken LDAP/OD

1. check if this is the problem

sudo /usr/libexec/slapd -Tt*

You might get: bdb_db_open: database "cn=authdata": db_open(/var/db/openldap/authdata/id2entry.bdb) failed: Invalid argument (22).

2. Stop LDAP on OD Master

sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.openldap.slapd.plist

3. Repair Permissions

diskutil repairPermissions /

4. backup openldap db

sudo cp /var/db/openldap/authdata/id2entry.bdb /var/db/openldap/authdata/id2entry.bdb.backup

5. repair

sudo db_recover -cv -h /var/db/openldap/openldap-data/

6. run repair again to check

sudo db_recover -cv -h /var/db/openldap/openldap-data/

7. do it one more time so things are repaired correctly

sudo /usr/libexec/slapd -Tt

8. restart the service

sudo launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.openldap.slapd.plist

9. If the above does not work, try:

sudo db_recover -cv -h /var/db/openldap/authdata/

then I restart the service with step 8.

sudo launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.openldap.slapd.plist

This usually fixes the problem... but in some cases you need to restore like llange explaines in his post.

Answer 3

First best is to check the disk you may do so either using the recovery partition or single user (cmd - S at startup) then type :

fsck -fy

QWERTY keyboard the dash is 2 key left from backspace.

To re-import a corrupted database from a backup you should backup and replace the following files/ folders :

• var/db/openldap/
• usr/bin/db_recover

Not sure it's necessary but if you have removed the LDAPv3 entry in the System keychain :

• Library/Keychains/System.keychain

The try a recovery…

Then you should repair disk permissions from a terminal (not single user) :

diskutil repairPermissions /

If after the recovery you experience problem connecting to services check the configuration under "Services" tab in Directory Utility.

Answer 4

Repair as proposed in the accepted answer was not able to fix my problems. However, restoring the database from a Time Machine backup was successful:

1. Unload OpenDirectory to be safe: sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.openldap.slapd.plist
2. Open a finder window, then select Go > Go to folder /var/db
3. Rename /var/db/openldap to something like /var/db/openldap.corrupt
4. Enter Time Machine
5. Go back in time to when you know OpenDirectory worked
6. Restore /var/db/openldap
7. Run a recover on the restored data:

sudo db_recover -cv -h /var/db/openldap/openldap-data/
sudo db_recover -cv -h /var/db/openldap/authdata/

9. Restart Open Directory: sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/org.openldap.slapd.plist

Once macOS Server has restarted, OpenDirectory should be up and running.