Failed to start service Sitecore XConnect Search Indexer when installing Sitecore 9

Question

While running SIF to install 9.0.1 the powershell script stops during the Install-SitecoreConfiguration @xconnectParams step which deploys the xConnect instance giving the following exception.

TerminatingError(Start-Service): "The running command stopped because the preference variable "ErrorActionPreference" or common parameter is set to Stop: Failed to start service 'Sitecore XConnect Search Indexer - sc901.xconnect-IndexWorker (sc901.xconnect-IndexWorker)'."
Install-SitecoreConfiguration : Failed to start service 'Sitecore XConnect Search Indexer - sc901.xconnect-IndexWorker 
(sc901.xconnect-IndexWorker)'.
At C:\Sitecore\901\install.ps1:44 char:1
+ Install-SitecoreConfiguration @xconnectParams -Verbose
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,Install-SitecoreConfiguration

Install-SitecoreConfiguration : Failed to start service 'Sitecore XConnect Search Indexer - sc901.xconnect-IndexWorker
    (sc901.xconnect-IndexWorker)'.
    At C:\Sitecore\901\install.ps1:44 char:1
    + Install-SitecoreConfiguration @xconnectParams -Verbose
    + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
        + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Write-Error], WriteErrorException
        + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.WriteErrorException,Install-SitecoreConfiguration

The problem is the Sitecore XConnect Search Indexer Windows Service cannot be started.

Looking at the Windows EventLogs when trying to start that service it appears an Exception occurs when trying to construct the type LicenseException preventing it from starting.

Service cannot be started. System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationException: The constructor to deserialize an object of type 'Sitecore.Nexus.Licensing.LicenseException' was not found.
   at System.AppDomain.CreateInstanceAndUnwrap(String assemblyName, String typeName)
   at Sitecore.XConnect.Search.Indexer.IndexerAppDomainHost.CreateAppDomainAndIndexer()
   at Sitecore.XConnect.Search.Indexer.IndexerAppDomainHost.Start()
   at Sitecore.XConnect.Search.Indexer.Service.OnStart(String[] args)
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceBase.ServiceQueuedMainCallback(Object state)

This exception prevents the Sitecore 9 install from completing.

Answer 1

The source of the issue is actually due to the License as hinted by the entry in the EventLogs.

The Sitecore license being used is fine for our 8.0 implementation and even worked without issue installing 9.0.0. However Sitecore support informed us that the License we are using was outdated, even though still valid.

Contact Sitecore Support and ask them to fetch the latest copy of your licence.xml from their CRM. It'll have additional signatures required by 9.0.1 and above.

Before re-running your install script from the beginning, you must clear down the previous install's progress, not doing so resulted in another exception.

Delete the following for both the Sitecore instance and xConnect instance created;

• IIS app pools
• IIS websites
• Webroot folders
• Databases

Re-running the script referncing the new Licence will now complete successfully.

Answer 2

Also faced with the same issue. Checked xConnect event logs are located in:

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\[your Sitecore xConnect]\App_Data\jobs\continuous\IndexWorker\App_data\Logs\

Observed the licence is missing:

[Error] Exception occurred during instantiating of IndexerHost.
Sitecore.Nexus.Licensing.LicenseException: Required license is missing: Sitecore.xDB.Base

Anyway, validated that licence file contains in:

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\[your Sitecore xConnect]\App_Data\license.xml

and

C:\inetpub\wwwroot\[your Sitecore xConnect]\App_Data\jobs\continuous\IndexWorker\App_data\license.xml

But when I opened those license files, just found out that the "Sitecore.xDB.Base" (make a serch by "Sitecore.xDB.Base" key word) expiration date had been expired:

So, just do not skip "Sitecore.xDB.Base" licence expiration check.

Answer 3

Try to check if your license is valid. Try to follow this Sitecore Support Article - https://support.sitecore.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0719199

If your licenses and other things are valid then try to go to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\website\App_Data\jobs\continuous\IndexWorker and try to run it by double clicking Sitecore.XConnectSearchIndexer.exe, then it will show you actual error. For me error was related to Sitecore.XConnect.Logging.Serilog.AppInsights.dll

Could not load file and assembly Sitecore.XConnect.Logging.Serilog.AppInsights.dll version - 3.2.0.0.

Solution - Go to C:\inetpub\wwwroot\website\App_Data\jobs\continuous\IndexWorker, click on Sitecore.XConnect.Logging.Serilog.AppInsights.dll and open properties then click unblock

Then do IISReset and start service again -

Answer 4

In my case, it was Sitecore 10.2 installation and the license is correct and the issue is in SOLR URL.

I have provided like this "https://mydomain:8985/solr/#/". Installation failed with this message "Failed to start service 'Sitecore XConnect Search Indexer".

When I changed the SOLR URL like this "https://mydomain:8985/solr". It worked.

Answer 5

I found out the issue for my specific install. I tried this, but it might have been on a run where I didn't clear the previous failed attempt so it didn't make it this far.

The problem is that the installer is looking for a hard coded value of 'license'. My license file was not called 'license'. I tried renaming it before, and maybe mistyped or otherwise didn't name it properly. I put the license file in a folder on my desktop with a generic name, renamed the license file to 'license' and ran the install.

Install successful.

An easy fix for a problem that lasted days simply for the fact I tried this route already and checked it off but it might have been when something else persisted and caused it to fail.

Answer 6

Make sure Installed Solr version Instanced has below 2 Indexes as well those who see similar issue but above steps are not resolving.

sc.domain_xdb 
sc.domain_xdb_rebuild