Critical Data Server Error 6097 or 6420 on Launching Abacus

The following errors can occur when launching AbacusLaw or Abacus Accounting if there is an issue accessing the Advantage Database Server on the server where AbacusLaw is installed. This service is typically installed to make connections by multiple users to the same database more reliable:

ADS Error 6097: Bad IP address or port specified in the connection path or in the ADS.INI file

ADS Error 6420: The ‘discovery’ process for the Advantage Database Server failed. Unable to connect to the Advantage Database Server.

The full error window in AbacusLaw looks like the following:

Follow the below steps in order to troubleshoot connections issues.

Common Issues

1. Check if Advantage Database Server is Running
2. Check the Ads.ini
3. Verify that Abacus is Connecting using Server Name, Not IP Address
4. Check Firewall Settings
5. Check for Local Ads.ini Files

Advanced Troubleshooting

1. Verify that the Server has Only One IP Address
2. DNS Issues or Name Conflicts
3. Domain Restriction

Common Issues

The below issues are the most common sources of this error (in order of frequency):

Check if Advantage Database Server is Running

1. Log into your AbacusLaw server's desktop. This is the computer where the main AbacusLaw installation resides.
2. Open Advantage Configuration Utility. You can search for it in your start menu's search bar.
   • If Advantage Configuration Utility could not be found, but Abacus was able to connect on your current server before, most likely you are not looking on the AbacusLaw server. Contact your IT or system administrator for assistance in finding the server. If it has never worked on this server, install Advantage from this link.
3. If the table on the Database Info tab is filled with numbers, then the service is running. If the table is empty, click Start Service to start the Advantage service.
   
   

back to top

---

Check the Ads.ini

The steps below involved advanced usage and changes to your system configuration. If you are not comfortable with making these changes, or do not have access to do so, please contact your IT or system administrator for assistance.

Abacus uses a configuration file (called ads.ini) which tells it where to look for the Advantage Database Server. If the server name or IP address in this file is incorrect, it will be unable to locate it. This can be an issue following a server migration, or if your network router was restarted or lost power.

1. Navigate to your Abacus/vXX/Programs folder.
2. Open the ads.ini file in that folder.
3. Make sure the IP address of the server and the sever name are correct. Read below for instructions on how to check these.
   
   

Finding the Server Name

First, look at the top of your AbacusLaw window to see how Abacus is mapped:

1. If your Abacus shortcut is mapped to the server via a UNC path (which looks similar to: \\SERVER\Abacus\v23\data01), you can simply find the server name from the path that you see there.
2. The name between the two slashes (\\) and the next slash (e.g. \\SERVER\) is the server name.
   
   
   
   
3. If your Abacus shortcut is mapped via a networked drive (which looks similar to: Z:\Abacus\v23\data01), open your File Explorer in Windows, and find the mapped drive under This PC. Next to the mapped drive should be what it is mapped to in parentheses.
   • The name between the two slashes (\\) and the next slash (e.g. \\SERVER\) is the server name.
     
     
     
     

Finding the IP Address

1. Open command prompt. Do a search for cmd in your start menu's search bar.
2. Type ping name_of_your_server -4 (replace name_of_your_server with the server name you found above).
3. The IP address returned by the ping command will be the IP address you need to use (it is in a format similar to: 192.168.1.100).
   
   

back to top

---

Verify that Abacus is Connecting using Server Name, Not IP Address

If that server name in the path used by Abacus is actually an IP address (e.g. \\192.168.1.100\, rather than \\SERVER\), then it is mapped via IP address rather than server name. This can cause these data server errors. Follow the instructions in the following KB article on how to fix this issue: How to Verify How Abacus is Mapped to the Server, and Fix IP Address Mapping

back to top

---

Check Firewall Settings

While the issue would typically only be caused by a software firewall, some hardware firewalls (such as SonicWALL) can inspect internal LAN traffic, and block packets as well. If you are running a more aggressive hardware firewall on your network, try disabling it. If you are not sure if you are, speak to your IT or system administrator.

A software firewall (including Windows Firewall) may be blocking the connection, from either the server side or the local workstation. Advantage typically communicates over UDP port 6262. Try adding inbound and outbound exceptions to your firewall for UDP port 6262 on both the server and the workstation. You may need to speak to your IT or system administrator for assistance in doing this.

If you want to verify if this is the issue first, try disabling the firewall on the workstation, and testing it. If the error still occurs, try doing the same on the server. If the error occurs after testing both, the firewall is unlikely to be the source of the issue.

back to top

---

Check for Local Ads.ini Files

If the above did not work, check to ensure that there are no ads.ini files your Windows directories. If there is one, it will be read above the standard ads.ini file, and may have older information.

1. Open File Explorer in Windows. Navigate to C:\Windows.
2. Check if there is any ads.ini file in C:\Windows, C:\Windows\system32\, and C:\Windows\sysWOW64.
3. If any ads.ini files were found in one of the above directories, delete them.

back to top

---

Advanced Troubleshooting

The following issues are less common, but can still cause these errors. Troubleshooting them requires more advanced steps, and you will most likely need to get your IT or system administrator involved to assist.

Verify that the Server has Only One IP Address

This issue can also occur if more than one NIC (virtual or physical) is enabled on the server, causing the server to have multiple IP addresses. Advantage may be listening on a different IP address than the one configured in ads.ini (or the one that you see if you ping the server).

To check, open command prompt (cmd) on the server, and type ipconfig /all.

If you see multiple cards listed there with multiple IPv4 addresses, try replacing the IPv4 Address you see listed in the ads.ini with another IP address you see list, then try launching AbacusLaw on the workstation again. Keep doing this for each IP address you see listed on the server until you find one that works. If the connection works after changing to another NIC's IP address, this was most likely the issue.

Alternatively, if you know that the secondary NICs shown are not used, disable them. NICs can be disabled inside Network and Internet > Network Connections in your Windows Control Panel on the server by right-clicking on a network connection, then clicking Disable.

back to top

---

DNS Issues or Name Conflicts

In some cases, this issue can also be caused by a DNS resolution issue or computer name conflict (i.e. if two computers on the same network have the same name as the server).

A DNS resolution issue may (but will NOT always) manifest as the workstation seeing a different IP address returned when pinging the server than the server reports when running the command ipconfig. Speak to your IT or system administrator for further assistance troubleshooting this.

back to top

---

Domain Restriction

You will most likely need to speak to your IT or system administrator for further assistance in troubleshooting this issue.

In some cases, a domain restriction may be preventing the user accounts on the workstation from communicating with Advantage.

To test this, try logging in as a local administrator (who is not part of the domain set up in the office) on the affected workstation. Try opening the server's network share (you may have to enter credentials to do so), then try opening AbacusLaw to see if the issue still occurs. If it no longer occurs, this would suggest a domain restriction is likely the source of the issue.