> Source: [sk165874](https://support.checkpoint.com/results/sk/sk165874)

# sk165874 - "Failed to connect to the server" error when trying to connect to CMA/SMS

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Solution ID | sk165874 |
| Date Created | 2020-03-20 |
| Last Modified | 2025-11-17 |
| Technical Level | Advanced |
| Products | Multi-Domain Security Management Server |
| Versions | R81.10 (EOS), R81.20, R82 |
| OS | Gaia |

## Symptoms

- * "Failed to connect to the server" error when trying to connect to CMA.
* Running the procedure in [sk118953](https://supportcenter.checkpoint.com/supportcenter/portal?eventSubmit_doGoviewsolutiondetails=&solutionid=sk118953) does not resolve the issue.
* Following logs can be found in the fwm.elg log:  
  `
  Another Security Management Server is running`  
  `
  Failed to connect to NGM server`  
  `
  FwmMghaInit failed with error 80004005`  
  `
  FwmMghaInit failed (0x80004005)`  
  `
  ...`  
  `

  Waiting until NGM server is up`  
  `
  FATAL: Failed to execute query CPOBJ.NETWORK_OBJECTS_WITH_SIC with error=28`  
  `
  FATAL: Failed to execute query CPOBJ.OPSEC_WITH_SIC with error=28`  
  `
  FATAL: Failed to execute query CPOBJ.GET_BY_SIC_NAME with error=28`  
  `
  fw_get_connected_tcp: failed to bind Virtual IP: Cannot assign requested address`  
  `
  FATAL: Failed to execute query CPOBJ.GET_BY_SIC_NAME with error=28`  
  `
  FATAL: Failed to create session on remote server`  
  `
  Failed to initialize table manager: sRelativeDbPath = log_domain`  
  `
  Failed to initialize database manager with error 0x80004005 ('Unspecified error')`  
  `
  fwm_init_cpmi_pkg: WARNING : Failed to init log_domain database manager with err 0x80004005 (Unspecified error)`
* The output of cpwd_admin list show FWM and FWMHA are terminated:

  ```
  
  [Expert@Mgmt03:0]# cpwd_admin list | grep FWM
  FWM        0      T     4       [11:56:19] 22/9/2023   N    fwm
  FWMHA      0      T     4       [11:56:19] 22/9/2023   N    fwmha -H
  ```

* In some case, an FWM core dump is created at: /var/log/dump/usermode/

## Cause

Several soft links to essential directories such as bin, scripts, and cpm-server were missing in the $FWDIR directory of the CMA/SMS

## Solution

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---

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