KB: Altium Enterprise Server Fails to Start When Elasticsearch Cannot Initialize

Solution Details

Elasticsearch Startup Failure Prevents Server Access

When attempting to start the Elasticsearch service from the Windows Services console, the following error may be displayed:

Windows could not start the Elasticsearch service.

When Elasticsearch fails to initialize, the Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server cannot complete startup and search-related functionality is unavailable.

Missing Temporary Folder Can Cause Startup Failure

The service startup error does not indicate a specific root cause. Possible causes include low disk space, search-index issues, permission problems, or an inaccessible temporary directory.

In older AES versions, support cases have shown that the Elasticsearch temporary folder was missing after a cleanup, maintenance activity, or third-party backup process. As a result, the service could not initialize successfully during startup.

The temporary directory depends on the account used to run the service. A common example is:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp

Verify the Environment Before Making Changes

• Review the Elasticsearch logs located at:
  C:\ProgramData\Altium\Altium365Data\logs\ElasticSearch
• Identify the account configured to run the Elasticsearch service.
• Verify the effective temporary directory used by that account.
• Check whether an Elasticsearch folder exists in the temporary directory.
• Confirm that the service account has appropriate access to the folder.
• Verify that sufficient disk space is available.
• Check the Enterprise Server Health Monitor for Elasticsearch or search-index warnings.
• If log evidence indicates the temporary folder is missing or inaccessible, recreate the folder and restart the service.
• Consider upgrading to a current supported AES version if running an older release.

Steps to Recreate the Temporary Folder and Restart the Service

1. Open the Windows Services console and identify the account configured to run the Elasticsearch service.
2. Navigate to the temporary directory associated with that account. For example:
   C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp
3. Verify whether a folder named Elasticsearch exists.
4. If the folder does not exist, create a new empty folder named Elasticsearch. No files need to be restored or copied into the folder.
5. Verify that the Elasticsearch service account has sufficient permissions to access the recreated folder.
6. In the Windows Services console, locate the Elasticsearch service.
7. Select Restart. If the service is stopped, select Start.
8. Confirm that the service status changes to Running.
9. If the service does not start, review the Elasticsearch logs in:
   C:\ProgramData\Altium\Altium365Data\logs\ElasticSearch
   and verify that the temporary directory structure and permissions are intact.
10. Start the AES.
11. Verify the following:
    • The Elasticsearch service status is Running.
    • The AES starts successfully.
    • Search and indexing functionality operate normally.

References

• Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server Technical Documentation
• Backing up & Restoring Your Installation

Related Articles

• KB: Resolve Issues That Were Induced After On-Premise Server Update and Data Migration
• KB: Resolve Enterprise Server Search Index Incomplete Error Caused by Low Disk Space