In this article, we will be discussing about the error message: “Microsoft SSIS Service failed to start. Configuration system failed to initialize”. We will talk about what this error message means, as well as, how you can resolve it.
About the “Microsoft SSIS Service failed to start” Issue
It happened at some point to encounter problems with SQL Server Integration Services 11.0 (SSIS) not being able to start. This occurred on a Windows 2008 R2 server that has been regularly patched. After checking in Windows Event Viewer, I found the exact error message which was: Microsoft SSIS Service failed to start. Error: Configuration system failed to initialize.
The Unsuccessful Attempt to Resolve the Issue
The first thing I tried, was to change the service account used for starting SSIS and use for example “Local Service”. Unfortunately, the problem was not solved.
However, at some point it occurred to me that hey, I have written in the recent past another blog post that again had to do with services not being able to start and that it was .NET Framework-related stuff.
What Finally Solved the Issue
So, what I finally did, was to check the “machine.config” permissions under the “Security” tab in the file’s properties for both 32-bit and 64-bit .NET versions. These files can be found in:
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Config
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\Config
There, while checking the permissions, I observed that the local users group, did not have access on the “machine.config” file of .NET Framework config. This is wrong, they should have.
So, right after the above troubleshooting exercise, I granted the two below file permissions on “machine.config” for the local users group:
- Read & execute
- Read
Right after the above action, SSIS started and worked like a charm!
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Artemakis Artemiou is a Senior SQL Server Architect, Author, a 9 Times Microsoft Data Platform MVP (2009-2018). He has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry in various roles. Artemakis is the founder of SQLNetHub and {essentialDevTips.com}. Artemakis is the creator of the well-known software tools Snippets Generator and DBA Security Advisor. Also, he is the author of many eBooks on SQL Server. Artemakis currently serves as the President of the Cyprus .NET User Group (CDNUG) and the International .NET Association Country Leader for Cyprus (INETA). Moreover, Artemakis teaches on Udemy, you can check his courses here.