Unable to connect to master or target server

Created: 5 Jun 2020, last update: 30 Jan 2022

Unable to connect to master or target server

When installing Sitecore you can run into an Error: Unable to connect to master or target server 'sc93_Processing.Pools'. You must have a user with the same password in master or target server 'sc93_Processing.Pools'. This can have multiple reasons. This old issue is already described on.

Sitecore Stack Exchange
But today it is still relevant when you move from SQL server 2016 to MS SQL 2019 and want to install Sitecore 9.3. Like I did it cost me still a lot of time to get it working because I use newer version than the old solution. You can use SIF or the Setup.exe But in some edge cases it still fails while you have al prerequisites installed. So here an update for the Unable to connect to master or target server issue.

  • Check your database user and confirm you can login and create databases, sysadmin rights.
  • Check you have successful run the Prerequisites installation step.
  • When you download and Install the Microsoft® SQL Server® Data-Tier Application Framework let we say version 18.3.1 you had no choice’s between x64 and x86, and you have installed only a recent x64 version. But in my case it was necessary to also install a recent x86 version compatible with SQL server 2017, 2019
    I Found out the a little bit older Microsoft® SQL Server® Data-Tier Application Framework (18.1) has also and x86 version
    So install this x86 version. Beside an (newer) x64 version
    https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=57784
  • Still and issue it might happen you run now into a:
    DacFxNeededForSQLProvider,
    ERROR_SCRIPTDOM_NEEDED_FOR_SQL_PROVIDER,
    ERROR_SQLCLRTYPES_NEEDED_FOR_SQL_PROVIDER

    This is described in this blog:
    https://naveed-ahmad.com/2017/11/03/sitecore-9-sif-installation-error-error_scriptdom_needed_for_sql_provider/
    https://kb.sitecore.net/articles/019579
    But still relevant today with newer SQL server 2019 and Sitecore 9.3 and Visual Studio 2019, if you had/have old versions it can still break your Sitecore install.

    I change the Registry key’s

    Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\IIS Extensions\MSDeploy\3\ DacFxDependenciesPath

    And

    Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\IIS Extensions\MSDeploy\3\ DacFxPath

    To: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\150\DAC\bin

    With the Registry editor

    That works for me.