Troubleshooting FAQ

Last modified on March 24, 2023

This page provides information on how to resolve some common problems and errors you may experience when running the StrongDM Client. To use this page, choose the scenario that best describes your situation, and see if any of the errors or questions apply to you.

I’m using the client for macOS, and
The desktop app won’t open when I click on the SDM icon This can happen if you run the client from inside the downloaded disk image (DMG) instead of from Applications. Double-click the downloaded DMG file to open the SDM disk image, and then drag it to the Applications folder.
It says No datasources available You are currently not assigned access to any datasources. Contact your StrongDM administrator to ensure you have been assigned to a role.
I can't log in
With Email Confirm with your StrongDM administrator that they have created an account for you in StrongDM, and that the account matches your email.
With Okta or another SSO Confirm with your StrongDM administrator that they have created an account for you in StrongDM, and that the account matches your email. Also, confirm with your SSO system administrator that you have been assigned to the StrongDM app in the SSO console.
My desktop app just says RECONNECTING This means that your client cannot connect to any of the gateways hosted by your organization. Contact your StrongDM administrator to find out if there are any local system issues.
All my ports show CONNECTED, but I can’t really connect If you are using Mac or Windows OS, open the desktop app. If the resource you’re trying to use has a yellow triangle, that means the remote database or server is offline. Check with your StrongDM administrator.
My database connection isn’t working Some clients or servers have specific requirements for connection strings. See the client connections page for more detail.
I don’t see the option to configure visible datasources or the Search field You’ll only see the option to configure visible datasources if you have access to nine or more resources. You’ll only see Search if you have access to 30 or more resources.
I’m using the client for Windows, and
I installed StrongDM, but nothing happened The installer will show a brief animation as it installs, but it does not give a confirmation screen. Check your desktop for the SDM icon. If it is present, the installation is complete.
I clicked the SDM icon, but nothing happened The desktop app launches in the Windows system tray, typically found in the lower right of your screen.
I clicked the SDM icon in the System Tray, but it just says LOADING This often means that local ports required by the client are blocked, most commonly by Windows Firewall, third-party security applications, or a Default Domain Policy. We recommend that you speak to your IT team to check each of these. Contact Support if they are unable to help or have questions.
It says No datasources available You are currently not assigned access to any datasources. Contact your StrongDM administrator to ensure you have been assigned to a role.
I can't log in
With email Confirm with your StrongDM administrator that they have created an account for you in StrongDM and that the account matches your email.
With Okta or another SSO Confirm with your StrongDM administrator that they have created an account for you in StrongDM and that the account matches your email. Also, confirm with your SSO system administrator that you have been assigned to the StrongDM app in the SSO console.
My app just says RECONNECTING This means that your client cannot connect to any of the gateways hosted by your organization. Contact your StrongDM administrator to find out if there are any local system issues.
All my ports show CONNECTED, but I can’t really connect If you are using Mac or Windows OS, open the desktop app. If the resource you’re trying to use has a yellow triangle, that means the remote database or server is offline. Check with your StrongDM administrator.
My database connection isn’t working Some clients or servers have specific requirements for connection strings. See the client connections page for more detail.
I don’t see the option to configure visible datasources or the Search field You’ll only see the option to configure visible datasources if you have access to nine or more resources. You’ll only see Search if you have access to 30 or more resources.
I’m using the client for Linux, and
I try to connect to a resource and get: SDM listener currently isn't running The listener is a background process that manages connections. You can use ps and look for sdm listen is running. If it’s not, try running sdm listen & to start it. You may also want to review the Linux Installation Guide.
I’m using WSL2 on Windows and am unable to run any sdm commands We don’t currently support WSL2. You may wish to use a VM or Docker image instead. If you wish to try to configure WSL2 anyway, see the notes on our WSL installation page.
I’m using the Admin UI, and
I only see the Downloads page This means that your StrongDM Permission Level is User. Only Team Leads and Account Administrators will see configuration details on this page. (Note that being in a role with “admin” in its name does not affect Permission Level.)
I’m working with gateways, and the Admin UI won’t let me use port 443 You cannot currently run a gateway on privileged ports (below 1024). This may be addressed in a future release.
I’m setting up Kubernetes and it’s not clear how StrongDM works with role-based-access control (RBAC) For most clusters, you do not need to configure RBAC at all. All users connecting via StrongDM use the credentials defined in the cluster resource (using certificates, keys, or password). You should only consider RBAC with StrongDM when using Remote Identities.
None of this helps me! If you can’t find your answer in the documentation or on this page, you can email support@strongdm.com for support with using, deploying, or administering StrongDM.