SharePoint 2019 On-prem User Profiles not populating from AD.

Keith Vollero 116

I've created an on-prem SP 2019 installation. Everything seems to be working except the User Profile Synchronization. I know there's a valid connection, because when I set up the Synchronization Connection, the 'Populate Containers' box pulls in the accounts and I see the names of all my users. But I run the full import and nothing seems to happen. Profiles are not imported. I get an error in the ULS log, 'Object reference not set to an instance of an object.'

Here's the strange part - Using a normal user account, I open the SharePoint site, and click my name (upper right-hand corner), then 'About me'. SharePoint creates my OneDrive/MySite. THEN my account appears in the Profile! It even has the info from the AD. But running the Profile Sync does nothing.

Trying to solve the problem, I have -
• Re-created the UP Service app from scratch several times.
• Re-created the AD connection.
• Ensured that the account used has Replicating Directory permissions.
• Ensured that the App Pool is running.
• Done the IISRESET at every step of the way.

What am I missing?

trevorseward 11,711 Reputation points

2020-12-14T22:41:18.193+00:00

Probably best if you enabled Verbose logging (Set-SPLogLevel -TraceSeverity Verbose), reproduced the issue, ran Clear-SPLogLevel, then captured the logs surrounding the attempted UPSA import. This should give you better error details.

When providing a stack trace error, provide the full stack trace.
Keith Vollero 116 Reputation points

2020-12-15T15:32:05.227+00:00

Okay, help me out here. I understand about the Verbose setting, which will provide maximum detail on what's happening. But what does the Clear-SPLogLevel do?
And Full stack trace is.... what, ALL messages from the job run beginning through all the errors?
Keith Vollero 116 Reputation points

2020-12-15T15:49:28.563+00:00

StartImport :: Starting profile full import.
Write trace failed for type Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPTaskUsageEntry with errorCode 8
SPPersistedObjectCollectionCache.RefreshDirtyCollections(): detected intervening update to collection cache file, dirtying all in-memory collection caches.
ERROR: Failed to OpenThreadToken, LastError=1008
Write trace failed for type Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPTaskUsageEntry with errorCode 8
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UserProfileApplication.DumpSynchronizationStatusToFile: Unexpected exception: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.UserProfileApplication.DumpSynchronizationStatusToFile().
trevorseward 11,711 Reputation points

2020-12-24T00:38:59.543+00:00

What is the value of 'InstallPath' at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\16.0?

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Keith Vollero 116 Reputation points

2020-12-24T18:24:29.953+00:00

The problem has been solved.
After writing the last message about the Timer Job, I started poking around IIS. I investigated all the Service jobs that might be involved with the User Profile sync. All seemed to be in order, but for good measure, I stopped, then restarted, all of those.

And suddenly, the import ran, pulling in all the Profiles.
I think it might have been the User Profile Service itself, but could have been any, or a combination.
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AzharKhan Dalwai 1 Reputation point

2022-07-17T18:03:44.427+00:00

Hello Keith,

I also facing similar issue … Can yo let me know which timer jobs have you restarted.
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6 additional answers

JoyZ 18,086 Reputation points

2020-12-11T07:24:27.53+00:00

Hi @Keith Vollero ,

Whether the profiles not imported means that "Number of User Profiles" is not correct?

Per my research, please try as following:

1)Select all objects again by clicking in the parent's OU checkbox and saved the changes.

2)Try to select another sync option 'Enable External Identity Manager' and saved. Then came back and select 'Use SharePoint Active Directory Import' setting and save.

This step cleans up the UPS databases from old data that could be causing trouble.

Remember to disable the Mysite cleanup timer job before working on this.

More information:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/84ba9181-d02d-46e0-afb1-25ee0597064d/user-profile-service-is-not-updating-from-ad-after-crawl?forum=SP2016

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JoyZ 18,086 Reputation points

2020-12-14T02:05:53.19+00:00

Hi @Keith Vollero ,

Is there any progress on this issue?

Please feel free to reply.

Keith Vollero 116 Reputation points

2020-12-14T14:44:51.127+00:00

Hi Julie,

Thanks for the quick response. Unfortunately, still No Joy on the Profile Sync. The job just does not run.

Odd thing - The 'Select All' functionality seems off. I check the 'Select All' button when populating the containers, and the boxes all check. Save and close, but when I go back, the boxes are unchecked. I had to select each branch individually to select all the containers.

In any case, as I said, No Joy. The job doesn't run, and the same "Object reference not set to an instance of an object." error appears.

When looking through the logs, I noticed a different error (below). Clue?

12/14/2020 09:24:06.48 w3wp (0x13E4) 0x2398 SharePoint Foundation Upgrade SPDelegateManager awbky INFO Ignoring upgrade sequence: Microsoft.Office.Server.Upgrade.ProfileDatabaseExtensionSprocsSequence because related content database extension Microsoft.Office.Server.UserProfiles.ProfileDatabaseExtension is not enabled. 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

JoyZ 18,086 Reputation points

2020-12-16T08:21:55.997+00:00

Hi @Keith Vollero ,

The "Select all" button will show as initially each time after selected it , it's the normal behavior.

From your description, whether the timer job "User Profile Service Application - User Profile ActiveDirectory Import Job " doesn't run?

If it is true, please refer to this article:

https://joshroark.com/sharepoint-2016-active-directory-import-timer-job-does-not-run-allowservicejobs/

Note: Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. The sites are not controlled by Microsoft. Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. Please make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any suggestions from the above link.
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Keith Vollero 116 Reputation points

2020-12-16T15:05:19.427+00:00

Thank you for the confirmation on 'Select All'. It seemed quirky.
As to the other question, it isn't the Timer Job that's the problem. The Profile Import won't run even when I try to start it from Central Admin, using the Service Application interface

:
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JoyZ 18,086 Reputation points

2020-12-18T01:51:30.36+00:00

Hi @Keith Vollero ,

When you start incremental synchronization or full synchronization, User Profile service application - User Profile Active Directory import timer job works in the background to import objects from Active Directory to the Profile database.

Please refresh the Manage Profile Service page to check whether the profile synchronization status is Idle.

We could also check the timer job last run time to check whether the sync is complete.

Keith Vollero 116 Reputation points

2020-12-23T17:03:53.923+00:00

This is one thing that puzzles me - The 'User Profile ActiveDirectory Import Job' timer job is set up to run every 5 minutes. It's Enabled. But it never runs. It doesn't fail, it just doesn't run. It doesn't error out, it just doesn't run. When I edit the Timer job and click 'Run Now' to run it manually, Nothing Happens. It doesn't show up in the Job History, just nothing happens.

It's as though something is missing from the Command string that executes the job, and all I get is the "System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. " error.

Any ideas?
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Keith Vollero 116 Reputation points

2020-12-22T16:20:52.947+00:00

Julie,

The Sync Status is idle, that's the problem, it STAYS idle, even when I run the Sync job. Either one, Full or Incremental, the job just doesn't run. Checking the Timer job shows that the job hasn't run. When I click 'Run' from the Timer job, it still does not run.

In the ULS log, I see this:
StartImport :: Starting profile full import.

UserProfileApplication.DumpSynchronizationStatusToFile: Unexpected exception: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at Microsoft.Office.Server.Administration.UserProfileApplication.DumpSynchronizationStatusToFile().
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Andrew Bulle 1 Reputation point

2022-12-14T18:42:28.33+00:00

Hi Did you ever fix this ?
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