Integration Runtime won't register

Question

I think I have all the pieces to start a test database migration, but I can't get an Integration Runtime to register. Here's what I'm working with:

• SQL Server on prem - Server A
• Azure Data Studio with Azure SQL Migration add-on installed - Server B
• Integration Runtime - Installed on both Server A and B from attempts
• Azure SQL database setup and accessible from Server A and B
• Data Factory enabled
• Database Migration Assistant running, but with no Integration Runtime registerd

All Azure stuff is in the same RG. When I ran the Migration tool, it got to the stage of installing and registering the Integration Runtime. I tried is using the PowerShell scripts and it failed at register. I uninstalled and reinstalled the IR from a download to try that path, too. I see how to get the Authentication Keys and refresh them from the Migration Assistant. When I run Integration Runtime outside of the Migration add-on, and try to register, I paste in the key, it gives me the green checkbox and then when I click register, it spins for a moment then I get "The Integration Runtime (Self-hosted) node has encountered an error during registration. The authentication Key is invalid or empty. Specify a valid Authentication Key from the portal" . I've tried this on both server A and B, same behavior. I've refreshed the keys and tried new ones, same behavior.

Answer 1

Hello William Bartley,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

To resolve the issue with the error message "The authentication Key is invalid or empty" during Integration Runtime (IR) registration, you may try to check and confirm configurations as suggested below: 

Verify Network Connectivity 

• Ensure servers can reach these endpoints: 
• *.servicebus.windows.net (port 443) 
• *.frontend.clouddatahub.net (port 443) 
• download.microsoft.com (port 80) 

Check Firewall/Proxy Settings 

• Configure proxies if needed in the IR Configuration Manager 
• Add firewall exceptions for the IR executable (typically in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Integration Runtime<version>\Shared) 

Validate Authentication Keys 

• Generate new keys in the Azure Data Factory portal 
• Copy the entire key (no truncation) 
• Ensure you're using the correct Data Factory instance 

Reinstall Integration Runtime 

• Uninstall completely from Control Panel 
• Delete residual files from: 
  • C:\Program Files\Microsoft Integration Runtime 
  • C:\Users<user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\IntegrationRuntime 
• Reinstall the latest version from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39717  

Some Microsoft documentation may help to deep dive: 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/self-hosted-integration-runtime-troubleshoot-guide?tabs=data-factory 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/create-self-hosted-integration-runtime?tabs=data-factory 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure-data-studio/extensions/azure-sql-migration-extension?tabs=connected  

If the above answer helped, please do not forget to "Accept Answer," as this may help other community members refer to the information if they face a similar issue. Your contribution to the Microsoft Q&A community is highly appreciated. 

Answer 2

Hi William Bartley ,

It sounds like you're hitting a registration error with the Self-hosted Integration Runtime. This can happen for a few reasons. First, check that the Integration Runtime Host Service is running on your machine (you can verify this in the Windows Services app). Next, ensure the authentication key you’re using is valid and copied correctly from the Azure portal without extra spaces or characters. Also, confirm that your machine has network access to the Azure Data Factory service endpoint and that ports like 443 are open if there’s a firewall.

If those look good, try stopping the service, re-registering with the key, and restarting it via the Integration Runtime Configuration Manager. If the issue persists, the logs under the Diagnostics tab might give more clues, feel free to share any specific error codes you see there, and I can help further!

I hope this helps, and please don’t hesitate to let me know how it goes or if you need additional support!