Today while running automatic configuration on the Application Tier, I entered the “apps” user password wrong! After the automatic configuration completed, having errors, I couldn’t start the Application tier.

It just said invalid password or database is not open.

Later after going through adautoconfig log files, I could see a number of failed connection attempts stating the account was locked, however I least expected this account to be “apps” (issues that one runs into when not properly exposed to the stack)

I opened SQL from application user and tried to login as apps/apps & was told the account was locked. I unlocked the apps account and ran the autoconfig once again, this time supplying the correct password. Everything went smooth and I was able to start the Application Tier.

So this is what happened. I supplied a wrong password for autoconfig & consecutive attempts to connect database from different scripts used the same credentials & after 10 failed attempts the account got locked up! causing rest of the issues.

So, be very careful when you are supplying apps password to scripts. As I am not an APPS DBA, it took me a while to figure this one out!

Optionally you may apply a better solution as mentioned here. Regardless, just be careful when you are supplying “apps” user password