502 Bad Gateway errors in Adobe Experience Manager DAM author environment

This article explains how to troubleshoot 502 Bad Gateway errors when accessing the Experience Manager Assets (DAM) Author environment in Experience Manager 6.5 LTS with TarMK persistence. The error prevents users from uploading, editing, or managing assets. To fix this, confirm the error, review backend logs and infrastructure health, and use the approved repository-maintenance procedure if segment store growth is confirmed.

Description description

Environment

  • Adobe Experience Manager 6.5 LTS
  • Adobe Experience Manager Assets (DAM)
  • Author environment using TarMK persistence

Symptoms

  • Accessing the DAM Author URL returns a 502 Bad Gateway error.
  • The DAM Author environment is inaccessible for asset management operations.
  • Users cannot upload, edit, or manage assets.
  • The error is reproducible by accessing the DAM Author URL and observing the 502 status code.

Cause

The issue is associated with backend repository or infrastructure conditions, including excessive segment store growth and resource exhaustion. Review the backend logs and infrastructure health before planning repository maintenance.

Resolution resolution

Follow the steps below to resolve the issue:

  1. Access the DAM Author URL directly and confirm that it returns a 502 Bad Gateway error.

  2. Review the backend logs and monitor infrastructure health for segment store growth and resource exhaustion.

  3. If the investigation confirms segment store growth, plan an offline TarMK compaction through the approved maintenance process:

    • Take a full backup of the repository before performing the compaction.
    • Schedule downtime because the AEM instance must be offline during the compaction.
  4. After the offline TarMK compaction completes, restart the AEM instance.

  5. Access the DAM Author environment and verify that it is available.

  6. Verify that asset management operations, including uploading, editing, and managing assets, are functioning as expected.

  7. If the environment remains inaccessible or asset management operations continue to fail, provide the relevant sanitized logs and contact Adobe Support.

Notes:

  • This procedure applies to an Experience Manager 6.5 LTS Author environment that uses TarMK persistence.
  • Offline TarMK compaction requires downtime and should be performed only through an approved repository-maintenance procedure.
  • For AEM 6.5 LTS, Online Revision Cleanup is the recommended revision-cleanup method. Use Offline Revision Cleanup only on an exceptional basis or when requested by Adobe Customer Care.
  • Do not share credentials, tokens, passwords, customer-specific URLs, or other sensitive information when providing logs to Adobe Support.
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