How do I – Resolve the Powershell New-SPConfigurationDatabase command error – The pipeline has been stopped, This SharePoint farm currently has pending upgrades

I was building a fresh SharePoint farm and issued the “New-SPConfigurationDatabase” Powershell commandlet when I was presented with the following error:

PS C:\Users\blog-spadm> New-SPConfigurationDatabase

cmdlet New-SPConfigurationDatabase at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
DatabaseName: SharePoint_Config
DatabaseServer: SPSQL.Crayveon.com
FarmCredentials
Passphrase: *********
New-SPConfigurationDatabase : The pipeline has been stopped.
At line:1 char:28
+ New-SPConfigurationDatabase <<<<
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidData: (Microsoft.Share…urationDatabase:
   SPCmdletNewSPConfigurationDatabase) [New-SPConfigurationDatabase], Pipelin
  eStoppedException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell.SPCmdletNewSPCon
   figurationDatabase

New-SPConfigurationDatabase : This SharePoint farm currently has pending upgrad
es.  The cmdlet New-SPConfigurationDatabase cannot be executed until the upgrad
e is completed.
At line:1 char:28
+ New-SPConfigurationDatabase <<<<
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [New-SPConfigurationDataba
   se], SPException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell.SPCmdletNewSPCon
   figurationDatabase

PS C:\Users\blog-spadm> New-SPConfigurationDatabase

cmdlet New-SPConfigurationDatabase at command pipeline position 1
Supply values for the following parameters:
DatabaseName: SharePoint_Config
DatabaseServer: SPSQL.Crayveon.com
FarmCredentials
Passphrase: *****************
PS C:\Users\blog-spadm> 

The really silly outcome of this was not related to any upgrade or stopped pipelines or anything of that sort.  Yet another case of the error message NOT having anything to do with the actual problem.  As it turns out, the solution was in the farm Passphrase I was specifying.  The GUI version of PSCONFIG gives you notification when the specified farm passphrase does not conform to domain password policies, but the Powershell version does not.

I reran the exact same command but this time specifying a more complex passphrase that conforms to domain security policies, and the problem was solved!



Cheers
C