ORA-15306: ASM password file update failed on at least one node

Error:
ORA-15306: ASM password file update failed on at least one node

Error by itself is very misleading someone would think the password might have messed up or got corrupted or missing.

In my case none of the above were true.

When I tried this sql i.e trying to alter the password of a user on the ASM instance.

SQL> alter user dbsnmp identified by test;
alter user dbsnmp identified by test.
                                *
ERROR at line 1:
ORA-15306: ASM password file update failed on at least one node




SQL> show parameter remote_login_passwordfile

NAME                                 VALUE
-------------------------         ------------
remote_login_passwordfile            EXCLUSIVE


password file parameter is set properly

My password file exists on all nodes and in fact I can connect  as sysasm to the instance so I know it is not the password file issue then what?

Here my problem was the user doesn't exists in the ASM to begin with..
SQL> select * from v$pwfile_users;

USERNAME      SYSDBA          SYSOPER         SYSASM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SYS              TRUE            TRUE            FALSE

I don't have the user in the database for which  I am trying to change the password for.

Now go ahead and create the user in the ASM database.


SQL> create user dbsnmp identified by test;

User created.


SQL>grant sysdba to dbsnmp;



SQL> select * from v$pwfile_users;

USERNAME      SYSDBA          SYSOPER         SYSASM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SYS                  TRUE            TRUE            FALSE
DBSNMP           TRUE            TRUE            TRUE