Unable to start Admin server BEA-000386 (Server subsystem failed. Reason: java.lang.AssertionError: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException)

Problem: Not able to start Admin server with BEA-000386 Error.

Symptom:
Weblogic Server fail with below error:

<Apr 30, 2014 5:50:48 PM IST> <Critical> <WebLogicServer> <BEA-000386> <Server subsystem failed. Reason: java.lang.AssertionError: java.lang.reflect.In
ocationTargetException
java.lang.AssertionError: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
        at weblogic.descriptor.DescriptorManager$SecurityServiceImpl$SecurityProxy._invokeServiceMethod(DescriptorManager.java:175)
        at weblogic.descriptor.DescriptorManager$SecurityServiceImpl$SecurityProxy.decrypt(DescriptorManager.java:192)
        at weblogic.descriptor.DescriptorManager$SecurityServiceImpl.decrypt(DescriptorManager.java:114)
        at weblogic.descriptor.internal.AbstractDescriptorBean._decrypt(AbstractDescriptorBean.java:1092)
        at weblogic.management.configuration.SecurityConfigurationMBeanImpl.getCredential(SecurityConfigurationMBeanImpl.java:737)
        Truncated. see log file for complete stacktrace
Caused By: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
        at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
        at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
        at weblogic.descriptor.DescriptorManager$SecurityServiceImpl$SecurityProxy._invokeServiceMethod(DescriptorManager.java:173)
        Truncated. see log file for complete stacktrace
Caused By: weblogic.security.internal.encryption.EncryptionServiceException
        at weblogic.security.internal.encryption.JSafeEncryptionServiceImpl.decryptBytes(JSafeEncryptionServiceImpl.java:139)
        at weblogic.security.internal.encryption.JSafeEncryptionServiceImpl.decryptString(JSafeEncryptionServiceImpl.java:187)
        at weblogic.security.internal.encryption.ClearOrEncryptedService.decrypt(ClearOrEncryptedService.java:96)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
        at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
        Truncated. see log file for complete stacktrace
>

Solution:
The file SerializedSystemIni.dat has become corrupted. Admin Server will not start because it is not able to decrypt the credential and perform authentication properly.

Take backup of config.xml file and replace all the encrypted values with plain text, like below:

<credential-encrypted>{AES}HLsT8dQxvGB0z6NBItIlMaiX/kYyI/d7SNqhwnqL/xot2gUAj7EglBJeM2mkynJDZUbwCe7cN6hwVRU5jZkLOZLA3C/WUqlc6voRI9mKiPTfaqMvqNSJsny+gas8V8cO</credential-encrypted>

<credential-encrypted>SimpleText</credential-encrypted>

Once you restart the Admin Server, all the plain text values will get encrypted again.