This message comes from Application Server 8. The full message looks like either:
Could not start the domain. There are no domains.
or
Could not start the domain. No default domain. Need to enter a domain.
This error occurs when Application Server 8 is installed on the same system, and its asadmin command (at /usr/sbin) is found on the PATH before the asadmin command for Application Server 8 at install_dir/bin. The situation is especially likely to occur on Solaris/Linux systems when . is not specified as part of the PATH variable. Without . in the PATH, the asadmin command in /usr/sbin is found first, even when the current directory is install_dir/bin.