Home > Archive > Clarion > October 2006 > Windows 2003 Storage Server
You are viewing an archived Text-only version of the thread.
To view this thread in it's original format and/or if you want to reply to
this thread please [click here]
| Author |
Windows 2003 Storage Server
|
|
| wcgenzer 2006-10-14, 9:55 pm |
| Has anyone had any experience running a Clarion app from a network
share hosted on a Windows 2003 Storage Server?
We recently switched our server to a Windows 2003 Storage Server, which
is proving to be a mistake! (unless I can figure out what's going
wrong)
In a nutshell, we switched from Novell Small Business 5 to the Windows
2003 Storage Server. Everything (for YEARS) was running perfectly on
the Novell (don't ask why we switched - LONG story) and as soon as we
switched to Windows, our application started hanging. No data
corruption (yet) - just hanging up. CTRL-ALT-DEL, End Task, run the app
again and you're back in business.
There is no rhyme or reason. The app can even be sitting idle for a
period of time (sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 2 hours) and it will be
frozen when you return.
I've disabled opportunistic file locking (both on the server, and the
workstations)
I've tried running the app from a network share path, and even a mapped
drive.
I've tried deleting and re-creating the share, re-setting the
permissions...
I even ran this program on all the workstations and the server and made
the registry changes as it suggested.
Even found a few registry keys on microsoft's site that I thought might
have some conflict (enableforcedlogoff and autodisconnect) - disabling
both made no difference.
The server has a Broadcom 57xx PCI-X card in it... dual 1gbit network
card... I'll try to install the latest drivers tomorrow.... (I even
tried disabling one of the ports for a period of time....)
It's happening on all the workstations, and so far has been our only
problem.
Any info, insight, suggestions, comments, anything - would be much
appreciated.
(I want my Novell back!)
| |
| Earl R Coker 2006-10-15, 6:56 pm |
| Hi,
I have never heard the term "Storage" server before so I am wondering if you
mean "Terminal" server. I am not a server expert by any means but I do have
a few customers using my apps on Windows 2003 Terminal Server and they do
not have any problems with it. I also have a Windows 2003 Terminal Server
here on my own local network that I use occasionally for some testing and no
problems with it either. I think, from what you have said in your msg, the
problem might just be a network hardware problem and not have anything to do
with the server system. Otherwise, it might be a setting of some kind in
the server such as those that have to do with "sleep/hybernate mode" etc...
Just a guess though.
--
Best Regards,
Earl R Coker
ksasales AT machlink DOT com
earl AT kwiksystems DOT net
www.kwiksystems.net
www.kwiksystems.com
www.kwiksystems.net/appshell/index.htm
www.kwiksystems.com/clarion.htm (BigTamer(tm) Templates)
"wcgenzer" <wcgenzer@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1160876502.970204.265850@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
> Has anyone had any experience running a Clarion app from a network
> share hosted on a Windows 2003 Storage Server?
>
> We recently switched our server to a Windows 2003 Storage Server, which
> is proving to be a mistake! (unless I can figure out what's going
> wrong)
>
> In a nutshell, we switched from Novell Small Business 5 to the Windows
> 2003 Storage Server. Everything (for YEARS) was running perfectly on
> the Novell (don't ask why we switched - LONG story) and as soon as we
> switched to Windows, our application started hanging. No data
> corruption (yet) - just hanging up. CTRL-ALT-DEL, End Task, run the app
> again and you're back in business.
>
> There is no rhyme or reason. The app can even be sitting idle for a
> period of time (sometimes 5 minutes, sometimes 2 hours) and it will be
> frozen when you return.
>
> I've disabled opportunistic file locking (both on the server, and the
> workstations)
> I've tried running the app from a network share path, and even a mapped
> drive.
> I've tried deleting and re-creating the share, re-setting the
> permissions...
> I even ran this program on all the workstations and the server and made
> the registry changes as it suggested.
> Even found a few registry keys on microsoft's site that I thought might
> have some conflict (enableforcedlogoff and autodisconnect) - disabling
> both made no difference.
>
> The server has a Broadcom 57xx PCI-X card in it... dual 1gbit network
> card... I'll try to install the latest drivers tomorrow.... (I even
> tried disabling one of the ports for a period of time....)
>
> It's happening on all the workstations, and so far has been our only
> problem.
>
> Any info, insight, suggestions, comments, anything - would be much
> appreciated.
>
> (I want my Novell back!)
>
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-15, 6:56 pm |
| It's relatively new, from what I understand. Windows Storage Server is
a version of Windows Server with everything non-essential to file
serving and print serving, removed... I don't have the link handy, but
you can search for Windows Storage Server 2003 on google or even
microsoft's site to read more about it...
Looking at the event log, it looks like the clients are logging out and
back in hundreds of times a day. Just between today and yesterday there
were over 5,000 events, all logout/login... something is up with
that... that can't be normal, can it?
-Bill
Earl R Coker wrote:[color=darkred]
> Hi,
>
> I have never heard the term "Storage" server before so I am wondering if you
> mean "Terminal" server. I am not a server expert by any means but I do have
> a few customers using my apps on Windows 2003 Terminal Server and they do
> not have any problems with it. I also have a Windows 2003 Terminal Server
> here on my own local network that I use occasionally for some testing and no
> problems with it either. I think, from what you have said in your msg, the
> problem might just be a network hardware problem and not have anything to do
> with the server system. Otherwise, it might be a setting of some kind in
> the server such as those that have to do with "sleep/hybernate mode" etc...
> Just a guess though.
>
> --
> Best Regards,
> Earl R Coker
> ksasales AT machlink DOT com
> earl AT kwiksystems DOT net
> www.kwiksystems.net
> www.kwiksystems.com
> www.kwiksystems.net/appshell/index.htm
> www.kwiksystems.com/clarion.htm (BigTamer(tm) Templates)
>
>
>
> "wcgenzer" <wcgenzer@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1160876502.970204.265850@m7g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
| |
| Earl R Coker 2006-10-15, 6:56 pm |
| Hi,
That sounds to me like someone might be trying to "break in" to your server
with a "utility" for doing such a thing or maybe is doing a "Denial Of
Service" attack on your server or one of the autorized users is doing
something similar. Like I said before, I am not a server expert but those
three things come to mind based on what you say you noticed on the event log
from conversations I have had with the person that set up my server and
manages a server for a local company.
HTH
--
Best Regards,
Earl R Coker
ksasales AT machlink DOT com
earl AT kwiksystems DOT net
www.kwiksystems.net
www.kwiksystems.com
www.kwiksystems.net/appshell/index.htm
www.kwiksystems.com/clarion.htm (BigTamer(tm) Templates)
"wcgenzer" <wcgenzer@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1160946819.911303.139920@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> It's relatively new, from what I understand. Windows Storage Server is
> a version of Windows Server with everything non-essential to file
> serving and print serving, removed... I don't have the link handy, but
> you can search for Windows Storage Server 2003 on google or even
> microsoft's site to read more about it...
>
> Looking at the event log, it looks like the clients are logging out and
> back in hundreds of times a day. Just between today and yesterday there
> were over 5,000 events, all logout/login... something is up with
> that... that can't be normal, can it?
>
> -Bill
>
> Earl R Coker wrote:
>
| |
| Nick Coe \(UK\) 2006-10-16, 3:55 am |
| I've seen that happen on Windows SBS 2003 when a NIC was
faulty, a network cable was intermittant or when there was a
wireless network involved. Each time one of the
workstations loses sight of the server it has to log in when
the connection comes back again.
Any way you can substitute or isolate some items of network
hardware to fault find? Maybe your network switch is iffy?
--
Nick Coe (UK)
http://www.alphacos.co.uk/
In
news:1160946819.911303.139920@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com,
wcgenzer typed:[color=darkred]
> It's relatively new, from what I understand. Windows
> Storage
> Server is a version of Windows Server with everything
> non-essential to file serving and print serving,
> removed... I
> don't have the link handy, but you can search for Windows
> Storage Server 2003 on google or even microsoft's site to
> read
> more about it...
>
> Looking at the event log, it looks like the clients are
> logging out and back in hundreds of times a day. Just
> between
> today and yesterday there were over 5,000 events, all
> logout/login... something is up with that... that can't be
> normal, can it?
>
> -Bill
>
> Earl R Coker wrote:
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-16, 6:55 pm |
| This morning, I moved all our data files to another server we have
running on the network (a Win2k Server) that was dedicated for another
purpose. So far, it's serving the database just fine - no lockups.
I downloaded the latest NIC drivers for the broadcom card that's in the
new, Windows 2003 Storage Server, and I have a couple clients running
off of the new server now, just to test. So far so good - it's been
running for about 30 minutes, and the program hasn't locked up yet...
We'll see.
(I also got the "team" setup correctly on the NIC, too... if that's all
it was, I'm going to kick myself)
-Bill
Nick Coe (UK) wrote:[color=darkred]
> I've seen that happen on Windows SBS 2003 when a NIC was
> faulty, a network cable was intermittant or when there was a
> wireless network involved. Each time one of the
> workstations loses sight of the server it has to log in when
> the connection comes back again.
>
> Any way you can substitute or isolate some items of network
> hardware to fault find? Maybe your network switch is iffy?
>
> --
> Nick Coe (UK)
> http://www.alphacos.co.uk/
>
>
>
>
> In
> news:1160946819.911303.139920@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com,
> wcgenzer typed:
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-17, 7:55 am |
| Still no success, even after updating the NIC drivers...
Ughh... Windows...
-Bill
wcgenzer wrote:[color=darkred]
> This morning, I moved all our data files to another server we have
> running on the network (a Win2k Server) that was dedicated for another
> purpose. So far, it's serving the database just fine - no lockups.
>
> I downloaded the latest NIC drivers for the broadcom card that's in the
> new, Windows 2003 Storage Server, and I have a couple clients running
> off of the new server now, just to test. So far so good - it's been
> running for about 30 minutes, and the program hasn't locked up yet...
> We'll see.
> (I also got the "team" setup correctly on the NIC, too... if that's all
> it was, I'm going to kick myself)
>
> -Bill
>
> Nick Coe (UK) wrote:
| |
| Earl R Coker 2006-10-17, 9:55 pm |
| Hi,
Updating the NIC drivers does not deal with checking on NIC hardware
problems. <g>
--
Best Regards,
Earl R Coker
ksasales AT machlink DOT com
earl AT kwiksystems DOT net
www.kwiksystems.net
www.kwiksystems.com
www.kwiksystems.net/appshell/index.htm
www.kwiksystems.com/clarion.htm (BigTamer(tm) Templates)
"wcgenzer" <wcgenzer@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1161092267.261004.66710@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Still no success, even after updating the NIC drivers...
> Ughh... Windows...
> -Bill
>
> wcgenzer wrote:
>
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-17, 9:55 pm |
| Well, all the tests check out "ok" in the Broadcom Advanced Control
Suite. And I don't have any way to "test" the NIC by replacing or
adding another nic in this system... It only has PCIE slots, and I left
all my extra PCIE nic's in my other pants.... and the nic that's in
there now is built-on.... suppose I could use a USB adapter, just for
grins.
-Bill
Earl R Coker wrote:[color=darkred]
> Hi,
>
> Updating the NIC drivers does not deal with checking on NIC hardware
> problems. <g>
>
> --
> Best Regards,
> Earl R Coker
> ksasales AT machlink DOT com
> earl AT kwiksystems DOT net
> www.kwiksystems.net
> www.kwiksystems.com
> www.kwiksystems.net/appshell/index.htm
> www.kwiksystems.com/clarion.htm (BigTamer(tm) Templates)
>
>
> "wcgenzer" <wcgenzer@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1161092267.261004.66710@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-18, 6:55 pm |
| I've confirmed that the problem is with the Windows 2003 Storage
Server, and not the hardware.
For some reason, the server is seeing the connected users as being
idle, and disconnecting them. (even with autodisconnect disabled)
I ran our app, and watched the connection time and idle time on the
server. After waiting about 20 minutes, I got bored and left to do
something else. When I returned, the "connected time" was only around
2.5 minutes, and the idle time was the same, and my application froze
when I tried to open a browse.
So, I made a modification to my application to attempt a reconnect to
the share, every 5 minutes. Every time this event fires, the idle timer
on the server is reset.... I'm hoping this will "fix" the problem,
although, it seems like a hack job of a fix.
I'll put the new server on live tonight and test it. Normally, at least
one station will hang within about 30 minutes (or less). We'll see...
-Bill
wcgenzer wrote:[color=darkred]
> Well, all the tests check out "ok" in the Broadcom Advanced Control
> Suite. And I don't have any way to "test" the NIC by replacing or
> adding another nic in this system... It only has PCIE slots, and I left
> all my extra PCIE nic's in my other pants.... and the nic that's in
> there now is built-on.... suppose I could use a USB adapter, just for
> grins.
> -Bill
>
> Earl R Coker wrote:
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-19, 6:55 pm |
| Still no workie... the server is randomly dropping connections, no
matter what the idle time is. So far, Dell Support has no clue
either....
-Bill
wcgenzer wrote:[color=darkred]
> I've confirmed that the problem is with the Windows 2003 Storage
> Server, and not the hardware.
>
> For some reason, the server is seeing the connected users as being
> idle, and disconnecting them. (even with autodisconnect disabled)
>
> I ran our app, and watched the connection time and idle time on the
> server. After waiting about 20 minutes, I got bored and left to do
> something else. When I returned, the "connected time" was only around
> 2.5 minutes, and the idle time was the same, and my application froze
> when I tried to open a browse.
>
> So, I made a modification to my application to attempt a reconnect to
> the share, every 5 minutes. Every time this event fires, the idle timer
> on the server is reset.... I'm hoping this will "fix" the problem,
> although, it seems like a hack job of a fix.
>
> I'll put the new server on live tonight and test it. Normally, at least
> one station will hang within about 30 minutes (or less). We'll see...
>
> -Bill
>
>
> wcgenzer wrote:
| |
| Earl R Coker 2006-10-19, 6:55 pm |
| I was just talking to my hardware/server guy and mentioned Windows 2003
Storage Server to him. He had never heard of it either so he looked it up
at MS on the internet. According to the specs for it that he read to me, it
is the wrong "kind" of server for what you are using it for. Apparently
Windows 2003 Storage Server is simply for storing files. It's apparently
does NOT work for "serving files" and it sounds to me like that is what you
are trying to do with Windows 2003 Storage Server. I think that if you
switch your Windows 2003 Storage Server to Windows 2003 TERMINAL Server your
problems will go away.
HTH
--
Best Regards,
Earl R Coker
ksasales AT machlink DOT com
earl AT kwiksystems DOT net
www.kwiksystems.net
www.kwiksystems.com
www.kwiksystems.net/appshell/index.htm
www.kwiksystems.com/clarion.htm (BigTamer(tm) Templates)
"wcgenzer" <wcgenzer@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1161270954.985267.240730@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> Still no workie... the server is randomly dropping connections, no
> matter what the idle time is. So far, Dell Support has no clue
> either....
> -Bill
>
> wcgenzer wrote:
>
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-19, 6:55 pm |
| That's what I'm starting to realize now... I've asked the people at
Microsoft if that was the case (in so many words) and they couldn't
give me an answer... actually, after talking to them for 2 hours, they
finally told me they don't support Storage Server, that it's an OEM
only product and that I have to call Dell.
So, I called Dell, again, and they still couldn't give me any clue... I
asked them, too (in so many words) if this is typical behavior for
Storage Server... they couldn't give me an answer.
That makes perfect sence though - probably why the OS is so cheap and
allows for unlimited users - that's because it knocks them off from
time to time!
Anyway, I bet you're absolutely right... Woulda been nice if the sales
rep at Dell could have told us that before selling us this server :(
-Bill
Earl R Coker wrote:[color=darkred]
> I was just talking to my hardware/server guy and mentioned Windows 2003
> Storage Server to him. He had never heard of it either so he looked it up
> at MS on the internet. According to the specs for it that he read to me, it
> is the wrong "kind" of server for what you are using it for. Apparently
> Windows 2003 Storage Server is simply for storing files. It's apparently
> does NOT work for "serving files" and it sounds to me like that is what you
> are trying to do with Windows 2003 Storage Server. I think that if you
> switch your Windows 2003 Storage Server to Windows 2003 TERMINAL Server your
> problems will go away.
>
> HTH
> --
> Best Regards,
> Earl R Coker
> ksasales AT machlink DOT com
> earl AT kwiksystems DOT net
> www.kwiksystems.net
> www.kwiksystems.com
> www.kwiksystems.net/appshell/index.htm
> www.kwiksystems.com/clarion.htm (BigTamer(tm) Templates)
>
> "wcgenzer" <wcgenzer@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1161270954.985267.240730@f16g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-30, 9:55 pm |
| Microsoft finally called back, amazingly, and confirmed that this is
normal behavior for Storage Server.
I guess, even though it allows for "unlimited" users, that's the
drawback, and how they manage system resources - by randomly
disconnecting the clients.
We got around the problem though, first, by installing our application
on each workstation (and writing a small "update" utility to download
(copy) and new updates of the program from the server, prior to launch)
and buying and upgrading to the IP Driver - which was incredibly
simple... literally took 10 minutes (after reading the docs) to convert
our application to use the IP Driver. Best of all, it works!
Everything is working just fine, now.
-Bill
wcgenzer wrote:[color=darkred]
> That's what I'm starting to realize now... I've asked the people at
> Microsoft if that was the case (in so many words) and they couldn't
> give me an answer... actually, after talking to them for 2 hours, they
> finally told me they don't support Storage Server, that it's an OEM
> only product and that I have to call Dell.
>
> So, I called Dell, again, and they still couldn't give me any clue... I
> asked them, too (in so many words) if this is typical behavior for
> Storage Server... they couldn't give me an answer.
>
> That makes perfect sence though - probably why the OS is so cheap and
> allows for unlimited users - that's because it knocks them off from
> time to time!
>
> Anyway, I bet you're absolutely right... Woulda been nice if the sales
> rep at Dell could have told us that before selling us this server :(
>
> -Bill
>
> Earl R Coker wrote:
| |
| wcgenzer 2006-10-30, 9:55 pm |
| By the way, thanks for your time and help!
Much appreciated,
Thanks,
-Bill
wcgenzer wrote:[color=darkred]
> That's what I'm starting to realize now... I've asked the people at
> Microsoft if that was the case (in so many words) and they couldn't
> give me an answer... actually, after talking to them for 2 hours, they
> finally told me they don't support Storage Server, that it's an OEM
> only product and that I have to call Dell.
>
> So, I called Dell, again, and they still couldn't give me any clue... I
> asked them, too (in so many words) if this is typical behavior for
> Storage Server... they couldn't give me an answer.
>
> That makes perfect sence though - probably why the OS is so cheap and
> allows for unlimited users - that's because it knocks them off from
> time to time!
>
> Anyway, I bet you're absolutely right... Woulda been nice if the sales
> rep at Dell could have told us that before selling us this server :(
>
> -Bill
>
> Earl R Coker wrote:
|
|
|
|
|