Re: Paranoid about serial numbers...not

This WebDNA talk-list message is from

1998


It keeps the original formatting.
numero = 21280
interpreted = N
texte = >>The real issue is that WebCatalog is quitting unexpectedly and not getting >>a chance to clean up. To clear up the problem initially, you must reboot. > >>From your description, it sounds like webcat somehow 'implants' the SN >into RAM somewhere -- perhaps in a special RAM partition within the MacOS's >RAM partition ... and webcat is *supposed to* remove that SN when it quits >... but because webcat crashes instead of quitting properly, its SN is not >removed from RAM ... so the next time webcat is launched, it sees the same >SN still loaded in the MacOS ... and therefore it tells us that 'the SN is in use'.I have a feeling (I have misplaced the software to check for myself...) that Webcat is similar to Quark and other professional Mac software in it's serial number system. Try turning off AppleTalk and remove all AppleTalk extensions and reboot the machine, and see if Webcat will even complete starting up. I doubt it, because the system used (normally) is to open a service on an AppleTalk port upon starting up. If another copy of webcat starts up, it very quickly checks the AppleTalk network looking for this service number, and if it finds it, it complains about finding another copy with the same serial number (as little as I recall of AppleTalk, AppleTalk allows you to set your own service number, ie you set the serial number as the service number, and you're done)So when Webcat suddenly quits, it doesn't notify AppleTalk, which requires a reboot at that point to clear all of the running services numbers. Here's my complaint...This is unacceptable on server software, because the whole idea of the server software is that it is supposed to restart itself (without requiring a reboot) upon discovering a problem. So far today, my server has had this problem 10 times today (it gets worse as time goes on, two weeks ago it didn't happen at all) Even if I force quit the wecat software, I fully expect the next request to be able to restart the software successfully.Solution, ditch the AppleTalk protection, or modify it so that clears the service upon startup, then checks for a serial number, or make it smart enough to recognize if the serial number service is on the same Ethernet interface, and ignore it. My 2 cents.P.S. with my companies reputation now on the line, I will be forced to check out the laws applying to the usability statement of the license agreement. Brian B. Burton BOFH - Department of Redundancy Department --------------------------------------------------------------- MMT Solutions - Specializing in Online Shopping Solutions 973-808-8644 http://www.safecommerce.comHandle with Extreme Care: This Message Contains Minute Electrically Charged Particles Moving at Velocities in Excess of Five Hundred Million Miles per Hour. Associated Messages, from the most recent to the oldest:

    
  1. Re: Paranoid about serial numbers...not (Brian B. Burton 1998)
  2. Re: Paranoid about serial numbers...not (Kenneth Grome 1998)
  3. Re: Paranoid about serial numbers...not (PCS Technical Support 1998)
  4. Re: Paranoid about serial numbers...not (Bill Taylor 1998)
  5. Re: Paranoid about serial numbers...not (Kenneth Grome 1998)
  6. Re: Paranoid about serial numbers...not (Stephan Neumann 1998)
  7. Paranoid about serial numbers...not (PCS Technical Support 1998)
>>The real issue is that WebCatalog is quitting unexpectedly and not getting >>a chance to clean up. To clear up the problem initially, you must reboot. > >>From your description, it sounds like webcat somehow 'implants' the SN >into RAM somewhere -- perhaps in a special RAM partition within the MacOS's >RAM partition ... and webcat is *supposed to* remove that SN when it quits >... but because webcat crashes instead of quitting properly, its SN is not >removed from RAM ... so the next time webcat is launched, it sees the same >SN still loaded in the MacOS ... and therefore it tells us that 'the SN is in use'.I have a feeling (I have misplaced the software to check for myself...) that Webcat is similar to Quark and other professional Mac software in it's serial number system. Try turning off AppleTalk and remove all AppleTalk extensions and reboot the machine, and see if Webcat will even complete starting up. I doubt it, because the system used (normally) is to open a service on an AppleTalk port upon starting up. If another copy of webcat starts up, it very quickly checks the AppleTalk network looking for this service number, and if it finds it, it complains about finding another copy with the same serial number (as little as I recall of AppleTalk, AppleTalk allows you to set your own service number, ie you set the serial number as the service number, and you're done)So when Webcat suddenly quits, it doesn't notify AppleTalk, which requires a reboot at that point to clear all of the running services numbers. Here's my complaint...This is unacceptable on server software, because the whole idea of the server software is that it is supposed to restart itself (without requiring a reboot) upon discovering a problem. So far today, my server has had this problem 10 times today (it gets worse as time goes on, two weeks ago it didn't happen at all) Even if I force quit the wecat software, I fully expect the next request to be able to restart the software successfully.Solution, ditch the AppleTalk protection, or modify it so that clears the service upon startup, then checks for a serial number, or make it smart enough to recognize if the serial number service is on the same Ethernet interface, and ignore it. My 2 cents.P.S. with my companies reputation now on the line, I will be forced to check out the laws applying to the usability statement of the license agreement. Brian B. Burton BOFH - Department of Redundancy Department --------------------------------------------------------------- MMT Solutions - Specializing in Online Shopping Solutions 973-808-8644 http://www.safecommerce.comHandle with Extreme Care: This Message Contains Minute Electrically Charged Particles Moving at Velocities in Excess of Five Hundred Million Miles per Hour. Brian B. Burton

DOWNLOAD WEBDNA NOW!

Top Articles:

Talk List

The WebDNA community talk-list is the best place to get some help: several hundred extremely proficient programmers with an excellent knowledge of WebDNA and an excellent spirit will deliver all the tips and tricks you can imagine...

Related Readings:

Problems getting parameters passed into email. (1997) [WebDNA] menu & navaigation choices (2015) Another question about credit cards (1997) All questions are welcome on this list (1997) Field validation problem (1999) A multi-processor savvy WebCatalog? (1997) 2nd WebCatalog2 Feature Request (1996) international time (1997) form posts expiring instantly... why? (2000) v6 Development copy download link seems to be offline? (2004) [WebDNA] Listfiles and sort order (2010) Can I invoke an ssi plugin from within a webcat page (1997) Shorthand for command args (1998) WebCat editing, SiteGuard WAS:SiteAssociative lookup style? (1997) [WebDNA] Emailer and Comcast.net (2008) Stripping attachments in shared pop (2005) possible, WebCat2.0 and checkboxes-restated (1997) X etc.... (1999) [OT] Mac Utility Required (2000) Running _every_ page through WebCat ? (1997)