.ini on a network server not being seen

[jfrasier]

I have our public computers running pwb.exe from the local computer and getting the .ini from a network computer. Our reservation software (Library Online) provides the menu and it is that software where the path to the .exe and the .ini are set up.

This works 99% of the time but recently, occasionally we get the message that it can't find the .ini. If I log on as tech and try all kinds of other network operations, everything seems fine.

What is happening and how can I fix it?

Jane

[Scott]

If PWB is starting when the computer is first logged on the network may not be initialized when PWB is attempting to access the INI file. Turning off Windows Fast Logon Optimization usually corrects this.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa374350.aspx

--Scott

[jfrasier]

I considered that but before the user clicks on the menu item for PWB, the computer has opened the reservation logon window with current status and the patron has logged in which also requires the software to check our patron database. It seems like if it has done all that successfully that they would be able to get the .ini file.

Jane

[Scott]

There is another possibility in the fact that when the Windows API for reading INI files is used across a network it is opened is read and locked mode becuase of the shared aspect of the file. If you have quite a number of computers trying to all read the INI file at the same time, PWB reads the INI file only once when it starts, there is a small possibility that a computer may not be able to read the INI file because it is locked at that moment in time.

If you have a large number of computers using a shared INI file, it is sometimes better to use the PWB startup script to copy the INI file locally before reading it.

In PWB v2.10.3, if the INI file is located on a network share, it is first copied to a temporary local file before reading.

--Scott

[jfrasier]

If I downloaded this latest edition would I need to install it at all on the clients or would the .exe and all other needed files be sent to the client as needed from the server?

The odd thing is that we have had no issues with this at all until a couple of weeks ago and then 3 of our libraries (1 that is very busy) had this problem with all or most of their computers. We changed the menu to use a local .ini and then tried it again a few days later with the server's .ini and it seemed to be ok.

No one really is owning up to making a change to the network at that time, but I would guess something changed with the network to break it and then to fix it.

We had another troublesome computer that had the issue recently and it was determined that the NIC was flaky, but oddly every other network activity seemed to be ok.

Thanks, Scott.

Jane

[Scott]

You do not need to install PWB, you can copy the files needed to the client.

If you are current using PWB v2.10.x then all you need to do is to copy the new EXE over the old EXE. If you are using a previous version of PWB, here is the instructions to update.

http://teamsoftwaresolutions.com/phpBB2 ... .php?t=709

--Scott

[jfrasier]

Here I am, returning to this topic. We are having issues now at another library.

When I was testing 2.10 by running the .exe and the .ini on a server I ran into problems, and it turns out that the 'server' I was using was really an XP workstation and you told me that there was a limited number of connections that could be made at one time. Would that be the case when running the .exe on the local computer, but using an .ini on an XP workstation? We are still running version 2.09, not .10.

In your earlier post you suggested, "If you have a large number of computers using a shared INI file, it is sometimes better to use the PWB startup script to copy the INI file locally before reading it." Can you give me more detail on how to do that?

Thanks.

[Scott]

Yes, a Windows XP workstation has a maximum of 10 connections. If more then 10 computers try to connect to Windows XP to open an INI file, then there will be a problem because of the Windows XP limitation.

Windows Server versions do not have this limitation.

This post has more information:
http://teamsoftwaresolutions.com/phpBB2 ... php?p=2182

Using a batch file that connects to a Windows XP workstation to open or download a file will still have the 10 connection limitation. You may have better luck using a Web Server based INI file by setting up Apache on a Windows XP workstation, and having PWB get the INI file from there. Apache does not have an connection limitation like Windows XP does.

Here is more information on Web Server Based INI files.
http://teamsoftwaresolutions.com/phpBB2 ... .php?t=517

--Scott

[jfrasier]

Thanks. I will look at these 2 scenarios.

Jane

When I tried putting 2.10 .exe and .ini on our Windows 2003 server, the problem we had was when a person opened their webmail, like aol, and browsed to find a file to attach, the default was that servers shares!!! This was not good. I could have fixed that if I would have thawed the computers and redirected that browse once, but it seemed like there should be more general solution. I could not figure that one out.

If we were to put the .ini file on the Windows 2003 server and then used the script to copy the .ini down to the user, do you think we would see the same default folder on the server for file attachments?

[jfrasier]

A question about the web server method.

If I put the .ini on one of our web servers, could the whole WAN (about 350 computers in 10 locations) use that .ini and would it be a drain at all on bandwidth? I know that file is tiny, but our computers all reboot in between users and we are having times when our bandwidth is used up pretty much. Our main public webserver is UNIX. Would that be a problem?

Jane

[jfrasier]

[snip]

In your earlier post you suggested, "If you have a large number of computers using a shared INI file, it is sometimes better to use the PWB startup script to copy the INI file locally before reading it." Can you give me more detail on how to do that?

I don't understand how the .ini on the server could be copied to the local computer as a PWB startup script since it is a pwb.ini file that gives the instruction for the startup script. Would it be called from the local copy of the .ini and then that one would be replaced by the server copy?

My script would be something like this?

Sample.cmd (use .bat for Windows 95/98/ME):

@ECHO OFF

del C:\path\pwb_bak.ini
ren C:\path\pwb.ini pwb_bak.ini
copy \\server\share\folder\pwb.ini C:\path\pwb.ini /y

Thanks.

Jane

[Scott]

With the Web Based INI file, you add a command line to PWB that indicates PWB should download the file from a web server. This is not done via a batch file.

Here is a sample command line from the PWBv2.rtf file.
…\PWB.exe /INI=”Other.INI” /URLINI=http://www.web.com/PWB.INI

With the "URLINI" argument, PWB will connect to the web server and save the INI file to the local computer to the file specified in the "INI" argument. There is no need for a batch file because PWB does all the work internally.

--Scott

[jfrasier]

Thanks, Scott.

The script I was showing you was if we wanted to copy down the .ini from one of our servers, not the webbased one.

Could I put the .ini on our Unix web server? Would it work well to have all the public computers use that one .ini -- 10 locations with around 300 computers? We frequently have bandwidth issues and am wondering about all those computers accessing the webserver for that one file.

[Scott]

The PWB INI file is about 10k. If you have 300 computers downloading a 10k file each PWB starts, that would be 3000k for all of them when they are started, or about 3MB. This is only about the size of single picture from a digital camera.

Because PWB downloads a new INI file from the web server and copies it over the old INI file, if the connection times out PWB will use the old INI file.

I suggested installing Apache (a Free Web Server for Windows) on your current Window XP computer you are trying to use to share the INI file, as a means to get around the 10 connection limitation on Windows XP. This would incure no more bandwidth issues then you would have sharing the INI file through a Windows share, and would get around the 10 conneciton limitation on the same computer.

[jfrasier]

That sounds like a good idea.

The reason I was thinking of putting it on ur main webserver is that all 10 locations could use the same .ini's and I wouldn't have to maintain 10 copies. Is there a reason you are suggesting putting it on our current XP computers?

Jane

thanks so much for your help.