SIMS.Net - problem importing new reports [SOLVED]

[Irazmus]

Since replacing our SIMS server back in March it's been running like a dream with only minor infrequent problems, until today. It seems the last SIMS update (or maybe the one before that) changed SIMS in a way that our current reports don't like so we need to import updated ones.

While that isn't a problem, the process of importing them is. When trying to import Predefined_Reports_v776.RptDef SIMS freezes, if we limit to trying to import only 1 or 2 reports/templates we get a message of 'The underlying connection was closed: The remote name could not be resolved'.

This seems to suggest a DNS issue, but my DNS server is reporting no errors or warnings, and is resolving names properly.

I've been in contact with the local SIMS support, and following their advice we've tried:
Stopping and restarting the Document Server Service
Changing the Server location in Document Server Manager from the host name to the IP address (which actually made things worse as the 'Test server connection' fails when using the IP ? )
Importing Predefined_Reports_v774.RptDef incase 776 had become corrupted

None of which has helped. We've tested this on multiple machines on both IP ranges (SIMS server sits on both curriculum and admin ranges) and even a couple of multihomed machines. Same result everywhere.

I've got 2 more things to try, rebooting the server, and installing SIMS.Net locally on the server to see if it'll work from there, but I'll leave those until tomorrow so tonights backup can run undisturbed.

This has both myself and the local SIMS support a little stumped (especially the IP failing the connection test while the machine name passes but still doesn't actually work)

Except for this import problem, SIMS is working perfectly.

Has anyone come accross anything similar before? If so, did you ever find out what caused it?

Any ideas will be greatfully recieved.

[Irazmus]

Well neither the server reboot nor running SIMS .Net locally helped at all. I've now tried setting the Document Server location (on server) to admin IP, curriculum IP, host name, localhost, 127.0.0.1. The server test shows OK, but the reports still fail to import with 'The underlying connection was closed: The remote name could not be resolved'.

A quick Google shows that's normally caused by a proxy server, but there's no proxy between the SIMS server and the clients. To be safe I've disabled the proxy in IE hoping it was picking up settings from there, still nothing, so either it's geting settings from elsewhere, or I'm barking up the wrong tree again.

As if that wasn't bad enough, i've just found out that no-one's tried importing updated reports since March (when the SIMS server was replaced), so it could be a fault with the initial server setup >_<

Any ideas guys? This one's got me clueless.

[ChrisC]

I know this sounds random, but has the sql service been restarted at all? Most of sims just seems to be running sql queries, especially to create reports....

Chris

[ChrisC]

Sorry, just read you did a server reboot...

Could be sql connection though?

Chris

[Irazmus]

Right now I'm ready to try pretty much anything, but I doubt it's the SQL connection as I have people working in SIMS .Net right now and the only problems we've got are:
* Some reports don't work as they need updating to v7.76
* We can't update the reports as they always fail when we try

If you still think it's worth restarting the SQL server, I can give it a try.

[ChrisC]

if other people are connected, I doubt it is.

what happens when creating new reports?

Chris

[glensc]

While that isn't a problem, the process of importing them is. When trying to import Predefined_Reports_v776.RptDef SIMS freezes, if we limit to trying to import only 1 or 2 reports/templates we get a message of 'The underlying connection was closed: The remote name could not be resolved'.

This seems to suggest a DNS issue, but my DNS server is reporting no errors or warnings, and is resolving names properly.

I'm wondering if an underlying SIMS module is using netbios and trying to resolve from a WINS server. You could try putting an entry in the LMHOST file of the workstation and see if it picks it up. If memory serves our loacl suport for SIMS had to put an entry in SIMS in to force SIMS to use DNS only.

[Irazmus]

@ChrisC: New reports seem fine, I've just made a new one with no probs.

@Glensc: That's a possibility as we don't have a WINS server (AFAIK), I'll give it a try.
I've added

10.163.4.106    odin    #SIMS Server

to C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\lmhosts.sam and rebooted and it's still not working.

To confirm I've run

nbtstat -a odin

which returns

Local Area Connection 5:
Node IpAddress: [10.163.4.24] Scope Id: []

   NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table



       Name               Type         Status

    ---------------------------------------------

    ODIN           <00>  UNIQUE      Registered 
    STOWMARKETM    <00>  GROUP       Registered 
    STOWMARKETM    <1C>  GROUP       Registered 
    ODIN           <20>  UNIQUE      Registered 
    STOWMARKETM    <1E>  GROUP       Registered 
    ODIN           <03>  UNIQUE      Registered 

    MAC Address = 00-13-72-F6-4A-69

Wireless Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []

    Host not found.

I've never played with WINS before, does that look right?

[glensc]

@ChrisC: New reports seem fine, I've just made a new one with no probs.

@Glensc: That's a possibility as we don't have a WINS server (AFAIK), I'll give it a try.
I've added

10.163.4.106    odin    #SIMS Server

to C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\lmhosts.sam and rebooted and it's still not working.

To confirm I've run

nbtstat -a odin

which returns

Local Area Connection 5:
Node IpAddress: [10.163.4.24] Scope Id: []

   NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table



       Name               Type         Status

    ---------------------------------------------

    ODIN           <00>  UNIQUE      Registered 
    STOWMARKETM    <00>  GROUP       Registered 
    STOWMARKETM    <1C>  GROUP       Registered 
    ODIN           <20>  UNIQUE      Registered 
    STOWMARKETM    <1E>  GROUP       Registered 
    ODIN           <03>  UNIQUE      Registered 

    MAC Address = 00-13-72-F6-4A-69

Wireless Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []

    Host not found.

I've never played with WINS before, does that look right?

The LMHOST.sam is a sample LMHOST file, make a copy of it, with the added entry, and save as LMHOST ( no extension )

Another thing that might be getting in the way is a local firewall eg if it's a XP SP2 box, for tracking the problem it might be easier to disable that temporarily, if things start to work you will know that you've need to find the correct ports to allow through. Probably not that though but worth eliminating from the list of possibilities.

The nbtstat with the a switch lists the the remote machines nametable, in this case odin's, you probably want to check the local workstation one
-n gives the local ones and -r the ones resolve by WINS or broadcast.

[ChrisC]

Just seems strange that this error has kicked in since the last update, I have been hearing stories that it's been very tempermental since the june update.

Chris

[Irazmus]

Whoops ^^;

OK, try again

nbtstat -r

gives

    NetBIOS Names Resolution and Registration Statistics

    ----------------------------------------------------

    Resolved By Broadcast     = 15
    Resolved By Name Server   = 0

    Registered By Broadcast   = 6
    Registered By Name Server = 0

    NetBIOS Names Resolved By Broadcast

---------------------------------------------

           ODIN           <00>
           ODIN            
           STOWMARKETM    <1B>
           THOR           <00>
           THOR            
           ODIN            
           THOR           <00>
           THOR           <00>

and

nbtstat -n

gives

Local Area Connection 5:
Node IpAddress: [10.163.4.24] Scope Id: []

                NetBIOS Local Name Table

       Name               Type         Status

    ---------------------------------------------
    ALICIA         <00>  UNIQUE      Registered 
    ALICIA         <20>  UNIQUE      Registered 
    STOWMARKETM      <00>  GROUP       Registered 
    
Wireless Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []

    No names in cache

I figured I'd also try

nbtstat -c

which returned

Local Area Connection 5:
Node IpAddress: [10.163.4.24] Scope Id: []

                  NetBIOS Remote Cache Name Table

        Name              Type       Host Address    Life [sec]

    ------------------------------------------------------------
    ODIN           <03>  UNIQUE          10.163.4.106        -1
    ODIN           <00>  UNIQUE          10.163.4.106        -1
    ODIN           <20>  UNIQUE          10.163.4.106        -1
    
Wireless Network Connection:
Node IpAddress: [0.0.0.0] Scope Id: []

    No names in cache

Which looks a little more promising, but seeing how wrong I got the last one, I'll let you answer that

[Irazmus]

Well, we've just updated SIMS .Net to 7.79 without incident (apart from the fact that the new 'simple' interface is more confusing than the old). However as expected it hasn't done anything to solve our problem, and I suspect that some of the reports that did still work, were broken by this latest update >_<;

[Irazmus]

I hate to resort to bumping, but this problem's driving me nuts.

Does anyone have any more ideas, no matter how daft or drastic? I'm getting desperate enough to give damn near anything a try.

[NetworkGeezer]

It looks like you're tried mosts thing I would've.
Your LSU should escalate it to Capita if they can't sort it out themselves.

Also have you tried to posting to the SIMS.net forums on support.capitaes.co.uk

[ChrisC]

I can't remember if you've already tried it, but have you uninstalled and reinstalled on a client and tested it??

Chris