[sims] Restored SIMS database - intermittent Reason 0

[synaesthesia]

An odd one. Recently, I upgraded a school's server which just worked, everything went as expected other than a few issues with de-duplication (which is now resolved and that is disabled - possibly not related to this issue). SIMS and it's relevant databases appear to restore correctly, however the school is experiencing intermittent cases of workstations being unable to log in to SIMS with the ever-helpful Reason 0. Everything else appears OK on the station, network, internet, DNS etc. Other workstations often appear fine at the same time yet might later exhibit the same issue.

Any hints or tips as to what I should be looking at?

[Banjo]

Did you build the new server with the same name as the old, or did you build it and then rename it to the old name or is it completely different name ?

[synaesthesia]

Server was built with a different name and then renamed when the old server was decomissioned. Can't see anything from the logs on affected clients to see issues with DNS as that was indeed my first suspicion. Connect.ini in these cases is pointing to the database via the DNS name.

[dapaulio]

I immediately thought dns also. Did you use the same IP address also as your old server

 

Is your connect.ini on the affected workstation redirected to the s:\sims\connect.ini

 

If so rename c:\program files\sims\sims .net\connect.ini to connect.iniold

 

Copy and paste server version of connect.ini in to same place

 

Edit the connect.ini replacing your server name with the servers IP address.

[dapaulio]

Also check dns on your dc as changing the name of a server will give 2 forward entries and 2 reverse entries

 

Eg forward

192.168.0.1 serveroldname

192.168.0.1 servernewname

 

Eg reverse

Serveroldname 192.168.0.1

Servernewname 192.168.0.1

Edited June 27, 2017 by dapaulio

[synaesthesia]

DNS is all correct with no missing entries or references to the old server. Same IP address.

I'll push out a new connect ini for the IP address today and see if that helps. Cheers

[Banjo]

Server was built with a different name and then renamed when the old server was decomissioned. Can't see anything from the logs on affected clients to see issues with DNS as that was indeed my first suspicion. Connect.ini in these cases is pointing to the database via the DNS name.

 

Was the SIMS db attached to SQL when you renamed the server? I've seen this cause problems in that past and I've had to hack host files to get all the workstations to connect.

Edited June 28, 2017 by Banjo

[synaesthesia]

Not sure, but certainly possible. Will take a look at that as well, cheers.

[matt40k]

You checked DMS is correct? Reports working ok?

[vikpaw]

Of course, you've checked My Account for a solution....?

[Banjo]

Not sure, but certainly possible. Will take a look at that as well, cheers.

 

Renaming the server with the db attached can break quite a few things in the background.

You can try changing your connect.ini to an ip address rather than the server name. That might fix it?. You could also do a backup of SIMS, detach the Db and then restore again to see if that fixes the issue.

[dapaulio]

did changing server name to the ip address in the connect.ini resolve your issue? this will illuminate dns if the problem continues

[Esteban_Child_of_the_Sun]

On a workstation where SIMS generates reason 0, you could install SQL management studio express and try connecting to your SIMS SQL instance. That way if it fails you get more data in event viewer about what it failed on and the SQL error messages tend to be a little more helpful than 'Reason 0'