Sage Payroll and Proxy Server

[pete]

Short: does anyone know of a way to force a program to use a set proxy, independent of IE settings? Program in question does not have an .ini file, nor does it _appear_ to take command line switches and there is no place within program settings to specify a proxy.

 

I was thinking of setting something in environment variables (as I would in linux .bashrc) or wrapping the launcher with a script that passed proxy info to it, but if it _is_ looking at IE and then b0rking, that won't fix the problem.

 

Long: embc school that runs own payroll through Sage.

 

We've upgraded to Sage Payroll v12 today, and all went well. As part of the upgrade, we're beginning to use the online functions since we're required to submit info online to the Inland Revenue et al.

 

We can do this by going to a website and logging in, or directly through Sage Payroll, but Sage seems unaware of the proxy settings / is unable to use the proxy.

 

Sage support say that the program should just use Internet Explorer settings, but it's not playing nicely with them. They say there are known issues with some (?) proxies, but they have no fixes.

 

Proxy in question is SWS 3.0, which we control (onsite). Problem also occurs if we use main embc proxy. Communication from Sage is via SSL using standard ports.

 

Proxy settings are correct and user has permissions to download the info that Sage requests (.xml initially), but it doesn't even get that far - proxy logs show no requests from that workstation outbound, but the same site is easily accesible from IE.

 

Any Sage gurus out there with a clue for me?

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Geoff]

on your border router configure transparent proxying.

[RobC]

Another thing to try is putting a tick in the box for Use HTTP 1.1 through Proxy Connections in Tools, Internet Options, Advanced. This has sorted one or two problems we've had with file transfers through SWS 3.0.

 

Rob.

[ChrisH]

Isnt there a Dos command similar to doing an export in Linux that deals with http and proxies? I remember someone using it with an expresso cachebox or something similar.

[ChrisH]

proxycfg command was what I was thinking of not sure if tis relevant though.

[pete]

@Geoff

I can't. The proxy doesn't support transparent proxying on NT (yes, I know).

 

Another thing to try is putting a tick in the box for Use HTTP 1.1 through Proxy Connections in Tools, Internet Options, Advanced. This has sorted one or two problems we've had with file transfers through SWS 3.0.

 

Rob.

 

cheers rob.......despite my excitement at seeing this (and noticing it wasn't ticked on the machine in question), no joy I'm afraid.

 

Sage is reporting that it can _see_ an internet connection. Attempting to go online with it fails in under a second when you're not authenticed against the proxy. When you are authenticated it fails in 30sec -minute. It just doesn't appear to know what to do with the proxy / how to use it.

 

Does anyone know if Sage interprets "Internet Connection" as "I am plugged into a network" or "I have access to the Internet"?

[pete]

proxycfg command was what I was thinking of not sure if tis relevant though.

 

it appears (checking on my workstation) that it may do what I need. Finance office is closed now, will give it a try tomorrow - cheers.

[GrumbleDook]

@pete: If you have this working you have achieved a miracle. The best I have seen is that certain workstations are pointed at a different proxy (a transparent proxy which does not require authentication) and they no longer use IE but Firefox for day to day stuff instead (which can have proxy settings pointed at the SWS box.

 

A pain in the proverbial but it works.

 

SWS now officially sucks ... I long for the days of I-Gear and I-Poweradmin, when we had it on an old Sun Ultra 1.

 

We are moving from SWS to absolutely anything ... and this is after 4 years of trying to get decent support and development (and after 7 1/2 years of using it from I-Gear upwards)

[Geoff]

I can't. The proxy doesn't support transparent proxying on NT (yes, I know).

 

Ok, that leaves you with two options.

 

1. Fix Sage

2. Fix the proxy

 

Which is easier?

[pete]

@Grumbledook

Works for me on my workstation with full local admin rights and not having a copy of Sage to test <> works on finance workstation without any local admin rights. Breath not held.

 

@Geoff

I can't fix Sage because, at the moment, it's not giving me useful error messages and sage support don't know why it's not seeing the proxy (it's supposed to grab the info automatically). Might do a test install on a clean ghost just in case it's workstation-specific.

 

If Proxycfg doesn't solve my problem, I'll build another proxy as a test measure and ask embc to let it out onto the net - if Sage can't connect through _that_ then......

 

FFS. How hard is it to a) include an explicit proxy setting within the program and b) give verbose error messages.

 

pfy was saying the other day it was too quiet around here.

[Geoff]

If Proxycfg doesn't solve my problem

 

It doesn't. Thats for setting the proxy for WinHTTP/BITS. Windows Update basically.

[pete]

Thanks to all who helped.

 

The following information is for anyone searching with the same issue (Sage Payroll & Proxy Server):

 

1) Just because Sage can't check for mail, doesn't mean it can't submit files to https://secure.gateway.gov.uk. This is the important part - your school will get fined if you can't _submit_ data (in our case EOY data), not receive it.

 

2) Create a test setup on another workstation, install Sage under a fake company name, create a fake employee and then try submitting his P46 (you'll need to put fake data in "esubmissions settings"). When I tried to submit the fake data, the connection was fine.

 

3) Sage determines whether you're connected to the internet by attempting to connect to http://www.sage.co.uk. This does not mean that receiving data will work, but it does mean that the proxy server and sage are co-existing and can see each other.

 

4) After talking to the Inland Revenue, secure.gateway.gov.uk doesn't send anything back that would be considered dodgy by a proxy. "You have mail" that you'd see in Sage are always just xml or text.

 

5) According to IR Tech Support, Sage has in the past implemented features that don't work yet because IR hasn't changed their systems.