[sims] FMS timeout? SQL - Communication Link Failure

[Koldov]

Just had our Bursar send me this screenshot.

 

 

Apparently if she doesn't use FMS for a while it gives her this error when she tries to do anything.

 

I've done the recent CAPITA update, but I have also done a bios update...

 

Hard to replicate with another user/computer as she is the only one who uses FMS.

 

Just wondered if anyone has come across this?

 

EDIT: I'm going to look at the 'communication link failure' by troubleshooting the NIC going to sleep etc. I've done the same BIOS update/Windows updates on all the Admin computers and it doesn't appear to affect anyone else (although they are only using SIMS not FMS).

Edited January 9, 2020 by Koldov

[CHSGM]

Don't know if it is linked to same issue I had, but whilst doing a migration of FMS over the Xmas period, I was informed that and error of this nature can happen (1 in 10 chance) and the only fix is to rebuild to user profiles affected.

 

Second I did that, it worked absolutely fine.

[Boredguy]

We had this issue for years, normally occurring during the middle of the day.

It was not related to user profile as we reset them, and it did not matter if it was windows 7 or 10. Capita never worked out what it was, since it did not affect anything else on SIMS, just FMS and both stations and server showed no network drop at the time.

 

In the end it was something we lived with til we moved to sage.

[Knil92]

If they arent using fms for a while, would it be worth logging out? If they arent using it for a while, and locking their computer, going for dinner etc... then I've seen some network adapters don't wake up properly when users come back which could be effecting it. You could try the power saving options to not turn the screen off when the workstation is locked and see if it keeps the network connection open?

[Koldov]

Don't know if it is linked to same issue I had, but whilst doing a migration of FMS over the Xmas period, I was informed that and error of this nature can happen (1 in 10 chance) and the only fix is to rebuild to user profiles affected.

 

Second I did that, it worked absolutely fine.

 

It's a local profile (with all the usual desktop/My Documents user data saved locally, so that's going to be a pain)!

 

We had this issue for years, normally occurring during the middle of the day.

It was not related to user profile as we reset them, and it did not matter if it was windows 7 or 10. Capita never worked out what it was, since it did not affect anything else on SIMS, just FMS and both stations and server showed no network drop at the time.

 

In the end it was something we lived with til we moved to sage.

 

Funnily enough the Bursar has moved to us from another school and she said it used to happen there.... they never fixed it either.

 

If they arent using fms for a while, would it be worth logging out? If they arent using it for a while, and locking their computer, going for dinner etc... then I've seen some network adapters don't wake up properly when users come back which could be effecting it. You could try the power saving options to not turn the screen off when the workstation is locked and see if it keeps the network connection open?

 

I've checked and it doesn't appear to be linked to a hardware issue (such as power saving on the NIC), also it seems to happen if she is just working on something else, not even locking the computer/going for lunch etc. So it's not Windows going to sleep or anything of that nature.

[CHSGM]

It's a local profile (with all the usual desktop/My Documents user data saved locally, so that's going to be a pain)!

 

Should it happen to be the same issue I ran into, just try accessing FMS on that workstation under a new user account and see if the same error occurs.

[Koldov]

Should it happen to be the same issue I ran into, just try accessing FMS on that workstation under a new user account and see if the same error occurs.

 

Unfortunately she's sitting at the computer pretty much all day everyday, so I don't want her to sit there signed on as someone else (plus there's no other computer for her to work from)...

 

Worst part of it is, I did the FMS upgrade, the SQL2014 SP3 & CU4 and put the latest bios on the machine over the holidays... So I guess it could be any of those!

 

That'll learn me for fixing something that ain't broke...

[BKGarry]

Right, wide shot idea here, I seem to remember having something like that and it isn't SQL it is the Borland Configuration.

It is the do with the Lockdir setting I do believe, the lock directory settings for all FMS should be a network location, something like S:\sims\lockdir and a setting set to use local share for lock.

 

The FMS users will need write access to that Lockdir

 

I am out at the moment, but I will try and get screenshots when I get home.

[BKGarry]

Sorry for the delay all,

 

This has to be done on all FMS workstations, I realised that I forgot to do it to my remote desktop server, so I did it there.

 

Open Control Panel and open the BDE Administrator

 

 

Expand the following: Configuration > Drivers > Native and then select PARADOX

 

In here change netdir to the shared path that FMS users have write access to

 

 

Then expand System and select INIT

 

In here change Local Share to TRUE

 

 

Then right click on Configuration and select apply and apply your changes

 

 

I do believe this is what solved the issue for us, but you must make sure that FMS users have write access to that folder, if not they start getting issues later on.

[BKGarry]

The other cause could just be the good old sleep setting on the PC, so when they do step away for 5 mins to use the facilities or make a cuppa, it disconnects the SQL client, but FMS is not intelligent enough for it to know until the next transaction takes place