A pint (or two) for the answer....

Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
OK, this query is work related, and tbh damn important. I'm the salesman but our techies are struggling a little. Given that this one customer will probably pay my mortgage this year I really am desparate to get this sorted.


OK here ya go....

We have server/client software, that delivers multipage .tif images to the client from the database stored on the server (Verity). The tifs are multiple pages with upto 1000 pages with this particular customer. On smaller 20 pages etc files this problem does not occur.
On the newer kit that they have that are running 2K there are no issues and the tifs are delivered in <5secs. The issues is on some of their older kit, celerons with 64m ram running W98. Heres what happens, they click for the tif, our client shows 99% progress in seconds and hangs. We only actually cache 3 pages of the 1,000, and if we check the cache the 3 are there. All other apps hang too, its a complete lockup. However if we click windows start twice all is released with no problems, Or if we right then left click the task bar area the same happens.

My main question is what exactly is the start clicking doing that would cause the lock up to stop? The customer is running a "virgin" win98 install and we have asked them to apply all the patches available from the update site, I'm still waiting for the results to get back to me.

Any suggestions/ideas would be appreciated, I'll offer Mrs Yuck to the winner for a night, or I'll buy you a couple of pints :)

Thx.







** disclaimer: The Mrs Yuck offer is entirely bogus.
 
W

whipped

Guest
Have you contacted the supplier of the client/server software, or am I wrong and they are using IE?
 
Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
I am the supplier :)

Its our software but this is a new issue, and is specific to the lower spec 98 machines. I think its an OS issue as the files are retrieved with no problems in W2K.
 
1

1tchy trigger

Guest
Is it possible that one of the .tif images is corrupt?
 
Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
Originally posted by 1tchy trigger
Is it possible that one of the .tif images is corrupt?
Click to expand...

We thought that, but after the start click trick all are displayed perfectly. Also once a file has been retrieved using the start trick it can be viewed again with no problems, the whole thing is bizarre :)
 
Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
Originally posted by MYstIC G
How are the files transfered?
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean by that?

A request is made by our client to view the file (.tif) but we only deliver the first 3 pages to the cache, then subsequent pages as asked for by the client, then all viewed pages of the mutipage .tif are cached clientside.

Its a 100mbit lan btw.
 
T

Testin da Cable

Guest
how big is the total .tif? does the client hold the whole thing in ram or just what is being viewed?
 
Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
Originally posted by Testin da Cable
how big is the total .tif? does the client hold the whole thing in ram or just what is being viewed?
Click to expand...

They vary in size, they are multi page, with pages varying from 20k to 50k, and anything from 1 to 1,000 pages, although the problems seem to occur at 100+ pages only, but some of those work ok :(
No, it's cached to a folder, only bringing the first 3 pages initially, then caching other viewed pages as necessary.

I really think the key is in the start button trick but I have no clue why that fixes (albeit poorly) the problem.
 
T

Testin da Cable

Guest
is getting the file one big loop or do you let windows have the cpu back every now and then?
 
M

MYstIC G

Guest
Originally posted by ~YuckFou~
Not sure what you mean by that?
Click to expand...
Well i got the feeling it wasn't exactly just a "copy across network from PC A hdd to PC B", so how does your in house software copy the file.
 
Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
Originally posted by Testin da Cable
is getting the file one big loop or do you let windows have the cpu back every now and then?
Click to expand...


Tbh I have no clue. Getting the answer to that will be difficult.
It does seems as though the cpu hangs and clicking "start" kind of releases that cycle and finishes the job.
 
Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
Originally posted by MYstIC G
Well i got the feeling it wasn't exactly just a "copy across network from PC A hdd to PC B", so how does your in house software copy the file.
Click to expand...

OK now remember I'm the salesman not the techie here :)

There is a multipage tif, we request it but that request is interpreted as "send me the first three pages and index information", then there is a next button that takes you to the next page, clicking that button asks for the next page and delivers that to the cache from where it is viewed in our client, and so on. It really is just a simple copy of the individual pages cached to a folder and viewed through our client.
 
1

1tchy trigger

Guest
Pay for a few more Windows 2K licences for your customer so that you can ensure it works?
 
T

Testin da Cable

Guest
Originally posted by ~YuckFou~



Tbh I have no clue. Getting the answer to that will be difficult.
It does seems as though the cpu hangs and clicking "start" kind of releases that cycle and finishes the job.
Click to expand...


you see, iirc clicking any part of "explorer" forces it into the "foreground" (or focus, of cpu or whatever) on win98. only NT and greater allow you to manipulate what the OS does with time-sharing applications. seems to me that some kind of wait loop or timeout or something is occuring. giving the cpu back to windows breaks it, or restarts it or something.
 
Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
Originally posted by Testin da Cable



you see, iirc clicking any part of "explorer" forces it into the "foreground" (or focus, of cpu or whatever) on win98. only NT and greater allow you to manipulate what the OS does with time-sharing applications. seems to me that some kind of wait loop or timeout or something is occuring. giving the cpu back to windows breaks it, or restarts it or something.
Click to expand...


Thats exactly what it looks like. Their IT guy is out today so I've heard no news. Is this something that is addressed in the patches from windows update? Can you think of any other fixes, that don't involve recoding as we are withdrawing support for 98 soon and that investment won't be made.
 
M

MYstIC G

Guest
No, this is more likely how your software is coded. I'd guess its not done with 9x specifically in mind and probably on NT, so something thats probably solid under NT with its higher limits for pretty much everything, pants out under 9x (i.e. thats why this only craps up on larger files).

Slap your coders, slap them again & if you're that desparate to keep the client offer to upgrade them to 2k/XP whatever, whats a cheap arse m$ license vs a "priority" customer?
 
Y

~YuckFou~

Guest
Hmm, we recently upgraded our software to a new version, so perhaps the 98 testing wasn't stringent enough, we are withdrawing support for 98 soon anyway. I'm going to ask the customer to install 2k on to one of the poverty spec machines and see if that fixes the problem.
 
T

Testin da Cable

Guest
tell them to get n00 pootas and that 98 suxors! then bill them for the pleasure of your advice!! you're the salesman...why didn't you think of that???


err...that's 300squids pls thx ;)
 
T

Testin da Cable

Guest
950 a day and 300 bonus per reaction to the presence of a customer. and a lappy, car and 60 days hols and I'm your love slave till the end daddyuck :)
 
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