Attempting to run ALOHA 12.3 BOH and FOH on the same system

[jdkseattle]

I'm running Aloha 12.3 with 5 order entry terminals and an interface server (TERM100) and an interface terminal (TERM101). I am trying to run the interface terminal on the same physical box that the BOH CtlSvr (and file server) is on. It was working on Friday the 17th and then stopped working. Below are the environment variables and the debout file for the interface server (link attached).

As can be seen in the DEBOUT file there is successful communication to TERM101 which shows that IBER was working at some point during the day but something has changed.

Note that when I change the computer name to the TERMSTR + TERM the program works but since BOH is also running on the same system the SERVER= variable has to match the computer name as well but these seem to be mutually exclusive requirements. What confuses me is that it was working and now it's not.

Any help and advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Joe K.


**IBERCFG.BAT**
SET IBERROOT=Aloha
SET LOCALDIR=D:\BootDrv\Aloha
SET EDCPATH=D:\EDCSET TERMSTR=TERM
SET TERM=100
SET NUMTERMS=5
SET SERVER=ALOHABOH0000
SET MASTERCAPABLE=FALSE
SET SERVERCAPABLE=FALSE
SET AUTOEXIT=FALSE
SET DOUBLECLICK=TRUE
DEL D:\BootDrv\ALOHA\TMP\EXITING
D:\BootDrv\Aloha\BIN\IBER.EXE

 

[coorsman]

There are two major limitations when running the FOH and BOH on the same computer: restarting the FOH after a refresh or after the End-of-Day process (refer to document ID 5985), and the location of the dated folders created after the EOD process.

Restarting the FOH

The FOH restarts after a refresh or after the EOD process. After a refresh is initiated in the BOH, the BOH creates a STOP file in the TMP folder on the file server. The STOP file instructs the FOH to restart. If the STOP file still exists after the FOH restarts, the FOH will not finish initializing until the STOP file no longer exists.



When a computer is only running the FOH, the AUTOEXIT variable (refer to document ID 6613) instructs the FOH to restart the operating system (OS). The OS subsequently starts the FOH from the Microsoft® Windows® StartUp folder.



A computer running the FOH and BOH together cannot use the AUTOEXIT variable, because the FOH might exit and restart Windows following a refresh before the Aloha application software completes the refresh process and deletes the STOP file. This will result in the FOH not restarting without use intervention.



Instead, run the FOH from a looping batch file utilizing the WAIT.EXE utility (refer to document ID 5982). This way, a batch file restarts the FOH without restarting Windows, and it properly compensates for the time required for the refresh to complete.



Label the batch file FOHSTART.BAT, place it in the root Aloha application software folder (for example, D:\ALOHA\FOHSTART.BAT), and include following lines in the batch file:




@ECHO OFF

:START

CLS

ECHO *** Do not close this batch file. ***

ECHO *** It is required to auto restart Aloha. ***

IF EXIST %LOCALDIR%\TMP\EXITING DEL %LOCALDIR%\TMP\EXITING

START /WAIT %LOCALDIR%\BIN\IBER.EXE

CLS

ECHO *** Waiting 10 seconds for refresh. ***

WAIT.EXE 10

GOTO START



This batch file performs the following functions:




1. Disables unneeded text from appearing on the screen.

2. Clears the screen.

3. Displays a warning to not close the batch file, since it is essential for restarting the FOH.

4. Deletes the EXITING file, if it exists.

5. Starts the FOH using the START /WAIT command. The START /WAIT command instructs the batch file to wait for the FOH to exit before proceeding to the next line in the batch file. '/WAIT' is in no way connected with the WAIT.EXE utility described later in this document. /WAIT is a standard Microsoft command-line variable, and WAIT.EXE is a utility supplied by Radiant Systems.

6. After the FOH exits, the batch file clears the screen.

7. The batch file uses the WAIT.EXE utility (refer to document ID 5982 for more information) to create ten-second pause while the BOH finishes the refresh procedure, and starts the batch file over again.



The batch file is always active on the FOH/BOH computer, and it continually restarts the FOH anytime it exits. Use shortcuts to the batch file (instead of shortcuts directly to IBER.EXE or IBERQS.EXE) in the Windows StartUp folder, desktop, Start Menu, or wherever else you place a shortcut to start the FOH.

EXITING File

The %IBERDIR%\TMP\EXITING file signals other FOH terminals that the local terminal is shutting down or is not currently running IBER.EXE or IBERQS.EXE. The file warns other terminals not to create a network connection since the terminal is restarting. IBER.EXE and IBERQS.EXE create a local copy of this file upon exiting and delete the local EXITING file when they start.



If you are not using a looping batch file as explained in the 'Restarting the FOH' section of this document, then you can end up with a stray EXITING file on the file server and the other FOH terminals will not start. To resolve this, use a batch file to start the FOH that initializes the FOH and then deletes the EXITING file after the FOH shuts down, rather than just running IBER.EXE or IBERQS.EXE directly. For example:



START /WAIT %LOCALDIR%\BIN\IBER.EXE

ECHO Y | DEL %LOCALDIR\TMP\EXITING

EXIT

Disabling the FOH on the File Server

If you disable or shut down the Aloha application software FOH on the FOH/BOH computer, the remaining FOH terminals will no longer recognize the FOH/BOH computer as the Aloha application software file server until you restart them. You can set the MASTERCAPABLE and SERVERCAPABLE system environment variables to FALSE in versions 5.026 and higher in order to prevent this from occurring, but this also disables the FOH from functioning on the FOH/BOH computer should the network become disabled.



If you set MASTERCAPABLE and SERVERCAPABLE to FALSE and you also require the ability to use the FOH/BOH computer in stand-alone mode following a network failure, you can create a secondary method to start the FOH via a batch file that enables the MASTERCAPABLE and SERVERCAPABLE variables. For example, create a batch file in the Aloha application software BIN folder labeled FOHXNET.BAT with the following information:



SET MASTERCAPABLE=TRUE

SET SERVERCAPABLE=TRUE

START %LOCALDIR%\BIN\IBER.EXE



Create a shortcut to the batch file on the Windows desktop (or wherever you deem appropriate), but make sure the user can differentiate this shortcut from the normal shortcut used to start the FOH. In the event they encounter network problems that require each terminal to enter stand-alone mode, they can start the FOH on the FOH/BOH computer using this batch file.

FSRECOVERYEOD in the ALOHA.INI

If you have FSRECOVERYEOD assigned a value of TRUE in the ALOHA.INI, a file server recovery results in deletion of the TRANS.LOG (transaction log). You must set this variable to FALSE on a FOH/BOH computer.


Cheers,
Coorsman

 

[jdkseattle]

Thanks coorsman.

I figured out that it was a network handle issue. Apparently the application didn't close down cleanly and left some sockets open. Rebooting the box cleared the socket and things started working again. I do have another issue however which is that when running both BOH and FOH on the same machine and trying to refresh data, it fails apparently due to a bitmap file being locked. I can't find anything like that in any of the documentation I have and searching the Intertubes hasn't helped. Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[coorsman]

Try renaming the cgibin folder on that machine. Also make wure you are using the wait command before starting the for terminal on the server.


Cheers,
Coorsman

 

[jdkseattle]

It turns out that in my current environment, 12.3 using "hosted" CFC that running IBER as a terminal server on the BOH locks a file in the BMP folder. I think it has something to do with skins and themes but haven't tracked it down yet. I do know when IBER is running I can't "Update all components and refresh POS" nor can I delete the specific BMP but when it's not running everything functions as expected.

 

[Knectech]

Does anyone have the cfcstandalonemsi install file?