Host Field Empty

[Rundvelt]

Every so often, filemaker pro will descide not to show the databases located on the servers. (Open, Hosts)

What is required is to have the users type in a specific host name and then save it as permanent.

Rebooting the server corrects the problem.

My question is, is there some way to get around this without rebooting the server. Currently we're using Citrix, Filemaker Pro 6.

Thanks.

 

[twiSSt]

I have experienced this quite often with FM6, running on windows 2k. Usually to fix the problem, i clear the Application log. I don't have to restart after clearing it, but have found that periodic restarts of my 3 FM servers is not a bad idea.

Twist

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Everything will be OK in the end.
If it's not OK, then it's not the end

 

[Rundvelt]

I'm not too comfortable with clearing the application log as a soloution. Do you know of any other fixes?

Thanks a bunch though. I do appreciate the help.

 

[twiSSt]

I also remember an update that addresses something similar to this, sorry don't recall the exact update. I would suggest checking for any and all updates for FM (both client and server).

As for clearing the event log, you can save it to a text file for future reference, and I guess you could probably run a script or batchfile to do it automatically. I'm looking into doing that myself.

You mention that you are using Citrix, is it just the remote users that are getting the empty Host list or is it happening to users that are onsite as well?

Twist

===========================================
Everything will be OK in the end.
If it's not OK, then it's not the end

 

[TStriker]

There are a couple of causes for this:

1. You have a client PC running with 2 or more network cards.

2. You have a PC in need of repair.

I have a lot of experience with this and it is connected to the UDP broadcast that eminates from client PCs when they are looking for FileMaker hosts. In plain english, when a user presses the HOSTS button, FileMaker Pro broadcasts out on the network a message like "FileMaker Server, where are you?" When the Server receives the message it responds with a "Here I am" and they start talking using regular TCP protocol.

If you have a client PC with two network cards, the server hears the same broadcast coming from what appears to be two different sources so it gets confused and then wipes out the list of files. Why? I don't know.

We have a lot of laptop users and a wireless access point inside our office in addition to the regular hardwired ethernet. All we have to do is plug the laptop into the network and enable the wireless adapter and we can crash the server at will the instant we push the hosts button.

One other time I saw the disappearing host files problem happen was when we had a PC that was in terrible shape. The mouse was all effed-up and IpConfig showed some funky IP address scheme that wasn't right for our network. The OS was popping up Dr. Watsons everywhere. We ran CHKDSK /F /R and it solved the problem.

This was a tough one to figure out because the symptoms point to the server as the probable culprit but it is actually client PCs that are the cause.

-Striker