SEEK malfunction

[wildcard]

An application that has worked for years has turned to custard - The files OPEN ok but SEEK on one particular 3000 record stock database no longer works for some routines.
Appplication created with Clipper 5.2b linked with
RTLINK 3.14b

Have copied the files to another computer where it all
works correctly. The problem is localised to that server.
The server is running NT-Workstation SR4 and the server
hard drive did get to within 100MB free space. Stations
are running WIN98 (Windows peer-to-peer - 6 stations)

Action taken without improvement:-
- cleared more space on server drive to 700MB.
- copied the structure and then appended the records.
- erased all index files and created the index files again

This is really wierd - any suggestions please?

Jim

 

[AnanthaP]

Apart from OS stuff like disabling cache (maybe), loading the EXEs from the client, it is the "..some routines .." that you could focus on.

Please check the status of SOFTSEEK. For an exact match and none other, SOFTSEEK should be OFF.

HTH

End

 

[TonHu]

What RDD is used on the database?
It makes quite a difference if it's DBFNTX or DBFCDX. These are the only real usable RDD's for Clipper, straight from the box. 3rd party drivers like The Six Driver or Comix should give no troubles on 3000 record databases, and in fact only DBFNTX is known to really foul up on indexes.
Might it be the trouble that the index is based on some numeric field, and indexed straight from that field? As in

Index on orderno to ordindx

This would better be changed to

Index on str(orderno,8) to ordindx

as Clipper indexing/seeking routines don't handle numeric index values properly.

HTH
TonHu

 

[wildcard1]

RDD is DBFNTX
INDEX is on a 15 CHARACTER field (no numerics)

Have since Shut down the SERVER and restarted - has not cured the problem.

Have also since transferred all the files to another computer running XP-Home and everything works fine.

Therefore, the problem is localised to just that NT-Workstation server.

What else guys?

Jim

 

[rob444]

upgrade to 5.2e which is the most STABLE clipper version with the least index problems.
The upgrades are free on the ca internet site.


Rob.

 

[TonHu]

I do agree with Rob, as I can't see any other solution yet.

HTH
TonHu

 

[subra]

What error message, if any, is displayed. What are the functions which do not work properly? Are there seeks in any other function(s) which work properly? Perhaps a bit of code from the offending functions could explain your problem.

 

[wildcard1]

No error messages are generated.
All functions work correctly everywhere else.
The databases open correctly. (or the program would abort)
The application has worked OK for years.
Now the application fails in one seek BUT ONLY on
that server. (still works correctly if I transfer
the files to other computers and run the job elsewhere)
Recreating Index files has no affect.
Creating new structure files and appending the records
has no affect.

This server is also now failing to complete some printer
applications and self-aborts back to desktop without
any error message - wierd science guys.

Therefore, I think the server software has failed!
(Windows NT-Workstation SR 4)

I am about to replace with a new WIN2003-Pro server
and test the results.

Cheers and wish me luck...
Jim

 

[TonHu]

Ah, NT is known to fail on special ocasions, and you might have hit on one of them.
Just hurry on replacing the OS to escape from troubles, and please report back your results ;-)

HTH
TonHu

 

[DTracy]

Jim,

have you checked your file handle allocation yet? This would account for some of your problems if the number is too low--index won't open so the wrong index gets used, also no printer file can be opened, etc.

Regards,


Best Regards,
David Tracy
dba: Tall Clipper Ships
Clifton, Arizona 85533
tracys@vtc.net

 

[wildcard1]

Thanks David but it is not a file handler problem.
We do not get DOS error 4.

 

[electronX]

I've created an application last summer.. I made my work on Win98SE. The program works fine everywhere but on the computers of my customer. They have Win2000 installed, in network. Some machines hang up, some machines produce some runtime error, others produce GPF (I use Exospace). Some does hangup on alt-tab (turned off in PIF), some does not.

I think, NTVDM under NT4.x & NT5.0 (Win2000) is buggy. WinXP works well, I can recommend you to upgrade. Second, you said XP works, NT4 not..

 

[wildcard1]

It is a Miracle - the application is now performing
correctly - and we have changed nothing!!

Told ya it was wierd!

Thanx everyone for your suggestions.
New Server will be installed in 2 weeks time so we
can get rid of NT-Workstation and run the new server
with RAID mirrored under WIN-XP-Pro.