The problem is that the apparently some of the controls we're using are not very happy with the threading APIs we're using. We tested with just a simple START/STOP of a thread (which clearly works looking at the taskmanager), and once that is done the application just refuses to stop correctly anymore... :-( But as said we're still working on this and trying to find a solution/bypass for it.
Dirk. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tim Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 3:27 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang Dirk, Thanks for the more detailed responses. And for those of you putting words in my mouth don't bother responding as I'm quickly bypassing anything you have to say. I'm not here to stir the pot with people obviously interested in starting a flame war and not intelligent discussion. Go back and read what I wrote and then just let this thread continue with meaningful discussion. Back to Dirk. Are your problems with threads typically when you are trying to kill them when they are not behaving properly? If so, I know it isn't ideal, but can you just let those threads live on and not try to kill them? Just ignore them or something. Maybe force them to the lowest priority. Again, I'll say that I know this isn't ideal or clean but would this allow you to implement threads which may help overall? Tim > -----Original Message----- > From: Tim A [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 9:20 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Fwd: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Dirk Bulinckx <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 06:47:20 +0200 > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > I don't think there is (currently) a 100% sure way to set this up. The big > issue is that those ODBC calls (as many API calls) don't respect their own > settings. Although there is a timeout setting they just don't check it. > In most cases however this is not a real big issue since they will stops > within a normal timeout. > > As you saw in that "can of worms" this issue could be solved by threading it > and by killing the thread in case of not respecting the timeout. We are > realy looking at some good working api/com/...for this, however for the > moment not are working good enough. We realy hope to have something decent > for this with the release of v5, however don't see this as a fact, this is > what we "HOPE" for. > > > Dirk. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Carter, Phillip > Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 1:27 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > Gee, I didn't think I'd open such a large can of worms :) > > Ok, given that I can't do anything about the flaws in the COM ODBC > system, how should I setup my database checks? > > What I want from the check is to know if a user can successfully login > to specific databases on specific servers. Simply connecting to the > server using the in-built connectivity is not sufficient as it does not > indicate that the database is available. > > BTW Dirk I agree with what is a majority of comments about SA. The > feature set and support are second to none. Before choosing SA we > evaluated approx. 10 different monitoring packages. The only other > product that came close was a tool called Network Eagle. They dropped > out of the race when their website continually went missing and a number > of support request went unanswered and disappeared off the message > forum. > > Thanks > Phillip Carter > Ph: +61 3 9235 1691 > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Dirk Bulinckx > Sent: Saturday, 2 October 2004 6:37 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > SA is created in VB. > VB isn't known to be happy with threads, that's a first thing. Other > issue is that if you create several threads within an application (VB or > other that doesn't matter) and you try to kill a thread, you will very > often come into a situation were from a code point of view you > killed/removed all threads but that they are simple still running. Some > threads just don't like to be "killed". And then you end up with a > situation were your application is still running while it's no longer > able to realy do something. (and the interface is gone too) Other thing > that we've seen is that in some combinations of ActiveX/COM-objects that > are used, just the fact of using threading API calls (create one, kill > one <- and the taskmanager realy shows that one is added and one > removed), makes the application become "quit"-less, with that I mean > that although you click on the exit/quit button that the app just stays > there, it continues to run (well run, it's still in the taskmanager and > just doing nothing except taking memory and cpu time). > Those are the reasons why until now SA has no explicit threading. But > as said "until now", we are realy looking at ways to make it better and > to use (for some specific tasks first) some good and stable threading. > I don't think that anybody would benefit for threading if that would > make an application unstable. > > I know that a lot of people want more and more and more, but doing that > quickly (as we sometimes did in the past) gives more and more > problems....so please give us the time to do things right. > > Dirk. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Tim > Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 10:27 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > Wow, easy Jason. It wasn't meant as a threat, I was just pointing out > that this is an important direction that I would think Woodstone would > be going in. If not there should be good reasons. At least in my > opinion. If I'm wrong then thats fine but I have nothing to go on other > than my own experience in programming operating systems and highly > threaded applications. > > By Dirks response I guess maybe there is good reason in this case. > Perhaps he would like to elaborate. I'd like to understand and hear what > their experience is. > > Seems to me that Dirks responses lately have been a bit short and > somewhat negative which also doesn't give me a great feeling. > I'm hoping that perhaps he is just trying to be humorous but it isn't > coming across that way in email. > > Currently I use SA in two of my own companies and in another where I am > responsible for setting up monitoring of their international network. > I've recommended and will continue to recommend SA if they head in the > right direction and keep putting out a decent product. However, there > can always be improvements made especially when you're trying to use it > like I am to monitor 1000's of devices. > > Tim > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Dirk Bulinckx <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 21:36:05 +0200 > > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Sure we can do this BUT killing those threads will do more bad then > good. > > But looking at your mail it seems you're the specialist.... > > > > > > Dirk. > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf > > Of Tim > > Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 9:16 PM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > > > Well, Woodstone can definitely do something about this I would think. > > > Each check should be run in its own thread. Then if it fries it > > > doesn't take down all of SA. Would also allow you to do more > tests > > in parallel. > > > > If Woodstone isn't thinking in this direction then I'd be a bit afraid > > > of commiting to use SA for much longer. > > > > Tim > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Dirk Bulinckx <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 12:12:47 +0200 > > > > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > currently, nothing. > > > > > > > > > > > > Dirk. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > On Behalf Of Carter, Phillip > > > > Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 11:16 AM > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > OK, so what can I do about it? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks > > > > Phillip Carter > > > > Ph: +61 3 9235 1691 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > On Behalf Of Dirk Bulinckx > > > > Sent: Friday, 1 October 2004 5:19 PM > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Subject: RE: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > A lot of API calls (and ODBC calls are also like them) can block a > > > > > complete system, the only way around this is to kill the thread > > > > > that is doing the check (and that is hanging) something MS says > not to do. > > > > > > > > > > > > Dirk. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > On Behalf Of Carter, Phillip > > > > Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 4:52 AM > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Subject: [SA-list] ODBC Check stops cause SA to hang > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Currently running SA 4.1.1609 on Windows 2000 sp4. > > > > > > > > We have a number of checks that use the External ODBC com check. > > > > Basically they run a query against a database that resides on the > > > > > server being checked. > > > > > > > > For the last three evenings, Servers Alive has stopped responding > > > > > when performing this check. The check is performed throughout the > > > > > day without any problems and it is at approximately the same time > > > > > that it stops. > > > > > > > > The log shows usually shows something like this > > > > 30/09/2004 7:19:58 PM External COM check started > (W00000002,209) > > > > 30/09/2004 7:19:58 PM External COM check > > > > (W00000002,209):Successfull connection (0) > > > > > > > > When SA hangs it shows this, > > > > 30/09/2004 7:27:31 PM Disk space checking on \\WEBTEST\D$: > > > > 13967.6640625 Mbytes free > > > > 30/09/2004 7:27:32 PM External COM check started (W00000002,209) > > > > 1/10/2004 11:45:21 AM Servers Alive version 4.1.1609.3 > > > > 1/10/2004 11:45:21 AM Running on Microsoft Windows 2000 > > > > > Professional > > > > (2195) Service Pack 4 > > > > 1/10/2004 11:45:21 AM Oracle > > > > Core40.dll/core35.dll/oracore8.dll/oracore9.dll library not > > > > > available > > > > 1/10/2004 11:45:22 AM DUN installed and available for SA > > > > > > > > As you can see the check executed successfully just 7 mins before > > > > > it hung. There are no other error messages or event log entries to > > > > > explain why it stops at this point. > > > > > > > > Hope someone can help with this. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks > > > > Phillip Carter > > > > Ph: +61 3 9235 1691 > > > > ------------------------- > > > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] > > > > To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > With the following in the body of the message: > > unsubscribe SAlive > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------- > > > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] > > > > To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > With the following in the body of the message: > > unsubscribe SAlive > > > > ------------------------- > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] > > To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > With the following in the body of the message: > unsubscribe SAlive > > ------------------------- > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] > > To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > With the following in the body of the message: > unsubscribe SAlive > > IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER - THIS MAY AFFECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS: > > Because this document has been prepared without consideration of any > specific clients investment objectives, financial situation or needs, > a Bell Potter Securities Limited investment adviser should be > consulted before any investment decision is made. > > While this document is based on the information from sources which > are considered reliable, Bell Potter Securities Limited, its directors, > employees and consultants do not represent, warrant or guarantee, > expressly or impliedly, that the information contained in this document > is complete or accurate. > > Nor does Bell Potter Securities Limited accept any responsibility to > inform you of any matter that subsequently comes to its notice, which > may affect any of the information contained in this document. > > This document is a private communication to clients and is not intended > for public circulation or for the use of any third party, without the > prior approval of Bell Potter Securities. > > Disclosure of Interest: Bell Potter Securities Limited receives commission > from dealing in securities and its authorised representatives, or > introducers > of business, may directly share in this commission. Bell Potter Securities > and its associates may hold shares in the companies recommended. > > Bell Potter Securities Limited ABN 25 006 390 772 AFS Licence No. 243480 > > ------------------------- > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] > > To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > With the following in the body of the message: > unsubscribe SAlive > > > > > ------------------------- > > [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] > > To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > With the following in the body of the message: > unsubscribe SAlive > ------------------------- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] With the following in the body of the message: unsubscribe SAlive ------------------------- [This E-mail scanned for viruses by Declude Virus] To unsubscribe from a list, send a mail message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] With the following in the body of the message: unsubscribe SAlive
