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LookOut server client connection problem

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I really need some help here.  We have two LookOut servers setup as primary and secondary.  I have replaced both of them recently with a newer Dell T7500 workstation.  First, I renamed the old secondary server EBWP5 to EBWP5_Old.  Uninstalled LookOut from the server.  Then, I added a new workstation in with the name EBWP5.  I installed LookOut on the new secondary server, activated it, and then closed LookOut server process on our old primary EBWP4.  Our standby loader process loaded the server process on our new secondary server fine.  Our client machines started to get data from the new server without any problem.  I now turned my attention to the old primary server.  Repeated the same procedure: Renamed old primary server to EBWP5_Old, uninstalled LookOut, named new workstation to EBWP4, installed LookOut on the new server, activated it.  And here is where the problem started when I switched back to the new primary server, my LookOut client machines do connect to the new primary server and get data.  However, it seems to me that not all data are being fed to our clients.  Our LookOut clients get most of the data updated on their screens, but still some of them doesn't update.  Numbers on some panel are not moving at all; buttons and switches are not working here and there.  Weird thing is you don't see anything X out on the screen.  Switch back to the secondary, same thing happens until I close LookOut on the secondary; logoff from the computer and then log back in; reopen LookOut and then launch server process, then everything work perfectly.  Curiously, I open Client Connection Monitor on the primary server while the secondary is running the server process.  I was shocked to see that our clients still connected to the primary as well as to the secondary.  While the primary is running the server process, I don't see our clients connect to the secondary in the Client Connection Monitor.  What could have gone wrong here?  Right now I just let the secondary server serving data to our clients, but I really need to get the primary back online too.
Frank Nguyen
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What if you start the primary server process now? If it has problem, try to restart it just as what you did on secondary server. Let's see if it behaves the same way. From your description, it seems that the server doesn't work properly until you restart it.

 

If you use ip address in the symbolic link or monitor object, make sure the server computer uses the same ip address.

Ryan Shi
National Instruments
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Ryan,

 

I did try that several times, but the problem remained.  I even format the hard drive (this is a brand new workstation) and reinstall XP.  Reinstall LookOut (at least three times) and still the problem.  Another note that I should have mentioned before that I renamed the old LookOut servers; uninstall LookOut development/run time; and reinstall LookOut free client on those machine so that I can use them to replace our very old Client machines.  The weird thing is the server process is working fine on the new secondary server, but not on the primary.

Frank Nguyen
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Since my secondary server is working fine, can I just Ghost an image of the secondary EBWP5 to the primary server? Then rename the primary back to EBWP4 and reactivate LookOut with the primary's licenses?
Frank Nguyen
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Yes, you can try to ghost the secondary server so that you will have an indentical one. At least the softwares will be exactly the same.

 

When you run the server process on primary server, try to run the client process on the same computer. Let's make sure that the server process and client process are good. If it works, try to run the client process on secondary server computer and see if it works.

Ryan Shi
National Instruments
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Excellent.  I will try that tomorrow and will let you know how it goes.  Thanks.
Frank Nguyen
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OK I imaged the secondary server and put it on the primary server.  Renamed the primary to its correct name.  When I open LookOut on the primary server, the computer name in Measurement & Automation still show EBWP5 (instead of EBWP4).  The name of the computer in LookOut --> Option --> System is still EBWP5.  I try to change it to EBWP4 and relaunch LookOut, I get an error message saying that the database has already existed and it will try to use the default database.  I deleted the database using Measurement & Automation and recreated a new database.  Now I can not see the two SQL files mssql.mdf and mssqldf.  How can I recreate those files?
Frank Nguyen
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Never mind.  Once I got my server process running, it creates those files for me.  However, the problem remains the same.  Once I swicth to the primary server, only the client runs on that server got 100% updated.  The rest still get only 80-85% working.  Even when only client process is running on the primary, I still see all of my clients (even clients from other sites) connected to it in the Client Connection Monitor.  On my secondary while it's running server process, I can only see those that supposed to connect to it.  What else could be wrong?  We have replaced LookOut servers before, but never get to a situation like this.  Please help
Frank Nguyen
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Where do you see the "EBWP5" in Measurement&Automation? Is it still EBWP5 now?

 

The computer name in Lookout system menu is for the database. It doesn't affect the live data.

 

If the Lookout on primary server is development/runtime license, please take a look at the object explorere and check its computer name. I want to make sure the computer name is correct in Lookout, not like the one in MAX. I guess the problem is related to the computer name/ip address.

 

As you said the client connection monitor mistakenly displays all the client sites, are these lookout clients disconnected? Or they are connecting the secondary server? By design, once the client computer doesn't read the server data any more, the computer name/ip address will disappear in monitor immediately, just like what you saw on secondary server. If it shows some clients, it means those clients are connecting the server. So I wonder the actual status of those client processes.

 

I believe you use the symbolic link to connect the server process. If 20% items cannot read data, are they all from one or two specific link?

 

Ryan Shi
National Instruments
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Ryan,

 

EBWP5 is the secondary, EBWP4 is the primary.  I ghosted EBWP5 and put the image on EBWP4.  Without trying to rename the machine after ghosting, my EBWP4 (after ghosted is EBWP5) was working perfectly.  That eliminate any hardware related problems.  I changed the machine name back to EBWP4.  I saw "EBWP5" in Measurement&Automation. LookOut Object Explorer was still showing EBWP5, and of course nothing worked.  However, I still saw bunches of clients connected to this guy EBWP4 even though I didn't have server process running.  I went ahead and deleted a link in ODBC in order to be able to recreate the database with EBWP4 name. Launch LookOut then server process, some of my screens that weren't updated before were working but not all.  A bunch of screens were working before, now stopped. The only client that got all correct data was the one that run on EBWP4.  Data on clients come from two symbolic links: One is from this primary/secondary servers depended on which one is running the server process.  The other is from another LookOut server running different server process at another site.  The problem seems to happen with only server process running on EBWP4. 

Frank Nguyen
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