Lookout 5.1 on Windows Server 2003

[Davidd]

Having a little problem with Lookout 5.1 running on Windows server 2003

I have it installed on several computers now, all running Windows Server 2003 Datacenter.  Things work fine, until I select that I want the software to start as an NT service.  I'd like to administer the server remotely (Its in a locked room about 1/2 mile from me and I don't want to walk back and forth just because of something stupid...), and the only way I can see I can log onto the system is to run Windows Terminal Server and login from my office (I'm a UNIX man myself, and can't believe the stupidity of the way this system is laid out).

When I select the software to run as a Service, and restart the machine, when I login to the unit Lookout will startup, and then, when it's about to display it's menu screen, it will abort with an

"Application error 'Reporting queued error: faulting application lkserv.exe, version 5.1.0.8, faulting module kernel32.dll, version 5.2.3790.1830, fault address 0x00015dea.' ".

Any ideas?????

David Dudley

[Mike@DTSI]

If started manually will it work?

Windows 2003 is a lot more strict with services and startup items.  Having never used 2k3, im not sure what exactly it involves.

[erblock]

Lookout 5.1 was problematic if run as a service and more than one user needed to logon and run lookout client processes locally, especially if using terminal services admin mode.  I'd be interested in hearing from NI in this thread as to what is new for support links etc...addressing this issue (running Lookout as a service), especially with Lookout 6.0.  Unfortunately, this behavior is peculiar to servers because that is the only Window OS that allows simultaneous console and remote administration logons, thus NI does not need to provide support...although many a loyal Lookout user believes they should provide support for Server 2003!

In the meantime.... I would suggest that you run your lookout processes through an "auto admin logon" account with a low privilege user as the default logon account name.  Add the required lookout file/directory modify privileges (under Lookout 6.0 anyway...you also need to get privileges for the MSDE-SQL engine). Then do all your server computer "administration" through terminal services (administration mode, or remote desktop).  This works great for me.  Additionally, if I need remote access to the Lookout desktop running under that auto logon account, I will use a third party remote control software.  So now you have the best of both worlds: Administration without interruption of the lookout processes and databases, and remote access to the lookout desktop.

Ed Block

[Davidd]

Yes, things work fine if I start it manually.

The only process that is running on this machine is a "Server" process.  Pretty big from what I've seen that Lookout can manage, it has over 5000 database tags (and crashes about once every two weeks, almost on schedule).  We converted to Lookout from Intellution FIX a couple of years ago (don't ask me why, it was some kind of administrative decision I have yet to discern), and since that time, we have had nothing but problems.

We're running Lookout 5.1, and have no intention of upgrading to 6, due to our history with 5.0 and 5.1 to this point.  If there was going to be additional effort spent in upgrading things, we'd definitely move back off of Lookout, to something more reliable.

Reason I want to do this is so that I can restart things, or make modifications to the operations remotely.  Since I have to restart things currently from the local console, I have to walk to the Server room to work on the machine currently,  I'd rather work from my office, with one of the client machines right next to me so I can view the results as I go.

David Dudley