Panopea Consulting - iMIS Blog

Corrupted Library File

A client was experiencing the following symptoms in version 10.4 using Sybase: The user would attempt to open a new batch by clicking the New button and nothing would happen. If the user would try to click on an existing open Batch then the following error message would occur: 

(Click on the image to get a better view of it.)

The solution to this problem was to replace the IMISAR.lbr file on this user's computer.

What's funny about the corrupted .lbr file problem is that you never can really tell how it might behave. The same file might get corrupted and display completely different strange behavior. So here's my checklist of conditions that should make you suspect that a corrupted file is the cause of the problem you are seeing:

• The problem is limited to a single workstation.
• The problem is not iMIS user-specific. That is, no matter what log in you use on that same computer--including MANAGER!SA or (MANAGER!DBA), the problem occurs.
• The problem is limited to a single module. In this case, I didn't know at first if there was some sort of issue with the ODBC configuration on this computer but since the user can insert into Name or for an Event registration, then it's not likely to be the ODBC configuration.
• It's kind of funky -- strange behavior you've not seen or heard of before. It's no known bug. And the user's computer has been working fine in the past.

And in case you are wondering how a file gets corrupted in the first place, it will happen sometimes if your computer crashes. A power failure or any other reason you reboot while you were in iMIS are typical scenarios.

This problem doesn't come up all that often, at least amongst my clients. I think I run into it maybe once or twice a year. Just get a new, fresh copy of the .lbr and if it resolves the problem, then you know corruption was the issue. If you can't easily find a new, unused version of the file, you can also grab one off a computer that is not experiencing the problem. But I prefer to grab a brand new copy if at all possible.

iBO fixes coming in 10.6

I got a couple of emails on Friday from ASI Tech Support letting me know about some fixes to iBO coming in version 10.6, which is another way to say these are current bugs you should look out for:

• iBO doesn't correctly populate Name_Indexes. It will only insert/edit for the first custom index reliably. 
• In insert of a new Contact via iBO, the columns Name.MEMBER_STATUS and Name.MEMBER_STATUS_DATE are being populated with an 'N' and today's date, respectively. This is occurring even when the MEMBER_TYPE being inserted is not defined to be a MEMBER_RECORD = 1. This is inconsistent with backoffice iMIS which would leave Name.MEMBER_STATUS = '' and MEMBER_STATUS_DATE = NULL if the Member Type is not defined as MEMBER_RECORD = 1.

Btw, ASI released a new version of the 10.5 iBOs this past week, too.

Max. Rows in List to Register

In e-Series Events you can choose to allow a logged in user to register anyone from their company based on a modifiable SQL statement. One of my clients is using that feature in version 10.4 and found out the list only displays a maximum of 100 rows. Ack! Some of their organizations have far more than that in the database.

I traced things back to the file /source/Meetings/cMeetingFunctionDetailInput.cfm and it's limiting the list by setting the application variable application.eventscoMembersSelectListMaxRows. And then this variable is the MaxRows parameter on the query that gets the list of potential registrants. This variable is not set in any other files I could find so I wasn't sure if it was buried somewhere I couldn't see or what.

ASI Tech Support provided this answer for me:

In the _eEventsConfig.txt file add this line:

<CFSET Application.eventscoMembersSelectListMaxRows = "300">

You can set whatever limit you want. The 300 is just an example.

Credit Card Approved

Ha. I got the new credit card in the mail and it works. I ranted again to the credit card company and got the $15 waived for sending the card to me using 2nd Day Air. What a weird thing. I would so like to know how it was failing.

Credit Card Declined

This is my own personal rant that is completely unrelated to iMIS. I have a business credit card that's tied to my frequent flier account, so I try to use it for everything I buy and, more often than not, I buy online. For some reason, in the last month or so, it no longer works when purchasing online. I get a credit card declined message. And I'm pretty sure everyone of them has been when I'm asked for the security number on the back. I've called my credit card company 4 or 5 times about it and every time they say that they're sending an approval code and the problem in not on their end. And on the website side--when I can actually get someone to talk to--they say that it's being declined. I've verified everything about that damn card, including the security code on the back at least twice. No, I'm not over the limit. No, there's no problem at all they tell me.

So, where is the ball being dropped? I don't know myself how this could be happening. I know that the people at the credit card company are telling me the "truth" about seeing an approval and so are the sites that have gotten a decline. These aren't cheesy, Mom & Pop websites, either. It's been SBC to pay my phone bill, GeoTrust to buy an SSL certificate, etc. In every case, I've turned around and used my personal card, issued by the same credit card company and also tied to my frequent flier account, and it works just peachy fine.

Today it happened again and I called customer service again. And was again told that the credit card company sent an approval so that there is nothing they can do. Ugh. So after ranting and raving to the customer service person about it, I asked what I could do because the card just doesn't work. I could close the account and then I'd have to re-apply and pay my annual fee again. Not! Or I could report it lost and they would give me a new account number. Bingo. I said it was LOST. It seems so stoopid that I have to say that to her when we both know it's not lost but, fine, whatever it takes. I'll have the new one on Wed. she said. I surely hope it works.

10.6 slips to 1Q 2006

I posted the three product support statements from ASI below -- regarding ColdFusion MX 7, SQL Server 2005 support and dropping support on Sybase -- but another bit of official news that's just embedded in each of these statements is the fact that version 10.6 is not going to be released until 1st quarter of 2006. That is a slip backwards because earlier this year, until at least September, I believe, ASI was saying version 10.6 would be released in the 4th quarter of 2005.

Version 10.6 will support CF MX 7

ASI also had this product support statement regarding ColdFusion MX 7:

In accordance with our Third Party Support statement, ASI is pleased to announce support for Cold Fusion MX 7.0, effective with the release of iMIS 10.6.  This release is scheduled for 1st Quarter, 2006.  We will also continue to support Cold Fusion MX 6.1.

ASI testing and support of 3rd party products is focused on the current major version and one version back. Therefore, ASI will discontinue development, testing and technical support for Cold Fusion 5.0 with the release of iMIS 10.6. You may continue to run your application on CF 5.0, but such use is at your own discretion.

Sybase ASA Support Ending in 2006

Today, ASI made this announcement regarding support for Sybase Adaptive Server Anywhere:

Beginning with the iMIS 10 Maintenance release in late 2006, please be advised that ASI will discontinue development, testing and support for the iMIS 10 Product on the Sybase (ASA) platform.  The upcoming 10.6 release is the last release in which iMIS for ASA will be supported. Beginning with the release after 10.6, release date not yet scheduled,  there will no longer be an upgrade path for ASA and Technical Support will no longer be able to support your questions regarding the use of iMIS 10 running on a Sybase (ASA) platform.   Your application may continue to run on Sybase, but such use is at your own discretion.

As of the 10.6 release, scheduled for 1st quarter of 2006, e-Series will no longer be available to ASA customers. Affected customers have already been notified. Once 10.6 is released, no further fixes will be made to issues found in iMIS for ASA.

Support for SQL Server 2005

ASI also made this announcement regarding SQL Server 2005 support:

As a general practice, ASI tests and supports new 3rd party major versions ( including Service Packs) with the next version of iMIS that is scheduled to be released after the 3rd party software version is available to the public. Because the general availability date for Microsoft's SQL Server 2005 database platform occurred so close to the release date for iMIS 10.6, insufficient time remains in the iMIS production schedule to ensure full compatibility with SQL Server 2005. For this reason, the initial release of iMIS 10.6 will not provide full support for SQL Server 2005.

However, knowing the importance of SQL Server 2005 to many of our customers, ASI will continue to evaluate SQL Server 2005 compatibility with iMIS 10.6 and may announce full support for it in the near future. In any event, the next production release of iMIS after 10.6 will provide full support for the Microsoft SQL 2005 Server database platform.

Windows Shortcut to Task Mgr

Here's another Windows tip I hope I can remember:

Launch the Task Manager Quickly (Windows NT/2000/XP)
Launching the Task Manager can sometimes be difficult depending on the situation. Some people didn't know that the Task Manager can actually be launched in at least three different ways to make it easier to use when you need it the most.

First Method: Press CTRL + ALT + DELETE and click on the 'Task Manager...' button on the Windows NT Security dialog.

Second Method: Right click on the Windows NT taskbar and chose 'Task Manager...'

Third Method: Press CTRL + SHIFT + ESC and the Task Manager will be launched instantly.

Found that tip here.