Web db hangs

[Nephron]

Hi gang,

We have a FM7Pro db developed by modifying one of the templates. It is accessed over the web by 2 users simultaneously (and continuously during the day). We have tried hosting on an XServe with OS X Server 10.2 then 10.3, and a different computer with OS X 10.3. Every few hours, when a user hits the submit button nothing happens. The web browser appears to be trying to connect to the server. When we try to shut down FM7Pro, it wants to send a message to the connected users, and won't let us quit the program. The only solution is to Force Quit Filemaker, and reboot the computer!

It does not appear to be a code problem, since the functions work well most of the time.

Any suggestions?

Cheers!

[Vaughan]

Install the 7.0v2 fix and see if it's better.

[Nephron]

Fix was already installed. No major difference before or after

[Steve T.]

Hi, Nephron! A number of folks have had similar problems with FMP Unlimited 5/6. We find that FMP suddenly just starts hogging CPU (I just use the "top" utility from the command line but you can also use the Activity Monitor utility to see if it's the same problem. No one has come up w/a universal fix, but I've heard regular reboots help. 1 theory had to do w/Web Companion not being able to finish a web request (user cancelled before request could be completed) which spun it off into an inifinite loop of Henle (j/k, I was bio).

For us, it only happens 1-2 /month, but I've heard folks say they go down 5 times/day. I don't know what they unded up doing.

I don't have FM7, but I don't understand what you mean by connected users. If the only folks accessing the db are doing so through the web, there should not be any connected users. If you want wild geese to chase, ask yourself things like...

Are people connecting to the servers in other ways as well?

Is there more than FileMaker going on, too?

If you allow sharing, do you have a password on the db to keep outsiders from connecting?

Are the 2 users far from the server?

Can there be interference over the network?

Is db access restricted to our local IP addresses or can someone from outside try to connect?

Is it possible the server is busy doing other tasks when FileMaker requests come in?

Do the users cancel things a lot?

What would happen in a 1-user only scenario?

Good luck... tracking these things down can seem endless.

--ST

[Nephron]

Some more info:

When the database stalls, the users who are accessing suddenly cannot access the database through their web browser. It appears that the web browser is waiting and waiting, with no data coming from the host computer. If you try to quit FMPro, a dialog comes up stating that I have to click "Ask" to ask one (or more) of the users to quit their session. Clicking on Ask does not appear to acheive anything, no dialog comes up on the users web browser. I have to Force Quit FM Pro and restart. During this time, TOP indicates that the CPU is not at 100% usage, and FM Pro (and Web companion) are using very little CPU resources.

This problem happens more quickly the more people who are using the database.

Any suggestions?

Cheers!