Timeout problems when using IWP

[GoAng]

help!

I've setup several online forms for users to enter information. Most fields are free-form text. I have both the database and the server itself set to "disconnect after 60 minutes" (the maximum allowed by Filemaker). I thought 60 minutes would be enough time but I've heard complaints about "session timed out" messages when they go to submit. With check boxes etc. I can commit the record but in free-form text boxes I cant commit the record (thus saving the already typed info) until they click out of the field, right?

Does anyone have any suggestions about something else to try? Are using PHP and/or XML the answer? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks....

[meedo]

i'm possible having the same problem - but i suspect some user error (taking longer than they report to do the survey).

when my users are timed out however (and in general), the server doesn't log them off or time them out - leading to the appearance of many users still logged in who aren't.

anyone having that prob?

[seanc]

Can you make smaller forms and more of them, step them through each question?

If they can't answer each question in an hour they'd have to be pretty serious questions!

I put a merge field in my footers which indicates the time that the users session will time out. Its only an indication, but it might help.

Cheers,

Sean.

[Fei Long]

HI,

Have you had any luck with this issue. I've called Filemaker and they said it was an issue with the Advanced Server. I tried Recovering the datbase and compacting like the told me to but to no avail. They said that several people have reported this issue, but they haven't been able to resolve it. Another thing they mentioned was to see if there were any scripts on open of the database that required Full Access privileges (which wasn't the case for me). Last thing they had me try was to login the user with Full Access permissions (which I can't do because of security reasons and I don't think that's the case). Now I haven't heard back from Filemaker in a couple of days.

If you had a break through with the error, I'd love to hear it. Thanks.

I even open the whole file with FULL ACCESS login and yet still facing the same problem with the Time Out turned off.

[meedo]

I suspect the few ppl who have reported being timed out may have let their attn wander and been on longer than they think. The survey is short. I do have a timestamp on the bottom (for time they logged on). I just created a time field for when they log off, so I will be able to see how long they are really taking for those who log out correctly.

I only have 2, very simple scripts - first one locks the status bar open, goes to web layout, enters default text in 3 fields, goes to first field.

2nd script inserts YES & the time (my new field) into fields and commits the record (as a redundancy) when they hit log off, so i can tell if they logged out correctly.

i've taken out the relationship to another table (just popped up YES/NO for finished survey, time, date). Didn't help.

i think there is a bug - we use FM Adv Server 7.

been rebooting weekly to kick off the straggling log ins it won't time out.

[Tammo]

I have the same problem with never ending sessions. I don't think this is specific to Server Advanced. It's the same thing with FM Dev7 running as a host... Do you use field validation?

[Fei Long]

I turned off the IDLE kick time within the FMSERVER ADMIN screen (Not On The Web). Currently still running fine without showing out that Time Out problem. But all accounts is running on FULL ACCESS for the time being to test out the problem whether it is related to A/C login problems ? The server is up for 2 weeks now and still no problem face until now.

Will try with restricted users next week to see any relation to this problem.

On the /fmi/config side, there are another time out settings which having a default 15 minutes. I am setting it to 60 minutes.

Maybe you guys can try this out ?

[Fei Long]

I have the same problem with never ending sessions. I don't think this is specific to Server Advanced. It's the same thing with FM Dev7 running as a host... Do you use field validation?

The have a new patch out which maybe can sort out your problems regarding the IWP function which they release lately.

The big problem is not on FM7 DEV. Is at the Adv Server side which Filemaker still no solution to solve it. 1 of my project is 90% rely on IWP due to lack of budgets for FM PRO clients.

[Tammo]

The have a new patch out which maybe can sort out your problems regarding the IWP function which they release lately.

Fei Long,

right, I'm already using it. No change. Please let us know about your tests--our solution is supposed to run on Server Advanced, too.

Thanks,

Tammo

[techplanner]

I am having the same timeout problems. I have Filemaker Advanced Server 7 to timeout at 30 minutes but my users say it times out at 5 minutes. Is the new patch the 7 v.3 updater?

[Fei Long]

Techplanner. Just disable the timeout for now till Filemaker had a solution for it. It works fine without that for now.

[techplanner]

I disabled the timeout on the server side but it still times out if there is no activity on the user side with idle time as little as 5 minutes. Any other settings to try?

[Tammo]

I don't really know if this thread is talking about the same issue, but here is what I found out today:

I'm 99% sure there is an issue generated by IWP and new uncommited records (left in a somewhat FM-internal temporary state) in conjunction with field validation. Even if the client is logged out, the host tells you that the client is logged in. You can only solve this by disabling IWP. I'll try to describe how you can reproduce it. I've designed a "standalone" test configuration which is completely independent of my solution. It's a very simple file and I've attached it (User: Admin, PWD: Admin).

Config for testing purposes as follows:

- Host: FM7.03 Developer with latest IWP update. Mac OSX 10.3.9

- Webclient: Windows XP SP2, Internet Explorer, Firewalls all disabled

- Webclient: Mac OSX 10.3.9, Safari, Firewalls all disabled

- Timeout settings: 2 minutes

- User is allowed to be disconnected when idle

- Web Port 80

- Hardware firewalls disabled, no external timeouts

If you do not want to d/l the attached file, do the following:

Create a table. Create a numberfield "Validated" with field validation turned on (Not empty, Range 1 to 5). Create a new layout "Test" which contains "Validated". Create a startscript turning off the status-area, jumping to layout "Test", going to field "Validated". Place 3 Buttons on your layout: New Rec, Commit, Logout. Link them to the scripts (I hope the translation is correct)

- Script "NewRec":

New Rec/Req

Open Rec/Req

Goto Field [Validated]

- Script "Commit":

Commit Rec/Req

- Script "Logout":

Quit Application

Create an account which is different from the Admin account (NO full account) - Records: Create/Edit/Delete in all tables, Layouts: Display only, Valuelists: Display only, Scripts: Run only. Sure, enable IWP.

Enter a session (if you d/l the attachment, username and pass is "User") with a browser and create a new record. Cursor should jump to "Validated". Just do nothing and wait as long as your predefined timeout has been reached (alternatively you can try to commit the record and wait afterwards - it actually won't be commited, that's the goal of the validation in my case). Click one of the 3 buttons. Your browser is now announcing that a timeout has occured and it is jumping back to the IWP homepage, which is perfectly correct. BUT. Try to close the file at the host side. You see what? FM tells you that there's still a connected client. Try to hit "OK" to close the session anyway... nothing happens, the same dialog will open again and again. The only way to cut the not existing "connection" is to turn IWP off and on again in FM's preferences.

The problem really is a failed field validation! Everytime a field has not the contents it's supposed to have (by a validation definition), the host does not accept the connection to be closed, when the concerning record was in edit mode in the instant it was disconnected.

I think that this is a serious problem, just because if a person leaves her browser in that state, reaching the 100 clients limit with Server Advanced will happen in a few hours or even minutes! You simply can't tell each and every person to LOG OUT in each case. And we simply can't shut down the server every few hours.

Regards

Tammo

IWP_logout_test.zip

[Fei Long]

Have you tried it out with Advance Server ?