FMS9A installed but PHP custom web publishing not working

[Netforest]

I have installed FMS9A (Windows OS) using a two machine deployment. After a successful install (green lights on), the php test fails with the message "WPE has too many active sessions. (error 956). I am running Windows Server 2003. The databases are accessible, but accessing the sample database with PHP does not work. phpinfo() also displays the current php environment indicating php is running on the second machine.

[Netforest]

As it turned out, this was a firewall issue and was finally resolved. The error message regarding to many WPE connections was quite misleading.

[spragueg]

I have a client that is having this problem as well. Could you elaborate on the firewall issue and how it was resolved?

[Steven H. Blackwell]

You might want to take a look at the FileMaker Tech Info # 6427 for added information regarding what ports need to be available and/or opened on what machines.

Tech Infos can be located at this location. Choose to display by the AnswerID and enter the Tech Info number.

Steven

[spragueg]

Thanks, I have read that and made the IT dept aware of the port requirements.

But, I think it maybe due to the fact that the Web Server is outside the local network and the FMS is inside the network. On the old WPE Admin Console you could specify the address for FMS. Since the config takes place on the Server side now I don't see any way to tell the WPE machine how to talk to the FMS.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

ince the config takes place on the Server side now I don't see any way to tell the WPE machine how to talk to the FMS

On the Master machine you can specify the IP address of the web server machine that the master is to use. On the overview screen, select edit server deployment option.

Steven

[spragueg]

I added the IP for the webserver in there. I even moved it into the local network for the sake of determining if the separation was the cause. Still no dice. I just keep getting the 956 error?!

[PBainbridge]

Hi, did you find a solution to this? We have just upgraded from Server 8 Advanced (with FX.php, php API and IWP all working well) to FMSA 9 and I am having the exact same problem.

I can confirm that although there were additional ports to open, in this case it is not a firewall issue. The FMSA9 installation on the web server appeared to be incomplete, with php files referenced from the test page that were missing or misplaced. Placing the most obvious files where they were expected to be returned the 956 error - I guess there may well be other files that are still missing. What should be installed and where?

In addition, a test of IWP returns a "Forbidden, you do not have access to this server" message. However, I can access the iwp home page URL, although it does not load the database list. I gather that this is handled by Tomcat. What and where should the apache-tomcat connecter be and how is it loaded? There does not appear to be any reference to it in httpd.conf.

The database server appears to be fine, with FMPro clients accessing as normal, and the Admin Console reports everything (including web server and WPE) as normal.

Edited January 12, 2008 by Guest

[PBainbridge]

I am getting desperate here!

I have done a complete reinstall of both FM Server and the web publishing engine. On a single server setup (FMServer, FM Web Publishing and Apache all on one server) both IWP and php work ok (after commenting out the mod_jk.conf line in httpd.conf, anyway).

However, I continue to have problems with the two server setup (which worked fine with FMSA 8). The database server is situated on the LAN, the webserver on our DMZ. Every TCP port between 16000-16018 has been opened between the two machines and firewall logs indicate that traffic is passing from FMS9 to webserver on port 16000, each connection ending with TCP FIN.

On the webserver, fmi/iwp is redirected to https, port 443. Again this worked very well for FMSA8. However, browser requests for the IWP test page now receive the "Forbidden" message mentioned above. Other files on that port/domain remain accessible. Even with the redirect removed, the error remains the same.

The php test page is now returned (some progress!) but includes an error message stating:

"This Web Publishing Engine already has too many active sessions. Using FileMaker Server Admin, increase the number of Web Publishing Engine sessions, disconnect an active session, or wait a while for more sessions to become available. (Error 956; Maximum number of database sessions exceeded."

For obvious reasons, this is the only active session so I'm not quite sure what this means.

On the webserver, in the pe_application_log.txt, the error 403 is reported:

"2008-01-14 07:41:27 +0000 FM Web Publishing - - wpc1 queueing privileged task wc::KillDeferredTasks with address 0x02443890 ( obj == 0x02443894 ) into queue sOnStaticExit

2008-01-14 07:41:28 +0000 FM Web Publishing - - wpc1 queueing privileged task wc::PoolingSchedulerImpl with address 0x024437A4 ( obj == 0x024437B4 ) into queue sOnStaticExit

2008-01-14 07:45:16 +0000 FM Web Publishing - - wpc1 queueing privileged task wc::KillDeferredTasks with address 0x02443890 ( obj == 0x02443894 ) into queue sOnStaticExit

2008-01-14 07:45:17 +0000 FM Web Publishing - - wpc1 queueing privileged task wc::PoolingSchedulerImpl with address 0x024437A4 ( obj == 0x024437B4 ) into queue sOnStaticExit

2008-01-14 07:46:38 +0000 FM Web Publishing - - wpc1 Error: 403."

From what I have read, this means "Exceeding maximum record limit for trial version of Filemaker Pro". We don't have any trial versions of Filemaker or the server running.

The pe_internal_access_log shows:

"127.0.0.1:59716 - - 2008-01-14 07:52:59 +0000 "/fmi/conf/config.wpc" 401 0

127.0.0.1:59724 - fmsadmin 2008-01-14 07:52:59 +0000 "/fmi/conf/config.wpc" 200 2243."

I presume that is an error 200, record access denied.

The stderr file shows:

"sh: line 1: /Library/FileMaker Server/Database Server/bin/fmserver_helperd: No such file or directory."

Is this relevant?

I have been through this with Tech Support and my problem has been "escalated", but any help someone here may be able to give would be most gratefully received!

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Do you have a case number?

[PBainbridge]

No, fortunately not yet, as it turns out to have been a firewall issue after all.

I have yet to pinpoint exactly which port is the problem, but bypassing the firewall completely has revealed that both IWP and CWP are working fine. I will post an update once I know the details.

Well a couple of hours later I am none the wiser. As explained above I have added the new ports (16000, 16001) detailed in the FM Tech Info document to the firewall policy which worked for FMSA8 but things remain stubbornly unavailable. If NetForest happens to read this perhaps you could let me know exactly how you solved it.

Edited January 15, 2008 by Guest
Update

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Take a look at Tech Info 6427 for a pretty comprehensive listofportsfor Server 9.

Steven

[PBainbridge]

All the ports in that document are open. According to a detailed "snoop" at the firewall, the only traffic is on port 16000, in which the FMServer sends a packet to the webserver/WPE, which responds with a FIN. Is that the normal behaviour? Shouldn't there also be port 5003 traffic when the webserver makes a request to FMSA?

[Steven H. Blackwell]

houldn't there also be port 5003 traffic when the webserver makes a request to FMSA?

Ultimately, although it occurs when the Web Publishing Engine makes the request, not the Web Server.

Steven