FMP Advanced Server Start-up Troubleshooting

[daehl]

[color:black]I installed the demo of FMP AS 9.0v3 on a Mac just over a week ago. I've been testing database for use internally via IWP on our company's intranet. I have an order in for a full license, but it hasn't made it through purchasing channels yet. The demo install has been working fine up until last friday. I was editing some of the tables and viewing the changes via Safari. So both fmnet and IWP were working. But when I tried to connect to the server using the Admin console, and got no response. After a few more attempts, I figured the simplest thing to try first would be to close the databases and reboot the Mac. When the Mac rebooted, it appears that FMPAS isn't loading. It's not sharing any of the databases at all, and I still can't connect to the Admin Console. I've checked the online Knowledgebase, and the Help documentation, but am not coming across any troubleshooting instructions that fits this situation.

When I try to launch the Admin Consode on the Mac running FMPAS, I get a Java Web Start -Download Error (under the general tab):

[color:blue]Title: FMS9-SXFMP (name of my server)

Vendor: FileMaker, Inc.

Category: Download Error

Unable to load resource: http://localhost:16000/admin_console_webstart_jnlp

[color:black]Other tabs list a lot of Java errors. Such as...

JNLPException[category: Download Error : Exception: java.net.connectionException : connection refused : LaunchDesc : null ]

at com.sun.javaws.cache.DownloadProtocol.doDownload(DownloadProtocol.java:675)

etc...

[color:black]I really have no idea how to approach this, as I don't know much about java and am very new to using Advanced Server. I'm trying to look for similar troubleshooting advice on FileMaker's documentation and this forum, but am not finding anything relevant.

Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Edited May 5, 2008 by Guest

[daehl]

Update- It's working again now, but I really don't know why. In the end, I'm wondering whether rebooting it a few more times solved the problem... though that's not very comforting.

I had just called Apple's pre-purchase support line and spoke to a tech who gave some advice that seemed helpful (though it didn't end up solving the problem). His suggestion was to install a recent (9.0.3.326) update as that's supposed to fix a problem with a recent Apple Java Update that prevents the Admin Console from loading. So I downloaded it, and was preparing to install it. But while reading the instructions, I noticed the update is only for Leopard (10.5) users (whereas I'm running 10.4.11).

In preparation for installing the update, I ran Disk Utility and performed a Repair Disk Permissions on the startup partition. It didn't report any problems, and I rebooted. This time, I checked the Activity Monitor, and I found the FileMaker Server processes were running:

[color:blue]fmserver_helperd (user=fmserver)

mdimport (user=fmserver)

fmserverd (user=fmserver)

java (user=fmserver)

java (user=fmserver)

FM Web Publishin (user=fmserver)

fmservicewrapper (user=fmserver)

And I tried the Admin Console, and it works, and my databases are loaded. So I really have not idea what happened. I didn't install the update (my version says it's 9.0.3.325).

I had been looking for a list (in FileMaker's Knowledge base or Help docs) of all the processes that should be running on a healthy FMP Server. It seems odd to me that java is listed twice there, but I'm not going to worry about it since everything is working again.

But I don't know why because I had rebooted a few times before to no avail. Apparently the fourth time's the charm?

[lance123]

Hi daehl,

I have had problems with my server 9 processes starting up on all osx 10.4 installs. Not only the console, but also the server processes. I have also found that after numerous restarts they seem to come on line. It also helps crossing finger and praying to anyone you see fit : If anyone has further insight I would look forward to advice too.

Thanks,

lance