FMS hosted files don't open on first try?

[Justin Close]

I have noticed for quite a while now (a few years) that often when I try to reopen a hosted file that FMPA will spin for 20-30 seconds and respond with "file not available on this server..." error.  But upon retrying it a 2nd time, it always comes right up.  Anyone else run into this?

This has happened on FMS12, 13 and 14 for me.  This has been across multiple servers (same client location), different machines/clients, and different files.  It has been just a minor annoyance so I haven't tracked it real well:  I can't attest to whether it happens every single time I open the file; or perhaps it is only after leaving the office (after properly shutting a file down), and then coming back to the office the next day; or ?? 

Anyone else had something similar happen?

--  Justin

[Josh Ormond]

I've not run into that at all.

Have you looked at the FM Server logs?

[Justin Close]

Good suggestion...something I'm not sure I had done before.   Duh!

I had run into this issue this morning (thus prompting my posting), so I went back and looked at the logs.  The only open attempt shown in the server logs for this database is the one successful one. 

 

[Josh Ormond]

That tells me something is blocking your attempt to contact the server. Do you have a firewall on your client machine? Or on the server? Anti-virus?

Also, watch your network connection. It may just be that your connection to the network hasn't completed yet.

[Justin Close]

Don't have a firewall on my machine.  Firewall on the server seems like it would be a permanent block, not an intermittent one.  (Yes, there's a firewall on the server.)

As for my network connection, it should be up and running.  I was using the network for email and web browsing before connecting to the hosted file this morning.  It's not just that I try to connect immediately after opening/waking the laptop, it can happen at any time - it's just the first time I connect to a server. 

Sorry, a bit vague on the details of course.  But now that I have started writing about it, I imagine I will pay more attention. 

[Josh Ormond]

Gotcha. I'm sure in the details you'll find the problem.

Curious, what are the details of the server? OS? CPU specs? RAM? Wondering if the server has a limited number of connections to it.

[Justin Close]

The one server it happened on this morning has a limit of 50; there are a total of 2 clients connected currently, and I am one of those.     (This server has very light traffic at the moment.)

Other specs:

FMS 13.09

Win Server 2012 R2 Standard

AMD Opteron 6220 (2x)

8GB RAM

 

[Fitch]

I don't think I've seen this issue. How are you attempting to connect? Selecting Open Remote from the File menu? Open Recent? Using a launcher file?

[Justin Close]

Typically it's from the 'Open Recent' list, but I believe I am correct in recalling that I have run into it even if going through the full 'Open Remote' dialogs.  I could be inventing memories.

I haven't used a launcher file in a number of years, so not sure if that might also be affected.

[Fitch]

If you go to Open Remote, are you clicking on a favorite server? Is the server set up with IP number or is it DNS name? When you click on it, do you see the file list?

[Justin Close]

Hmm...will have to give those a try.  The issues doesn't crop up very often, usually just the 'first thing in the morning', so to speak.

[DaMayan]

Ah just to chime in: I've seen this happen too.

I often have multiple different VPNs connected at different times during the day. And also connections to multiple FM servers. It usually happens after connecting to 1 or 2 servers via VPN and then trying to connect to a different server via the recent dropdown. It seems FileMaker becomes a little confused and tries a wrong connection. It's kinda like it's trying to "shortcut" open via something equivalent to "file:filename.fmp12" on the current server instead of the full fmnet: ip. However a second try will work instantly.

It doesn't happen often and it's barely a nuisance so i haven't even reported it to FIleMaker, but maybe we should? (also i'd guess it's probably an FMP(A) issue instead of FMS)  

Edited August 12, 2015 by DaMayan

[Wim Decorte]

Hmm...will have to give those a try.  The issues doesn't crop up very often, usually just the 'first thing in the morning', so to speak.

Are you using External Authentication?

[Justin Close]

Using EA:  Recently, no, everything has been local security accounts.  In some past experience though, yes.  I saw the issue with either method.

And as Damayan was noting, it seems to happen when you switch networks.  For me it is when waking my laptop up from hibernate, either first thing in the morning or after heading home in the evening.  It gets confused by something in the network switch.

[Justin Close]

A bit more digging and information:  I have found that the same problem occurs if I use the 'open remote' dialog.  On that screen, whatever server is highlighted by default when the dialog opens, will report 'Connection failed' in the main area.  If you click to another server, that 2nd server reports OK.  Then if you click back to the first server, it will also report OK.

So this isn't limited to using the 'Open Recent' menu as I had first thought.