Sync Server - I don't get it

[Jan]

The sync server is used to manage some shared resources (desktop postcode lookup for example) and to manage data locking over the various machines using it, this stops the two people changing the same piece of information at the same time.

As I understand it the server was introduced to improve multi-user performance, using the old method it was possible for performance to degrade as more users logged in, this shouldn't happen with the sync server.

One key thing is that there should only be one sync server running on an installation, if there are more than one then data will not be synchronised.

Regards,

[Martin]

My installation is now working fine, although I have come across another disadvantage of this release, is that I cannot import Sage Line 50 data while other users are logged in.

This is very annoying if I am trying to do updates but order-processors are dealing with customers. Even when they aren't I have to go round asking if they can log out, hardly multi-user!

Chris is right about the sync server asking to move to the local machine when the main PC isn't on, but only if the Actinic user trying to log on is an admin user. An order processor will not get the question and hence cannot work, which was my problem.


Martin

[mash]

Hi Martin,

Could you explain your final setup for MU, how many users, where things are loaded on etc..

Thanks for your time.

Kind regards Mash

[Martin]

Hi Mash,

We had the v8 sites folder only on a server (i.e. no Actinic software installed).

Four workstations accessed this server fine; one of these being mine were most of the admin stuff is done.

I upgraded to v9 on this workstation, and provided the primary key to license the new software. Even though I have 4 keys Actinic only provided 1. I had to wait for the extra three, these are not primary keys, I forget how Actinic refer to them.

The 2nd workstation (workstations 2,3,4 are just primarily concerned with order processing) proved difficult to upgrade. It would not run at all, support spent a whole day looking at this with no luck. I was ready to replace the PC and found the same problem occurred on a brand new PC installing Actinic v9 onto for the first time. Therefore the 2nd workstation was not the problem, it was the fault of the license key, it seems to prevent some setup / installation process from completing when running Actinic for the first time. The way to sort this is to choose to run Actinic as an evaluation copy first, then when its up and running upgrade using you license key. (If installing and entering the primary key this fault does not occur).

The order processors could not log into Actinic until I turned on my PC, (some days I get into the office quite late). So I installed Actinic onto my server with the primary key, with all other PCs turned off.

Once that was up and running I turned on the 2nd workstation (making sure Actinic was not running on the server) and logged into Actinic with an admin account which would allow it to switch from using the sync server on the 1st workstation to the server.

I then turned on the 1st workstation (Actinic not running on any other PC, especially the server) but did not start Actinic. I turned off and disabled the sync server service in Control/Admin Tools. Then started Actinic, logging in with an admin account which then complained about the sync server not running but said it was now on a different IP as stated in the database and asking “do you want me to use this?”. Say yes and that was it.

I then installed the later 2 workstations without issue.

Hope the helps.

Martin

[mash]

I thought I would update you on this, tried your plan, got stuck on the first part, loading the software on the server, installation failed couple of times but we have now got it open.

However, once you ask it to share the site, it hangs again (after you have chosen where you want the site to be located), finally stops responding!

Still have not got this sorted yet, just like wading through treacle! Spoke to Support on another problem they sent me a 'Sync Server Problems Diagnosis' document which is useful and we will work through it to hopefully it get it all working.

I will keep you posted, thanks for your help, M

[Martin]

Sounds odd, is you server in good nick? (free space, no firewalls getting in the way etc)?

I now happy with v9. The Sage import is more restrictive but it hasn't crashed yet!

v8 used to crash regularly when changing sites.

[brucet]

It's probably worth explaining why the sync server was introduced, and the benefit of having it; because it does add an additional level of complexity to the installation, and I can understand why it seems unwelcome when you first have to set it up!

The fundamental issue is that Access (which most Actinic products use) is not designed as a multi-user database, and does not provide proper record locking to prevent two users editing the same record at the same time; so this has to be handled by the application.

Before the sync server, every Actinic client in a multi-user setup had to be in communication with every other client to facilitate record locking and maintain the integrity of the database. This meant that the number of connections grew exponentially the more users were added to the system, and performance rapidly degraded to an unacceptably low level.

The sync server was introduced to enable database tasks to be handled centrally, so that each client PC only needs to maintain one connection instead of several.

This is more efficient, and fine up to a certain point depending on your hardware and the amount of data you hold. But as you add more users, more products and more orders to the system, you will eventually reach a point were you really need the SQL version of Actinic Enterprise, which uses a different and more scaleable database and can support much larger operations.

We are looking at possible ways to simplify the sync server installation in a future version of the product.

[mash]

Thanks for your recent posts, we have made progress, our server guy came in yesterday armed with document 'Sync Server Problems Diagnosis' plus coffee, and set to work.

He struggled, went for a fresh install and got it working and even imported a new snapshot which is excellent.

So working through Martin's suggestions above it was onto the workstations today, hoping there was light at the end of the tunnel.

The original main PC had the sync server disabled, so the only sync server running should be on the office server.

Go to a workstation, I thought it would be the case of pointing the program to the new location for the site1 folder and home and dry, but alas we are getting

Actinic was unable to connect to Sync Server. Check network connections.

not even, unable to find, retry or use local.

Any suggestions thanks M

[mash]

Progress which is excellent, both additional users are working fine now (by doning a fresh install), looking at the site1 folder on the server, able to place orders etc..

So the only problem is now the main licence PC, the sync server has been disabled, none of the others are running and it won't open, it hangs on this screen.

Feel so close by still too far. Any suggestions? Thanks M