topic Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why? in Teamwork & BIMcloud

"STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

rob2218 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:01:36 GMT

we get this "STOPPED WORKING" message on the BIM server. it all of a sudden decides on it's own, without provecation, to simply "STOP" working.

What causes? How can we fix this? How can we prevent it from happening again?

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

Karl Ottenstein — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:29:02 GMT

Do you have the newest hotfix for 14 installed? This is one of the bugs listed on the release notes that was supposed to have been fixed I think?

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

rob2218 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:38:43 GMT

YES!!!
I definately did install the latest hotfix that came out like 12-16 I believe.
I saw the hotfix notes releases as well and supposedly yes, it WAS supposed to have been resolved but I tell ya...it's been up and down "SINCE" I installed the hotfix.

One thing a GS guru told me was that my "BIM Server" manager location on the network and where my Teamwork files are located should be on the same place.

We have MacMini server.
we are using it apparently as a 'partitioned' drive. we have only 1 hard drive on the server but it appears that the server has "Server HD" portion as well as "CompanyProjectDATA" portion....and GS believes this is what may be causing all the 'hickups' with our up and down BIM server stability.

I sure hope it's an easy fix cause there's no way I can run the risk of moving the TW database files from one location to another....I'm afraid of hotlinks being lost in transition, libraries not loading up..etc.. all things associated with the 'movement' of files once they have been rooted into the folders.

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

Karl Ottenstein — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:12:30 GMT

To clarify more: is the BIM Server actually installed on the Mac Mini (server)? So that the path to the project data is a local path, and not a network path?

The number of partitions/disks should not make any difference unless there is a permissions issue on your "CompanyProjectData" partition.

Does going offline/ "stopped working" correspond with any particular actions - any machine restarts, router restarts, send/receive actions, teamwork messaging actions?

Cheers,
Karl

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

rob2218 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 18:39:23 GMT

thanks Karl,
well...Yes, the BIm server "IS" actually installed on the MacMini.
but...that's where the glitch appears to be according to GS.
Our server has been partitioned into two drives.
One drive says "Server HD" where all the apps are.
The other drive says "CompanyProjectDATA" where all our project folders and databases are.

What a fellow at GS was telling me was that both the BIM server AND the data of projects needs to be on the same drive...no partitioning, no making the program believe there are two separate...it must all be in the same place due to software hickups that could occur if the data is in one place and the BIM server is in another part of the server.

That's what I can gather from talking to the GS guru's.

Another thing we noticed was that when we tried to access remotely (on the laptop) a TW file.....the I-7 laptop was trying to "mount" (don't know what this is in Macspeak) but was trying to mount a volume where our project data was located. Again...I have not a clue what this means..."mounting" on a Mac.

Also, our Mac tech dude was trying to explain to me that if we could have all and any associated files (whether they be libraries, other files the TW file reads, etc..) can it be on the same location? I told him that I was not sure if we could move all that information at this juncture in the game.

Links have been made, hotlinks from other TW files have been established, location of other TW files have been setup and so on.....

So...I'm at this point in our project where i'm trying to establish why our BIM server software wants to "STOP" server activity on it's own.

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

Karl Ottenstein — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:03:54 GMT

rob2218 wrote:
What a fellow at GS was telling me was that both the BIM server AND the data of projects needs to be on the same drive...no partitioning, no making the program believe there are two separate...it must all be in the same place due to software hickups that could occur if the data is in one place and the BIM server is in another part of the server.

That doesn't make any sense at all. Maybe you can talk with someone else at GS tech support? (Some of them are on vacation this week though.)

My other question though: does the server "stop working" at random times, or in response to any particular activity? When you restart the server is everything OK?

Has your Mac tech dude reviewed your Console logs for any clues?

Hope that someone else has a clue to help you.

Cheers,
Karl

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

rob2218 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:08:50 GMT

well...GS has some insight into this "STOP SERVER" issue we have been facing.
Seems that we had started using I-Chat (Apple) over the last few days when one of our team members needed to do remote work from another state.

It appears that I-chat wants to prioritize using the BIM servers "messaging" port 14004.

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:21:18 GMT

Why not just change the port used by the bim server? Move it up a port.

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

rob2218 — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:23:34 GMT

thanks Michael,
is that even possible? to force the BIM Server to use another port other than the defaulted one?

Wont that throw the entire 'universe' out of balance? (sorry, being facetious here).

But seriously....can I do that?
And what port would I force the BIM server messaging to use?
How do I know what ports I have available to use without interruptions?

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 20:55:13 GMT

In the section with the wrench and screwdriver, click on the preference button. You can change the messaging port there. I don't see 14004 officially or unofficially being used for anything

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_TCP_and_UDP_port_numbers
Try moving it up a port to 14005, or even 141414.

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

rob2218 — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:57:40 GMT

Ok, so based on Graphisoft guru advice, I've renumbered (moved) the "messaging port" number from 14004 to 61616.

GS told me that 61616 was the messaging port used by AC13 and that is 'should' be ok.

i've done it.
let's see if it sticks and doesn't cause server start/stop issues.

I can just about tell you that it's almost 99% sure that IChat is causing the port interruption conflict.

We use IChat here in the Mac based office to communicate across the country with another user and, well, it HAS to work.
We can't NOT use IChat as our communicating software.....so somehow, someway we need to make the BIM manager settings play nice with the IChat messaging port settings.....

LET'S HOPE THIS WORKS.... (keeping fingers crossed).

Re: "STOPPED WORKING" - Bim server message?? why?

rob2218 — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 22:11:12 GMT

well...after much trial and tribulation today...I believe we finally had licked this TW remote access issue.

What we had to do was gain access to our modem/router (one and the same device) and change the port forwarding numbers, that 14004 to 61616 so the router could move the information along.

it appears it has been SOLVED!!!

wholly cow....I feel like I've passed a quantum physics exam....geeez.