BIM Server - status 'Stopped' and won't start

[andrewzarb]

After a successful and impressive trial of TW2 on a 64bit PC running Windows7 at home I have had to install the BIM Server on my Mac at work and for some reason it won't start. I have even uninstalled it and re-installed it to no avail.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what circumstances could stop the BIM server from starting?

I have tried all the default settings and also a few changed ones but nothing seems to work.

Mac OS X 10.5.8
iMac 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

[andrewzarb]

Before you ask; yes, I do talk to myself.

I was noticing that in the 'BIM Server Preferences' the default 'Messaging Service Port:' was showing as occupied. So I just let it find another port but this was not helping.

I've been looking through the archicadwiki.com information and noticed that the IP address of this computer was not set to static.

After changing the IP address to manual (static) I tried to start the server again and the status of the BIM Server would show as running for about five seconds and then stop.

I changed the IP address to "Using DHCP with manual address" and the BIM Server has been running just fine for a few minutes!

As an aside, the default 'Messaging Service Port:' no longer shows as 'occupied'

[andrewzarb]

even when the BIM Server says it's running ArchiCAD (on the same computer) can't find any servers running.

[Erika Epstein]

Hi Andrew,
Mind if I join the conversation or is 3 a crowd

You only need to install the BIM Server (BS)on one of your machines, unless you specifically want a (BIM) server on each of your computers. The BS is where you will store all your TW2 projects.

Note 1:The BIM Server INCLUDES the BIM Server Manager.
The BS Manager is installed on machines that want to access any BIM Server, yours or anyone else's, but will not be acting as a server.

For example, I have a desktop PC on which I have installed the BS. My laptop, a mac, has only the BS Manager.

You will have to set up a static IP if you don't already have one. As graphisoft suggested, go to dyndns.com where you can set one up for free.
See the wiki articles

here and here.
Note you will also have to set up port forwarding. I found this site very helpful.

If you are connecting over the internet, check out the second link and Karl's wiki contribution about amending the hosts. It sounded scary, but I managed it.
Some people are finding it a challenge to set up and are calling in their IT people as Graphisoft recommends, others are rising to the challenge.

HTH.
Maybe one of the Andrews in this conversation will surprise you with his IT skills

[andrewzarb]

Thank you Erika, you're a champ.

Erika wrote:
You only need to install the BIM Server (BS)on one of your machines...

Yes, thanks,got that...

Erika wrote:
The BIM Server INCLUDES the BIM Server Manager.

Again, check.

Erika wrote:
You will have to set up a static IP if you don't already have one. As graphisoft suggested, go to dyndns.com ...

Oh one of those static IPs

Erika wrote:
Note you will also have to set up port forwarding.

It's not that I can't, I just wonder why it has to be so convoluted. I'm sure there's a very good reason. Meanwhile programs like Skype and bit torrent clients can link to multiple computers and share data both ways with no requirement for the end user to bend over backwards.

Erika wrote:
Maybe one of the Andrews in this conversation will surprise you with his IT skills

I hope so, one of them is the IT guy!

I still don't understand why or how my test worked so well on my home computer and yet on the Mac at work... nothing. Both computers are similarly set up with dynamic IP, no port forwarding and I was running the BIM Server on the same machine as the ArchiCAD client.

Well on Monday I'll set it up and hopefully the BIM Server will run and the client will see it.

Again, thank you.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Erika wrote:
You will have to set up a static IP if you don't already have one. As graphisoft suggested, go to dyndns.com where you can set one up for free.
See the wiki articles

here and here.

Hi Erika and Andrew,

Just to clarify... and sometimes clarifications just add to the confusion (!) ...

The issue of getting a static Public IP address OR getting a hostname for your dynamic Public IP address only matters if a firm intends to provide access to their server over the internet.

But, getting a hostname from a firm such as dyndns.com is NOT getting a static Public IP address. What that does is get a textual host name that will be associated with a dynamic IP address via a public DNS (domain name server) so that someone on the internet can find your computer, regardless of what IP address it has been assigned by your ISP.

If someone actually has (for a fee) a static Public IP address, they do NOT need to get a domain name such as this. The computer can be accessed simply with that numeric IP address. (They can still get a name if they don't want to have to remember the numbers.)

----

Anyway, was not clear from Andrew's posts if he was trying internet access - sounded more like he installed the BS at home and it worked but when he installed it on his Mac at the office, it refused to stay running.

Andrew, the static local IP address in the office was the right thing to do, but that would not keep the BS from running, only create problems in accessing it.

I have not seen an issue with a BS running and then shutting down by itself. On the problematic Mac, take a look at the log file here:

HD > Applications > Graphisoft > BIM Server > TeamworkServer > Logs

and see if there are any entries in the CrashLogs folder. If so, they may tell what happened.

If not, look at ServerMonitor > ServerMonitor.log to see if any messages give you a hint.

HTH,
Karl

[Odd Goderstad]

" wrote:
I have not seen an issue with a BS running and then shutting down by itself.

Well, I have seen a couple now, and it always have something to do with a port beeng occupied. And Changing ports does not help, I think that there is some dependency problems with the port settings. It would be nice to know if there is some problems with changing ports if one is occupied.

[Anonymous]

We have made the experience that it will not work to change the default ports. This will result in the BIM server not running as well.

The thing we did to solve this was to use a software to check what software is using what port and then try to redirect this software to use another port. this is not an ideal situation so we are hoping that GS i fixing this so BIM server can use any port availble and still being stable.

[Laszlo Nagy]

You may want to check out the Teamwork information page on ArchiCADWiki.
Hopefully it has the answer to your problem:

http://www.archicadwiki.com/Teamwork

[Odd Goderstad]

No, no answers in there, and I checked for recent changes...