Avantis.PRO Middle Tier and Flex LM - Explained & Troubleshooting

2. Avantis.PRO Middle Tier and Flex LM - Explained & Troubleshooting Peter Barbier Director of Customer Support Avantis Products

3. Agenda • Avantis Middle Tier • A look at the COM+ applications for Cabinet, Cache and Session Server. • Troubleshooting Middle Tier Availability interruptions • Distributed Processing options • FlexLM Options • Failover licensing • Reserving licenses for users • Timeouts & Internal options

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6. Avantis Middle Tier • What is the Avantis Middle Tier? • A set of software components based on Microsoft COM+ technology • Introduced in Avantis 2.3 in 1997 • What is it used for? • Consolidate shared functionality between Avantis clients • Approached based pragmatic needs • Simplify application architecture, improve robustness or performance, reduce client resource requirements • Cache frequently used system meta-data • Meta-data is defined as data that “describes” data • I.e.. A database data dictionary is meta-data

7. COM+ Objects COM, .NET DCOM ODBC C++ Logical Topography UI Objects Business Objects Database Objects User Interface (Windows)

8. Avantis Middle Tier Avantis Asset Management Session Server • Session Server component • Manages session activity information on behalf of clients • i.e.: User session info, object locking, security profiles • Avantis Asset Management Cabinet • Cabinet Query Generator • Used by the Cabinet Viewer (both classic and Smart Client), Object Selectors and Web Cabinet • Generates SQL queries based on meta-data defined by Avantis or end-user generated using the Cabinet Designer. • i.e.: Display columns, prompt information, query meta-data

9. Avantis Middle Tier Avantis Asset Management Cache • Data Model Cache • Provides data dictionary information related to Avantis objects • i.e.: Database schema, Add-on meta-data, and Business object properties and hierarchies • Message Cache • Caches application user messages • Kernel Cache • Caches kernel data (e.g. units of measure, currencies/rates, languages) and application translatable strings • Site Cache • Caches per-user and system wide multi-site data

10. Diagnostic Tools • Microsoft Component Services • Allows you to configure and stop/start COM+ components

11. Diagnostic Tools • AppMetrics for Transactions • Provides monitoring, performance and diagnostics related to COM+ applications • Xtremesoft, http://www.xtremesoft.com

12. Support Notes • Crash Dump on Application Fault • Enables Avantis Development to do post mortem analysis on application failures • Built-in Windows 2003 & 2008 Component Services • Installable utility for Windows 2000 available • Search Microsoft Knowledge base Q241215

13. Support Notes • Historically Oracle ODBC drivers have been a source of issues with the Middle Tier • Consult Support prior to updating Oracle drivers if you’re experiencing problems • Generally, if there’s a performance issue with the Middle Tier it points to a network problem • i.e.. Network topography, firewall, DNS problem or pending router failure • “Recycling” the Middle Tier is generally not recommended unless you are experiencing a problem • COM+ Components automatically shutdown after 3 minutes of inactivity, i.e.: No connected clients • Components will restart automatically in the event of crash • Components can not be restarted without causing client application failures • Some customers have set the components not to shut down after 3 minutes as they were experiencing issues with the time taken for the components to “spin” back up

14. Support Notes Continued • Cabinet errors • Look at the application event log on the middle tier. • If the cabinet designer is working but the Cabinet viewer isn’t, the cabinet DCOM component on the middle tier is most likely down • DCOM and Windows 2003 & 2008 • As of Windows 2003, SP1, Microsoft added a new Security group on their servers. Distributed COM Users. • All Avantis users, or a group they belong to, have to be a member of this security group to access the middle tier components. • Allow Remote Access must be enabled on the server to allow non local clients to access the components • If the client on the middle tier server functions but others don’t, check this setting • DCOM has to be active on the local work station (type dcomcnfg in the start/run window to pop it up (MY Computer-Properties-Default Properties) or check the registry HKLM-Software-Microsoft-COM3-Com+Enabled

15. Multiple Middle Tiers • Avantis 4.0 added support for configuration of multiple middle tiers • Avantis 5.0 Added retry logic for nearly all middle tier calls • You can easily add a new middle tier to Avantis environment, as needed • Can distribute middle tier components across middle tiers in various configurations • Load balancing • Localize data closer to client office • Administration done via the Avantis Admin Tool • Manage client access to middle tiers • Environment set-up and maintenance

16. Multiple Middle Tiers Recommendations • Generally the Middle Tier is not a performance bottleneck • 80-100+ clients on one Middle Tier is not unheard of • If Middle Tier or File Server failure is a concern then consider Clustering technologies • Cabinet component could be a candidate for moving to a separate Middle Tier • It is a heavy user of Cache components • Make sure you configure the Cabinet in the Admin Tool to use local Middle Tier components • Things to consider with Multiple Middle Tier • If you have Multiple Middle Tiers, each one must be added as a client of themselves in the Admin Tool • If you change cached information (UOM, Currency, Data model via Add-on) all the middle tiers that the client wasn’t connected to must be restarted

17. Agenda • Avantis Middle Tier • A look at the COM+ applications for Cabinet, Cache and Session Server. • Troubleshooting Middle Tier Availability interruptions • Distributed Processing options • FlexLM Options • Failover licensing • Reserving licenses for users • Timeouts & Internal options

18. FlexLM • Avantis License Manager • The Avantis FlexLM license service • The service will detect “back-dating” and other common ploys to circumvent licensing • Clients are configured to use the server with the Avantis Admin Tool • Server name is stored in environ.ini file [LicenseServer] Server=q013 • It is possible to setup fall over license servers using the Admin Tool (Caution) • Comma separated list of servers • Automatic fall over behavior built-in FlexLM [LicenseServer] Server=q013,5012@d012,5011@d011

19. FlexLM – Options File • FlexLM allows the license administrator to “fine tune” licensing parameters using a Options file • Specifically you can • Allow the use of features • Disallow features • Reserve Licenses • Restrict availability of licenses • Control the amount of information logged • Enable log file reporting • See Chapter 5, The Options File, in FlexLM’s “End User’s Guide” for specific details

20. FlexLM – Options File • RESERVE keyword • Used to ensure a User or Group of users always have a license available • Assigns licenses into their own dedicated pool • Decrements the total amount of licenses available

21. FlexLM – Options File • TIMEOUT keyword • Used to control the time to recycle licenses after a client fails to send a heart beat to license server. • The purpose is to enable the client to reconnect and continue working • The value can not reduce the server’s built-in time out value • Conditions where heat beat will not happen • Communications channel closed unexpectedly (i.e. Client crashed, reboot or network error) • Known as the TCP time out • Client failed to send a heart beat (i.e. Client busy or “hung”), • Known as the Heat Beat time out

22. FlexLM – Options File • Avantis License Manager server settings • TCP Timeout = 5 minutes • Built-in server setting • Not configurable • Heart beat Timeout = 15 minutes • Built-in server setting • Not configurable • TIMEOUT value can be any time interval greater than 15 minutes

23. Questions??