Info View problems

[OldSkoolSkater]

Hello Again

I have several users accessing the info desktop through Citrix Metaframe. When some users try to view successful instances using the info Viewer, it launches the viewer but then hangs when trying to load the report. The other users can view the report without any problems. Priveliges are set the same, as the users are members of the same group.
Answers on a postcard to..........
Please?

 

[dcm]

SnowDude: In order to help please confirm the version of Info you are using and which of the viewers your users are experiencing problems with - I suspect it is the Active X as this was known to have had problems - now resolved with patches David C. Monks
david.monks@chase-international.com

http://www.chase-international.com

Accredited Crystal Decisions Enterprise Partner

 

[OldSkoolSkater]

David: We are running version 7.5 through Citrix Metaframe based on Terminal server. This is accessed by users on a mixture of thin clients and PCs (performance is equal on both).The problem seems to occur with the Info Viewer. Reports viewed through Seagate Analysis seem fine.

 

[dcm]

SnowDude: How have you set the following Admin. settings:

User/Group right to Bypass Page on Demand ?

Default Viewer type in Web tab of Info Config Mgr ?

These might shed some light David C. Monks
david.monks@chase-international.com

http://www.chase-international.com

Accredited Crystal Decisions Enterprise Partner

 

[OldSkoolSkater]

David: Group rights are set to bypass page on demand, and web capability is not installed on the APS so there is no web tab available.
Any further ideas?

 

[icytrue]

SnowDude,
Does the info analyzer works okay for the citrix users? I can understand that you would not want to use it, but I'd be interested to know.


Icytrue

icytrue@hotmail.com

 

[dcm]

SnowDude: Turn off the Bypass P-O-D to ensure that users cannot inadvertently 'play' with this setting and end up firing off the Info Analyzer.

Another cause for varying response between clients is the state of the individual PC's cache and temp folders - make sure users get into the habit of clearing the temp files generated by viewing prior reports - you'll find these create *.dbf, *.dbt, *.mdx files and lots of them - especially if you are using CIV files David C. Monks
david.monks@chase-international.com

http://www.chase-international.com

Accredited Crystal Decisions Enterprise Partner

 

[OldSkoolSkater]

dcm: Bypass is turned off for the users. The reports that users create are stored on the infoserver and not their local machines. Should I be sweeping the Infoserver for temp files then?
CIV files - What they?

Icytrue: By Info Analyser do you mean Seagate Analysis?
If so, then it works fine over Citrix

 

[dcm]

SnowDude: I understand that you've got your reports stored on the IS and not local PC's but everytime a user asks for a report to be viewed there is a 'double-caching' issue involved:

1. The IS caches the output file to ensure that if any additional request form another user for the same file is received within the Smart Processing timelimit set for the object. Having cached it the IS then transmits page 1 to the requesting user. In the process of building the output the IS will create a large number of temporary files especially if the report has been built using an Info View (*.civ) file.

2. When the client PC starts to receive the incoming stream of data required to populate the viewer, this is cached locally on the PC first - so that the user can easily move back to page 1 and get a quick display. Each additional page requested is also cached in the same way - this is why there is a time delay when going to a page you've not hit before i.e. if on page 2 go to page 3 but much quicker to see one you've already visited i.e. go back to page 1

As both the IS and the client PC's have a tendency to 'clog up' with all these temporary files it is a good idea to frequently clear the cache on all machines involved - try it yourself and you'll see what a difference it makes to response times ;-))

I think icytrue was referring to the Info Analyzer (which will be used instead of the Info Viewer if you Bypass Page On Demand through the Options on the Info Desktop). This alternative method of viewing the report does require however that the entire report gets transmitted to the client so would reduce performance rather than enhance it.

HTH David C. Monks
david.monks@chase-international.com

http://www.chase-international.com

Accredited Crystal Decisions Enterprise Partner

 

[icytrue]

From the original post Snowdude indicated that the Info Viewer was not working at all through Citrix (just hanging), so I was wondering if the Info Analyzer worked through Citrix as it may give a pointer to where the problem is. The Info Analyzer would always be slower (when the Info Viewer is working properly), but especially so if the reports are big (more than a few pages).
If the reports are smallish, using the Info Analyzer may be a workaround until your Info Viewer problem is fixed. This could be restricted only to the citrix users (have a citrix user group just to administer the BPOD right).
hth Icytrue

icytrue@hotmail.com