Troubleshoot Connections with HealthCheck
PypeServer Enterprise requires reliable network communications between each user and the distributed services it uses to store, share and license the data and application. Network communications involves several different layers of software on both the client and server which manage these communications, starting from the physical network wire all the way to the application itself. These layers together create a "stack" of software where each of layer communicates with another "lower-level" layer to handle it's communication with it's peer layer on the other end.
For any network application to work properly across a network, these layers must be able to communicate with their peers to accomplish their tasks. If any of the lower level layers has a communication issue then any layers above it in the stack will also be unable to communicate.
The Enterprise HealthCheck tool provides a set of tools that checks several layers in this stack of protocols and dependencies to determine if each level is configured and operating correctly for Enterprise use. This tool is available on every Enterprise v4.4 and later installed system, and as a standalone package available to customer IT teams.
The Microsoft Network Stack
Today most network architecture is described using the idealized OSI Network Model. The
OSI model is a conceptual framework that is used to describe how a network
functions. and helped standardize the way computer systems send
information to each other. PypeServer Enterprise uses Microsoft products throughout the network stack. The lower layers built into Windows include the TCP/IP stack for network communications. Additional layers which depend on the Windows network stack include the Windows Firewall, ODBC and DTC for SQL communications, and SMB for Windows file shares.
These diagrams show the standardized OSI model and how Enterprise depends on lower network layers. The lowest 4 layers in gold are lower level Windows network drivers and software. The blue layers are higher level "optional" service level drivers that Enterprises uses to communicate with various services, while the green layer represents he Enterprise application, SQL and Licensing services.
The HealthCheck tool provides a "bottoms-up" approach to representing this stack, with Networking representing the first layer to be checked, and then proceeding up the stack, checking each layer. If a lower layer fails a check then the errors in that layer must be resolved before one can reliably expect the higher/dependent layers to function correctly.
Troubleshooting
When investigating Enterprise connection issues, use the HealthCheck tool to first identify any failing stack layers, then resolve the issues for each layer before proceeding to the next one. Attempting to skip layers with errors that appear to be working anyway can result in one chasing issues at a higher layer that are the result of incorrect settings at a lower layer.
When starting the HealthCheck tool it will check whether the current user has local administrator rights to the system, which is required for some operations. The user has the option to either run the tool as an administrator or a standard user. If the user does not currently have administrator rights it will ask the user if it should restart itself in administrator mode.
The first tab in the tool is the Start tab with a big green button that will start all other checks. Each layer is checked in turn and any issues found will be reported at the bottom of the page. Any failing layers will set the corresponding tab color to yellow, while passing checks will set that tab color to green. The goal is to ensure that all tabs are colored green when the checks are completed.
Each tab provides requirements and diagnostic information for that layer, a Check button to test that layer's capabilities, and a Help button that links to additional information in the PypeServer Knowledge Base. Some tabs may also include a Repair button to reset settings to the PypeServer supported configuration, and links to Microsoft tools and articles that can assist in troubleshooting issues with that layer.
Networking
The network services used by Enterprise are accessed through network ports. These ports and services must be enabled and allowed through the Windows Firewall. The Networking tab provides a list of the required ports and applications that must be allowed through the Windows Firewall. It includes a Repair button that runs a PowerShell script to open the Firewall for to the required ports and applications. The Port Query button allows one to install and start the Microsoft Port Query tool to diagnose port issues both locally and remotely. Additional links are included to related Microsoft KB articles.
More Information: About Networking
Licensing
Enterprise licensing is managed by the CodeMeter server from WIBU. CodeMeter licenses may be stored in multiple locations, in an Enterprise Kiosk or other server, or a remote seat, and Enterprise will search for licenses on local and remote servers until one is found. The Licensing tab provides a Check button which runs Licensing tests that check whether the client has the CodeMeter Runtime installed and can retrieve a License from Licensing Server. The test then queries the Licensing Server to get a list of active and available licenses. A search button and dropdown allows one to search for CodeMeter servers on the network. The Configure button starts the CodeMeter WebAdmin tool to configure the local CodeMeter service, and another button starts the CodeMeter CMDust diagnostic tool to gather information required by the PypeServer and WIBU technical support teams.
More Information: About License Server
SQL Server
Each Enterprise user must have a reliable connection to the Microsoft SQL Server where it stores all shared part, pipe, and other fabrication data. The SQL Server tab provides a Check button to test basic SQL connectivity using preconfigured active SQL account information. This check will validate connectivity to both Enterprise databases. The Configure button will start the Enterprise SQL Connection Manager which allows one to configure this SQL connection information. the MS Data Link button will open a UDL dialog which allows one to test SQL connectivity using the lower layer ODBC driver/layer. This allows one to validate whether SQL connection issues may be network related or specific to Enterprise.
More Information: About SQL Server
DTC Check
The Microsoft Data Transaction Coordinator (DTC) provides multi-SQL session support and is a critical component for many SQL applications. This service must be running on both remote and kiosk seats, The DTC Check button will check access permissions, execute a synthetic nested DTC transaction, and report a pass/fail result. A Repair button will start a PowerShell script to configure the DTC access rights to a PypeServer supported configuration. A MS Test-Dtc button runs the PowerShell cmdlet Test-Dtc that provides additional diagnostics and information that may help identify network and active directory configuration issues.
More Information: About Data Transaction Coordinator
Shared Folders
Enterprise uses several network shared folders to share information with other users, communicate with machines using NC files, and provide software updates. These network shares usually reside on the Kiosk server and most require read/write permissions assigned for all Enterprise users. The Shared Folders tab has a Check button that reviews all share names registered in the PypeServer databases and confirms the current user has the correct access rights.
More Information: About Network Shares
SQL Latency
Enterprise supports multiple systems working together in a distributed environment connected to one or more Enterprise site servers where the best performance is achieved within a high bandwidth/low latency local area network. High latency and/or low bandwidth networks such as the satellite, internet, and VPN connections may be used, but careful consideration must be given to bandwidth and latency issues which can affect Enterprise performance. The Enterprise HealthCheck tool provides a SQL Latency check that will execute a synthetic nesting workflow and report on the times for each phase of the process with a pass/fail result.
Note that when this check fails, Enterprise is still functional but performance will be degraded.
More Information: About Network Latency
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