Microsoft® Windows® Platform Notes

This page describes issues that occur in various versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system. These issues may be DDMS software problems that only occur on the Windows platform, or they may be problems within the operating system itself, which we report because they affect our customers.

Windows XP SP3 Passes ECi DDMS Client Test

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 —A month ago, we advised you to delay loading Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Microsoft Windows XP on DDMS client workstations, pending testing by our quality assurance team. After extensive testing, our quality team reports that our test client workstations with Windows XP SP3 have no problems running DDMS software.

This does not affect your ECi DDMS server, which should be running Windows Server 2000 or 2003. However, it may affect your DDMS client workstations.

Microsoft released SP3 via Windows Update as an optional download on May 6, 2008. We have closely examined this service pack due to its security updates for the .NET framework, its network access protection enforcements, and other changes.

Beginning about Tuesday, June 10, Microsoft has plans to begin distributing the service pack  via Automatic Updates for those who have that option enabled.

For more information about Windows XP SP3, see the Microsoft Support site
(support.microsoft.com/?scid=ph;en-us;1173).

Windows 2003 SP2 May Require SNP-Compatible Hardware

A new Scalable Networking Path (SNP) technology is enabled by default in Microsoft’s Windows 2003 Service Pack 2. If your server’s network card does not support SNP, Remote Procedure Call (RPC) automation errors and related issues may occur on your Windows client machines when transmitting large amounts of data.

If you are loading SP2 on your Windows 2003 server, you have two options:

  • Hardware Option: Be sure your server has a network interface card (NIC) that supports SNP technology on your DDMS server. For a list of compatible hardware vendors, see Microsoft’s "Scalable Networking Partners" page (www.microsoft.com/technet/network/snp/partners.mspx).
  • Registry Option: If your server NIC is not SNP-compatible, or if you are not ready to upgrade your hardware, some Windows registry changes will be needed after installing Windows 2003 SP2. For assistance, contact your DDMS Technical Support Team (ddmssupport@ecisolutions.com). The registry changes can be implemented at any time, but will not take effect until your server is rebooted. Later, once you install an SNP-compatible NIC on your DDMS server, contact your support team to restore registry settings to take advantage of SNP.

For more information on SNP technology, see www.microsoft.com/snp.

Windows Vista Client Compatibility

DDMS Version 8.15.2 and higher is enhanced to ensure compatibility with the Microsoft Windows Vista® Business Edition¹ operating system for client workstations. If you are loading Version 8.15 or higher software for the first time² on a new client workstation running Vista, use the new installation wizard and select Install Client.

¹ Windows Vista is not a server-caliber operating system; it is meant only for client workstations. DDMS is not supported on Vista Home editions (neither Basic nor Premium).

² If you previously loaded DDMS software on a Vista workstation when it was not yet supported, please contact support for assistance in uninstalling DDMS from that client to avoid potential problems with the software update.

Meanwhile, we continue to advise dealers to review our current System Requirements when considering equipment purchases.

For workstations connected to a server running DDMS prior to 8.15, we suggest Windows 2000 SP 4 and XP Pro. Microsoft’s Life-Cycle Policy (updated last month) indicates that Windows XP Professional licenses will be kept available via retail through June 30, 2008, and from system builders through Jan. 31, 2009. We have verified that our own suppliers, including Hewlett-Packard and Dell, continue to sell workstations with Windows XP Pro, which meets our requirements.

As for servers running DDMS business systems, ECi continues to support Windows Server 2000, and Windows Server 2003, depending on the dealership’s business needs. Please note that Windows Vista is NOT considered a server-calibre operating system. Microsoft is still beta testing its next-generation server, codenamed Longhorn.

Win2003 SP2 Causing Client Errors

Several customers have reported errors after loading Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 2003 Service Pack 2 on their DDMS server. Users are experiencing RPC (Remote Procedure Call) Automation Errors on their client machines.

  1. If you have already loaded Windows 2003 SP2, and are experiencing these errors, please contact your ECi Technical Support Team in reference to QC# 52776. Under certain circumstances, dealers have eliminated the issue by rolling back to SP1. However, contacting our support staff will help ensure the safest course of action.
  2. If you have Windows 2003 SP1, do not load Service Pack 2.

DDMS development, quality assurance, and support teams are working on a resolution, and we will notify you via email when we have more information.

If you have additional questions about this issue, please reference QC# 52776 when contacting your ECi Technical Support team.

W2K SP3 Disk Performance (fixed in Version 6.1.79, 7.2 and higher)

In Service Pack 3, Microsoft corrected a write caching issue in Windows 2000. You need to load Service Pack 3 or later before installing version 6 of our eNsite products. However, in some cases Service Pack 3 may cause disk performance problems.

If you have not noticed any performance problems with Service Pack 3, we recommend leaving your system as it is.

If you have experienced disk performance issues after loading Service Pack 3, please see the following:

The second article, #811392, features a Microsoft utility that may resolve the issue. However, you need to install Service Pack 4 before using the utility. To learn more about Service Pack 4 and obtain a copy, use the following link:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp4/default.asp

Graphical Software and MDAC 2.7 (fixed in Version 6.1.79, 7.2 and higher)

DDMS graphical software works with a part of the Microsoft® Windows® operating system called Microsoft® Data Access Components (MDAC). Microsoft found a security issue with MDAC 2.6, and issued two solutions: a Microsoft® Security Hotfix patch for 2.6, and a new version, MDAC 2.7.

If you're concerned about the security issues in MDAC 2.6, you can install the patch for this version on your DDMS server, and still use your DDMS graphical software.

However, eNsite software will cease to function if you install MDAC 2.7 on your DDMS server. If you install MDAC 2.7, your graphical software will not be able to write database information. Unfortunately, MDAC 2.7 cannot be uninstalled; if you load it, you will have to format your hard drive and reinstall both Microsoft® Windows® and your DDMS system.

Only eNsite servers are affected by this issue, because the server performs all reads and writes to your databases. MDAC 2.7 does not affect eNsite client workstations. If a client workstation has MDAC 2.7 installed, or if the client runs Microsoft Windows XP®, which includes MDAC 2.7, you should have no trouble, and do not need to take any action.

We expect this to be a temporary issue: we plan to enhance a future version of the graphical software so that it works with MDAC 2.7.

Configuring Backups under Windows 2000

Dealers who use the Windows 2000 platform may have problems making backups consistently. The backup component within Microsoft Windows ® 2000 Server fails to recognize the tape you insert. Instead of backing up, it records an error in the log file.

To consistently make good backups under Windows 2000, you must first customize it. This requires three basic steps:

Installing a Batch File for your Tape Drive

If you use a proc file to automate your day-end procedures, you'll need to install a custom batch file, tailored to your tape drive model.

Batch Files
Tape Drive Models
Python 6408
Seagate DAT 4106
Seagate Stt8000A (Travan) and Stt20000A
Tandberg 4222

  1. Click the file for your model.

  2. Save the file in the D:/ddms/bin folder on your system. (If you have an older backup.cmd file, this file will replace it.

Changing the Backup Settings

After downloading the backup.cmd file for your tape drive, follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows Explorer, and navigate to the d:/ddms/bin folder.
    If the file ntbackup.exe is there, delete it.
  2. Right-click My Computer and select Manage.
  3. When the Computer Management window opens, click Removable Storage. Then click Physical Locations.
  4. Right-click your tape drive and choose Properties.
    Click the General tab.
    In the Inventory Method box, select Full, as shown below, and click OK.


  1. Configure the Windows 2000 Backup program:
    • Click Start, then click Programs.
    • Click Accessories, then click System Tools.
    • Click Backup.
    • When the Backup window opens, click Tools, then click Options.
    • When the Options window opens, click the General tab.
    • Check all the boxes except Verify Data After the Backup Completes. Leave this box clear, as shown.


    • Click OK.
    • Click the Backup Log tab.
    • In the Log Backup box, select either Detailed or Summary.
    • Click Apply and OK. Close the Backup window. This completes the process.

Formatting Each New Tape

You must format each tape before you use it for the first time. Follow these steps:

  1. Put the tape in the drive, and begin your backup. (For backup instructions, see page 28 of Setting Up a New DDMS System.)
  2. At the message This Tape Contains Unrecognized Media, Do You Wish to Format, click Yes.
  3. Test the newly formatted tape by backing up any file on your C: drive. (You can do this while TBL Server is running.) Testing ensures the tape is ready to hold backup files launched from a batch script or day-end proc.

Windows 2000 Causes Backup Problem

January 2001: Dealers who use the Windows 2000 platform may have problems making backups consistently. The backup component within Microsoft Windows ® 2000 Server fails to recognize the tape you insert. Instead of backing up, it records an error in the log file.

How Do You Know if This Problem Affects You?

You may not realize that your backups are failing, if you do not check the log file. To check your log, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and select Backup.
  2. From the Tools menu, select Report. The system will display your log, including a time and date for each attempted backup.

If the backup failed, you'll see an error message indicating that no unused media was available.

What Solutions Are Available?

This is a problem with the Windows operating system, not with your DDMS software. Microsoft acknowledges the problem, and offers three workarounds. (For details, go to Microsoft's support site, http://support.microsoft.com/directory/, click Searchable Knowledge Base, and then search for problem Q267574.) However, none of Microsoft's proposed solutions works consistently.

We have a workaround solution that has worked consistently: using the backup program from NT 4.0. This is not one of Microsoft's recommended solutions, however, and it may stop working the next time you load a Windows 2000 service pack or update. (However, the next service pack should address this issue, making a workaround no longer necessary.)

Obtaining the Files You Need for the NT Backup

Note: Only a qualified system administrator should attempt this solution; it requires some knowledge of the Windows operating system.

You need to download the following file to make the NT backup program available:

win2000bkup.zip You need to have WinZip installed on your machine to open this file. If you do not already have this program, you can download an evaluation copy at www.winzip.com

 

Open the win2000bkup.zip file with WinZip, and extract all three files, placing them in your \DDMS\bin folder. This folder is on the D: drive on most systems.

The first two files, ntbackup.exe and ntctl3d.dll, are the NT backup program. The backup.cmd file lets you run this backup program from a proc file.

These files do not replace your Windows 2000 backup program; you will have both the NT and 2000 backup programs.

Using the NT Backup with Proc Files

If you use a proc file for your backups, and your DDMS files are on your D: drive, this is all you need to do; the proc will automatically call the NT backup program you placed in your DDMS\bin folder.

If you use a proc file, but your DDMS files are on another drive (C: or E:, for example), you need to modify one file before your proc will work correctly. Follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows Explorer, and navigate to the DDMS\bin folder.
  2. Right-click the backup.cmd file.
  3. Select the Open with option.
  4. In the Open with dialog box, select Notepad.
  5. When backup.cmd opens in Notepad, look at the last line. It contains two references to D:. Replace each of these with the drive that contains your DDMS files. If they're on drive C:, for example, edit the line so it looks like this:

    c:\ddms\bin\ntbackup.exe backup c:\ddms /d "ddms backup" /b /t normal /l "ddmsbackup.log"

  6. From the File menu, select Save. Close Notepad.

Starting NT Backup Manually

If you do not use a proc file for your backups, follow these steps to start the backup program:

  1. Click the Start button, and select Run.
  2. Click the Browse button, and navigate to the DDMS\bin folder.
  3. Double-click the file ntbackup.exe.
  4. In the Run dialog box, click OK.

Backing Up Windows Configuration Files

One important reason to back up your system is to save system files, so you can restore your Windows configuration. The NT backup program cannot do this for you, because Windows 2000 includes system files that did not exist on NT. Therefore, you must use the Windows 2000 program to back up these files. DDMS recommends that you make a separate backup of these system files once a month, and any time you change your Windows configuration.

To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, then Accessories, then System Tools, and select Backup.
  2. Click the Backup Wizard button.
  3. Click Next.
  4. In the What to Backup dialog box, select Only Back Up the System State Data.
  5. Complete the backup by following the prompts.
Copyright © 1999 – eCommerce Industries, Inc.
Last modified: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 3:44 PM