BusinessOBjects and NT Terminal Server

HI. We have recently changed how we deploy BusinessObjects to our users.
We had previously used Citrix but are now using NT Terminal Server. We have
noticed a very nasty change within our Designer module and I was hoping that
someone out there might know what is going on.

Our repository is in Access97. With Designer deployed through terminal
server using a combination of BusinessObjects version 4.1.1 and 4.1.3 + CSP
21, ODBC version 3.0 and 3.5 yielded the same results:

  • UNABLE TO ADD NEW CONNECTIONS
  • NOT ALL CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE

Through File…Parameters…Definition…Connection we are not able to see
all our connections. We are also not able to add new connections. We can
see all the ODBC system data sources either by accessing ODBC directly of
through BusinessObjects. The number of connections available through
Designer is not consistent. For example, with over 40 system data sources,
28 were viewable but when we deleted all but 4 ODBC system data sources we
could only view one in BusinessObjects.

Can anyone offer some help? Thanks in advance.

Crystal Golding
Senior Systems Analyst
Management Information Section
University of Queensland
Brisbane Australia 4072
E-mail: c.golding@mailbox.uq.edu.au
Web: www.mis.jdstory.uq.edu.au
Phone: +61 7 336 57289
Fax: +61 7 336 58202


Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)

From what I understand of Terminal Server :

Terminal Server uses an MS Access Database called HYDRA.MDB to store
licence details of users connecting. This is accessed through an MS
access driver installed as part of the NT4 operating system ! (I think
the Terminal Server version of the ODBC MS Access driver is v3.51, BO
comes with v3.50 ?).

There is a NT4 “Licence logging” service that updates this Database as
users log on and off etc… From the symptoms you are describing and the
fact that your repository is an MS access database I would imagine there
could be some sort of conflict occurring.

I would suggest the following steps in order to help track down the
problem. Try Bus Objects after each step to see if the symptoms either
change or disappear :

  1. Confirm that you have not overwritten the Terminal server Driver with
    the one bundled in Business Objects.
  2. Stop the licence logging service (from in Control panel / Services)
    which may be causing some sort of contention.
  3. Try accessing the Designer package from the Server Console (not the
    remote client).
  4. As 3 but ensure there are NO other users logged on - Again to see if
    it is a multi-user or contention issue.
  5. As 4, but now log on to the NT Server with an NT4 Admin ID. If this
    solves it than there are probably some file permissions / ACL problems.
    Has ZAK been applied to the Server ?
  6. Copy the Access (repository) files to a standalone NT4 Workstation
    and set up B.Obj on it. If the problem follows you to the NT Workstation
    than it is a Business Objects Repository problem (corruption etc…) and
    not a terminal server specific issue…

Stuart Blair
MI Team
Royal & Sun Alliance
England

In article <000101be3911$72d56ed0$39bd6682@crystal_golding.jdstory.uq.ed
u.au>, Crystal Golding C.Golding@MAILBOX.UQ.EDU.AU writes

HI. We have recently changed how we deploy BusinessObjects to our users.
We had previously used Citrix but are now using NT Terminal Server. We have
noticed a very nasty change within our Designer module and I was hoping that
someone out there might know what is going on.

Our repository is in Access97. With Designer deployed through terminal
server using a combination of BusinessObjects version 4.1.1 and 4.1.3 + CSP
21, ODBC version 3.0 and 3.5 yielded the same results:

  • UNABLE TO ADD NEW CONNECTIONS
  • NOT ALL CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE

Through File…Parameters…Definition…Connection we are not able to see
all our connections. We are also not able to add new connections. We can
see all the ODBC system data sources either by accessing ODBC directly of
through BusinessObjects. The number of connections available through
Designer is not consistent. For example, with over 40 system data sources,
28 were viewable but when we deleted all but 4 ODBC system data sources we
could only view one in BusinessObjects.

Can anyone offer some help? Thanks in advance.

Crystal Golding
Senior Systems Analyst
Management Information Section
University of Queensland
Brisbane Australia 4072


Stuart Blair


Listserv Archives (BOB member since 2002-06-25)