NEOSYS Technical Support Wiki - User contributions [en]

Procedures

2012-11-21T11:46:45Z

Vineet: /* Creating and Handling passwords */

Here are procedures to be followed by Support Staff in respect to various technical matters in day to day operations of client issues.

== NEOSYS Support Policies ==
In order to maintain good payment speed by clients NEOSYS needs to restrict support to clients that dont pay their bills on time, however the degree of restriction needs to depend on an intimate knowledge of the client which cannot be expected from all NEOSYS support staff. Therefore we will use a simple escalation policy as follows:

=== Stop Support List ===
NEOSYS SUPPORT MANAGERS WILL maintain an overdue/stop list on a whiteboard visible to all support staff. Generally clients will go on the list immediately when their invoice is overdue and come off only after satisfactory commitment to pay have been obtained.

NEOSYS SUPPORT STAFF WILL discretely refer any calls for support from client on the overdue/stop list to support managers for handling.

Managers may well instruct support to provide support on a case by case basis even if clients are on the stop list. Being on the stop list does not necessarily indicate a major issue with accounts

In case clients pressurize neosys staff to provide support then the support staff must inform them that there is an issue with their account and that their request had been forwarded to the manager.

This policy excludes dealing with server failures, backup failures and measures required to be taken to fix these failures.

== Client Password Policy ==
All client user passwords, including their initial one, are to be obtained via the user's email address using the password reminder/reset button on the login screen.

NEOSYS staff should never know users passwords therefore NEOSYS will not obtain and grant user passwords.

=== Support requests from ordinary client users ===
Any support requests concerning inability to obtain passwords will be forwarded to known skilled users on the client staff since this is the most efficient (not fastest) way to handle such issues.

=== Support requests from senior client management ===
Any support requests concerning inability to obtain passwords by senior client management users shall be handled directly by NEOSYS support staff in any way convenient to resolve the issue in the quickest possible time rather than the most efficient.

Bearing in mind that NEOSYS staff should never know user's passwords this will probably involve NEOSYS staff using the Password Reminder/Reset button to send a new password to the user.

=== User Defined Passwords ===
NEOSYS will provide user defined passwords in very special cases which must be pre-approved case by case by NEOSYS management. For many reasons, NEOSYS will not approve.

Currently this permission has only been granted to one NEOSYS client with several hundred of databases.

== Handling client issues ==
=== Handling error messages ===

'''Important:''' Before Attempting to resolve client issues, please ensure that we have secure access to the NEOSYS server.

#The very first step is understanding client problem.
#Ask the client what error does he gets on the screen.
#If error seems to be familiar then resolve it over the phone.
#If error is unknown then ask user to send a screenshot of the error displayed along with the options used (basically you need to know HOW to replicate the error)
#Upon receipt of the error, check in all the wikis for a solution.
#If the issue is unknown or you don’t understand it clearly ask the user then use remote support to gain access to the users desktop to view how to replicate the error.

If it is new issue then report by escalation the same issue to your manager with a brief explanation.

=== NEOSYS support for resolving issues with totals on reports ===

If a client has a problem with any total output by NEOSYS software then NEOSYS support will advise them which other NEOSYS report or reports provide a complete breakdown of the total (if necessary, to individual transactions) and ask the client to locate any offending transactions themselves.

NEOSYS support staff will handle any issues where the total on the breakdown report does not add up to the total on the summary report.

Reconciling totals can be hard if there are many transactions involved. Regardless of how hard it may be, reconciliation is an operational task for users not for support staff since NEOSYS support staff will not get involved in understanding client transactions or data.

== Using Support Tools ==

=== NEOSYS Software ===

The NEOSYS Software is currently supported on the following Operating Systems (OS) and browsers:

* For Media & Finance modules, Internet Explorer 6+ on Windows
* For Jobs & Timesheets modules, Internet Explorer 6+ on Windows or Safari 5+ on Mac

Users are to ensure that pop-up blockers and any 3rd party toolbars are deactivated/switched off or else certain pages and alert messages while using NEOSYS do not appear as a result of blocking from either the pop-up blocker or toolbars with built-in pop-up blockers.

NEOSYS Support personnel should additionally ensure that under Internet Explorer > Tools > Internet Options > Advanced > Browsing - the items Disable script debugging (Internet Explorer) and Disable script debugging (Other) are '''UNTICKED'''. This is because if NEOSYS generates any javascript error message, the same would disappear in the bottom left corner of a window, which in turn helps the programmer fix the error.

''Note-'' The above mentioned process must be carried out after every Factory Reset.

=== Website Live Support ===
www.neosys.com is equipped with a Live Support software and clients can visit the website, click on this link and chat with any of our support staff, without the need for any installation. The client has to fill in their name and email address to connect to an available support personnel. During non-working hours, the Live Support icon on the website automatically displays "offline".

NEOSYS Support personnel who are authorised to provide such support, need to download a software called Kayako Live Support from http://hotfix.kayako.com/latest.php?product=lr&platform=win32&buildtype=stable

Once downloaded the account needs to be setup as follows:

* Account Name: (as provided by NEOSYS IT)
* SupportSuite URL: http://support.neosys.com/
* User Name: (as provided by NEOSYS IT and usually same as Account Name)
* Password: (as provided by NEOSYS IT)

The first time the account is setup, you need to close Kayako Live Support completely and restart for it to login and work properly.

=== Teamviewer ===
Since teamviewer allows no restriction on access once a fixed pass is installed, we cannot install fixed pass on teamviewer however convenient it might be.

RULE: NO FIXED PASS TO BE INSTALLED ON TEAMVIEWER IN ANY NEOSYS OR NEOSYS CLIENT COMPUTER

Running teamviewer live from a web link is fine because it does not allow installation of a permanent password

=== Documenting Processes in Wiki ===
[[How to create templates in wiki]]

== Handling Nagios Client Monitoring system ==
Nagios is configured to display information pertaining to all NEOSYS client's server statuses which include multiple services such as:
# HTTPS: Most of NEOSYS clients are configured to have external web access via secure HTTP protocol (port 4430) from outside office. Nagios is configured to check port 4430 on a regular interval of 10 minutes and display any issues in accessing the same.
# SSH: As part of the support contract, NEOSYS should have external secure access to the client server usually over port 19580. Nagios is configured to check this port on a regular interval of 10 minutes and display any issues in accessing the same.
# Ping: Nagios is also configured to ping the client router as a measure to check if router responds incase the NEOSYS server is down.
# NEOSYS: This service works in a reverse direction, and the NEOSYS installation on the client server sends information such as databases running, current backup status, internal and internet IP addressess etc to Nagios on a regular interval of 10 minutes.

Some key information about Nagios is as follows:
* Nagios is also configured to display information related to internal servers.
* Clients hosted on a NEOSYS cloud server might not have services such as SSH or PING as this is monitored as part of the internal server service.
* Nagios sends out email alerts to support2@neosys.com (which is forwarded to support@neosys.com) from 8 am to 12 midnight on all Dubai working days (Sun-Thu). No alerts are sent out on Fri and Sat, unless they are for NEOSYS internal servers.

NEOSYS support staff on duty has to follow the below outlined procedures in case of any Nagios items showing a critical or warning message for any service:
# Nagios is required to be checked first thing in the morning and any critical or warning messages need to be dealth with to resolve the same at the earliest.
# Some of the messages could be related to backup failures and the usual procedure as stated in #Backup Procedures needs to be followed. In case the backup issue isn't resolved by 9:30 am, the Nagios service needs to be scheduled with downtime for a minimum of 2 hours and maximum until 1 am next day if the issue cannot be solved.
# In case any HTTPS, SSH or PING service is down, immediate action is required and the relevant IT people at the client side needs to be contacted to get this resolved. A downtime of 2 hours is required to be scheduled with further intervals of 2 hours incase this is not resolved. Support staff shouldn't schedule downtime till 1 am next day, just to get rid of the alerts for the day. Proactive follow up with the client is required to get this resolved before the business day - more so, if there is a weekend ahead.
# In case the HTTPS, SSH or PING service goes down during the day, a grace period of 20 minutes is given before the issue is reported to the client IT. This helps incase there is any temporary internet connection issue at the client or along the internet route.
# In case of "Backup not changed" warning status which occurs if the client has not interchanged the USB before 12 noon on that day, no action is required from the support staff and a downtime until 1 am next day needs to be scheduled.

**'''PLEASE NOTE''': Failure to schedule appropriate downtime will lead to REDUNDANT ALERTS from NAGIOS every hour.

== What happens if there is no remote access to NEOSYS server based in client’s premises ? ==

If access to the NEOSYS server is lost then we must determine the root cause by:

# Checking if the server is UP and running
# If yes, please check internet connectivity on the server
# If there is connectivity, please check the router for connectivity issues

'''Sample Response:'''
Please note that we have currently lost access to the NEOSYS server. The server seems to be down at the moment and it seems that neosys processes are not running on the server.
Kindly check if the server is UP and running. If yes, please check internet connectivity on the server.
Do keep us posted on the server status so we can test connectivity from our side as well.0

== New Router (Port Forwarding) ==

If you have changed your router then you may notice that external access to NEOSYS is unavailable.

'''Solution:'''

Setup a permanent access for NEOSYS by reconfiguring the Router / Firewall for Port Forwarding from Router to the NEOSYS Server as follows:
# Port 19580 > 19580 for SSH
# Port 4430 > 4430 for HTTPS

You can see [http://portforward.com/ Set Up Port Forwarding] to learn how to configure your Router.

To see how to test/ troubleshoot port forwarding settings, go to [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting Port Forwarding]].

'''Sample Response:'''
You are requested to kindly setup a permanent access for NEOSYS by reconfiguring the Router / Firewall for Port Forwarding from Router to the NEOSYS Server,i.e. port 19580 for SSH and port 4430 for HTTPS.

Once this is complete, kindly send me an email to confirm the same so that we could test connectivity from our end as well.

== Backup Procedures ==
=== Preparing daily backup report ===
# Note the success, failure and other error of the clients backup mail in an excel sheet and forward the same to your manager.
# If there is a backup failure or backup is not available, check wiki to take necessary steps.
# If there is any unknown error, forward the same to your manager.

=== Updating Nagios incase of failures ===
# If the backup failure is unsolved, schedule downtime Neosys service in Nagios till 01 am.
# If the backup did not happen because of server down. Call the IT person; ask him to re-boot the server and check wiki to do necessary step ahead and schedule downtime to Nagios for 2hours.
# If there is an error "Backup->Impossible" on Nagios check wiki and schedule downtime to Nagios for 2hours.

=== Interchange backup USB mail reminder ===
# Basically all the clients have different days to change their backup USB. All the notification can be seen on Nagios at 12.00 pm every day.
# When you see the change backup notification on Nagios at 12.00 pm, send a mail to the IT person or the person who changes the USB. As you send the mail schedule downtime for Neosys services for two hours.
# Check the Nagios at 2.00 pm if the backup USB is changed, don't send another mail and stop there. But if backup is still not yet changed, send a another mail and this time cc the mail to your manager. After sending the mail, schedule downtime for Neosys service for more two hours.
# Now at 4.00 pm if you still find the backup USB not changed. Call the IT person and ask him to change the USB ASAP and schedule downtime for Neosys services for one hour.
# Now at 5.00 pm check Nagios and see if the backup USB is changed and if not changed. Send the mail to everyone from the backup mail.
# If the backup is still not changed, escalate the issue to your manager.

==== Importance of interchanging backup USBs ====
If the backup USB is not interchanged on the scheduled day then the NEOSYS automated backup fails. This happens because traditionally, each USB holds backup of 7 days and using 3 different USBs we can store backups for the last 21 days enabling us to restore the system unto a time period beginning 21 days prior.
If the USB is not changed then the first backup on the current USB is replaced with the new or latest backup leading to inconsistencies within the backups. Hence we must interchange the USB on schedule to avoid a backup failure the next morning.

The reasons for using multiple USBs for backup are:
#We can keep other USBs out of the office for safety purposes since theft or office fire/water hazards could damage the computer and the USB keys if they are all in the same place.
#Having multiple USBs provide safety against corrupt USBs which cannot be used to restore any backup data.

'''Sample Response:'''
The NEOSYS backup has failed today as the USB was not interchanged on the scheduled day.
Please interchange the USB immediately today to avoid a backup failure tomorrow morning.
Also note that your scheduled day to interchange the USB next week and hence forth remains unchanged to '''(Scheduled Day)'''.

=== Finding out which USB is inserted into the server ===
As we ask the client to have 3 USB's and interchange them weekly, we also need to sometimes track which one of these 3 USB's are inserted into the server. USB's can be tracked using their volume serial number in most cases. To find this out either go to the command prompt and type VOL or in the nightly backup message check for the 2nd line (which looks like this - 14/12/2009 2:45pm Media: 705B-5B5F). However serial numbers can be the same even for different USB's.

== Client relocating operations to a new premises ==

Ensure that the following procedure is followed by the clients IT staff prior to relocation:

# Login to the NEOSYS server and shut down all the processes by hitting the ESC button on each of the window three times or until they close
# Take a backup of the D drive on another system or network / external drive
# Remove the USB plugged in and secure the same along with the other two USB’s in a safe location
# The NEOSYS server may now be shutdown and moved to the new premises

Post relocation, the clients IT staff must ensure the following immediately:

# Connect the server to the local network and complete all setup required for users to be able to access the system internally
# Configure the firewall and/or port settings to enable NEOSYS support staff to connect to the server externally
# Provide NEOSYS support with the new fixed IP address so that the connection can be tested.

== Creating and Handling passwords ==
Passwords made out of a pass phrase should be at least 10 characters since using initials results in a lot of i's and a's etc which reduces the effectiveness of the password and allows hacking via brute force guessing especially since windows doesnt slow down logins even if it sees thousands of password attempts.

=== Creating a password ===
Passwords are generated from a pass phrase and it is important to create a very difficult to guess pass phrase.

For example, a good pass phrase would be: '''Today is a good day and it is the best time to go for a holiday'''

The password for this would be '''Tiagdaiitbt2g4ah'''

The important instructions for the above are:
#You have to take the first letter of each word and that makes your password (i.e. by using initials)
#Wherever any word starts with a capital, then you have to take first letter as a capital (eg. For Today you will take T)
#Replace '''and''' with '''&'''
#Replace '''to''' with '''2'''
#Replace '''for''' with '''4'''

=== Handling passwords ===
#Never send the actual password - always send the pass phrase
#Make sure that the password created out of the pass phrase is at least 10 characters long since using initials results in a lot of i's and a's etc which reduces the effectiveness of the password and allows hacking via brute force guessing especially since windows doesnt slow down logins even if it sees thousands of password attempts
#Pass phrases are never to be sent by email, whatever the case maybe.
#Pass phrases can be sent by chat - however they have to be broken down in two parts and sent separately over two different messengers or if you are using Gtalk then use the 'off the record' mode.
#Using SMS to send pass phrases is the best known way as of now.
#If you save the passwords on your system in an file then:
#*Ensure that you only store pass phrases in the excel file
#*Ensure that the excel file is encrypted with a master password

== NEOSYS Maintenance Window ==

The NEOSYS server is functional from 6am – 1am. There is a 5hr window gap for the system to perform updates & backups.

The 5hr maintenance window:-

1. At 1am – The server performs a data backup on a USB (for the respective clients) & once the backup has been completed, the system automatically generates an email addressed to the neosys staff & the respective clients.

2. At 2:45am – The main data over writes the test data on the server.

3. At 3:00am – The server by itself performs an update for Windows.

4. At 4:00am – The server performs a backup to the headquarters for clients, and then automatically generates an email addressed to the NEOSYS staff & the respective clients. This process is followed by only two clients i.e. Adline & Farouk.

5. At 6:00am – The server starts up NEOSYS.

==Switching to a backup server==

As NEOSYS provides clients with option of backing up their data to a remote NEOSYS server in case of emergencies or server problems, it is crucial you understand the below procedure on how to switch to a backup server in the event of such a situation. Extreme care must be taken when switching over to using a backup server otherwise unnecessary data loss is very likely.

Backup servers are normally switched off and should not be started automatically otherwise there is a serious risk of the client’s staff working on two systems. It is not possible to merge two databases into one database. Before the backup server is enabled the main server must be disabled, and before the main server is re-enabled, the backup server must be disabled again. This can be managed technically without requiring any decision from senior non-technical staff.

However, there are also some potentially hard decisions about unavoidable loss of data versus continued system availability. *** Backup servers should therefore only be started with the written approval of the clients senior staff. A suitable email requesting approval follows.

The following case assumes that the main server has gone down sometime during the working day and that therefore the data on the backup server is out of date. Allowing them to use the backup server therefore implies some loss of data. They may wish to lose the data. They may wish to work on the backup server data and then try to redo the work on the main server once it is restored. There are a variety of options depending on the situation.

If the main server is still functioning AND you are reasonably sure that the database is not damaged (which is perhaps an unlikely situation if you need to use the backup server!), it may be sensible to trigger an additional “backup/sync” process to bring the backup server database up to date with the main server. Before you do this, it is advisable that you take a backup copy of the backup system on the backup server. In this case there would be no data loss in using the backup.

An additional option of providing usage of the backup server in read-only mode so that people can at least access some data is being developed. The backup server could be available continuously at any time in read-only mode. This article would then be related to switching a backup server into main operational mode.

Dear {senior staff} cc {IT staff}

Please note that we can enable the backup server if you wish.

However the data on the backup server is out of date since it is a copy of your main database as at 11/22/33 99:99.

If you wish to allow work to be done on the backup server then any data entered on your main server since the above date will be lost if we
subsequently copy the data on the backup server to the main server.

If, after using the backup server, we do NOT copy the data on the back server to the main server then any data you have entered on the backup
server/database will be lost.

Please confirm a) you want to work on HOSTS2 database and that we should therefore enable it and b) you have disconnected your main server
for the duration.

Best Regards,
xxxxxx xxxxxxx
NEOSYS Support

== Description of Backup Procedure for the NEOSYS Client Hosting Server ==

NEOSYS backup is a two phase process. It is mandatory that both phases are complete for the process to be considered a backup. 
#On the main NEOSYS server host(Schuberg Philis in Amsterdam as of Dec 2010) Every night, the NEOSYS process for selected databases stops serving users at around 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM (local time of the client's main office) and performs the following procedure: - All the database files are checked for physical corruption. - All the database files are zipped into a file who's path would be something like C:\DATA.BAK\CLIENTX\MONDAY\BACKUP.ZIP file. - The file having the same name as that of the corresponding day of the week as last week is overwritten.A "backup alert" email indicating success or failure is sent to senior managers at the client, the client’s IT manager and backups@neosys.com. - An internal log (accessible on each database's Support Menu) is maintained as a record and in case the emails cannot be sent out for some reason. - NEOSYS support staff in Dubai check the emails every morning Sunday through Thursday. - In the case of failure, NEOSYS support staff in Dubai take appropriate action and send an email (to the same people who receive the automated backup alert emails) indicating what action has been taken. - The above does not by itself constitute a proper backup because the backup is stored on the same server and physical disk as the actual data. 
#On the NEOSYS backup server host (in NEOSYS Dubai Office as of Dec 2010 but could be changed without notice to EvoSwitch in Amsterdam). - At around 02:00-02:30 AM GMT daily, NEOSYS's backup server copies (replicates) all the BACKUP.ZIP files from the main NEOSYS server host to itself. - An email indicating success or failure is sent to NEOSYS support staff (only) who deal with it in a similar way to phase 1, except that only NEOSYS management are updated.

== Cutting and Pasting NEOSYS Maintenance Mode Messages into Wiki ==

Error messages expressed as images are not searchable.

Therefore SELECT THE TEXT OF MAINTENANCE MODE WINDOWS using right click on window heading, Edit, Mark, Copy .. not graphical copy.

Then paste the text into wiki and surround with "< pre>" and "< /pre>" tags (without the space) as follows:

[[image:loginmessage.jpg]]

the result is searchable text as follows ...

<pre>
╔════════════════════════════╗
║ NEOSYS SECURITY ║
║ What is your name ? ║
║ ║
║ [ ] ║
║ ║
║ Please enter your name, ║
║ or press Esc to exit. ║
╚════════════════════════════╝
</pre>

== Amending/Reposting Journal Entries ==
In certain exceptional cases, amending/reposting of journal entries is allowed for a brief period of time to enable clients to present reports in an alternative manner. This would be subject to NEOSYS would requiring a written LETTER OF APPROVAL duly signed and stamped by the highest management of the company.

In case the client management decides to allow editing/reposting of journal entries, the following procedure is to be followed:
# Client must de-allocate vouchers which need to be amended
# NEOSYS support staff must wait for a day so that de-allocated vouchers are copied into Test database
# Authorise required users to amend and repost (without record) '''in Test database only''' ( While reposting, we have 2 options i.e. with record and without record. The 'with record' option causes the system to maintain a history of edits made. Hence, we want to repost without record so that there is no trace of the edit in the system)
# Amend a substantial number of vouchers in Test and verify them. To verify if the edits made are reflected:
# *Print all ledgers for the whole year
# *Cross-check all balances
# Once you verify the balances are correct in Test database, grant users permission to amend and repost in the Live database.
# Ask users to amend and repost vouchers in the Live database.
# Cross-check all balances for the current year.
# If you successfully verify the balances, revoke permissions immediately. Else, wait for 24 hours and revoke permissions irrespectively.

== Removal of unauthorized third-party software on client servers ==

Rule: Any third party software that is discovered by NEOSYS support staff on client servers that has been installed without the agreement of NEOSYS should be uninstalled immediately on discovery.

However purposeful a software is, NEOSYS is contractually responsible for support and there are too many opportunities for poorly installed software to cause unpredictable damage to the NEOSYS database so NEOSYS has to have a clear and safe and simple policy to ensure the integrity of client data. Installing software without prior discussion with NEOSYS by itself indicates that insufficient care and consideration as been given to possible issues.

Any software required by client IT for some purpose may only be installed after discussion and agreement from NEOSYS support staff concerning the configuration and operation of the software.

The NEOSYS Software Licence and Support agreement requires that where NEOSYS software is installed on client servers that a dedicated server is provided and dedicated implies that no other software may be installed without the agreement of NEOSYS support.

== Configuring tunnelier to autologin on opening tlp files ==
If you have many tunnelier tlp files in a directory and connect by opening the desired tlp file the, instead of opening the file and then clicking Login you can also right click the file and select Connect.

Alternatively, you can configure tunnelier to login (connect) automatically by following the procedure mentioned below. (Even if you configure automatic login, you can still open and not login by right clicking and choosing Open)
#Go to My Computer
#Click on Tools -> Folder Options [[image:tunnauto-1.jpg]] 
#Click on File Types
#*Select TLP (Bitvise Tunnelier Profile) [Type "TLP" to find it quickly]
#*Click on Advanced [[image:tunnauto-2.jpg]] 
#Click on Connect and Click on Set Default [[image:tunnauto-3.jpg]]

Installing IE7 & IE8 Download Blocker

2012-11-04T06:11:22Z

Vineet:

=== Why to install the IE7 & IE8 download blocker? ===

IE7 and IE8 comes with high security settings which interferes with permissions relating to the functioning of Neosys on a server. Hence on Windows 2003 servers which Neosys is installed upon, we need to install the download blockers so that Windows Update does not automatically download IE7. You do not need to do this on Windows 2008

=== Procedure ===

Download an exe file:

For IE7: from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4516A6F7-5D44-482B-9DBD-869B4A90159C&displaylang=en
For IE8: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=21687628-5806-4ba6-9e4e-8e224ec6dd8c&displaylang=en

Once downloaded, run the file and it will create 4 files at a specified location (preferably C drive). The required file is IE70Blocker.cmd.

Go to the dos prompt (Start > Run > cmd) and run the following command:

IE70Blocker.cmd /B

On the next prompt type:

IE70Blocker.cmd /B

This command creates a registry key and sets the associated value to block automatic delivery of IE7 on the local machine. The registry should show the following value after you have done this:

Registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Setup\7.0

Key value name: DoNotAllowIE70

=== Error when attempting to login: "Permission denied cannot run waiting2.exe" ===
This error message occurs when clicking "Login" on the login page. It occurs only on Window 2003 servers when ie7 or ie8 is installed.

Solved by uninstalling ie7/ie8 and installing ie7 ie8 blocker to prevent it being automatically installed

Configuring IIS

2012-11-04T06:09:30Z

Vineet:

After you have installed all the NEOSYS program files you need to configure IIS so that you can operate NEOSYS. Instructions are below.

== Configuring IIS for windows 2003 ==

=== Creating a virtual web directory ===

'''Client Server:''' first step is to create a virtual directory called neosys linked to D:\neosys\neosys.net:

'''NL1 Server:''' Create a website called "clientname" linked to D:\hosts\clientfolder\neosys.net

[[image:figure1.jpg]]

[[image:figure3.jpg]]

A new window will pop up "IP Address and Port Setting" after completion of the above step.

'''Client Server:''' select *(All Unassigned)* from the drop down list of "Enter the IP address to use for the Web site" and keep the default port as 80.

'''NL1 Server:''' Select the static Ip from the drop down list of "Enter the IP address to use for the Web site" and enter then next port available and click on next.

[[image:Figure_2.jpg‎]]

'''Client Server:''' Within the above neosys web site folder create a virtual directory called data linked to D:\neosys\data:

'''Nl1 Server:''' Within the above clientwebsite folder create a virtual directory called data linked to D:\hosts\clientfolder\data:

'''(I haven’t got the screenshot because I can only get it once I create the above)'''

=== To allow file uploads ===

==== Create IMAGES directory ====

'''Client server:''' create a folder IMAGES under D:\neosys and within the neosys web site folder create a virtual directory called images linked to D:\neosys\images: Modes: READ and WRITE

'''Nl1 Server:''' create a folder IMAGES under D:\hosts\clientfolder and within the client web site folder create a virtual directory called images linked to D:\hosts\clientfolder\images: Modes: READ and WRITE

'''(I haven’t got the screenshot because I can only get it once I create the above)'''

==== Permit upload.dll ====

# Right click Default Web Site, neosys, NEOSYS, dll
# Execute Permissions: Scripts and Executables

# Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager
# Web Service Extensions
# All Unknown ISAPI Extensions: Allowed

=== Solving error during file upload: "Page cannot be displayed" HTTP Error 405 ===

This error should not occur in normal NEOSYS installations but the solution is as follows:

# Go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Internet Information Services
# Expand the tree to COMPUTERNAME, Web Sites
# Right-click "Default Web Site" (or specific Web Site if multiple NEOSYS http/https installations on the server as per NL1)
# Properties
# Home Directory
# Configuration
# Mappings, Add
# Browse
# Dynamic Link Libraries *.dll" from the "Files of Type" dropdown
# Find and select D:\NEOSYS\neosys.net\NEOSYS\dll\upload.dll (OR upload.dll in the installation directory)
# Extension Type: dll
# Limit to: All
# Click the "OK" button

=== Solving HTTP Error 404 Error occurring immediately on opening NEOSYS login page on a new server installation: "System Failure. Do you want to retry?" ===

This error message is caused by failing to enable Active Server Pages in the IIS configuration.

This message is from IE8 and a Windows 2003 server. The message may be different for other browser versions.

<pre>
Message from web page.

System Failure. Do you want to retry?

The page cannot be found
The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name change, or it temporarily unavailable.

Please try the following:
(omitted)
HTTP Error 404 - File or directory not found.
Internet Information Services (IIS)
</pre>

[[image:http404.jpg]]

== Configuring IIS for Windows 2008 ==

==== Installing IIS ====

First install IIS from Control Panel > Programs & Features > Turn Windows Features ON or OFF > Add Roles:

[[image:iis1.jpg]]

On the window that pops up click on next and you will get this screen, tick Web Server (IIS) - on the prompt click on Add Required Resources and then on Next:

[[image:iis2.jpg]]

On the next window, click on next until you get this window - tick ASP and ISAPI Extensions:

[[image:iis3.jpg]]

Click on Next and Finish

==== Configuring IIS ====
After successfully installing IIS, go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Services and Applications > Internet Information Services (IIS) > Machine Name > Sites > Default Website:

The first step is to create a virtual directory called neosys linked to D:\neosys\neosys.net:

[[image:iis4.jpg]]

Within the above neosys web site folder create a virtual directory called data linked to D:\neosys\data:

[[image:iis5.jpg]]

In the IIS Default Web Site create a another virtual directory called neosys.w3c linked to D:\neosys\neosys.w3c (only if timesheets for mac is required):

[[image:iis6.jpg]]

To allow file uploads – create a folder IMAGES under D:\neosys and within the neosys web site folder create a virtual directory called images linked to D:\neosys\images:

[[image:iis7.jpg]]

After you add all virtual directories the tree map of the Default Website should look as follows:

[[image:iis8.jpg]]

To configure file uploads besides adding the images directory, go under IIS > Default Website > neosys – click on Handler Mappings and delete the ISAPI you see there:

[[image:iis9a.jpg]]

Thereafter click on Add Script Map and fill in the details as follows – Request path: *.dll , Executable: D:\neosys\neosys.net\NEOSYS\dll\upload.dll , Name: ISAPI (once you click on OK click on YES to the confirmation box)

[[image:iis9b.jpg]]

Edit the hosts file under c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\ - delete the # sign next to 127.0.0.1 localhost and incluide the # sign before ::1 localhost

[[image:iis10.jpg]]

File:Http404.jpg

2012-11-04T06:08:19Z

Vineet:

File:Windows 2003 New Installation Checklist with remote support.doc

2012-11-04T05:59:03Z

Vineet: uploaded a new version of "File:Windows 2003 New Installation Checklist with remote support.doc"

Handling damaged files

2012-11-01T06:30:47Z

Vineet:

== Symptoms ==

"A Damaged file has been found..... ((the rest of this message to be completed))
Group format Error:
OS File : BOOKING.TEXTS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

== Cause ==
Rare but nasty problem on server 99% caused by power failure, killing NEOSYS or server hardware or operating system failure.

*Did somebody kill NEOSYS processes to reboot the server or any other reason?
*Was there a power cut?
*Any expected or unexpected reboots in the server log? (see Event Viewer > System Log)
*Enough disk free space especially on servers not dedicated to NEOSYS?
*Third party software running on NEOSYS server?
*RAID installed on the server?
*Did windows update happen?

== Solution==

Damaged files, when detected, cause an immediate termination of the currently executing program/user request and a restart of the process is involved. Some damaged files are automatically fixed during restart. Although the process "restarts" it may be internally corrupted in some way and it is advisable to close it completely and start or allow another process to start automatically. 
However, the solution always depends on the cause and usually often requires aggressive interrogation to discover the cause.

Guidelines:

#Identify the cause of the damaged file
#Depending on the type of damaged file follow the procedures mentioned below to handle Damaged Files:
#*[[Handling_damaged_files#Files_that_are_automatically_fixed|Damaged Files that are Automatically fixed]]
#*Damaged Files that Need fixing
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_file_that_have_a_process_to_recreate_them| Damaged Files that have a process to Recreate them]]
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_index_files_.28names_starting_with_.21.29| Damaged Index Files]]
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_files_that_have_no_process_for_recreating_them|Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them]]
#*[[ Handling_damaged_files#Dealing_with_damaged_files_that_cannot_be_fixed| Damaged Files that Cannot be fixed]]
#Verify if the damaged file is fixed in the database by following instructions at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_for_corrupt_database_files|Checking for corrupt database files]]

== Recovery==

It is URGENT to stop using NEOSYS and fix the damaged file because it will cause NEOSYS to crash everytime it happens to update that part of the file. NEOSYS crashing while updating often produces unrecoverable inconsistencies in the database that can only be fixed by programmers sitting for hours trying to edit the database .... or by restoring from a backup causing loss of work.

See the following sections how to patch the damaged files.

== Files that are automatically fixed ==

*LISTS
*LOCKS
*!INDEXING

The above files are automatically checked for corruption (and initialised to empty if so) when you
startup a NEOSYS process and do not require any manual intervention apart from locating and eliminating the initial cause of the damage.

If the !INDEXING file was damaged then you should also do REINDEXALL to reinstate any possibly missing index entries, but since this will take a long time
you should do this when everybody is off the system in the evening probably. A few missing index entries may only mean some records missing from some reports which may or may not be seriously inconvenient. It is a temporary file that should not hold any records for longer than it takes to update the various indexes immediately when the user saves any document.

Each process has its own LISTS file, so damage is limited to one process for the LISTS file. The process number can be seen in the error message. for example:

Process=7

You can also see the process number on the server screen. For example here is a process 2.

13:17:31 TESTDB NEOS0002 0 Listening 7 hours, 49 mins ...

The LISTS file is a temporary file for sorting records into order for reports, popups etc. Therefore any damage usually causes no real inconvenience apart from the failed report or popup on which the user might receive the "damaged LISTS file" message.

The error message would appear as follows :

SYSTEM ERROR:
An internal file LISTS was found
to be damaged and has been patched.
INFORM YOUR TECHNICAL SUPPORT 
SOME DATA HAS PROBABLY BEEN LOST
AND THE NEOSYS SYSTEM MAY MALFUNCTION 
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

The error could also appear as follows :

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : LISTS
Group # : 00000014
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

OR

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : STATISTICS
Group # : 00000005
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
114 files checked.
Failed with 1 error
!!!DANGER!!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!!BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

''Note - '' Statistics contains info about user usage as per support menu so loss of data is not critical and it will be rebuilt automatically

'''We might also get errors related to Temporary Files as follows:'''
<pre>
A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM!

Group Format Error:
File : MATDEL_MEDIALIN_3
Group # : 13369375
Wrong Overflow frame linked to group.

Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=11:26:27 26 JUL 2010
Database=23BF2931 MEDIALIN
Process=3
Client=100_100_100_77
User=HAMADA
Request=MEDIADIARY
@Id=
Data=
</pre>

'''Since these are temporary files, we need not use FIXFILE. They get cleared automatically.'''

== Fixing damaged file that have a process to recreate them ==

Below files can be recreated from the maintenance mode.

ADS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEADS

ANALYSIS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEANALYSIS

BRANDS files can be recreated with F5 CREATEBRANDS

If the file is actually damaged it might be necessary to initialise it first using CLEARFILE filename.

The following is an example of the error in the ADS File at the time of backup.

Group Format Error:
OS File : ADS
Group # : 00009543
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
217 files checked.
Failed with 1 errors
!!! DANGER !!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!! BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "ADS")

Explanation: The last four lines are very rare and can be seen with the above error messages in the backup email. The above message indicates that some external application is trying to access the backup files at the time of backup.

Before doing the solution below, please check the number of damaged files on the database by running CHK.FILES in maintenance mode. [CHK.FILES can be done when users are online]

Solution

'''NOTE:''' Stop all the processes before doing the below procedure. (see [[Closing_NEOSYS_services|Closing NEOSYS Services]] for instructions)

Procedure to run CREATEADS is as under

Login to maintenance

F5
CREATEXXXX

(XXXX = ADS, ANALYSIS OR BRANDS)

Select the option appropriate option and start the procedure and hit ENTER

''Note -'' CREATEADS no longer asks to choose CREATE/CHECK/REINDEX and only does CREATE from now on. CHECK was never used and REINDEXADS command is available independently.

To verify if the above is done successfully and check if the damage files is fixed in the database run CHK.FILES or CHK.FILES FILENAME (Recommended) from this link: [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_for_corrupt_database_files|Checking for corrupt database files]]

== Fixing damaged index files (names starting with !) ==

Whilst backing up or using NEOSYS the following error message might appear:

"A Damaged file has been found.....
Group format Error:
OS File : !ADS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

#Ensure that no-one is using NEOSYS
#Log into NEOSYS on the server
#Press F5 to get a TCL command box
#Type REINDEXADS and press enter.
#Wait until it finishes and you get back to the command box
#Type OFF in the command box and you will quit NEOSYS.

Other reindex commands are:

(''Note -'' You can save time when indexing very large files by indexing only selected indexes instead of all indexed for the file. You can select the field(s) that need to be reindexed from a list of indexed fields which REINDEX filename presents you after you enter the command.)

*REINDEXACCOUNTS recreates !ACCOUNTS, !BATCHES and !VOUCHERS
*REINDEXADDRESSES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS recreates !BOOKING.ORDERS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXINVS recreates !INVOICES
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXPRODINVS recreates !PRODUCTION.INVOICES
*REINDEXPRODORDERS recreates !PRODUCTION.ORDERS
*REINDEXRATECARDS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS
*REINDEXVEHICLES

REINDEXMEDIA does all the following
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS

REINDEXFILES does all the following
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXVEHICLES
*REINDEXRATECARDS

REINDEXPRODUCTION does all the following
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXPRODORDERS
*REINDEXPRODINVS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS

REINDEXALL does all the following
*REINDEXMEDIA
*REINDEXPRODUCTION
*REINDEXFILES
*REINDEXINVS
*REINDEXACCOUNTS
*REINDEXADDRESSES

== Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them ==

Some damaged files can be rebuilt using NEOSYS utilities especially index files with filenames starting with !. Other damaged files like ''LOG20xx'' can be “fixed” to prevent NEOSYS crashes as follows but some records will most probably be lost. Depending on the file loss of a few records may not be too bad compared to restoring a database but the client should be informed and make the decision. Depending on the file it is usually best to lose the records. We can make a list of files that one can afford to lose records and those files that can be rebuilt programmatically from other files. Booking order texts they can lose records but inform them and especially the numbers mentioned in FIXFILE

''SHADOW'' is a type of log file that can lose some records without serious impact and can therefore can also be fixed with FIXFILE.

FIXFILE will not run if there are neosys services still running so before doing the FIXFILE command, shut down the processes for the dataset in question.

''NOTE -'' If there are multiple datasets running on the server. Shut down the particular dataset which has got the problem. (see [[Closing_NEOSYS_services|Closing NEOSYS Services]] for instructions).

If you are trying to close processes during the day then please check if there are users that are actively working on that dataset in question. If yes, then please email the clients asking them to log off till the process is complete. If there are no users actively working then you may proceed to complete the fix quickly before users login so that users are not disturbed during their daily work.

Press F5

FIXFILE filename

(Select option 1 to update the file)

In case you get any Overwrite messages – type YES, as these are the actual files being updated.

The only alternative is restore from a previous backup in this case losing a days work. Nasty, and even worse, it will be impossible to reproduce the days work and especially the exact serial numbers of critical documents like orders, invoices, receipts and payments advices.

=== Fixing damaged NEOSYS program files and other non-data files ===
Some files listed below could be NEOSYS program files or other non-data files in the NEOSYS directory or subdirectories and can probably can only be fixed by reinstalling the NEOSYS software.

*VOC

There could be other files as well. You can check if any particular file is a data file in Maintenance mode F5 as follows:

ED FILES filename

If it is a data file then the first line will mention something like ..\DATA\DEMO\ACCOUNTS

=== Using FIXFILE to repair corrupted files ===

'''BEWARE:''' FIXFILE causes loss of data. If the data is critical then use of FIXFILE can be totally catastrophic without any warning.
Hence, in such situations it is advisable to talk to NEOSYS technical staff to see if they can provide any proper fix or provide any better comment about the impact of loss of data rather than implement FIXFILE directly.
 
'''Please Note:'''
# Using FIXFILE on some files is a guaranteed way to cause complete chaos for the users without them being aware of it until too late to do anything about it.
#Corrupt files will cause programs to abort every time they try to update that section of the file. Aborting programs causes possibly horrendous inconsistency in the database so it is important to stop all user activity and fix the corrupt file immediately.
#You can freely use FIXFILE on any file but it works by deleting any problematic data so cannot realistically be used on some files at all.
#FIXFILE cannot and does not recover any corrupted records therefore, for those files that have specific programs to rebuild them, FIXFILE is not the correct option.
 
'''Why use FIXFILE at all since it causes loss of data?'''

#Many files do not have programs to rebuild them and for some of those files, using FIXFILE is a quick way to get the system back in operation BUT with missing records. Missing records causes various degrees of failure ranging from the odd document missing, totally misleading information like wrong account balances, or any kind of system failure.
#FIXFILE does not fix the consistency of information in the database. When the database is is being updated with a transaction, usually a series of files are updated for the one transaction. A damaged file causes the update program to abort in the middle of the series of updates. Therefore some of the updates are done and the remaining updates are not done. This means that the data in the database (even after fixing the corrupt file) is inconsistent.
#FIXFILE merely fixes the technical structure of the file so that any further program accesses to that portion of the file do not cause immediate program termination and consequent likely catastrophic database inconsistency.

'''IMPORTANT :''' You must prevent anyone from accessing NEOSYS while FIXFILE is running.

==== List of Files Impacted by FIXFILE ====
#'''USERS File :''' The main data of any lost records from the USERS file will be recreated any time the Authorisation File is saved, however only the information in the Authorisation File is recreated which means that all personal preferences, holiday records, login history etc will be lost.

=== Fixing Damaged DEFINITIONS file ===
==== Non-Solution ====

You will probably not be able to login if the DEFINITIONS FILE is damaged. You can press Alt+S and type EXECUTE to get a TCL command box but this still doesnt help because you cannot use FIXFILE on DEFINITIONS.

CAUTION: DO NOT USE FIXFILE TO TRY AND FIX THE DEFINITIONS FILE.

DOUBLE CAUTION: IN CASE YOU DECIDE TO IGNORE THIS EXPECT ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE PROBLEMS IN THE DATABASE REQUIRING A COMPLETE RESTORE FROM A GOOD BACKUP AFTER A FEW DAYS OF PAIN BECAUSE RANDOM OLD DATABASE UPGRADE/CONVERSIONS WILL BE PERFORMED *AGAIN* WITHOUT YOU KNOWING IT.

==== Partial Restore ====

You can copy recent DEFINITIONS.LK and DEFINITIONS.OV files from the DATA\datasetcode\GENERAL folder.

CAUTION: All changes done in the Configuration File, Authorisation File, Users File and various other changes will be reverted to the date of the DEFINITIONS files being restored. If you are restoring from last nights backup or testdata then this will not be much but could cause serious confusion to people who have changed their passwords etc.

==== Full Restore ====

Restore from your latest backup losing all work done since that time and date.

=== Preventing users from accessing NEOSYS in order to do maintenance or repairs ===

On most systems you can simply stop the NEOSYS processes. On other systems where NEOSYS processes are automatically started in response to requests from the web, you need to disable the autostart by one of the following methods

# Stop the autostart program/script
# Put a file called NET.CFG with a single line saying AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder
# Stop the IIS server
# Stop/Pause the particular web in question

== Dealing with damaged files that cannot be fixed ==

If programmers are unable to fix the damage in a reasonably period of time and the damage is caused due to matters beyond NEOSYS control such as non-dedicated servers and power failures then data must be restored and client advised why they are going to suffer loss of data.

THIS DOES NOT RELEASE NEOSYS SUPPORT STAFF FROM THE OBLIGATION TO PROACTIVELY INFORM THE CLIENT OF MEASURES TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF THE EVENT.

The following are the steps to follow:
# Ascertain the cause of the damage to the database by looking at the internal logs
# Create a new database from the damaged one as it will contain the up to date but damaged database.
# Restore the database from the backup media so that the database is in the last good known state.
# The client can see what work was done over the past couple of days from the damaged database and it will assist them to redo the work in the currently restored out of date main database.
# Next discuss with the client about the cause of the damage and (a) what to do to prevent the damage occurring again (b) to agree a procedure to perform a manual backup in case the automatic one is not performed for any reason overnight.

Installing EMS Magic

2012-11-01T06:22:05Z

Vineet:

The EMS (Emulate Expanded) memory support is not available in Windows 2008.

On Windows 2003, normally EMS memory is provided, but this can vary depending on the server hardware/bios configuration.
Sometimes lack of EMSMAGIC may cause errors like:
#Backup File Size is 0
#RTP27. [B28] Not enough String Space – Out of Memory
#B703 Error
#B706 - String Space Format Error

Please read the notes at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Recognising_and_Solving_Low_Memory_Problems|Recognising and Solving Low Memory Problems]] to understand more about EMS related problems. AS NEOSYS requires this important legacy feature it is required to an EMS emulator called EMSMAGIC

The steps are:

# Download http://www.neosys.com/support/EMSMAGIC.EXE and place it in C:\Windows folder
# Edit c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt file in Notepad to include the following at the bottom:
[[image:autoexecnt.jpg]]

Once you are done with the above, test that the EMS memory shows in the maintenance mode by typing WHO in the command line (instructions at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_EMS_Memory_Configuration|Checking EMS Memory Configuration]])

Another quick way to test that EMS Magic is functioning is to notice this screen as soon as you open up a maintenance or process window:

[[image:emsscreenmaint.jpg]]

Setting up HTTPS

2012-10-30T13:52:36Z

Vineet: /* Creating multiple HTTPS web sites */

== Creating a single HTTPS web site on Windows 2008 ==

Install selfssl.exe from Microsoft site (iis60rkt.exe available in neosys nl1 download folder) only the ssl utility is needed.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=56fc92ee-a71a-4c73-b628-ade629c89499&displaylang=en

However please note that the command is different from the usual one:

[[image:sslwin2008-1.jpg]]

C:\Program Files\IIS Resources\SelfSSL>selfssl.exe /N:CN=NEOSYS-SERVER /K:1024 /V:9999
Microsoft (R) SelfSSL Version 1.0
Copyright (C) 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Do you want to replace the SSL settings for site 1 (Y/N)?y
Error opening metabase: 0x80040154
C:\Program Files\IIS Resources\SelfSSL>

Ignore the error.

Next go to the IIS Manager and make sure the certificate was created and stored. Note that creating a certificate does not make it automatically bind to the website.

[[image:sslwin2008-2.jpg]]

Once you make sure it is created, then click on Sites > Default Website and in the right pane select Bindings:

[[image:sslwin2008-3.jpg]]

In the Bindings section - click on Add and select https, All Unassigned IP addresses, port 4430 and select the certificate from the drop down and press click on OK:

[[image:sslwin2008-4.jpg]]

Then test the site from explorer to make sure it works.

== Creating a single HTTPS web site on Windows 2003 ==

Install selfssl.exe from Microsoft site (iis60rkt.exe available in neosys nl1 download folder) only the ssl utility is needed.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=56fc92ee-a71a-4c73-b628-ade629c89499&displaylang=en

then

[[Image:SelfSSL.png]]

C:\Program Files\IIS Resources\SelfSSL>selfssl /v:9999 /s:'''''866651215''''' /p:4430 /n:CN='''''hostname'''''
Microsoft (R) SelfSSL Version 1.0
Copyright (C) 2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Do you want to replace the SSL settings for site 866651215 (Y/N)?y
The self signed certificate was successfully assigned to site 866651215.

/v:9999 means valid for 9999 days
/s:'''''866651215''''' is the site number in this case (site number is shown in IIS management screen)
/p:4430 is the non-standard port number neosys uses by convention for ssl/https instead of the standard 443
/n:CN='''''hostname''''' indicates the full domain name of the site and depends on what you want to use (eg. clientname.hosts.neosys.com if the site is hosted on nl1/nl1b or clientname.support.neosys.com (if fixed IP) / clientname.redirectme.net (if dynamic IP) IF the site is hosted on the client server.

You probably made a mistake in the site number if you get the following message.

Error opening site metabase key: 0x80070003

== Creating a single HTTPS web site on nl1/nl1b ==

=== Creating a site in IIS ===

Each client hosted on nl1/nl1b uses the same IP address, but unique https port numbers starting from 4431 onwards. Similarly tcp/https also needs to be configured with unique port numbers starting from 8123 onwards. An updated list of the port numbers in use is updated in the GDocs file "nl1/nl1b port numbers".

==== Creating a site in IIS in Windows 2003 (nl1) ====

The https options are only available after running selfssl (see below).

[[Image:httpadvancedwebsitesetup.png]]

==== Creating a site in IIS in Windows 2008 (nl1b) ====

Follow the procedures as explained in "Creating a single HTTPS web site on Windows 2008"

=== Testing access to the new https web site. ===

Make a subdomain '''clientname'''.hosts.neosys.com

https://'''clientname'''.hosts.neosys.com:4430/neosys

If you get certificate error:

#check that the selfsll /n:CN='''clientname'''.hosts.neosys.com matches the domain name used in IE
#install the certificate into the client computer (double click the padlock, view certificates etc)

closing all internet explorer versions and restarting is necessary for installed certificates to become effective.

== Creating multiple HTTPS web sites ==

=== Bugs ===

SelfSSL allows only one website to have SSL at a time in Windows 2003. However to avoid any issues in the future the solutions below have been provided for both Windows 2003 and 2008.

IIS Diagnostics Toolkit which has fixed SelfSSL but doesnt allow full control
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/iis/diagnostictools/default.mspx

=== Solution for Windows 2003 ===

Use selfssl as follows:

"Wizard" in the following means IIS, Web Sites, (website), properties, directory security, server certificate, next, Renew/Remove/Export/Import

Certificates must be saved in d:\hosts\certificates preferably by name for easy reference otherwise by site number. If this is not done then if certificates need to be regenerated then you have the pain of supporting re-import of certificates by all users. In some cases this isn't easy e.g. Vista.

#delete any existing certificate
#create certificate for a site in SELFSSL following the normal procedure
#export the certificate to a pfx file (Wizard) USE PASSWORD FOUND IN CERTIFICATES FOLDER
#remove the certificate (Wizard)
#import pfx certificate back (Wizard)
#*Use PASSWORD found in certificates folder
#*Make sure you select the "mark certificate as exportable" option [[image:import-export.jpg]] 

Continue adding sites this way and they should work perfectly fine. Just follow the sequence here for each site being added.

NOTE: The EXPORT/REMOVE/IMPORT stage is necessary where there are multiple https sites on one server since any subsequent SELFCERT seems to destroy all other sites done with SELFCERT that have not been exported/REMOVED/imported.

=== Re-installing Certificates ===

Sometimes due to an unknown issue, site/s stop working and hence there is a need to re-install the site certificate.

==== Re-installing Certificates from saved PFX files ====

Just do the first and last steps of the normal installation procedure.

#delete the existing certificate (IIS->Site->directory security->server certificate wizard)
#import pfx certificate (IIS->Site->directory security->server certificate wizard)
#*Use PASSWORD found in certificates folder
#*Make sure you select the "mark certificate as exportable" option [[image:import-export.jpg]] 

==== Re-installing Certificates from selfssl ====

Repeat the usual installation method above without missing the delete stage

If users have installed certificates in their browsers then they will have to reinstall them again to avoid the usual "certificate not trusted/matching" type problems.

=== Solution for Windows 2008 ===

The solution involves generating the certificate and thereafter saving it. Certificates must be saved in d:\hosts\certificates preferably by name for easy reference otherwise by site number. If this is not done then if certificates need to be regenerated then you have the pain of supporting re-import of certificates by all users.

#Create certificate for a site in SELFSSL following the normal procedure of Windows 2008
#Export the certificate to a pfx file from IIS Manager > Click on Certificate > Export (use the location stated above - password to be set will be in a txt file in the same folder)
#Remove the certificate from IIS Manager
#Import pfx certificate back from IIS Manager
#*Use PASSWORD found in certificates folder
#*Make sure you select the "mark certificate as exportable" option [[image:import-export.jpg]] 

Note: Importing and Exporting certificates in Windows 2008 is just one part of the step to add certificates to sites and you need to follow the usual instructions to "bind" the certificate to a particular site.

=== Re-installing Certificates ===

Sometimes due to an unknown issue, site/s stop working and hence there is a need to re-install the site certificate.

==== Re-installing Certificates from saved PFX files ====

#Unbind the certificate from the site
#Remove the certificate from IIS Manager
#Import pfx certificate back from IIS Manager
#*Use PASSWORD found in certificates folder
#*Make sure you select the "mark certificate as exportable" option [[image:import-export.jpg]] 
#Rebind the certificate

File:Import-export.jpg

2012-10-30T13:48:50Z

Vineet:

File:New Installation Checklist windows 2003.doc

2012-10-24T11:50:29Z

Vineet: uploaded a new version of "File:New Installation Checklist windows 2003.doc"

Troubleshooting NEOSYS Generally

2012-10-24T11:45:57Z

Vineet: /* Fixing Low Memory */

== Solving failure to start a NEOSYS server due to disk failure message ==
=== Problem ===
During a reboot process (which maybe due to a Windows update or even done by a support personnel) the NEOSYS server gets hung on the startup and shows a message "Boot Failure - Abort, Retry".

=== Temporary solution ===
This typically happens due to the USB being plugged into the server and the boot sequence being wrong - i.e. the server trying to boot from the USB first and fails. The immediate solution would be to unplug the USB and ask the client to reboot the server again and upon successfully rebooting the system, plug the USB back again.

=== Permanent solution ===
The above problem will occur every time the computer is rebooted, so you need to immediately talk to the IT Administrator of the client and ask them to rectify the boot sequence to make it boot first from the CD ROM, then the HDD and last the USB.
 Allowing "Boot from USB" causes a severe risk of infection by boot sector viruses since the first infected USB device inserted WILL infect the server immediately as anti-virus programs are not active during boot.

== Solving NEOSYS process hung due to “Abort, Retry, Fail” ==
=== Problem ===
The following messages may come on older versions of NEOSYS if there is a some problem with the USB media inserted for backup.

[[image:usberror.jpg]]

This results in “NEOSYS has not checked in” message on Nagios since it hangs during the monitoring update and locks all other processes from monitoring too.

General failure writing drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Not read reading drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Pressing A or F results in the problem happening again in about a minute, perhaps on a different process.

=== Solution ===
Temporary solution is to do “Safely remove hardware” from the windows notification area. Using “Eject” from My Computer will not work.

Permanent solution is to replace the defective USB memory stick. Sometime reformatting is sufficient.

Upgrading NEOSYS will probably stop the defective media from causing NEOSYS to hang but the USB will still be useless for backup.

== Solving "Read error in the operating system file" ==
=== Problem ===
Nagios reports a hung process and on the server a process has the following message popup.

Read error in the operating system file "..\DATA\PT0833\ACCOUNTS\REV20049
The file does not exist or the filename is
not valid for the operating system.

[[Image:readerrorintheoperatingsystemfile.png]]

=== Cause ===
Some non-NEOSYS program is directly accessing the NEOSYS database files while NEOSYS processes are running and using the files as well.

*Client IT staff using a backup program to perform backup without ensuring that NEOSYS processes are shutdown.
*A NEOSYS rsync process taking longer than expected due to new USB.

=== Solution ===
Kill the NEOSYS process eg with the X button. It is advisable NOT to let it run further while it cannot properly access one of its files.

=== Prevention ===
Remove the third party program or arrange for it to operate only while NEOSYS processes are shutdown eg from 3am-6am.

== Troubleshooting the "Database not available" error message ==
=== Problem explained ===
This error appears when you try to login to NEOSYS after you enter your username and password and click the Login button.

[[image:database_unavailable.jpg]]

Error message :

Cannot login because :
Error : The (database code) database is not available right now.

=== Solution explained ===
# Determine if the processes are running. If they are running and you still get the same message that means that the proccesses have hung. Close them by hitting the X button on the window.
# If the processes are not visible, it is possible that they are running in the background and have hung for some reason. Check the windows task manager to see if any ‘ntvdm’ process is running. If so, use the End Process method to force close it.
# If there is no trace of any process running, that means the process probably did not start at the scheduled time. Refer to the 'Hung Process Reports' to verify this claim.
# If the process had not hung, then the server might have restarted due to a power failure or a windows update and the administrator user had not logged in post the scheduled startup time of 6AM. To determine this cause, investigate in the Windows Event Viewer Log file.
# You can now start up the process by clicking on the respective desktop icons.
# Also check if the backup took place successfully or not. If not take a manual backup.

== Handling damaged files ==

[[Handling damaged files]]

== Checking for corrupt database files ==
Login to NEOSYS Maintenance

Press F5

CHK.FILES

or

CHK.FILES filename

== Assessing Database Size per File ==
In NEOSYS maintenance mode

LIST FILES BY BY-DSND SIZE VOLUME.NAME SIZE

This will include all files not just those in the actual dataset in DATA\* folders.

== Resolving slow speed ==
=== [[Benchmarking NEOSYS]] ===
=== Investigating CPU 100% using Windows Task Manager ===
Email, to support, a screen-shot of task manager APPLICATIONS, PROCESSES and PERFORMANCE screens MAXIMIZED TO SHOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

(Sort the processes to show ntvdm, waiting.exe and high cpu% processes clearly)

'''Steps:'''
#Right Click on Windows Taskbar and click on Start Task Manager [[image:starttaskmanager.jpg]] 
#Click on Processes and then click on CPU '''Note - The HIGH cpu% processes which should usually be the "process" called "System Idle Process" ''' [[image:cpu100percent1.jpg]] 
#Click on the Performance Tab '''Note - PF Usage should typically be much less than Physical Memory otherwise there is insufficient real memory in the server to handle the load''' [[image:cpu100percent3.jpg]] 
#Click on Application Tab then Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Bring to Front '''See what the NEOSYS Process is doing [[image:cpu100percent2.jpg]] 
#Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Go to Processes '''Note the cpu% ntvdm process [[image:cpu100percent2_2.jpg]] 
#Normally NEOSYS application screens say "LISTENING" in the bottom line and those applications should have very low cpu% [[image:normalneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Look at the difference between the screen of running NEOSYS processes (applications actually) which are idle (listening for requests) and active (processing a request from a user)
#Note the number of cpus or cpu threads in the server from the performance screen graphics [[image:performance-taskmgr-cputhread.jpg]] 
#Take screen-shots of any and ALL hung or long running processes (NEOSYS application screens) and email them to support. Even small details on the screens and user names, the user names may give clues to what problem caused the hanging.A Typical Hung NEOSYS process will look like this: [[image:hungneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Once all hung/long processes are closed then CPU should be low and not near 100%. If it is still 100% then check all high cpu% processes and send a screen-shot of processes sorted to show the high cpu% process names to support.

=== Solving server CPU% is 100 and all users are extremely slow/stopped ===
==== Too few cpus/threads for the number of users ====
In Windows task manager normally, you should see one ntvdm.exe and one waiting.exe process per NEOSYS process (application). A standard installation has three NEOSYS processes per main database and plus one per test database. This is configured in Support Menu, Configuration File.

If there are MORE ntvdm processes than you expect from the configuration file, then perhaps NEOSYS is auto starting new NEOSYS processes to try and cater for a high number of concurrent users.

If the number of concurrent NEOSYS processes significantly exceeds the number of cpus/hyperthreads available in the server then processing for everybody can become so slow for everybody and almost no work gets done.

==== Solution ====
Stop NEOSYS creating new NEOSYS processes automatically. Create a text file with the first and only line as AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder something like this.

notepad d:\neosys\neosys\NET.CFG

AUTOSTART=NO

== Handling failure and warning on nightly backup alerts ==

[[Handling failure and warning messages on nightly backup alerts]]

== Resolving permissions errors while logging in ==

=== Problem ===

While logging in, you get the following error message:
[[Image:login_error_message.jpg]]

=== Solution ===

Add the internet guest account to the security list of the data folder with the default permission of list/read/write

Make sure the read&execute permission is removed
[[Image:permissions_on_data.jpg]]

== Resolving the 'HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error' while logging in on IE on a Windows Vista system ==

=== Problem ===
After configuring IIS on Windows Vista you will get this error message while trying to login into NEOSYS from Internet Explorer:

HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error
Description: This application is running in an application pool that uses the Integrated .NET
mode. This is the preferred mode for running ASP.NET applications on the current and future
version of IIS.

In this mode, the application using client impersonation configured with <identity
impersonate="true" /> may not behave correctly. Client impersonation is not available in early
ASP.NET request processing stages and may lead modules in those stages to execute with process
identity instead.

=== Solution ===

You can move the application to an application pool that uses the Classic .NET mode by using the following from a command line window (the window must be running as Administrator)

%systemroot%\system32\inetsrv\APPCMD.EXE set app "Default Web Site/neosys" /applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

Alternatively, you can use any other application pool on your system that is running in the Classic .NET mode. You can also use the IIS Administration tool to move this application to another application pool.

== Resolving the 'Class Not Registered' error message while logging in ==

=== Problem ===
While logging into NEOSYS, you will get a popup window giving an error message saying 'Class Not Registered - Server Error'. Typically, you will encounter this error with XP Pro IIS 5.1. As usual, there's way to solve it, however the root cause of this is still unknown.

Anyway, you will get the proper message in the event log:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W3SVC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 36
Description: The server failed to load application '/LM/W3SVC/1/ROOT/NEOSYS.
The error was 'Class not registered'.

=== Solution ===
So, what do you do ? This problem is related to Component Services, and when you open Component Services MMC, you will most probably get Error Code 8004E00F COM + was unable to talk to Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator. So, fix the COM+ services first by using the following KB from Microsoft (PRB: Cannot Expand "My Computer" in Component Services MMC Snap-In http://support.microsoft.com/?id=301919):

To resolve this problem, reinstall Component Services as follows: WARNING:
# Open registry editor, locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\COM3, and then delete this key.
# From the Start menu, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs.
# Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
# Proceed through the wizard, and accept all of the defaults (including IIS)
# Restart the computer.

If the above didn't solve it, and you still receive the 'Class not registered' error message, then you need to recreate the IIS packages in COM+, try

# Delete IIS related package in Component Services MMC
# IIS In-Process Applications
# IIS Out-of-Process Pooled Applications
# IIS Utilities

Next, if you still get the message, try following before re-install IIS if you can't find Distributed Transaction Coordinator in your Services console.

Launch command prompt and run the following command.
# msdtc -install
# net start msdtc

Then try re-install IIS.

This should solve the problem

== Enabling File Security option on Win XP Professional ==

=== Problem ===

In the Properties of any folders, the Security option does not show, hence you cannot modify the Read, Write options.

=== Solution ===

The solution would be to untick the 'Simple File Sharing' option from Tools > Folder Options > View:
[[Image:simplefilesharingoff.jpg]]

== B703 Errors ==

The B703 error is usually always related to something too big for NEOSYS to handle.

These are the only B errors that NEOSYS cant always permanently prevent by fixing the software.

== Internet Explorer Menu, View, Text Size doesnt change font size as expected ==

Cause: This is because the font size is now user definable in NEOSYS and View, Text Size does not override predefined font sizes.

Solution: If you are using Internet Explorer 7 you can scale the screen (including the font size using ctrl + and ctrl - keyboard shortcuts or the font size button on the bottom right hand side of the window.

You can adjust the font size on the User Details form when you login although this permanently applies to all forms not just the one that you are on.

== Error on process window "Not enough string space - Out of Memory" ==

=== Message ===

‘RTP27’ Line 1. [B29] Not enough string space – Out of Memory.

Not enough memory to execute Debugger; current program aborted.
Press any key to continue

[[Image:out_of_memory.jpg]]

=== Cause ===
Unknown perhaps related to some large document or report

=== Solution ===
Ask users for any hanging transactions.
None other than closing and starting another process

== Uploaded jpg files fail to display in internet explorer ==

Some large jpg files > 2Mb cannot be viewed in internet explorer despite being viewable in image preview, ms paint and other viewers/editors. It is not an issue caused by uploading or downloading the files.

These file appear to have been created on Photoshop CS Macintosh and may be a special type of uncompressed jpg used for production quality files.

=== Partial solution ===
Before uploading the files, open them in some editor like MS Paint (right click, edit) and save them. However this results in a loss of quality. Perhaps there is some program that can convert these files to a format understandable by Internet explorer without any loss of quality.

== "You have attempted to write to a read-only file" ==

=== Message ===

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "..\DATA\ADLINEC\ADAGENCY\REV76467.OV00012618")

=== Cause ===

It is almost certainly due to some third party backup or other maintenance software opening the NEOSYS database files when it shouldn't e.g. badly configured third party backup scheduled to backup NEOSYS while NEOSYS is still running. Note that the exact filename varies each time.

=== Solution ===

This can be a serious error that causes damaged files in NEOSYS especially if the filename ends in .OV. Use the usual methods of checking for damaged files e.g. do a backup which also looks for damaged files BUT DO NOT OVERWRITE THE LATEST BACKUP SINCE IT MAY BE REQUIRED for restoration. Then fix the damaged files using the usual methods e.g. by rebuilding/using
FIXFILE or restoring databases.

=== Prevention ===

Remove the third party backup or other maintenance software or reschedule it to run at a time that NEOSYS is shutdown. Removal of software may require hunting through the windows process list for unexpected programs running.

== Resolving "Cannot backup/restore because PROCESS1 PROCESS2 (etc) is/are online" message ==

This can happen for a variety of reasons if all the NEOSYS processes fail to close down at backup time

# NEOSYS maintenance windows are left open.
# NEOSYS processes hang due to software error.

== How to kill hung NEOSYS processes ==

NOTE WELL: If you kill actively working NEOSYS processes (those which are "listening" and not hung/crashed) there is a reasonable chance that the database will be damaged and might need a restore losing possibly large amounts of work.

==== If NEOSYS processes are visible on the server desktop ====

Look for processes which don't have "Listening ..." on the last but one line. The times on the left hand side are frozen as at the time of the hang.

You can then click the X to kill the process and confirm that this is OK.

Example of a NEOSYS process that has hung due to a software error resulting in a failure to handle a complex query with a lot of brand codes.

[[Image:hungprocess.jpg]]

==== If NEOSYS processes are not visible on the server desktop ====

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on computer restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be running in the background. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

You can check if there are any hung processes from the NEOSYS Support Menu, List of Database Processes.
[[Image:databaseprocesseslist.jpg]]

In this case you should follow the below instructions - however all of them need to be done within 30 seconds of starting the first instruction to avoid inconvenience to the users. It is recommend that you keep relevant windows open before proceeding with the same:

#Shutdown NEOSYS by TEMPORARILY putting a file called GLOBAL.END in the parent directory of NEOSYS (if there is already a GLOBAL.END.TEMP file then rename it to GLOBAL.END). Leaving the file there would prevent NEOSYS from starting up again. Shutting down NEOSYS from the Support menu will not work because of the hung processes.
#Use Windows Task Manager to kill all the NTVDM processes - assuming that you have closed all the visible NEOSYS processes, then the NTVDM processes in the task manager would be the hung one.
#Delete GLOBAL.END or rename it to GLOBAL.END.TEMP
#Restart the processes back again. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.
#*Restarting a process is not noticed by users.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

=== Temporary workarounds for hung NEOSYS processes ===
Until the error in the software is fixed users can often get their results by simplifying their requirements. For example select individual clients instead of selecting all the brands for a particular client. If the user has repeated his request (in forlorn hope that it would work finally) then the number of NEOSYS working NEOSYS processes will drop causing severe slowdown for other users and complete stop if all the NEOSYS processes hang.

== How to fix a NEOSYS process which opens up in a notepad instead of Microsoft Windows Based Script Host (i.e. DOS window)==

The NEOSYS process (cmd file) might open up in a notepad, instead of the usual black colour DOS window. This can be fixed by the following:

# Download and install the Windows Script 5.6/5.7 from the Microsoft Website
# Go to any folder, click on Tools > Folder Options > File Types and find the .JS and .JSE and change the default program to wscript.exe (from windows>system32)

== Resolving a 'Could not start' error on Scheduled Tasks in Windows Server 2000 SP4 ==

This error occurs because of a change that is made to the data that is stored in the credentials database when you install Windows 2000 SP4. Hence installing SP4 causes the the data that is stored in the credentials database to get converted to an SP4-compatible format. A registry key is configured to indicate that the data has been converted to the SP4 format.

Hence the Scheduled Tasks do not work sometimes. However the Scheduled Tasks works fine sometimes, but when you uninstall SP4, it does not work.

The best solution is to:

# Incase Scheduled Tasks do not work after installing SP4, then uninstall SP4 and it should be fine.
# Incase Scheduled Tasks works after installing SP4, and later after uninstalling SP4, it does not work, then install SP4 and it should be fine.

== Checking for server or NEOSYS crashes ==

#NEOSYS Maintenance Mode
#General Menu, Setup, Processes
#Select the dates and the option Detailed

This report shows a list of dates and times that NEOSYS logged in but did not log out properly.

Ignore the very latest entries since they represent the current NEOSYS processes. For example, if you have four NEOSYS processes running at the time that you get the report (including any in maintenance mode) then you can ignore the last four entries.

The date and time shows for each process that has failed to shutdown correctly when the process logged in. Versions of NEOSYS from January 2008 will also show the date and time that each crashed NEOSYS process was last active (heartbeat) so that the time of failure can be known.

If you see a bunch of NEOSYS processes all started up at around the same time but all failed to shutdown correctly then the cause will be a server failure - usually power failure.

Isolated one-off failures will be related to individual NEOSYS process crashes - most commonly caused by one of the following:

#NEOSYS hanging to due to software failure
#Manually exiting a NEOSYS process on the server either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del or clicking the "X" close icon/box and ignoring the warning
#Random server failures eg memory, disk etc

Example:

LOGIN 22/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:53 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 13:51 NEOSYS SERVER NEOSYS Current user session

Interpretation:

The first four entries indicate that all four NEOSYS processes started at 06am were suddenly killed probably by power failure

The next four entries indicate that NEOSYS was restarted at around 08:52 and all these processes were AGAIN killed probably by power failure

The last four entries can be ignored because there were four NEOSYS processes running at the time that the report was generated

== Searching for word/number in the database files using maintenance mode ==

You can search for any word/number in the database files of NEOSYS, using the following command line:

F5
FIND FILENAME WORDWITHOUTANYSPACES

For eg:
FIND CURRENCIES 1.1
(here you are searching for the number 1.1 in the currencies file) You CANNOT search for a phrase ie include spaces like this.

Or you can also type:
FIND FILENAME <enter>
and it will ask you what you want do to search. You can enter an exact phrase with spaces.

Incase you do not know the filenames, you can enter the following command to see all the filenames in the system:

F5
LF

== Troubleshooting the NTVDM Hard error when opening up NEOSYS processes ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears:

[[Image:ntvdm.jpg]]

NTVDM encountered a hard error

=== Solution ===

This error is caused by missing or corrupt Windows system files (i.e. command.com, autoexec.nt and config.nt). The solution is to run a program called XP FIX which will reinstall these missing files. You can download it form http://www.visualtour.com/downloads/xp_fix.exe

Sometimes even after running the XP FIX program the error still appears. Then you need to copy all the files under C:/windows/repair to C:/windows/system32 and in the autoexec.nt and config.nt put REM before any lines there which don't have it.

== Troubleshooting a Service Unavailable message on Internet Explorer when opening up NEOSYS ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears in Internet Explorer when you try to open up NEOSYS:

Service Unavailable

=== Solution ===

Open the IIS Manager, right click Web Sites and select properties:
[[Image:serviceunavailable1.jpg]]

Switch to the Service Tab and tick the "Run WWW Service in IIS 5.0 Isolation Mode".
[[Image:serviceunavailable2.jpg]]

You will be asked for Restart of IIS. Click yes to restart IIS. If you are not asked just restart IIS.

== Inspecting IIS log files ==

At a windows command prompt:

c:
cd \Windows\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

or

%SystemDrive%
cd %SystemRoot%
cd system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

then (substituting the ip number you are interested in)

find "192.168.1.55" *|sort>temp.log

Open temp.log in Excel and use Tools, Data, Text to Columns to split into columns using options "Delimited" and check split on Space.

Autowidth all columns by clicking on the top left box just outside the data to the left of column A and above column 1 then double click the column separator to the right of column "A"

Note that times and dates are in UTC/GMT so you have to add/subtract your timezone offset to get local times.

== Fixing NEOSYS processes that do not auto start / Recovering from incorrect advanced date or time ==
This solution is applicable to live database processes only. Test database processes don’t auto-start any other processes.

=== Problem explained ===
After starting up the 1st process, the rest of the processes don't start up.

=== Solution ===

The possible cause for this could be that the system date/time might have been changed - either manually or by the auto synchronization. Do the following checks in the sequence of order:

# Check for any *.$* files (* after dollar sign should show a number, the highest being the latest one). If it shows OK, then proceed ahead.
# Check for any .end files and delete it to rename to .end.temp
# Check the System Event Viewer log for any 520 or 577 error message (refer http://128.175.24.251/forensics/timechange.htm). Also check for any out of sequence / ahead of today date or time.
# In case of no 520 or 577 error message, go to Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > Local Policies > Audit Policy > Audit Privilege use - make sure that Success and Failure are selected under this (this will ensure that future changes to the date/time are recorded in the System Log).
# In NEOSYS maintenance mode - F5 ED PROCESSES %UPDATE% - and see what it says, incase of any text (only text, not numbers) there, that means that for sure the system date has been changed. To fix this, exit the editor by pressing the ESCAPE key and then type DELETE PROCESSES "%UPDATE%"

== Recognising and Solving Low Memory Problems ==

Quick Note: Installing a server class operating system on a workstation class computer with the intention of NEOSYS serving a heavy load is likely to cause problems with low memory.

Quick Fix: Disable *ALL* non-essential features in the power-on setup menu.

=== Effects ===

It is speculated but not proven that low memory may cause NEOSYS to fail by hanging, causing damaged files etc.

=== Checking ===

F5
MEMORY

On server class machines it should say somewhere around 350Kb to 370Kb Free

Some server class machines have around 330Kb and sometimes even less with no reported problems

The actual effect of low memory is supposed to make NEOSYS slower and perhaps cause hanging and damaged files however this has not been proven in an specific case so far.

On workstation class machines it may often say around 280Kb to 300Kb.

=== Cause ===

Although there is plenty of real memory in virtually all computers now, NEOSYS runs in the legacy 16 bit virtual memory space of a windows mode called NTVDM. This is limited to 1Mb plus 4Mb of EMS memory.

The 1Mb memory space is shared with:

#Various non-essential windows drivers which NEOSYS automatically disables them in autoexec.nt
#Various plug and play hardware device drivers for the various adapters in the computer like video, network adapters and various other items that NEOSYS is unable to disable.

In a server class computer the hardware device drivers are usually minimally present in the 1Mb base memory and do not therefore DOESNT a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

In workstation class computers there are often many hardware device drivers present in the 1Mb base memory and this DOES causes a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

When NEOSYS is installed on workstation class computers with XP there is usually not a heavy load expectation and therefore the low memory does not cause a problem.

If Windows Server OS is installed on a workstation class computer NEOSYS may well be expected to serve a heavy load with limited amounts of memory.

Workstation class computers: hardware drivers present and EMS is installed in low memory (0000-9FFF) causing low memory for NEOSYS and possible inability to

Server class computers: Usually few hardware drivers are present in high part (A000-FFFF) of the 1Mb base memory and EMS is able to occupy the high memory leaving the low part (0000-9FFFF) of the 1Mb memory free for NEOSYS. You can find out how much memory is available to NEOSYS and whether EMS is occuping high or low memory using the following sections.

=== Fixing Low Memory ===

Start, Run, notepad c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt

Every time NEOSYS starts it tries to make some changes as follow:

#replaces all lines in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/AUTOEXEC.NT starting with 'lh ' to start with 'rem NEOSYS LH ' instead.
#changes the line in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG.NT "files=..." to "FILES=200"

The replacement is case sensitive triggered on 'lh' and 'files' so if you manually edit the files and remove the rem or change the number of files and leave the LH and FILES in uppercase then NEOSYS will NOT make further changes. This allows you to do manual amendments to the files without NEOSYS overwriting them.

Check that NEOSYS has successfully disabled all the drivers in the lines starting with LH.

They should be commented out (prefixed) with REM or REM NEOSYS as follows.

After making changes reopen NEOSYS in maintenance mode to use the MEMORY and WHO commands again.

<pre>
REM Install CD ROM extensions
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

REM Install DPMI support
REM NEOSYS LH %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\DOSX
</pre>

Low Memory Issues in Windows 2003 server can be fixed using instructions mentioned at [http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Enabling_EMS_memory_on_Window_2003| Fixing Low Memory in Windows 2003 Server]

=== Allowing DOS programs that require DOSX to run on the same computer as NEOSYS ===

The automatic commenting out DOSX by NEOSYS will prevent some other DOS-like programs from running. If NEOSYS is on dedicated server then there should be no other such programs to fail. However, if you must allow DOS-like programs to work as well as NEOSYS you can do the following configuration:

#leave or restore the original AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files where they are
#copy them to another folder eg neosys folder
#make the necessary REM changes there by hand
#right click the NEOSYS\NEOSYS\AREV.PIF and select properties
#change the location of the AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files in the following location

[[image:pifsettings.jpg]]

=== Checking EMS Memory Configuration ===

==== Inspection ====

F5
WHO

press the up arrow to get to the last part/page

===== Example of Typical Server EMS Memory =====
[[image:serveremm.jpg]]

===== Example of Typical Workstation EMS Memory =====
[[image:workstationemm.jpg]]

====Correction====

No easy way

Removal of hardware adapters designed for workstations instead of servers eg graphics cards and network cards.

Many of the devices may be located on the motherboard and not relocatable except possibly by BIOS configuration or special manufacturer information.

Use windows device manager, View: Resources by Connection, Open the Memory item and look for items between 000A0000 up to 000FFFFF that might give you a clue as to what hardware could be removed or reconfigured. Actually only 000C0000 to 000FFFFF is candidate for EMS memory since 000A000-000BFFFF is mandatory video memory in all systems.

[[image:devicemanager.jpg]]

== Resolving issue where NEOSYS processes do not start-up at all or start-up and close immediately ==

# Find if a file with the name global.end exists in the root directory of the NEOSYS installation. Eg D:\global.end . If you find such a file, rename it to global.end.temp - for more information on global.end and what it does refer to [[Closing NEOSYS services]]
# If the above didn't fix the problem and NEOSYS still does not start, do a windows search for the entire NEOSYS folder for *.end (i.e. any file ending with .end extension). You may find a (databasecode).end file in D:\neosys\neosys folder which is created by the NEOSYS program during backup at 1 am and later on removed automatically. In this case NEOSYS program might have crashed during the backup and left this file behind. (databasecode).end files prevent other other NEOSYS processes starting up on the database while exclusive processes (like backup) are being done.

In case the above didn't fix the problem then escalate to the programmer immediately.

== Handling Change Backup message if the client does not use a USB backup device ==
DO *NOT* FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE SINCE IS IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR NEOSYS TO SEND OUT A "BACKUP SUCCESS" MESSAGE WHEN THE BACKUP IS NOT BEING DONE PROPERLY. IN GENERAL, TAKING SHORT CUTS THAT MAKE THINGS APPEAR SATISFACTORY WHEN THEY ARE NOT IS VERY POOR POLICY.

IF THE CLIENT IS BACKING UP TO A NON-REMOVABLE DESTINATION THEN EITHER 1. LIVE WITH THE FAILURE MESSAGE OR 2. SUPPRESS THE BACKUP ENTIRELY IN WHICH CASE NO BACKUPS ARE BEING DONE AND PROBABLY THIS WILL SHOW ON NEOSYS PROACTIVE WARNING SYSTEMS LIKE NAGIOS.

# Basically most of the client use USB for Neosys server but there are some clients who do not use USB but save their backups in hard drive.
# As we know that backup take place in Data.bak folder but it do a backup only for a week in a single USB. Over here client do not use USB but save their backup in hard drive in Data.bak folder, once the week is over it will again give Change backup message.
# In this case rename the Data.bak folder to Data1.bak this is done because system read only Data.bak folder as it is configured in the system. When you rename Data.bak to Data1.bak it automatically create a new folder Data.bak in Backup drive.
# This process is done so that the backup should not fail then next day morning and backups are done in Data.bak folder.
# In the third week we will again see the same message Chang backup USB message so you need to rename Data.bak folder to Data2.bak
# But in fourth week you rename the Data1.bak to Data.bak and change the Data2.bak to Data1.bak and Data.bak to Data2.bak
# Keep only three folders and Data.bak, Data1.bak, Data2.bak and keep on renaming these folders every week as shown above.

== Closing processes that are not visible on the desktop or hidden ==

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be hidden. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

In these cases whenever there is a hung NEOSYS process - due to many reasons for eg low memory. In this case you should close all processes using the global.end method and then from the task manager kill any NTVDM processes and then restart NEOSYS. This should be done within 30 seconds from using the global.end method to avoid any inconvenience to the users. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

== NEOSYS not updating NAGIOS ==

=== Error Message ===
You notice a problem on NAGIOS indicating that '''''NEOSYS not checked in''' on a particular client server.

=== Possible Causes & Solutions ===

====The NEOSYS process is '''NOT''' running on the server====

Start the NEOSYS process and wait for 10 mins for NEOSYS to check into NAGIOS.
 

====The NEOSYS process '''is''' running on the server but still cannot connect to NAGIOS====

NEOSYS connects to NAGIOS using http. NEOSYS automatically detects and uses any http proxy configuration configured in Internet Explorer. If Internet Explorer can reach the internet then NEOSYS should be able to update to NAGIOS via the same proxy.

First check if Internet Explorer can reach NAGIOS.

If you are asked to login then the Internet Explorer is working OK. You do not need to login. Just cancel and move on to the next step.

http://monitor.neosys.com

If Internet Explorer CANNOT connect to NAGIOS then resolving that fundamental issue will probably solve the NAGIOS connection issue too.

View the Internet Explorer proxy configuration as follows:

[[image:ieproxy.png]]

If Internet Explorer CAN connect to NAGIOS then check if there is an issue with NEOSYS's http proxy server configuration as follows:

#Search for '''UPDATE.$WG''' file located in the neosys\neosys. folder and open it using notepad or wordpad.
#You should find a message similar to the following:
<pre>
Connecting to 192.168.100.145:8080 failed: No such file or directory.
</pre>
Where the above appears to be some non-functional http proxy server ip/port number and is not the expected nagios server ip number.
'''A windows proxy command shows the same ip and port:'''

On Windows 2003/XP

proxycfg

On Windows 2008/Win7

NetSH WinHTTP import Proxy ie

Output:

<pre>
Microsoft (R) WinHTTP Default Proxy Configuration Tool
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Current WinHTTP proxy settings under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\
WinHttpSettings :

Proxy Server(s) : 192.168.100.145:8080
Bypass List : 192.168.*.*;localhost;<local>

</pre>

'''Solution 1 - Remove the above setting to create a direct connection'''

#To remove the registry entries that ProxyCfg.exe creates,you must delete the WinHttpSettings value from the following registry key: <PRE>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\WinHttpSettings</PRE>
#After you do the above, confirm that the proxy details are deleted by running the proxycfg command 
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

'''Solution 2 - Configure a functioning proxy ip/port number'''
#Use the proxycfg command to enter a working proxy ip/port number/exclusion list: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384069%28VS.85%29.aspx
#After you do the above, confirm that the new proxy details are working by running the proxycfg command again
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

 Note: Please refer to the link before you restart NEOSYS processes [[http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Closing_NEOSYS_services#CLOSING_NEOSYS_SERVICES|Closing Hidden Processes]] 

== Solving “page not found” when downloading some file types after uploading them successfully ==
=== One by One ===

Windows web server will not download file types that it is unaware of. You can enable the download of new file types one by one as follows.

This process is tedious and error-prone if you have to add many type.

#Computer Management
#Services and Applications
#IIS properties
#Mime Types
#Add

=== Many ===

Window Server 2003 is unaware of all the Office 2007+ file types. To add all Office 2007+ file types at once do the following:

Stop IIS

iisreset /stop

Open the list of mime types

*Start, Run, notepad C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\MetaBase.xml

Search the file for “xlsx” and quit the editor if already inserted.

Otherwise, find the following line,

.xml,text/xml

and insert after that line the following lines. They do not need to be indented.

<pre>
.docm,application/vnd.ms-word.document.macroEnabled.12
.docx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
.dotm,application/vnd.ms-word.template.macroEnabled.12
.dotx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.template
.potm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.template.macroEnabled.12
.potx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.template
.ppam,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.addin.macroEnabled.12
.ppsm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.slideshow.macroEnabled.12
.ppsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.slideshow
.pptm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.presentation.macroEnabled.12
.pptx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation
.xlam,application/vnd.ms-excel.addin.macroEnabled.12
.xlsb,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.binary.macroEnabled.12
.xlsm,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.macroEnabled.12
.xlsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
.xltm,application/vnd.ms-excel.template.macroEnabled.12
.xltx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.template
</pre>

Save the file with File and Exit

Restart IIS

== Handling Neosys Automatic Upgrade Error Messages ==

=== Error Message ===
We will receive an email from the NEOSYS client installation with the following message:

'''"UPGRADEN.EXE" does not have expected exe MZ signature'''

=== Solution ===
This message is a note that the NEOSYS automatic update procedure failed to download an upgrade file correctly.
This happens sometimes due to network issues but can be ignored because the file will be probably be correctly downloaded on the next automatic update check.

'''Note:''' This message is only informative to help with any problem with the automatic upgrade procedure and may be removed in a later version of neosys (currently Oct 2012)

== Testing https connection ==

The following procedure tests that the https server is operational and not blocked by firewall etc. It does not detect certificate errors.

From a windows command prompt use the following telnet command:
<pre>
telnet clientname.hosts.neosys.com 4430
</pre>
#4430 is the usual NEOSYS http port but replace it by whatever port is actually used for NEOSYS https on the system being tested. If there are multiple https installations on a particular server then different ports are probably used
#Replace clientname.hosts.neosys.com with the normal https login domain name of the client for whom we want to check the https service

Normal behavior is that it should open a black screen. Pressing Enter or any key returns the _ character. (Close the window using the [X] since there is no keyboard command to do so)

Hanging means that there is some connectivity issue (firewall/ip/server not running/https not installed etc)

== Troubleshooting "page not found" error while using https ==

'''Problem:'''

#The https service stops working and gives "Page not found" error.
#The https connection tests fine using telnet (see article above)

'''Solution:'''

#Reinstall https using the usual procedure (currently using selfssl)
#Email clients, requesting to reinstall the new security certificate by following the procedure given at [http://userwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Resolving_HTTPS_certificate_error_when_logging_in_from_an_external_link Resolving https certificate error].

== Installing "QUICKDEX" on some files ==
"Quickdex" is a type of index that keeps an alphabetical order on small files. In some maintenance procedures you may be asked to "install Quickdex".

For example to add a quickdex to the UNITS file.

Maintenance mode press F5

DICT UNITS

<pre>
г=================Dictionary=================┐
│ │
│ File name UNITS │
│ Field name ......................... │
│ │
│ Dict type │
│ Single/Multi │
│ Data type │
│ Output format │
│ Validation patterns │
│ │
│ Position Key part │
│ │
│ Column heading │
│ │
│ │
│ Justification Display length │
│ Description │
│ │
│ │
L============================================-
</pre>

Press Shift+F3.

If it says "Do you want to remove ..." then Quickdex has already been installed and you should not continue. Press Esc to cancel, then Esc to quit.

<pre>
г=[B202]==================================┐
│ │
│ "UNITS" has │
│ "QUICKDEX" installed. │
│ │
│ Do you want to remove "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L=========================================-
</pre>

Otherwise it should say "Do you want to install ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W963]============================┐
│ │
│ Do you want to install a │
│ Quickdex or Rightdex index? [Q/R] │
│ │
│<Q >│
L===================================-
</pre>

It should then say "Do you want to update ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W901]========================================┐
│ │
│ The "UNITS" file has had │
│ the "QUICKDEX" modifying filing system added. │
│ There are 0 records in "UNITS". │
│ │
│ Do you want to update "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L===============================================-
</pre>

Afterwards it should return to the initial screen. Press Esc to quit.

== Solving NEOSYS smtp server failure ==
In case the neosys smtp server fails then we can just use the client's smtp server.

The following information is required from the client's smtp server configuration:
#hostname
#username
#password
#port no. (most likely = 25)

These details should be entered in the '''System Configuration File''':

[[image:SYSCFGFILE-SMTP.jpg]]

== Strange characters in maintenance mode ==
While in Maintenance mode, pressing keys on keyboard gives strange characters. Even Enter and Esc don’t work.

This problem has been seen using RDP on:
*Window Server 2003 Web Edition
*Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2

[[image:strangecharmaint.jpg]]

Solution:
#Go to Windows -> control panel
#Go to Regional and Language Options
#Click on Languages tab then click on Details [[image:lang1.jpg]] 
#Click on Settings Tab and Change default input language to English (United States) (or perhaps something else depending on rdp keyboard) [[image:lang2.jpg]] 

== NEOSYS processes do not start after Windows Update ==

Servers with Windows 2008 will not start the NEOSYS processes after Windows update. The user will have to be log into the server to start the processes.

If one gets this message on the Schedule Task " The operation being requested was not performed because the user has not logged on to the network. The specified service does not exit ".
Then they should tick the options Run whether user is logged on or not and Run with highest privileges in General settings of the Task.

[[image:sti.jpg]]

== Troubleshooting Network Outages reflected in Nagios due to reassigning of router name or IP address ==
Nagios displays errors if a router name or the ip address it is monitoring have been reassigned.

We can resolve this issue by trying to find the ISP router ip address just before the NEOSYS server.

Steps:-
#Login to Nagios
#Click on Tactical Overview -> Network Outages and click on Blocking Outages to view [[image:tracert-00.jpg]] 
#You will now see the host/ISP which is down. Click on the status map icon to identify the host associated with the ISP, as shown below: [[image:tracert-01.jpg]] 
#From the Network Map displayed, identify the host associated with the ISP. [[image:tracert-02.jpg]] 
#If you already know the ip address of the host then skip to next step else, in Nagios, click on Host Detail, then on the hostname identified earlier and From the Host Details shown, save the host url. [[image:tracert-03.jpg]] [[image:tracert-04.jpg]] 
#Log onto www.network-tools.com:
#*Select Trace
#*Enter the host's ip address if already known or host url
#*Click on Go [[image:tracert-05.jpg]] 
#The trace route should complete successfully revealing the IP address of the ISP just before the NEOSYS server. [[image:tracert-06.jpg]] 
#You can now login to zoneedit and update the ip address of the host.
#Check Nagios.

== Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding ==
This assumes that you have already “port forwarded” tcp port 19580 from your public internet router to the NEOSYS server.

=== Tst 0 - Check if SSH is working on the NEOSYS Server ===
Type in the following command in command prompt:
telnet 127.0.0.1 19580

IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

=== Test 1 - Check if SSH is basically working on NEOSYS server over the LAN ===
You must know and use the NEOSYS SERVER LAN IP to do this.

telnet ???.???.???.??? 19580

[[image:tr-pf-01.jpg]]

If you have the WRONG SERVER LAN IP or NEOSYS server SSH is NOT working then it will hang for about 15 seconds and then say “Could not open connection to host …”

[[image:tr-pf-02.jpg]]

OR IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

Press Enter to Exit

[[image:tr-pf-04.jpg]]

=== Test 2 - Check if can connect to the NEOSYS ssh from OUTSIDE the office ===
From any internet connected computer OUTSIDE the office test if you can connect to NEOSYS ssh service. You cannot do this test from inside the office.

You need to know the public ip or domain name of the router. If the router IP is dynamic then NEOSYS sets up dynamic name server so instead of a static ip number you will have a domain name something like clientxyz.redirectme.net.

Enter the command .. using YOUR public internet IP number (NOT the LAN ip number) or the dynamic domain name.

[[image:tr-pf-05.jpg]]

If everything is working OK you will get a black screen as follows. You will NOT get the “SSH-2.0-OpenSSH-4.7” banner” because NEOSYS ssh remote support is restricted to connect ONLY from LAN ip nos and NEOSYS office ip nos.

[[image:tr-pf-06.jpg]]

If you press Enter a few times then the cursor will just go down. You have click the [X] to close the window.

[[image:tr-pf-07.jpg]]

=== Test 3 - Check that the ssh connection from step 2 was rejected ===
On the NEOSYS server, check the Windows Application log to verify that an SSH connection was rejected.

The rejected ip number will be of the system outside the office that you performed the test from.

[[image:tr-pf-08.jpg]]

=== Sample Email: Solving port 19580 port forwarding issues ===

Some IT people know how to trouble shoot port forwarding issues but others are more just power users who can configure a home router. If the IT person is in the second category then it is quicker for NEOSYS support to offer to configure their router from the NEOSYS server using Teamviewer. Here is a letter advising a more skilled person to check connections using telnet which is a low level test.

You can usually determine the NEOSYS server LAN ip number from nagios. If so then adjust the email text appropriately.

<pre>
Dear xyz,

There is no connection from the internet via your router to the NEOSYS server because when we do the following:

telnet CLIENTNAME.support.neosys.com 19580

We get no connection. Normally it should connect and presents a black screen (saying SSH something after pressing Enter) which we close.

Please check that you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally by using the NEOSYS server IP address in the following command on any
computer in your LAN.

telnet 192.168.?.? 19580

If you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally then please check port forwarding.

1. Has your router ip changed?
2. Has your server’s lan ip changed and are you forwarding to the correct LAN ip?
3. Is the configuration really correct?

For further information, see http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php
/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding

Until this is resolved we cannot resolve some types of user support issues.

Best Regards,
</pre>

== Solving “Cant login … INVALID DATA PATH … permission denied” ==
=== Error Message ===

[[image:error-invalid-data-path-1.jpg]]

'''Error Text:'''

Cannot login because:
ERROR: INVALID DATA PATH
“D:\HOSTS\HOSTNAME\DATA\HOSTNAME\~8746345.1$” Permission Denied

=== Problem Explained ===
When installing NEOSYS on an existing “non-clean” Windows installation, the standard NEOSYS installation procedure can result in failure to login if the standard windows folder permissions have been modified.

=== Solution ===
The solution is to grant IIS permission to write in the \neosys\DATA folder and subfolders as follows:
#First add the IUSR_XXXXXXX user to the list of users. (XXXXXXXX is the server name and therefore varies per server) as follows:
#*Right Click on DATA Folder and click on Properties
#*Click on Security Tab -> Add -> Advanced
#*Click on Find Now, Select the IUSR_XXXXXXX user and Click on OK [[image:error-invalid-data-path-2.jpg]] [[image:error-invalid-data-path-3.jpg]] 
#Second, for the newly added IUSR (IIS user) change the permissions as follows:
#*'''REMOVE''' the read and execute permission (for security, IIS should be unable to execute things that it might have uploaded)
#*'''ADD''' the write permission [[image:error-invalid-data-path-4.jpg]] 
#Login should now be possible.

== NEOSYS process window displays message "Upgrade Downloading" ==

[[image:upgradedownloading.jpg]]

=== Problem Explained ===
NEOSYS thinks it sees an new neosys2.exe upgrade file on the location http://www.neosys.com/support/neosys2.exe which is accessed by http so attempts to download it.

Http proxies and various internet issues can cause incorrect info to be sent and there is actually no upgrade available. In this case, eventually it realizes that it cant find an appropriate and it stops.

You don’t have to worry about this case.

==Enabling EMS memory on Window 2003 ==

Normally EMS memory is provided by Windows 2003 but this can vary depending on the server hardware/bios configuration

If you get the following messages on Windows 2003

#Backup File Size is 0
#RTP27. [B28] Not enough String Space – Out of Memory

=== Cause ===

On servers that had no problem previously, the problem is caused by a windows update on 10th Oct 2012 that disables standard Windows EMS memory.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2724197

=== Solution 1 - maximum performance ===

To re-enable standard windows EMS on older slower servers or servers where NEOSYS performance must be maximized.

The following link contains instructions how to remove the offending windows update and prevent it being reinstalled automatically by Windows.

http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/emsxp.html

=== Solution 2 – ease of installation ===

This option can also be used if Window 2003 is unable to provide EMS memory for example when the server hardware/bios configuration prevents it.

Install EMSMAGIC in the same way as for Windows server 2008

EMSMAGIC has higher memory consumption and makes NEOSYS processes slower so it is better to use Solution 1 above if NEOSYS performance is an issue.

Troubleshooting NEOSYS Generally

2012-10-24T11:43:31Z

Vineet:

== Solving failure to start a NEOSYS server due to disk failure message ==
=== Problem ===
During a reboot process (which maybe due to a Windows update or even done by a support personnel) the NEOSYS server gets hung on the startup and shows a message "Boot Failure - Abort, Retry".

=== Temporary solution ===
This typically happens due to the USB being plugged into the server and the boot sequence being wrong - i.e. the server trying to boot from the USB first and fails. The immediate solution would be to unplug the USB and ask the client to reboot the server again and upon successfully rebooting the system, plug the USB back again.

=== Permanent solution ===
The above problem will occur every time the computer is rebooted, so you need to immediately talk to the IT Administrator of the client and ask them to rectify the boot sequence to make it boot first from the CD ROM, then the HDD and last the USB.
 Allowing "Boot from USB" causes a severe risk of infection by boot sector viruses since the first infected USB device inserted WILL infect the server immediately as anti-virus programs are not active during boot.

== Solving NEOSYS process hung due to “Abort, Retry, Fail” ==
=== Problem ===
The following messages may come on older versions of NEOSYS if there is a some problem with the USB media inserted for backup.

[[image:usberror.jpg]]

This results in “NEOSYS has not checked in” message on Nagios since it hangs during the monitoring update and locks all other processes from monitoring too.

General failure writing drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Not read reading drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Pressing A or F results in the problem happening again in about a minute, perhaps on a different process.

=== Solution ===
Temporary solution is to do “Safely remove hardware” from the windows notification area. Using “Eject” from My Computer will not work.

Permanent solution is to replace the defective USB memory stick. Sometime reformatting is sufficient.

Upgrading NEOSYS will probably stop the defective media from causing NEOSYS to hang but the USB will still be useless for backup.

== Solving "Read error in the operating system file" ==
=== Problem ===
Nagios reports a hung process and on the server a process has the following message popup.

Read error in the operating system file "..\DATA\PT0833\ACCOUNTS\REV20049
The file does not exist or the filename is
not valid for the operating system.

[[Image:readerrorintheoperatingsystemfile.png]]

=== Cause ===
Some non-NEOSYS program is directly accessing the NEOSYS database files while NEOSYS processes are running and using the files as well.

*Client IT staff using a backup program to perform backup without ensuring that NEOSYS processes are shutdown.
*A NEOSYS rsync process taking longer than expected due to new USB.

=== Solution ===
Kill the NEOSYS process eg with the X button. It is advisable NOT to let it run further while it cannot properly access one of its files.

=== Prevention ===
Remove the third party program or arrange for it to operate only while NEOSYS processes are shutdown eg from 3am-6am.

== Troubleshooting the "Database not available" error message ==
=== Problem explained ===
This error appears when you try to login to NEOSYS after you enter your username and password and click the Login button.

[[image:database_unavailable.jpg]]

Error message :

Cannot login because :
Error : The (database code) database is not available right now.

=== Solution explained ===
# Determine if the processes are running. If they are running and you still get the same message that means that the proccesses have hung. Close them by hitting the X button on the window.
# If the processes are not visible, it is possible that they are running in the background and have hung for some reason. Check the windows task manager to see if any ‘ntvdm’ process is running. If so, use the End Process method to force close it.
# If there is no trace of any process running, that means the process probably did not start at the scheduled time. Refer to the 'Hung Process Reports' to verify this claim.
# If the process had not hung, then the server might have restarted due to a power failure or a windows update and the administrator user had not logged in post the scheduled startup time of 6AM. To determine this cause, investigate in the Windows Event Viewer Log file.
# You can now start up the process by clicking on the respective desktop icons.
# Also check if the backup took place successfully or not. If not take a manual backup.

== Handling damaged files ==

[[Handling damaged files]]

== Checking for corrupt database files ==
Login to NEOSYS Maintenance

Press F5

CHK.FILES

or

CHK.FILES filename

== Assessing Database Size per File ==
In NEOSYS maintenance mode

LIST FILES BY BY-DSND SIZE VOLUME.NAME SIZE

This will include all files not just those in the actual dataset in DATA\* folders.

== Resolving slow speed ==
=== [[Benchmarking NEOSYS]] ===
=== Investigating CPU 100% using Windows Task Manager ===
Email, to support, a screen-shot of task manager APPLICATIONS, PROCESSES and PERFORMANCE screens MAXIMIZED TO SHOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

(Sort the processes to show ntvdm, waiting.exe and high cpu% processes clearly)

'''Steps:'''
#Right Click on Windows Taskbar and click on Start Task Manager [[image:starttaskmanager.jpg]] 
#Click on Processes and then click on CPU '''Note - The HIGH cpu% processes which should usually be the "process" called "System Idle Process" ''' [[image:cpu100percent1.jpg]] 
#Click on the Performance Tab '''Note - PF Usage should typically be much less than Physical Memory otherwise there is insufficient real memory in the server to handle the load''' [[image:cpu100percent3.jpg]] 
#Click on Application Tab then Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Bring to Front '''See what the NEOSYS Process is doing [[image:cpu100percent2.jpg]] 
#Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Go to Processes '''Note the cpu% ntvdm process [[image:cpu100percent2_2.jpg]] 
#Normally NEOSYS application screens say "LISTENING" in the bottom line and those applications should have very low cpu% [[image:normalneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Look at the difference between the screen of running NEOSYS processes (applications actually) which are idle (listening for requests) and active (processing a request from a user)
#Note the number of cpus or cpu threads in the server from the performance screen graphics [[image:performance-taskmgr-cputhread.jpg]] 
#Take screen-shots of any and ALL hung or long running processes (NEOSYS application screens) and email them to support. Even small details on the screens and user names, the user names may give clues to what problem caused the hanging.A Typical Hung NEOSYS process will look like this: [[image:hungneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Once all hung/long processes are closed then CPU should be low and not near 100%. If it is still 100% then check all high cpu% processes and send a screen-shot of processes sorted to show the high cpu% process names to support.

=== Solving server CPU% is 100 and all users are extremely slow/stopped ===
==== Too few cpus/threads for the number of users ====
In Windows task manager normally, you should see one ntvdm.exe and one waiting.exe process per NEOSYS process (application). A standard installation has three NEOSYS processes per main database and plus one per test database. This is configured in Support Menu, Configuration File.

If there are MORE ntvdm processes than you expect from the configuration file, then perhaps NEOSYS is auto starting new NEOSYS processes to try and cater for a high number of concurrent users.

If the number of concurrent NEOSYS processes significantly exceeds the number of cpus/hyperthreads available in the server then processing for everybody can become so slow for everybody and almost no work gets done.

==== Solution ====
Stop NEOSYS creating new NEOSYS processes automatically. Create a text file with the first and only line as AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder something like this.

notepad d:\neosys\neosys\NET.CFG

AUTOSTART=NO

== Handling failure and warning on nightly backup alerts ==

[[Handling failure and warning messages on nightly backup alerts]]

== Resolving permissions errors while logging in ==

=== Problem ===

While logging in, you get the following error message:
[[Image:login_error_message.jpg]]

=== Solution ===

Add the internet guest account to the security list of the data folder with the default permission of list/read/write

Make sure the read&execute permission is removed
[[Image:permissions_on_data.jpg]]

== Resolving the 'HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error' while logging in on IE on a Windows Vista system ==

=== Problem ===
After configuring IIS on Windows Vista you will get this error message while trying to login into NEOSYS from Internet Explorer:

HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error
Description: This application is running in an application pool that uses the Integrated .NET
mode. This is the preferred mode for running ASP.NET applications on the current and future
version of IIS.

In this mode, the application using client impersonation configured with <identity
impersonate="true" /> may not behave correctly. Client impersonation is not available in early
ASP.NET request processing stages and may lead modules in those stages to execute with process
identity instead.

=== Solution ===

You can move the application to an application pool that uses the Classic .NET mode by using the following from a command line window (the window must be running as Administrator)

%systemroot%\system32\inetsrv\APPCMD.EXE set app "Default Web Site/neosys" /applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

Alternatively, you can use any other application pool on your system that is running in the Classic .NET mode. You can also use the IIS Administration tool to move this application to another application pool.

== Resolving the 'Class Not Registered' error message while logging in ==

=== Problem ===
While logging into NEOSYS, you will get a popup window giving an error message saying 'Class Not Registered - Server Error'. Typically, you will encounter this error with XP Pro IIS 5.1. As usual, there's way to solve it, however the root cause of this is still unknown.

Anyway, you will get the proper message in the event log:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W3SVC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 36
Description: The server failed to load application '/LM/W3SVC/1/ROOT/NEOSYS.
The error was 'Class not registered'.

=== Solution ===
So, what do you do ? This problem is related to Component Services, and when you open Component Services MMC, you will most probably get Error Code 8004E00F COM + was unable to talk to Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator. So, fix the COM+ services first by using the following KB from Microsoft (PRB: Cannot Expand "My Computer" in Component Services MMC Snap-In http://support.microsoft.com/?id=301919):

To resolve this problem, reinstall Component Services as follows: WARNING:
# Open registry editor, locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\COM3, and then delete this key.
# From the Start menu, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs.
# Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
# Proceed through the wizard, and accept all of the defaults (including IIS)
# Restart the computer.

If the above didn't solve it, and you still receive the 'Class not registered' error message, then you need to recreate the IIS packages in COM+, try

# Delete IIS related package in Component Services MMC
# IIS In-Process Applications
# IIS Out-of-Process Pooled Applications
# IIS Utilities

Next, if you still get the message, try following before re-install IIS if you can't find Distributed Transaction Coordinator in your Services console.

Launch command prompt and run the following command.
# msdtc -install
# net start msdtc

Then try re-install IIS.

This should solve the problem

== Enabling File Security option on Win XP Professional ==

=== Problem ===

In the Properties of any folders, the Security option does not show, hence you cannot modify the Read, Write options.

=== Solution ===

The solution would be to untick the 'Simple File Sharing' option from Tools > Folder Options > View:
[[Image:simplefilesharingoff.jpg]]

== B703 Errors ==

The B703 error is usually always related to something too big for NEOSYS to handle.

These are the only B errors that NEOSYS cant always permanently prevent by fixing the software.

== Internet Explorer Menu, View, Text Size doesnt change font size as expected ==

Cause: This is because the font size is now user definable in NEOSYS and View, Text Size does not override predefined font sizes.

Solution: If you are using Internet Explorer 7 you can scale the screen (including the font size using ctrl + and ctrl - keyboard shortcuts or the font size button on the bottom right hand side of the window.

You can adjust the font size on the User Details form when you login although this permanently applies to all forms not just the one that you are on.

== Error on process window "Not enough string space - Out of Memory" ==

=== Message ===

‘RTP27’ Line 1. [B29] Not enough string space – Out of Memory.

Not enough memory to execute Debugger; current program aborted.
Press any key to continue

[[Image:out_of_memory.jpg]]

=== Cause ===
Unknown perhaps related to some large document or report

=== Solution ===
Ask users for any hanging transactions.
None other than closing and starting another process

== Uploaded jpg files fail to display in internet explorer ==

Some large jpg files > 2Mb cannot be viewed in internet explorer despite being viewable in image preview, ms paint and other viewers/editors. It is not an issue caused by uploading or downloading the files.

These file appear to have been created on Photoshop CS Macintosh and may be a special type of uncompressed jpg used for production quality files.

=== Partial solution ===
Before uploading the files, open them in some editor like MS Paint (right click, edit) and save them. However this results in a loss of quality. Perhaps there is some program that can convert these files to a format understandable by Internet explorer without any loss of quality.

== "You have attempted to write to a read-only file" ==

=== Message ===

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "..\DATA\ADLINEC\ADAGENCY\REV76467.OV00012618")

=== Cause ===

It is almost certainly due to some third party backup or other maintenance software opening the NEOSYS database files when it shouldn't e.g. badly configured third party backup scheduled to backup NEOSYS while NEOSYS is still running. Note that the exact filename varies each time.

=== Solution ===

This can be a serious error that causes damaged files in NEOSYS especially if the filename ends in .OV. Use the usual methods of checking for damaged files e.g. do a backup which also looks for damaged files BUT DO NOT OVERWRITE THE LATEST BACKUP SINCE IT MAY BE REQUIRED for restoration. Then fix the damaged files using the usual methods e.g. by rebuilding/using
FIXFILE or restoring databases.

=== Prevention ===

Remove the third party backup or other maintenance software or reschedule it to run at a time that NEOSYS is shutdown. Removal of software may require hunting through the windows process list for unexpected programs running.

== Resolving "Cannot backup/restore because PROCESS1 PROCESS2 (etc) is/are online" message ==

This can happen for a variety of reasons if all the NEOSYS processes fail to close down at backup time

# NEOSYS maintenance windows are left open.
# NEOSYS processes hang due to software error.

== How to kill hung NEOSYS processes ==

NOTE WELL: If you kill actively working NEOSYS processes (those which are "listening" and not hung/crashed) there is a reasonable chance that the database will be damaged and might need a restore losing possibly large amounts of work.

==== If NEOSYS processes are visible on the server desktop ====

Look for processes which don't have "Listening ..." on the last but one line. The times on the left hand side are frozen as at the time of the hang.

You can then click the X to kill the process and confirm that this is OK.

Example of a NEOSYS process that has hung due to a software error resulting in a failure to handle a complex query with a lot of brand codes.

[[Image:hungprocess.jpg]]

==== If NEOSYS processes are not visible on the server desktop ====

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on computer restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be running in the background. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

You can check if there are any hung processes from the NEOSYS Support Menu, List of Database Processes.
[[Image:databaseprocesseslist.jpg]]

In this case you should follow the below instructions - however all of them need to be done within 30 seconds of starting the first instruction to avoid inconvenience to the users. It is recommend that you keep relevant windows open before proceeding with the same:

#Shutdown NEOSYS by TEMPORARILY putting a file called GLOBAL.END in the parent directory of NEOSYS (if there is already a GLOBAL.END.TEMP file then rename it to GLOBAL.END). Leaving the file there would prevent NEOSYS from starting up again. Shutting down NEOSYS from the Support menu will not work because of the hung processes.
#Use Windows Task Manager to kill all the NTVDM processes - assuming that you have closed all the visible NEOSYS processes, then the NTVDM processes in the task manager would be the hung one.
#Delete GLOBAL.END or rename it to GLOBAL.END.TEMP
#Restart the processes back again. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.
#*Restarting a process is not noticed by users.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

=== Temporary workarounds for hung NEOSYS processes ===
Until the error in the software is fixed users can often get their results by simplifying their requirements. For example select individual clients instead of selecting all the brands for a particular client. If the user has repeated his request (in forlorn hope that it would work finally) then the number of NEOSYS working NEOSYS processes will drop causing severe slowdown for other users and complete stop if all the NEOSYS processes hang.

== How to fix a NEOSYS process which opens up in a notepad instead of Microsoft Windows Based Script Host (i.e. DOS window)==

The NEOSYS process (cmd file) might open up in a notepad, instead of the usual black colour DOS window. This can be fixed by the following:

# Download and install the Windows Script 5.6/5.7 from the Microsoft Website
# Go to any folder, click on Tools > Folder Options > File Types and find the .JS and .JSE and change the default program to wscript.exe (from windows>system32)

== Resolving a 'Could not start' error on Scheduled Tasks in Windows Server 2000 SP4 ==

This error occurs because of a change that is made to the data that is stored in the credentials database when you install Windows 2000 SP4. Hence installing SP4 causes the the data that is stored in the credentials database to get converted to an SP4-compatible format. A registry key is configured to indicate that the data has been converted to the SP4 format.

Hence the Scheduled Tasks do not work sometimes. However the Scheduled Tasks works fine sometimes, but when you uninstall SP4, it does not work.

The best solution is to:

# Incase Scheduled Tasks do not work after installing SP4, then uninstall SP4 and it should be fine.
# Incase Scheduled Tasks works after installing SP4, and later after uninstalling SP4, it does not work, then install SP4 and it should be fine.

== Checking for server or NEOSYS crashes ==

#NEOSYS Maintenance Mode
#General Menu, Setup, Processes
#Select the dates and the option Detailed

This report shows a list of dates and times that NEOSYS logged in but did not log out properly.

Ignore the very latest entries since they represent the current NEOSYS processes. For example, if you have four NEOSYS processes running at the time that you get the report (including any in maintenance mode) then you can ignore the last four entries.

The date and time shows for each process that has failed to shutdown correctly when the process logged in. Versions of NEOSYS from January 2008 will also show the date and time that each crashed NEOSYS process was last active (heartbeat) so that the time of failure can be known.

If you see a bunch of NEOSYS processes all started up at around the same time but all failed to shutdown correctly then the cause will be a server failure - usually power failure.

Isolated one-off failures will be related to individual NEOSYS process crashes - most commonly caused by one of the following:

#NEOSYS hanging to due to software failure
#Manually exiting a NEOSYS process on the server either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del or clicking the "X" close icon/box and ignoring the warning
#Random server failures eg memory, disk etc

Example:

LOGIN 22/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:53 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 13:51 NEOSYS SERVER NEOSYS Current user session

Interpretation:

The first four entries indicate that all four NEOSYS processes started at 06am were suddenly killed probably by power failure

The next four entries indicate that NEOSYS was restarted at around 08:52 and all these processes were AGAIN killed probably by power failure

The last four entries can be ignored because there were four NEOSYS processes running at the time that the report was generated

== Searching for word/number in the database files using maintenance mode ==

You can search for any word/number in the database files of NEOSYS, using the following command line:

F5
FIND FILENAME WORDWITHOUTANYSPACES

For eg:
FIND CURRENCIES 1.1
(here you are searching for the number 1.1 in the currencies file) You CANNOT search for a phrase ie include spaces like this.

Or you can also type:
FIND FILENAME <enter>
and it will ask you what you want do to search. You can enter an exact phrase with spaces.

Incase you do not know the filenames, you can enter the following command to see all the filenames in the system:

F5
LF

== Troubleshooting the NTVDM Hard error when opening up NEOSYS processes ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears:

[[Image:ntvdm.jpg]]

NTVDM encountered a hard error

=== Solution ===

This error is caused by missing or corrupt Windows system files (i.e. command.com, autoexec.nt and config.nt). The solution is to run a program called XP FIX which will reinstall these missing files. You can download it form http://www.visualtour.com/downloads/xp_fix.exe

Sometimes even after running the XP FIX program the error still appears. Then you need to copy all the files under C:/windows/repair to C:/windows/system32 and in the autoexec.nt and config.nt put REM before any lines there which don't have it.

== Troubleshooting a Service Unavailable message on Internet Explorer when opening up NEOSYS ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears in Internet Explorer when you try to open up NEOSYS:

Service Unavailable

=== Solution ===

Open the IIS Manager, right click Web Sites and select properties:
[[Image:serviceunavailable1.jpg]]

Switch to the Service Tab and tick the "Run WWW Service in IIS 5.0 Isolation Mode".
[[Image:serviceunavailable2.jpg]]

You will be asked for Restart of IIS. Click yes to restart IIS. If you are not asked just restart IIS.

== Inspecting IIS log files ==

At a windows command prompt:

c:
cd \Windows\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

or

%SystemDrive%
cd %SystemRoot%
cd system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

then (substituting the ip number you are interested in)

find "192.168.1.55" *|sort>temp.log

Open temp.log in Excel and use Tools, Data, Text to Columns to split into columns using options "Delimited" and check split on Space.

Autowidth all columns by clicking on the top left box just outside the data to the left of column A and above column 1 then double click the column separator to the right of column "A"

Note that times and dates are in UTC/GMT so you have to add/subtract your timezone offset to get local times.

== Fixing NEOSYS processes that do not auto start / Recovering from incorrect advanced date or time ==
This solution is applicable to live database processes only. Test database processes don’t auto-start any other processes.

=== Problem explained ===
After starting up the 1st process, the rest of the processes don't start up.

=== Solution ===

The possible cause for this could be that the system date/time might have been changed - either manually or by the auto synchronization. Do the following checks in the sequence of order:

# Check for any *.$* files (* after dollar sign should show a number, the highest being the latest one). If it shows OK, then proceed ahead.
# Check for any .end files and delete it to rename to .end.temp
# Check the System Event Viewer log for any 520 or 577 error message (refer http://128.175.24.251/forensics/timechange.htm). Also check for any out of sequence / ahead of today date or time.
# In case of no 520 or 577 error message, go to Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > Local Policies > Audit Policy > Audit Privilege use - make sure that Success and Failure are selected under this (this will ensure that future changes to the date/time are recorded in the System Log).
# In NEOSYS maintenance mode - F5 ED PROCESSES %UPDATE% - and see what it says, incase of any text (only text, not numbers) there, that means that for sure the system date has been changed. To fix this, exit the editor by pressing the ESCAPE key and then type DELETE PROCESSES "%UPDATE%"

== Recognising and Solving Low Memory Problems ==

Quick Note: Installing a server class operating system on a workstation class computer with the intention of NEOSYS serving a heavy load is likely to cause problems with low memory.

Quick Fix: Disable *ALL* non-essential features in the power-on setup menu.

=== Effects ===

It is speculated but not proven that low memory may cause NEOSYS to fail by hanging, causing damaged files etc.

=== Checking ===

F5
MEMORY

On server class machines it should say somewhere around 350Kb to 370Kb Free

Some server class machines have around 330Kb and sometimes even less with no reported problems

The actual effect of low memory is supposed to make NEOSYS slower and perhaps cause hanging and damaged files however this has not been proven in an specific case so far.

On workstation class machines it may often say around 280Kb to 300Kb.

=== Cause ===

Although there is plenty of real memory in virtually all computers now, NEOSYS runs in the legacy 16 bit virtual memory space of a windows mode called NTVDM. This is limited to 1Mb plus 4Mb of EMS memory.

The 1Mb memory space is shared with:

#Various non-essential windows drivers which NEOSYS automatically disables them in autoexec.nt
#Various plug and play hardware device drivers for the various adapters in the computer like video, network adapters and various other items that NEOSYS is unable to disable.

In a server class computer the hardware device drivers are usually minimally present in the 1Mb base memory and do not therefore DOESNT a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

In workstation class computers there are often many hardware device drivers present in the 1Mb base memory and this DOES causes a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

When NEOSYS is installed on workstation class computers with XP there is usually not a heavy load expectation and therefore the low memory does not cause a problem.

If Windows Server OS is installed on a workstation class computer NEOSYS may well be expected to serve a heavy load with limited amounts of memory.

Workstation class computers: hardware drivers present and EMS is installed in low memory (0000-9FFF) causing low memory for NEOSYS and possible inability to

Server class computers: Usually few hardware drivers are present in high part (A000-FFFF) of the 1Mb base memory and EMS is able to occupy the high memory leaving the low part (0000-9FFFF) of the 1Mb memory free for NEOSYS. You can find out how much memory is available to NEOSYS and whether EMS is occuping high or low memory using the following sections.

=== Fixing Low Memory ===

Start, Run, notepad c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt

Every time NEOSYS starts it tries to make some changes as follow:

#replaces all lines in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/AUTOEXEC.NT starting with 'lh ' to start with 'rem NEOSYS LH ' instead.
#changes the line in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG.NT "files=..." to "FILES=200"

The replacement is case sensitive triggered on 'lh' and 'files' so if you manually edit the files and remove the rem or change the number of files and leave the LH and FILES in uppercase then NEOSYS will NOT make further changes. This allows you to do manual amendments to the files without NEOSYS overwriting them.

Check that NEOSYS has successfully disabled all the drivers in the lines starting with LH.

They should be commented out (prefixed) with REM or REM NEOSYS as follows.

After making changes reopen NEOSYS in maintenance mode to use the MEMORY and WHO commands again.

<pre>
REM Install CD ROM extensions
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

REM Install DPMI support
REM NEOSYS LH %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\DOSX
</pre>

=== Allowing DOS programs that require DOSX to run on the same computer as NEOSYS ===

The automatic commenting out DOSX by NEOSYS will prevent some other DOS-like programs from running. If NEOSYS is on dedicated server then there should be no other such programs to fail. However, if you must allow DOS-like programs to work as well as NEOSYS you can do the following configuration:

#leave or restore the original AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files where they are
#copy them to another folder eg neosys folder
#make the necessary REM changes there by hand
#right click the NEOSYS\NEOSYS\AREV.PIF and select properties
#change the location of the AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files in the following location

[[image:pifsettings.jpg]]

=== Checking EMS Memory Configuration ===

==== Inspection ====

F5
WHO

press the up arrow to get to the last part/page

===== Example of Typical Server EMS Memory =====
[[image:serveremm.jpg]]

===== Example of Typical Workstation EMS Memory =====
[[image:workstationemm.jpg]]

====Correction====

No easy way

Removal of hardware adapters designed for workstations instead of servers eg graphics cards and network cards.

Many of the devices may be located on the motherboard and not relocatable except possibly by BIOS configuration or special manufacturer information.

Use windows device manager, View: Resources by Connection, Open the Memory item and look for items between 000A0000 up to 000FFFFF that might give you a clue as to what hardware could be removed or reconfigured. Actually only 000C0000 to 000FFFFF is candidate for EMS memory since 000A000-000BFFFF is mandatory video memory in all systems.

[[image:devicemanager.jpg]]

== Resolving issue where NEOSYS processes do not start-up at all or start-up and close immediately ==

# Find if a file with the name global.end exists in the root directory of the NEOSYS installation. Eg D:\global.end . If you find such a file, rename it to global.end.temp - for more information on global.end and what it does refer to [[Closing NEOSYS services]]
# If the above didn't fix the problem and NEOSYS still does not start, do a windows search for the entire NEOSYS folder for *.end (i.e. any file ending with .end extension). You may find a (databasecode).end file in D:\neosys\neosys folder which is created by the NEOSYS program during backup at 1 am and later on removed automatically. In this case NEOSYS program might have crashed during the backup and left this file behind. (databasecode).end files prevent other other NEOSYS processes starting up on the database while exclusive processes (like backup) are being done.

In case the above didn't fix the problem then escalate to the programmer immediately.

== Handling Change Backup message if the client does not use a USB backup device ==
DO *NOT* FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE SINCE IS IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR NEOSYS TO SEND OUT A "BACKUP SUCCESS" MESSAGE WHEN THE BACKUP IS NOT BEING DONE PROPERLY. IN GENERAL, TAKING SHORT CUTS THAT MAKE THINGS APPEAR SATISFACTORY WHEN THEY ARE NOT IS VERY POOR POLICY.

IF THE CLIENT IS BACKING UP TO A NON-REMOVABLE DESTINATION THEN EITHER 1. LIVE WITH THE FAILURE MESSAGE OR 2. SUPPRESS THE BACKUP ENTIRELY IN WHICH CASE NO BACKUPS ARE BEING DONE AND PROBABLY THIS WILL SHOW ON NEOSYS PROACTIVE WARNING SYSTEMS LIKE NAGIOS.

# Basically most of the client use USB for Neosys server but there are some clients who do not use USB but save their backups in hard drive.
# As we know that backup take place in Data.bak folder but it do a backup only for a week in a single USB. Over here client do not use USB but save their backup in hard drive in Data.bak folder, once the week is over it will again give Change backup message.
# In this case rename the Data.bak folder to Data1.bak this is done because system read only Data.bak folder as it is configured in the system. When you rename Data.bak to Data1.bak it automatically create a new folder Data.bak in Backup drive.
# This process is done so that the backup should not fail then next day morning and backups are done in Data.bak folder.
# In the third week we will again see the same message Chang backup USB message so you need to rename Data.bak folder to Data2.bak
# But in fourth week you rename the Data1.bak to Data.bak and change the Data2.bak to Data1.bak and Data.bak to Data2.bak
# Keep only three folders and Data.bak, Data1.bak, Data2.bak and keep on renaming these folders every week as shown above.

== Closing processes that are not visible on the desktop or hidden ==

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be hidden. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

In these cases whenever there is a hung NEOSYS process - due to many reasons for eg low memory. In this case you should close all processes using the global.end method and then from the task manager kill any NTVDM processes and then restart NEOSYS. This should be done within 30 seconds from using the global.end method to avoid any inconvenience to the users. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

== NEOSYS not updating NAGIOS ==

=== Error Message ===
You notice a problem on NAGIOS indicating that '''''NEOSYS not checked in''' on a particular client server.

=== Possible Causes & Solutions ===

====The NEOSYS process is '''NOT''' running on the server====

Start the NEOSYS process and wait for 10 mins for NEOSYS to check into NAGIOS.
 

====The NEOSYS process '''is''' running on the server but still cannot connect to NAGIOS====

NEOSYS connects to NAGIOS using http. NEOSYS automatically detects and uses any http proxy configuration configured in Internet Explorer. If Internet Explorer can reach the internet then NEOSYS should be able to update to NAGIOS via the same proxy.

First check if Internet Explorer can reach NAGIOS.

If you are asked to login then the Internet Explorer is working OK. You do not need to login. Just cancel and move on to the next step.

http://monitor.neosys.com

If Internet Explorer CANNOT connect to NAGIOS then resolving that fundamental issue will probably solve the NAGIOS connection issue too.

View the Internet Explorer proxy configuration as follows:

[[image:ieproxy.png]]

If Internet Explorer CAN connect to NAGIOS then check if there is an issue with NEOSYS's http proxy server configuration as follows:

#Search for '''UPDATE.$WG''' file located in the neosys\neosys. folder and open it using notepad or wordpad.
#You should find a message similar to the following:
<pre>
Connecting to 192.168.100.145:8080 failed: No such file or directory.
</pre>
Where the above appears to be some non-functional http proxy server ip/port number and is not the expected nagios server ip number.
'''A windows proxy command shows the same ip and port:'''

On Windows 2003/XP

proxycfg

On Windows 2008/Win7

NetSH WinHTTP import Proxy ie

Output:

<pre>
Microsoft (R) WinHTTP Default Proxy Configuration Tool
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Current WinHTTP proxy settings under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\
WinHttpSettings :

Proxy Server(s) : 192.168.100.145:8080
Bypass List : 192.168.*.*;localhost;<local>

</pre>

'''Solution 1 - Remove the above setting to create a direct connection'''

#To remove the registry entries that ProxyCfg.exe creates,you must delete the WinHttpSettings value from the following registry key: <PRE>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\WinHttpSettings</PRE>
#After you do the above, confirm that the proxy details are deleted by running the proxycfg command 
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

'''Solution 2 - Configure a functioning proxy ip/port number'''
#Use the proxycfg command to enter a working proxy ip/port number/exclusion list: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384069%28VS.85%29.aspx
#After you do the above, confirm that the new proxy details are working by running the proxycfg command again
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

 Note: Please refer to the link before you restart NEOSYS processes [[http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Closing_NEOSYS_services#CLOSING_NEOSYS_SERVICES|Closing Hidden Processes]] 

== Solving “page not found” when downloading some file types after uploading them successfully ==
=== One by One ===

Windows web server will not download file types that it is unaware of. You can enable the download of new file types one by one as follows.

This process is tedious and error-prone if you have to add many type.

#Computer Management
#Services and Applications
#IIS properties
#Mime Types
#Add

=== Many ===

Window Server 2003 is unaware of all the Office 2007+ file types. To add all Office 2007+ file types at once do the following:

Stop IIS

iisreset /stop

Open the list of mime types

*Start, Run, notepad C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\MetaBase.xml

Search the file for “xlsx” and quit the editor if already inserted.

Otherwise, find the following line,

.xml,text/xml

and insert after that line the following lines. They do not need to be indented.

<pre>
.docm,application/vnd.ms-word.document.macroEnabled.12
.docx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
.dotm,application/vnd.ms-word.template.macroEnabled.12
.dotx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.template
.potm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.template.macroEnabled.12
.potx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.template
.ppam,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.addin.macroEnabled.12
.ppsm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.slideshow.macroEnabled.12
.ppsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.slideshow
.pptm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.presentation.macroEnabled.12
.pptx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation
.xlam,application/vnd.ms-excel.addin.macroEnabled.12
.xlsb,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.binary.macroEnabled.12
.xlsm,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.macroEnabled.12
.xlsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
.xltm,application/vnd.ms-excel.template.macroEnabled.12
.xltx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.template
</pre>

Save the file with File and Exit

Restart IIS

== Handling Neosys Automatic Upgrade Error Messages ==

=== Error Message ===
We will receive an email from the NEOSYS client installation with the following message:

'''"UPGRADEN.EXE" does not have expected exe MZ signature'''

=== Solution ===
This message is a note that the NEOSYS automatic update procedure failed to download an upgrade file correctly.
This happens sometimes due to network issues but can be ignored because the file will be probably be correctly downloaded on the next automatic update check.

'''Note:''' This message is only informative to help with any problem with the automatic upgrade procedure and may be removed in a later version of neosys (currently Oct 2012)

== Testing https connection ==

The following procedure tests that the https server is operational and not blocked by firewall etc. It does not detect certificate errors.

From a windows command prompt use the following telnet command:
<pre>
telnet clientname.hosts.neosys.com 4430
</pre>
#4430 is the usual NEOSYS http port but replace it by whatever port is actually used for NEOSYS https on the system being tested. If there are multiple https installations on a particular server then different ports are probably used
#Replace clientname.hosts.neosys.com with the normal https login domain name of the client for whom we want to check the https service

Normal behavior is that it should open a black screen. Pressing Enter or any key returns the _ character. (Close the window using the [X] since there is no keyboard command to do so)

Hanging means that there is some connectivity issue (firewall/ip/server not running/https not installed etc)

== Troubleshooting "page not found" error while using https ==

'''Problem:'''

#The https service stops working and gives "Page not found" error.
#The https connection tests fine using telnet (see article above)

'''Solution:'''

#Reinstall https using the usual procedure (currently using selfssl)
#Email clients, requesting to reinstall the new security certificate by following the procedure given at [http://userwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Resolving_HTTPS_certificate_error_when_logging_in_from_an_external_link Resolving https certificate error].

== Installing "QUICKDEX" on some files ==
"Quickdex" is a type of index that keeps an alphabetical order on small files. In some maintenance procedures you may be asked to "install Quickdex".

For example to add a quickdex to the UNITS file.

Maintenance mode press F5

DICT UNITS

<pre>
г=================Dictionary=================┐
│ │
│ File name UNITS │
│ Field name ......................... │
│ │
│ Dict type │
│ Single/Multi │
│ Data type │
│ Output format │
│ Validation patterns │
│ │
│ Position Key part │
│ │
│ Column heading │
│ │
│ │
│ Justification Display length │
│ Description │
│ │
│ │
L============================================-
</pre>

Press Shift+F3.

If it says "Do you want to remove ..." then Quickdex has already been installed and you should not continue. Press Esc to cancel, then Esc to quit.

<pre>
г=[B202]==================================┐
│ │
│ "UNITS" has │
│ "QUICKDEX" installed. │
│ │
│ Do you want to remove "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L=========================================-
</pre>

Otherwise it should say "Do you want to install ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W963]============================┐
│ │
│ Do you want to install a │
│ Quickdex or Rightdex index? [Q/R] │
│ │
│<Q >│
L===================================-
</pre>

It should then say "Do you want to update ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W901]========================================┐
│ │
│ The "UNITS" file has had │
│ the "QUICKDEX" modifying filing system added. │
│ There are 0 records in "UNITS". │
│ │
│ Do you want to update "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L===============================================-
</pre>

Afterwards it should return to the initial screen. Press Esc to quit.

== Solving NEOSYS smtp server failure ==
In case the neosys smtp server fails then we can just use the client's smtp server.

The following information is required from the client's smtp server configuration:
#hostname
#username
#password
#port no. (most likely = 25)

These details should be entered in the '''System Configuration File''':

[[image:SYSCFGFILE-SMTP.jpg]]

== Strange characters in maintenance mode ==
While in Maintenance mode, pressing keys on keyboard gives strange characters. Even Enter and Esc don’t work.

This problem has been seen using RDP on:
*Window Server 2003 Web Edition
*Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2

[[image:strangecharmaint.jpg]]

Solution:
#Go to Windows -> control panel
#Go to Regional and Language Options
#Click on Languages tab then click on Details [[image:lang1.jpg]] 
#Click on Settings Tab and Change default input language to English (United States) (or perhaps something else depending on rdp keyboard) [[image:lang2.jpg]] 

== NEOSYS processes do not start after Windows Update ==

Servers with Windows 2008 will not start the NEOSYS processes after Windows update. The user will have to be log into the server to start the processes.

If one gets this message on the Schedule Task " The operation being requested was not performed because the user has not logged on to the network. The specified service does not exit ".
Then they should tick the options Run whether user is logged on or not and Run with highest privileges in General settings of the Task.

[[image:sti.jpg]]

== Troubleshooting Network Outages reflected in Nagios due to reassigning of router name or IP address ==
Nagios displays errors if a router name or the ip address it is monitoring have been reassigned.

We can resolve this issue by trying to find the ISP router ip address just before the NEOSYS server.

Steps:-
#Login to Nagios
#Click on Tactical Overview -> Network Outages and click on Blocking Outages to view [[image:tracert-00.jpg]] 
#You will now see the host/ISP which is down. Click on the status map icon to identify the host associated with the ISP, as shown below: [[image:tracert-01.jpg]] 
#From the Network Map displayed, identify the host associated with the ISP. [[image:tracert-02.jpg]] 
#If you already know the ip address of the host then skip to next step else, in Nagios, click on Host Detail, then on the hostname identified earlier and From the Host Details shown, save the host url. [[image:tracert-03.jpg]] [[image:tracert-04.jpg]] 
#Log onto www.network-tools.com:
#*Select Trace
#*Enter the host's ip address if already known or host url
#*Click on Go [[image:tracert-05.jpg]] 
#The trace route should complete successfully revealing the IP address of the ISP just before the NEOSYS server. [[image:tracert-06.jpg]] 
#You can now login to zoneedit and update the ip address of the host.
#Check Nagios.

== Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding ==
This assumes that you have already “port forwarded” tcp port 19580 from your public internet router to the NEOSYS server.

=== Tst 0 - Check if SSH is working on the NEOSYS Server ===
Type in the following command in command prompt:
telnet 127.0.0.1 19580

IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

=== Test 1 - Check if SSH is basically working on NEOSYS server over the LAN ===
You must know and use the NEOSYS SERVER LAN IP to do this.

telnet ???.???.???.??? 19580

[[image:tr-pf-01.jpg]]

If you have the WRONG SERVER LAN IP or NEOSYS server SSH is NOT working then it will hang for about 15 seconds and then say “Could not open connection to host …”

[[image:tr-pf-02.jpg]]

OR IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

Press Enter to Exit

[[image:tr-pf-04.jpg]]

=== Test 2 - Check if can connect to the NEOSYS ssh from OUTSIDE the office ===
From any internet connected computer OUTSIDE the office test if you can connect to NEOSYS ssh service. You cannot do this test from inside the office.

You need to know the public ip or domain name of the router. If the router IP is dynamic then NEOSYS sets up dynamic name server so instead of a static ip number you will have a domain name something like clientxyz.redirectme.net.

Enter the command .. using YOUR public internet IP number (NOT the LAN ip number) or the dynamic domain name.

[[image:tr-pf-05.jpg]]

If everything is working OK you will get a black screen as follows. You will NOT get the “SSH-2.0-OpenSSH-4.7” banner” because NEOSYS ssh remote support is restricted to connect ONLY from LAN ip nos and NEOSYS office ip nos.

[[image:tr-pf-06.jpg]]

If you press Enter a few times then the cursor will just go down. You have click the [X] to close the window.

[[image:tr-pf-07.jpg]]

=== Test 3 - Check that the ssh connection from step 2 was rejected ===
On the NEOSYS server, check the Windows Application log to verify that an SSH connection was rejected.

The rejected ip number will be of the system outside the office that you performed the test from.

[[image:tr-pf-08.jpg]]

=== Sample Email: Solving port 19580 port forwarding issues ===

Some IT people know how to trouble shoot port forwarding issues but others are more just power users who can configure a home router. If the IT person is in the second category then it is quicker for NEOSYS support to offer to configure their router from the NEOSYS server using Teamviewer. Here is a letter advising a more skilled person to check connections using telnet which is a low level test.

You can usually determine the NEOSYS server LAN ip number from nagios. If so then adjust the email text appropriately.

<pre>
Dear xyz,

There is no connection from the internet via your router to the NEOSYS server because when we do the following:

telnet CLIENTNAME.support.neosys.com 19580

We get no connection. Normally it should connect and presents a black screen (saying SSH something after pressing Enter) which we close.

Please check that you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally by using the NEOSYS server IP address in the following command on any
computer in your LAN.

telnet 192.168.?.? 19580

If you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally then please check port forwarding.

1. Has your router ip changed?
2. Has your server’s lan ip changed and are you forwarding to the correct LAN ip?
3. Is the configuration really correct?

For further information, see http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php
/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding

Until this is resolved we cannot resolve some types of user support issues.

Best Regards,
</pre>

== Solving “Cant login … INVALID DATA PATH … permission denied” ==
=== Error Message ===

[[image:error-invalid-data-path-1.jpg]]

'''Error Text:'''

Cannot login because:
ERROR: INVALID DATA PATH
“D:\HOSTS\HOSTNAME\DATA\HOSTNAME\~8746345.1$” Permission Denied

=== Problem Explained ===
When installing NEOSYS on an existing “non-clean” Windows installation, the standard NEOSYS installation procedure can result in failure to login if the standard windows folder permissions have been modified.

=== Solution ===
The solution is to grant IIS permission to write in the \neosys\DATA folder and subfolders as follows:
#First add the IUSR_XXXXXXX user to the list of users. (XXXXXXXX is the server name and therefore varies per server) as follows:
#*Right Click on DATA Folder and click on Properties
#*Click on Security Tab -> Add -> Advanced
#*Click on Find Now, Select the IUSR_XXXXXXX user and Click on OK [[image:error-invalid-data-path-2.jpg]] [[image:error-invalid-data-path-3.jpg]] 
#Second, for the newly added IUSR (IIS user) change the permissions as follows:
#*'''REMOVE''' the read and execute permission (for security, IIS should be unable to execute things that it might have uploaded)
#*'''ADD''' the write permission [[image:error-invalid-data-path-4.jpg]] 
#Login should now be possible.

== NEOSYS process window displays message "Upgrade Downloading" ==

[[image:upgradedownloading.jpg]]

=== Problem Explained ===
NEOSYS thinks it sees an new neosys2.exe upgrade file on the location http://www.neosys.com/support/neosys2.exe which is accessed by http so attempts to download it.

Http proxies and various internet issues can cause incorrect info to be sent and there is actually no upgrade available. In this case, eventually it realizes that it cant find an appropriate and it stops.

You don’t have to worry about this case.

==Enabling EMS memory on Window 2003 ==

Normally EMS memory is provided by Windows 2003 but this can vary depending on the server hardware/bios configuration

If you get the following messages on Windows 2003

#Backup File Size is 0
#RTP27. [B28] Not enough String Space – Out of Memory

=== Cause ===

On servers that had no problem previously, the problem is caused by a windows update on 10th Oct 2012 that disables standard Windows EMS memory.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2724197

=== Solution 1 - maximum performance ===

To re-enable standard windows EMS on older slower servers or servers where NEOSYS performance must be maximized.

The following link contains instructions how to remove the offending windows update and prevent it being reinstalled automatically by Windows.

http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/emsxp.html

=== Solution 2 – ease of installation ===

This option can also be used if Window 2003 is unable to provide EMS memory for example when the server hardware/bios configuration prevents it.

Install EMSMAGIC in the same way as for Windows server 2008

EMSMAGIC has higher memory consumption and makes NEOSYS processes slower so it is better to use Solution 1 above if NEOSYS performance is an issue.

Installing NEOSYS

2012-10-24T11:43:02Z

Vineet:

[[Technical / Hardware requirements]]

[[Preliminary Check-list and other Misc items]]

[[Setting up TCP/IP filtering]]

[[Setting up Windows Firewall]]

[[Setting up and using remote support]]

[[Installing NEOSYS Service]]

[[Configuring Antivirus for NEOSYS]]

[[Configuring IIS]]

[[Setting up Dynsite / Dynamic IP update client]]

[[Benchmarking NEOSYS]]

[[Setting up HTTPS]]

[[Installing IE7 & IE8 Download Blocker]] ** not required for Windows 2008

[[Monitoring NEOSYS]]

[[Configuring NEOSYS automated backup]]

[[Installing EMS Magic]]

[[Establishing Emergency Support Procedures]]

[[Setting up for non-latin characters]]

[[Configuring and Administering Multi-site Installations]]

[[Installing on Windows 7]]

[[Restricting usage of NEOSYS to licence period]]

[[Configuring NEOSYS for various language character sets]]

[[Configuring NEOSYS to display local time]]

Installing EMS Magic on Windows 2008

2012-10-24T11:42:45Z

Vineet: moved Installing EMS Magic on Windows 2008 to Installing EMS Magic

#REDIRECT [[Installing EMS Magic]]

Installing EMS Magic

2012-10-24T11:42:45Z

Vineet: moved Installing EMS Magic on Windows 2008 to Installing EMS Magic

The EMS (Emulate Expanded) memory support is not available in Windows 2008.

On Windows 2003, normally EMS memory is provided, but this can vary depending on the server hardware/bios configuration.
Sometimes lack of EMSMAGIC may cause errors like:
#Backup File Size is 0
#RTP27. [B28] Not enough String Space – Out of Memory

Please read the notes at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Recognising_and_Solving_Low_Memory_Problems|Recognising and Solving Low Memory Problems]] to understand more about EMS related problems. AS NEOSYS requires this important legacy feature it is required to an EMS emulator called EMSMAGIC

The steps are:

# Download http://www.neosys.com/support/EMSMAGIC.EXE and place it in C:\Windows folder
# Edit c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt file in Notepad to include the following at the bottom:
[[image:autoexecnt.jpg]]

Once you are done with the above, test that the EMS memory shows in the maintenance mode by typing WHO in the command line (instructions at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_EMS_Memory_Configuration|Checking EMS Memory Configuration]])

Another quick way to test that EMS Magic is functioning is to notice this screen as soon as you open up a maintenance or process window:

[[image:emsscreenmaint.jpg]]

Installing EMS Magic

2012-10-24T11:42:34Z

Vineet:

The EMS (Emulate Expanded) memory support is not available in Windows 2008.

On Windows 2003, normally EMS memory is provided, but this can vary depending on the server hardware/bios configuration.
Sometimes lack of EMSMAGIC may cause errors like:
#Backup File Size is 0
#RTP27. [B28] Not enough String Space – Out of Memory

Please read the notes at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Recognising_and_Solving_Low_Memory_Problems|Recognising and Solving Low Memory Problems]] to understand more about EMS related problems. AS NEOSYS requires this important legacy feature it is required to an EMS emulator called EMSMAGIC

The steps are:

# Download http://www.neosys.com/support/EMSMAGIC.EXE and place it in C:\Windows folder
# Edit c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt file in Notepad to include the following at the bottom:
[[image:autoexecnt.jpg]]

Once you are done with the above, test that the EMS memory shows in the maintenance mode by typing WHO in the command line (instructions at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_EMS_Memory_Configuration|Checking EMS Memory Configuration]])

Another quick way to test that EMS Magic is functioning is to notice this screen as soon as you open up a maintenance or process window:

[[image:emsscreenmaint.jpg]]

File:New Installation Checklist with remote support (Windows Server 2008).doc

2012-10-11T06:36:07Z

Vineet: uploaded a new version of "File:New Installation Checklist with remote support (Windows Server 2008).doc"

File:New Installation Checklist with remote support (Windows Server 2008).doc

2012-10-11T05:39:34Z

Vineet: uploaded a new version of "File:New Installation Checklist with remote support (Windows Server 2008).doc"

File:New Installation Checklist with remote support (Windows Server 2008).doc

2012-10-10T12:40:17Z

Vineet: uploaded a new version of "File:New Installation Checklist with remote support (Windows Server 2008).doc"

Setting up Windows Firewall

2012-10-10T10:25:48Z

Vineet:

You need to setup Windows Firewall in Windows 2008 as this OS does not provide the facility to do TCP/IP filtering.

All these ports are required to be opened and any/all other ports/programs need to be blocked:
*443
*4430
*19580
*3389

[[image:windowsfirewall.jpg]]

Configuring NEOSYS Generally

2012-09-27T11:01:42Z

Vineet:

== Clearing files in database ==

This is to be done if you want to clean an old database or clean a training database so that a client can enter fresh data.

These commands DO NOT reset the data to "factory settings" so for new installations you need to download a fresh BACKUP.ZIP file from the NEOSYS website.

*Clear transactions F5 - CLEAROP (only clears transactions not reference files)

*Clear all F5 - CLEARALL (rather nasty command because it clears all reference files as well)

*Clear finance transactions F5 - CLEARACC

== Clearing selected files in database ==

This can be done if you want to reimport selected files. The flush index command MUST be performed after doing any clearing.

WARNING This procedure must not be used if there are any transaction in the system that might use the files being cleared.

WARNING Clearing individual files is error prone because other files might refer to the records you are clearing (referential integrity is not applied so dangling references may be created). For example, clearing suppliers without clearing vehicles in advance results in vehicles which have supplier codes that do not exist. Even if you reimport the suppliers, some supplier codes in the vehicles file may not be reimported leaving vehicles with problems.

WARNING The opportunity to create problems that have no solution and that may only surface when the system is in operation is endless unless you think through the implications very very very carefully.

*Flush Index F5 FLUSH.INDEX (this command MUST be performed immediately after any data clearing)

*Clear suppliers F5 CLEARFILE SUPPLIERS

*Clear vehicles F5 CLEARFILE VEHICLES

*Clear Payment Instruction F5 CLEARFIELD CLIENTS PAYMENT_INSTRUCTIONS (only clears the payment instruction from the client and brand file)

== Mass updating database without data entry ==

Warning: It is advisable that you take the approval of NEOSYS DBA or programmers before doing any of the following procedures. There is no protection whatsoever from damaging the database if you do not appreciate all the implications of any particular update. Common sense and caution must be used. If you damage a database then it may be, or with operation become, irretrievably damaged and require reconstruction from a backup causing possibly extreme finance damages to the owner of the data and consequences for yourself. You have been warned.

There are many commands in maintenance mode that allow you to amend the database directly and without any record and without any ability to reverse changes.

Normally, no record of the changes is made. All changes will appear to have been done by the last user at the time and date of the last normal user interface amendments.

=== Available fields to clear or set ===

#Client & Brand File: CLIENTS MARKET_CODE
#Client & Brand File: BRANDS MARKET_CODE

=== How to clear a database field ===

Assuming that a particular database field may be blank (i.e. not required for data entry) then you may clear a field as follows.

Warning: There is nothing to stop you clearing a field that is mandatory and doing this may cause irrecoverable damage to the database.

In the following example we wish to change all clients with market code “UAE to have market code blank.

First, if you don’t want to clear all records, “select” the required records.

SELECT CLIENTS WITH MARKET_CODE “UAE”

After a period of time, depending on the number of records in the file, it should briefly state the number of records selected and then return to the command prompt.

WARNING: If no records have been selected then ALL records will be updated by the following command!

CLEARFIELD CLIENTS MARKET_CODE

=== How to set a database field ===

In the following example we change all the clients where the market code is blank (has not been entered) to become “UAE”.

Warning: You can set the market code to a market code that does not exist. This will cause various problems in the operation of the system but is probably not irrecoverable.

First, if you don’t want to set all records, “select” the required records.

SELECT CLIENTS WITH MARKET_CODE “”

After a period of time, depending on the number of records in the file, it should briefly state the number of records selected and then return to the command prompt.

WARNING: If no records have been selected then ALL records will be updated by the following command!

CLEARFIELD CLIENTS MARKET_CODE/UAE

== Configuring backup procedures ==

See the System Configuration File on the NEOSYS Support Menu. More explanation is at [[Configuring_NEOSYS_automated_backup]]

=== Non-Liability for Backup ===

{{Non-Liability For Backup}}

=== Backing up the Images folder ===

The Images folder under the NEOSYS installation is used to upload images/artworks/files from the Job File section and hence needs to be backed up. NEOSYS will automatically backup this Images folder to the USB drive or other location (specified for the usual data backup) once a week. To configure this backup, RSYNC needs to have been installed during the initial installation.

In case we need to configure the Images folder backup at another location other than the usual daily backup location than we need to edit:

line 12 - and specify the Drive of the location to be backed up to. eg. E or F

== Backup to other media (i.e. not to USB)==

If the backup is going to '''non-removable media''' (even if it is a shared folder on another computer) then the NEOSYS user/client/licensee (NOT the NEOSYS support team) can, at their own responsibility, arrange to '''move''' (NOT COPY) the NEOSYS backup files from that location to a backup location of their choice and avoid the WARNING message : "Backup media not changed. Overwriting last weeks backup"

=== Sample alternative response to client requests for additional backups ===

The existing NEOSYS backup must continue to take place for safety because it is the only well understood standard, controlled and checked procedure in use for all NEOSYS clients.

You are free to setup and operate any additional backup procedure you like but NEOSYS cannot take any responsibility in setting up, monitoring or approving your additional backup procedure because it is beyond our sphere of control, expertise and trust.

What you can backup is the NEOSYS backups on the USB drive. These are readily available online at all times on the NEOSYS server for you to access and copy as you choose.

You can backup the usb anytime using anything you like, but you must not backup anything on any hard disk eg: C or D at any time.

== Copying a single record from one database to another ==

You need to know the file name and record key of the record to be copied.

In this case the file is DEFINITIONS and the key is AGENCY.PARAMS

You can invent any old style 8.3 filename instead of C:\AGP.DAT in the following example

On the source computer:

F5
COPY DEFINITIONS AGENCY.PARAMS TO: (DOS C:\AGP.DAT)

On the target computer:

F5
COPY DOS C:\AGP.DAT (ON) TO: (DEFINITIONS AGENCY.PARAMS)

The (O) option is required to force overwrite of the existing

The (N) option means only copy if the target already exists. It is advisable to use it when you know that the target already exists to avoid misspellings in the command. It must be omitted if the target doesnt exist.

== Allowing users temporary login as NEOSYS in maintenance mode ==

#Get them to login with any name even NEOSYS
#Get the to enter "?" for the pass without the quotes
#NEOSYS will give them a lock like "NEOSYS 123456" which they must give you. You should not log out until the next step is completed
#Follow the NEOSYS lock/key procedure using the full contents of the lock including the user name
(to allow access EXCEPT access to authorisation screen use a special number (not documented here) as the last number of the initial command)
#Give them the key and get them to enter and proceed

== Configuring upload of photoshop "cs2" jpg files ==

Photoshop version "cs2" produces jpg files that cannot be viewed in Internet Explorer.

A solution is to rename the files extension from .jpg to .psjpg before uploading.

"psjpg" files are an invention of NEOSYS and IIS must be configured to handle .psjpg files as follows:

Windows Server 2003 (doesnt work on XP)

#Computer Management, Internet Information Server, Properties
#Click MIME Types
#Click New
#Extension: psjpg
#MIME Type: application/photoshop
#Click OK,OK,OK
#Restart IIS (Right click, All Tasks, Restart)

== Enabling backup servers to access backed-up servers ==

This relates to a common procedure used by NEOSYS to provide automatic nightly synchronisation/backups between servers for multi-office configurations. For more information see
http://itwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Setting_up_remote_backup

Αccording to this procedure, backup processes are actually initiated and run on a "backup server" using a "pull" concept. The "backed-up server" serves the data (usually using an rsync service) to the backup server on request. They do not use a "push" concept.

This means that backup servers need to be able to automatically login to the backed-up servers. On most backup servers a NEOSYS cygwin script called autologin.sh has been installed. This helps you configure the backup server and backed-up server.

Normally you only need to run autologin.sh once per pair of backup and backed-up servers but sometimes the configuration is lost (particularly when NEOSYS is upgraded) and it must be repeated.

=== Using autologin.sh ===

#Asks you for the username and hostname
#Copies an identity file from the backup server to the backed up server. This requires you to enter the administrator or root password.
#Logs you in to the backed up server's cygwin/bash command line. This requires you to enter the password again.
#YOU then type a series of commands to install the identity file and finally exit the command console. The series of commands that you must type are shown on screen by autologin.sh
#Logs you in to the backed up server's cygwin/bash command line. This time, you should NOT be required to enter a password.
#YOU type "exit" to quit the backed up server's command line.

=== Running ./autologin.sh ===

In cygwin on the backup server, you can use any of the following syntax depending on your configuration:

Syntax

./autologin.sh targethostname targetusername sshport

*host and user will be prompted for if omitted
*port will be 19580 if omitted

Example using prompting for parameters

./autologin.sh

Example using default user and port (administrator/19580)

./autologin.sh examplehost.neosys.com

Example with different user (port will be 19580)

./autologin.sh examplehost.neosys.com Administrator

Example with different user and port

./autologin.sh examplehost.neosys.com Administrator 19580

Follow instructions on screen.

The system will ask you once the password to the target server to transfer an identity file and once again to access the command line of the target server from where you must follow a set of instructions in order to load the identity file properly.

The username is usually administrator for windows server targets.

The hostname can be found in backup email logs or in the CONFIG.CMD file in the backup server.

There are often two alternative hostnames. Try the first one first. If you succeed with the first then there is no need to try the second.

Sometimes one of the host names is based on alternative network access methods like hamachi which uses ip addresses starting with "5." and requires hamachi service to be running in both servers and this sometimes is dependent on being logged in and correct setup of hamachi. You can ping the host names to discover the ip numbers of course.

Follow the instructions on the screen VERY carefully.

==== Checking if autologin is configured correctly and working or not ====
On the source system, in cygwin console, type something like the following, changing port number, administrator and clientname to suit the case.
ssh –p 19580 administrator@clientname.neosys.com

After a few seconds, if it is working properly, it should give you a command prompt on the target system. This indicates that autologin was successful. You may exit using the command:
exit

Otherwise, if it gives some error and in particular if it asks you anything at all, for example “confirm fingerprint?” or “password?” then autologin is not working.

You can then type in the following command in cygwin to configure or reconfigure autologin:
./autologin.sh

=== The edit step ===

The last step will enter the nano editor where you should do the following:

If present, delete the word neosys near the end of the last line of the file. The last bit of the last line will refer to some user and host that you are enabling access FROM

BE CAREFUL NOT TO TRIGGER THE AUTOMATIC LINE BREAKING IN NANO because line breaking into two or more lines is automatically triggered when you add characters to long lines. it is not triggered if you just delete characters. If you do cause a line break then quit the editor WITHOUT saving and try again or then use the editor to rejoin the two lines. Note that pressing Alt+L will turn long line breaking off and on which avoids the problem in the first place.

Press Ctrl+X to exit the editor

=== Creating/Upgrading autologin.sh if it doesn’t exist or is out of date ===

nano autologin.sh
chmod +x autologin.sh

<pre>
#!/bin/bash

set -e

REMOTEHOST=$1
REMOTEUSER=$2
PORT=$3

test $REMOTEUSER || REMOTEUSER=administrator
test $PORT || PORT=19580

if [ ! $REMOTEUSER ]; then
echo -n "Remote User (blank=administrator)/root?"
read REMOTEUSER
if [ "$REMOTEUSER" == "" ] ; then REMOTEUSER=administrator ; fi
fi

if [ ! REMOTEHOST ]; then
echo -n "Remote Host? "
read REMOTEHOST
if [ "$REMOTEHOST" == "" ] ; then exit; fi
fi

echo PASSPHRASE MUST BE BLANK IF YOU GET ASKED FOR IT!
#Generate priv/pub keys in .ssh if not already done
#Priv key mustnt be accessible except to owner otherwise wont work.
test -f ~/.ssh/id_dsa || \
ssh-keygen -t dsa -b 1024 -f ~/.ssh/id_dsa -N "" && \
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_dsa

echo
echo "Logging in to the remote server (enter the pass again)"
sed 's/neosys//' ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub | \
ssh -p $PORT $REMOTEUSER@$REMOTEHOST \
"mkdir -p .ssh ; chmod 700 .ssh ;\
cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys ;\
chmod 644 .ssh/authorized_keys"

echo
echo "Test automatic login to the remote server"
echo " SHOULD NO LONGER ASK FOR PASSWORD."
echo " IF SUCCESSFULL, TYPE exit"
ssh -p $PORT $REMOTEUSER@$REMOTEHOST
</pre>

== System Configuration File ==
=== Scope ===

*All Installations
*Current Installation (default)
*Current Database

You can configure most items at the above “scopes”. Any item configured on higher/broader scope has priority over the same item on a lower/narrower scope.

Assigning higher priority to higher/broader scopes allows us to override any and all individual installations/databases configurations with a particular configuration of our choosing. However it does not allow us to set a default configuration for all installations/databases and then separately configure each one where desired. That would require NEOSYS to assign priority to lower/narrower scopes – which it doesn’t do.

Troubleshooting NEOSYS Generally

2012-07-26T08:31:32Z

Vineet:

== Solving failure to start a NEOSYS server due to disk failure message ==
=== Problem ===
During a reboot process (which maybe due to a Windows update or even done by a support personnel) the NEOSYS server gets hung on the startup and shows a message "Boot Failure - Abort, Retry".

=== Temporary solution ===
This typically happens due to the USB being plugged into the server and the boot sequence being wrong - i.e. the server trying to boot from the USB first and fails. The immediate solution would be to unplug the USB and ask the client to reboot the server again and upon successfully rebooting the system, plug the USB back again.

=== Permanent solution ===
The above problem will occur every time the computer is rebooted, so you need to immediately talk to the IT Administrator of the client and ask them to rectify the boot sequence to make it boot first from the CD ROM, then the HDD and last the USB.
 Allowing "Boot from USB" causes a severe risk of infection by boot sector viruses since the first infected USB device inserted WILL infect the server immediately as anti-virus programs are not active during boot.

== Solving NEOSYS process hung due to “Abort, Retry, Fail” ==
=== Problem ===
The following messages may come on older versions of NEOSYS if there is a some problem with the USB media inserted for backup.

[[image:usberror.jpg]]

This results in “NEOSYS has not checked in” message on Nagios since it hangs during the monitoring update and locks all other processes from monitoring too.

General failure writing drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Not read reading drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Pressing A or F results in the problem happening again in about a minute, perhaps on a different process.

=== Solution ===
Temporary solution is to do “Safely remove hardware” from the windows notification area. Using “Eject” from My Computer will not work.

Permanent solution is to replace the defective USB memory stick. Sometime reformatting is sufficient.

Upgrading NEOSYS will probably stop the defective media from causing NEOSYS to hang but the USB will still be useless for backup.

== Solving "Read error in the operating system file" ==
=== Problem ===
Nagios reports a hung process and on the server a process has the following message popup.

Read error in the operating system file "..\DATA\PT0833\ACCOUNTS\REV20049
The file does not exist or the filename is
not valid for the operating system.

[[Image:readerrorintheoperatingsystemfile.png]]

=== Cause ===
Some non-NEOSYS program is directly accessing the NEOSYS database files while NEOSYS processes are running and using the files as well.

*Client IT staff using a backup program to perform backup without ensuring that NEOSYS processes are shutdown.
*A NEOSYS rsync process taking longer than expected due to new USB.

=== Solution ===
Kill the NEOSYS process eg with the X button. It is advisable NOT to let it run further while it cannot properly access one of its files.

=== Prevention ===
Remove the third party program or arrange for it to operate only while NEOSYS processes are shutdown eg from 3am-6am.

== Troubleshooting the "Database not available" error message ==
=== Problem explained ===
This error appears when you try to login to NEOSYS after you enter your username and password and click the Login button.

[[image:database_unavailable.jpg]]

Error message :

Cannot login because :
Error : The (database code) database is not available right now.

=== Solution explained ===
# Determine if the processes are running. If they are running and you still get the same message that means that the proccesses have hung. Close them by hitting the X button on the window.
# If the processes are not visible, it is possible that they are running in the background and have hung for some reason. Check the windows task manager to see if any ‘ntvdm’ process is running. If so, use the End Process method to force close it.
# If there is no trace of any process running, that means the process probably did not start at the scheduled time. Refer to the 'Hung Process Reports' to verify this claim.
# If the process had not hung, then the server might have restarted due to a power failure or a windows update and the administrator user had not logged in post the scheduled startup time of 6AM. To determine this cause, investigate in the Windows Event Viewer Log file.
# You can now start up the process by clicking on the respective desktop icons.
# Also check if the backup took place successfully or not. If not take a manual backup.

== Handling damaged files ==

[[Handling damaged files]]

== Checking for corrupt database files ==
Login to NEOSYS Maintenance

Press F5

CHK.FILES

or

CHK.FILES filename

== Assessing Database Size per File ==
In NEOSYS maintenance mode

LIST FILES BY BY-DSND SIZE VOLUME.NAME SIZE

This will include all files not just those in the actual dataset in DATA\* folders.

== Resolving slow speed ==
=== [[Benchmarking NEOSYS]] ===
=== Investigating CPU 100% using Windows Task Manager ===
Email, to support, a screen-shot of task manager APPLICATIONS, PROCESSES and PERFORMANCE screens MAXIMIZED TO SHOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

(Sort the processes to show ntvdm, waiting.exe and high cpu% processes clearly)

'''Steps:'''
#Right Click on Windows Taskbar and click on Start Task Manager [[image:starttaskmanager.jpg]] 
#Click on Processes and then click on CPU '''Note - The HIGH cpu% processes which should usually be the "process" called "System Idle Process" ''' [[image:cpu100percent1.jpg]] 
#Click on the Performance Tab '''Note - PF Usage should typically be much less than Physical Memory otherwise there is insufficient real memory in the server to handle the load''' [[image:cpu100percent3.jpg]] 
#Click on Application Tab then Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Bring to Front '''See what the NEOSYS Process is doing [[image:cpu100percent2.jpg]] 
#Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Go to Processes '''Note the cpu% ntvdm process [[image:cpu100percent2_2.jpg]] 
#Normally NEOSYS application screens say "LISTENING" in the bottom line and those applications should have very low cpu% [[image:normalneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Look at the difference between the screen of running NEOSYS processes (applications actually) which are idle (listening for requests) and active (processing a request from a user)
#Note the number of cpus or cpu threads in the server from the performance screen graphics [[image:performance-taskmgr-cputhread.jpg]] 
#Take screen-shots of any and ALL hung or long running processes (NEOSYS application screens) and email them to support. Even small details on the screens and user names, the user names may give clues to what problem caused the hanging.A Typical Hung NEOSYS process will look like this: [[image:hungneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Once all hung/long processes are closed then CPU should be low and not near 100%. If it is still 100% then check all high cpu% processes and send a screen-shot of processes sorted to show the high cpu% process names to support.

=== Solving server CPU% is 100 and all users are extremely slow/stopped ===
==== Too few cpus/threads for the number of users ====
In Windows task manager normally, you should see one ntvdm.exe and one waiting.exe process per NEOSYS process (application). A standard installation has three NEOSYS processes per main database and plus one per test database. This is configured in Support Menu, Configuration File.

If there are MORE ntvdm processes than you expect from the configuration file, then perhaps NEOSYS is auto starting new NEOSYS processes to try and cater for a high number of concurrent users.

If the number of concurrent NEOSYS processes significantly exceeds the number of cpus/hyperthreads available in the server then processing for everybody can become so slow for everybody and almost no work gets done.

==== Solution ====
Stop NEOSYS creating new NEOSYS processes automatically. Create a text file with the first and only line as AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder something like this.

notepad d:\neosys\neosys\NET.CFG

AUTOSTART=NO

== Handling failure and warning on nightly backup alerts ==

[[Handling failure and warning messages on nightly backup alerts]]

== Resolving permissions errors while logging in ==

=== Problem ===

While logging in, you get the following error message:
[[Image:login_error_message.jpg]]

=== Solution ===

Add the internet guest account to the security list of the data folder with the default permission of list/read/write

Make sure the read&execute permission is removed
[[Image:permissions_on_data.jpg]]

== Resolving the 'HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error' while logging in on IE on a Windows Vista system ==

=== Problem ===
After configuring IIS on Windows Vista you will get this error message while trying to login into NEOSYS from Internet Explorer:

HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error
Description: This application is running in an application pool that uses the Integrated .NET
mode. This is the preferred mode for running ASP.NET applications on the current and future
version of IIS.

In this mode, the application using client impersonation configured with <identity
impersonate="true" /> may not behave correctly. Client impersonation is not available in early
ASP.NET request processing stages and may lead modules in those stages to execute with process
identity instead.

=== Solution ===

You can move the application to an application pool that uses the Classic .NET mode by using the following from a command line window (the window must be running as Administrator)

%systemroot%\system32\inetsrv\APPCMD.EXE set app "Default Web Site/neosys" /applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

Alternatively, you can use any other application pool on your system that is running in the Classic .NET mode. You can also use the IIS Administration tool to move this application to another application pool.

== Resolving the 'Class Not Registered' error message while logging in ==

=== Problem ===
While logging into NEOSYS, you will get a popup window giving an error message saying 'Class Not Registered - Server Error'. Typically, you will encounter this error with XP Pro IIS 5.1. As usual, there's way to solve it, however the root cause of this is still unknown.

Anyway, you will get the proper message in the event log:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W3SVC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 36
Description: The server failed to load application '/LM/W3SVC/1/ROOT/NEOSYS.
The error was 'Class not registered'.

=== Solution ===
So, what do you do ? This problem is related to Component Services, and when you open Component Services MMC, you will most probably get Error Code 8004E00F COM + was unable to talk to Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator. So, fix the COM+ services first by using the following KB from Microsoft (PRB: Cannot Expand "My Computer" in Component Services MMC Snap-In http://support.microsoft.com/?id=301919):

To resolve this problem, reinstall Component Services as follows: WARNING:
# Open registry editor, locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\COM3, and then delete this key.
# From the Start menu, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs.
# Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
# Proceed through the wizard, and accept all of the defaults (including IIS)
# Restart the computer.

If the above didn't solve it, and you still receive the 'Class not registered' error message, then you need to recreate the IIS packages in COM+, try

# Delete IIS related package in Component Services MMC
# IIS In-Process Applications
# IIS Out-of-Process Pooled Applications
# IIS Utilities

Next, if you still get the message, try following before re-install IIS if you can't find Distributed Transaction Coordinator in your Services console.

Launch command prompt and run the following command.
# msdtc -install
# net start msdtc

Then try re-install IIS.

This should solve the problem

== Enabling File Security option on Win XP Professional ==

=== Problem ===

In the Properties of any folders, the Security option does not show, hence you cannot modify the Read, Write options.

=== Solution ===

The solution would be to untick the 'Simple File Sharing' option from Tools > Folder Options > View:
[[Image:simplefilesharingoff.jpg]]

== B703 Errors ==

The B703 error is usually always related to something too big for NEOSYS to handle.

These are the only B errors that NEOSYS cant always permanently prevent by fixing the software.

== Internet Explorer Menu, View, Text Size doesnt change font size as expected ==

Cause: This is because the font size is now user definable in NEOSYS and View, Text Size does not override predefined font sizes.

Solution: If you are using Internet Explorer 7 you can scale the screen (including the font size using ctrl + and ctrl - keyboard shortcuts or the font size button on the bottom right hand side of the window.

You can adjust the font size on the User Details form when you login although this permanently applies to all forms not just the one that you are on.

== Error on process window "Not enough string space - Out of Memory" ==

=== Message ===

‘RTP27’ Line 1. [B29] Not enough string space – Out of Memory.

Not enough memory to execute Debugger; current program aborted.
Press any key to continue

[[Image:out_of_memory.jpg]]

=== Cause ===
Unknown perhaps related to some large document or report

=== Solution ===
Ask users for any hanging transactions.
None other than closing and starting another process

== Uploaded jpg files fail to display in internet explorer ==

Some large jpg files > 2Mb cannot be viewed in internet explorer despite being viewable in image preview, ms paint and other viewers/editors. It is not an issue caused by uploading or downloading the files.

These file appear to have been created on Photoshop CS Macintosh and may be a special type of uncompressed jpg used for production quality files.

=== Partial solution ===
Before uploading the files, open them in some editor like MS Paint (right click, edit) and save them. However this results in a loss of quality. Perhaps there is some program that can convert these files to a format understandable by Internet explorer without any loss of quality.

== "You have attempted to write to a read-only file" ==

=== Message ===

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "..\DATA\ADLINEC\ADAGENCY\REV76467.OV00012618")

=== Cause ===

It is almost certainly due to some third party backup or other maintenance software opening the NEOSYS database files when it shouldn't e.g. badly configured third party backup scheduled to backup NEOSYS while NEOSYS is still running. Note that the exact filename varies each time.

=== Solution ===

This can be a serious error that causes damaged files in NEOSYS especially if the filename ends in .OV. Use the usual methods of checking for damaged files e.g. do a backup which also looks for damaged files BUT DO NOT OVERWRITE THE LATEST BACKUP SINCE IT MAY BE REQUIRED for restoration. Then fix the damaged files using the usual methods e.g. by rebuilding/using
FIXFILE or restoring databases.

=== Prevention ===

Remove the third party backup or other maintenance software or reschedule it to run at a time that NEOSYS is shutdown. Removal of software may require hunting through the windows process list for unexpected programs running.

== Resolving "Cannot backup/restore because PROCESS1 PROCESS2 (etc) is/are online" message ==

This can happen for a variety of reasons if all the NEOSYS processes fail to close down at backup time

# NEOSYS maintenance windows are left open.
# NEOSYS processes hang due to software error.

== How to kill hung NEOSYS processes ==

NOTE WELL: If you kill actively working NEOSYS processes (those which are "listening" and not hung/crashed) there is a reasonable chance that the database will be damaged and might need a restore losing possibly large amounts of work.

==== If NEOSYS processes are visible on the server desktop ====

Look for processes which don't have "Listening ..." on the last but one line. The times on the left hand side are frozen as at the time of the hang.

You can then click the X to kill the process and confirm that this is OK.

Example of a NEOSYS process that has hung due to a software error resulting in a failure to handle a complex query with a lot of brand codes.

[[Image:hungprocess.jpg]]

==== If NEOSYS processes are not visible on the server desktop ====

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on computer restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be running in the background. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

You can check if there are any hung processes from the NEOSYS Support Menu, List of Database Processes.
[[Image:databaseprocesseslist.jpg]]

In this case you should follow the below instructions - however all of them need to be done within 30 seconds of starting the first instruction to avoid inconvenience to the users. It is recommend that you keep relevant windows open before proceeding with the same:

#Shutdown NEOSYS by TEMPORARILY putting a file called GLOBAL.END in the parent directory of NEOSYS (if there is already a GLOBAL.END.TEMP file then rename it to GLOBAL.END). Leaving the file there would prevent NEOSYS from starting up again. Shutting down NEOSYS from the Support menu will not work because of the hung processes.
#Use Windows Task Manager to kill all the NTVDM processes - assuming that you have closed all the visible NEOSYS processes, then the NTVDM processes in the task manager would be the hung one.
#Delete GLOBAL.END or rename it to GLOBAL.END.TEMP
#Restart the processes back again. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.
#*Restarting a process is not noticed by users.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

=== Temporary workarounds for hung NEOSYS processes ===
Until the error in the software is fixed users can often get their results by simplifying their requirements. For example select individual clients instead of selecting all the brands for a particular client. If the user has repeated his request (in forlorn hope that it would work finally) then the number of NEOSYS working NEOSYS processes will drop causing severe slowdown for other users and complete stop if all the NEOSYS processes hang.

== How to fix a NEOSYS process which opens up in a notepad instead of Microsoft Windows Based Script Host (i.e. DOS window)==

The NEOSYS process (cmd file) might open up in a notepad, instead of the usual black colour DOS window. This can be fixed by the following:

# Download and install the Windows Script 5.6/5.7 from the Microsoft Website
# Go to any folder, click on Tools > Folder Options > File Types and find the .JS and .JSE and change the default program to wscript.exe (from windows>system32)

== Resolving a 'Could not start' error on Scheduled Tasks in Windows Server 2000 SP4 ==

This error occurs because of a change that is made to the data that is stored in the credentials database when you install Windows 2000 SP4. Hence installing SP4 causes the the data that is stored in the credentials database to get converted to an SP4-compatible format. A registry key is configured to indicate that the data has been converted to the SP4 format.

Hence the Scheduled Tasks do not work sometimes. However the Scheduled Tasks works fine sometimes, but when you uninstall SP4, it does not work.

The best solution is to:

# Incase Scheduled Tasks do not work after installing SP4, then uninstall SP4 and it should be fine.
# Incase Scheduled Tasks works after installing SP4, and later after uninstalling SP4, it does not work, then install SP4 and it should be fine.

== Checking for server or NEOSYS crashes ==

#NEOSYS Maintenance Mode
#General Menu, Setup, Processes
#Select the dates and the option Detailed

This report shows a list of dates and times that NEOSYS logged in but did not log out properly.

Ignore the very latest entries since they represent the current NEOSYS processes. For example, if you have four NEOSYS processes running at the time that you get the report (including any in maintenance mode) then you can ignore the last four entries.

The date and time shows for each process that has failed to shutdown correctly when the process logged in. Versions of NEOSYS from January 2008 will also show the date and time that each crashed NEOSYS process was last active (heartbeat) so that the time of failure can be known.

If you see a bunch of NEOSYS processes all started up at around the same time but all failed to shutdown correctly then the cause will be a server failure - usually power failure.

Isolated one-off failures will be related to individual NEOSYS process crashes - most commonly caused by one of the following:

#NEOSYS hanging to due to software failure
#Manually exiting a NEOSYS process on the server either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del or clicking the "X" close icon/box and ignoring the warning
#Random server failures eg memory, disk etc

Example:

LOGIN 22/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:53 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 13:51 NEOSYS SERVER NEOSYS Current user session

Interpretation:

The first four entries indicate that all four NEOSYS processes started at 06am were suddenly killed probably by power failure

The next four entries indicate that NEOSYS was restarted at around 08:52 and all these processes were AGAIN killed probably by power failure

The last four entries can be ignored because there were four NEOSYS processes running at the time that the report was generated

== Searching for word/number in the database files using maintenance mode ==

You can search for any word/number in the database files of NEOSYS, using the following command line:

F5
FIND FILENAME WORDWITHOUTANYSPACES

For eg:
FIND CURRENCIES 1.1
(here you are searching for the number 1.1 in the currencies file) You CANNOT search for a phrase ie include spaces like this.

Or you can also type:
FIND FILENAME <enter>
and it will ask you what you want do to search. You can enter an exact phrase with spaces.

Incase you do not know the filenames, you can enter the following command to see all the filenames in the system:

F5
LF

== Troubleshooting the NTVDM Hard error when opening up NEOSYS processes ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears:

[[Image:ntvdm.jpg]]

NTVDM encountered a hard error

=== Solution ===

This error is caused by missing or corrupt Windows system files (i.e. command.com, autoexec.nt and config.nt). The solution is to run a program called XP FIX which will reinstall these missing files. You can download it form http://www.visualtour.com/downloads/xp_fix.exe

Sometimes even after running the XP FIX program the error still appears. Then you need to copy all the files under C:/windows/repair to C:/windows/system32 and in the autoexec.nt and config.nt put REM before any lines there which don't have it.

== Troubleshooting a Service Unavailable message on Internet Explorer when opening up NEOSYS ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears in Internet Explorer when you try to open up NEOSYS:

Service Unavailable

=== Solution ===

Open the IIS Manager, right click Web Sites and select properties:
[[Image:serviceunavailable1.jpg]]

Switch to the Service Tab and tick the "Run WWW Service in IIS 5.0 Isolation Mode".
[[Image:serviceunavailable2.jpg]]

You will be asked for Restart of IIS. Click yes to restart IIS. If you are not asked just restart IIS.

== Inspecting IIS log files ==

At a windows command prompt:

c:
cd \Windows\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

or

%SystemDrive%
cd %SystemRoot%
cd system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

then (substituting the ip number you are interested in)

find "192.168.1.55" *|sort>temp.log

Open temp.log in Excel and use Tools, Data, Text to Columns to split into columns using options "Delimited" and check split on Space.

Autowidth all columns by clicking on the top left box just outside the data to the left of column A and above column 1 then double click the column separator to the right of column "A"

Note that times and dates are in UTC/GMT so you have to add/subtract your timezone offset to get local times.

== Fixing NEOSYS processes that do not auto start / Recovering from incorrect advanced date or time ==
This solution is applicable to live database processes only. Test database processes don’t auto-start any other processes.

=== Problem explained ===
After starting up the 1st process, the rest of the processes don't start up.

=== Solution ===

The possible cause for this could be that the system date/time might have been changed - either manually or by the auto synchronization. Do the following checks in the sequence of order:

# Check for any *.$* files (* after dollar sign should show a number, the highest being the latest one). If it shows OK, then proceed ahead.
# Check for any .end files and delete it to rename to .end.temp
# Check the System Event Viewer log for any 520 or 577 error message (refer http://128.175.24.251/forensics/timechange.htm). Also check for any out of sequence / ahead of today date or time.
# In case of no 520 or 577 error message, go to Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > Local Policies > Audit Policy > Audit Privilege use - make sure that Success and Failure are selected under this (this will ensure that future changes to the date/time are recorded in the System Log).
# In NEOSYS maintenance mode - F5 ED PROCESSES %UPDATE% - and see what it says, incase of any text (only text, not numbers) there, that means that for sure the system date has been changed. To fix this, exit the editor by pressing the ESCAPE key and then type DELETE PROCESSES "%UPDATE%"

== Recognising and Solving Low Memory Problems ==

Quick Note: Installing a server class operating system on a workstation class computer with the intention of NEOSYS serving a heavy load is likely to cause problems with low memory.

Quick Fix: Disable *ALL* non-essential features in the power-on setup menu.

=== Effects ===

It is speculated but not proven that low memory may cause NEOSYS to fail by hanging, causing damaged files etc.

=== Checking ===

F5
MEMORY

On server class machines it should say somewhere around 350Kb to 370Kb Free

Some server class machines have around 330Kb and sometimes even less with no reported problems

The actual effect of low memory is supposed to make NEOSYS slower and perhaps cause hanging and damaged files however this has not been proven in an specific case so far.

On workstation class machines it may often say around 280Kb to 300Kb.

=== Cause ===

Although there is plenty of real memory in virtually all computers now, NEOSYS runs in the legacy 16 bit virtual memory space of a windows mode called NTVDM. This is limited to 1Mb plus 4Mb of EMS memory.

The 1Mb memory space is shared with:

#Various non-essential windows drivers which NEOSYS automatically disables them in autoexec.nt
#Various plug and play hardware device drivers for the various adapters in the computer like video, network adapters and various other items that NEOSYS is unable to disable.

In a server class computer the hardware device drivers are usually minimally present in the 1Mb base memory and do not therefore DOESNT a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

In workstation class computers there are often many hardware device drivers present in the 1Mb base memory and this DOES causes a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

When NEOSYS is installed on workstation class computers with XP there is usually not a heavy load expectation and therefore the low memory does not cause a problem.

If Windows Server OS is installed on a workstation class computer NEOSYS may well be expected to serve a heavy load with limited amounts of memory.

Workstation class computers: hardware drivers present and EMS is installed in low memory (0000-9FFF) causing low memory for NEOSYS and possible inability to

Server class computers: Usually few hardware drivers are present in high part (A000-FFFF) of the 1Mb base memory and EMS is able to occupy the high memory leaving the low part (0000-9FFFF) of the 1Mb memory free for NEOSYS. You can find out how much memory is available to NEOSYS and whether EMS is occuping high or low memory using the following sections.

=== Fixing Low Memory ===

Start, Run, notepad c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt

Every time NEOSYS starts it tries to make some changes as follow:

#replaces all lines in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/AUTOEXEC.NT starting with 'lh ' to start with 'rem NEOSYS LH ' instead.
#changes the line in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG.NT "files=..." to "FILES=200"

The replacement is case sensitive triggered on 'lh' and 'files' so if you manually edit the files and remove the rem or change the number of files and leave the LH and FILES in uppercase then NEOSYS will NOT make further changes. This allows you to do manual amendments to the files without NEOSYS overwriting them.

Check that NEOSYS has successfully disabled all the drivers in the lines starting with LH.

They should be commented out (prefixed) with REM or REM NEOSYS as follows.

After making changes reopen NEOSYS in maintenance mode to use the MEMORY and WHO commands again.

<pre>
REM Install CD ROM extensions
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

REM Install DPMI support
REM NEOSYS LH %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\DOSX
</pre>

=== Allowing DOS programs that require DOSX to run on the same computer as NEOSYS ===

The automatic commenting out DOSX by NEOSYS will prevent some other DOS-like programs from running. If NEOSYS is on dedicated server then there should be no other such programs to fail. However, if you must allow DOS-like programs to work as well as NEOSYS you can do the following configuration:

#leave or restore the original AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files where they are
#copy them to another folder eg neosys folder
#make the necessary REM changes there by hand
#right click the NEOSYS\NEOSYS\AREV.PIF and select properties
#change the location of the AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files in the following location

[[image:pifsettings.jpg]]

=== Checking EMS Memory Configuration ===

==== Inspection ====

F5
WHO

press the up arrow to get to the last part/page

===== Example of Typical Server EMS Memory =====
[[image:serveremm.jpg]]

===== Example of Typical Workstation EMS Memory =====
[[image:workstationemm.jpg]]

====Correction====

No easy way

Removal of hardware adapters designed for workstations instead of servers eg graphics cards and network cards.

Many of the devices may be located on the motherboard and not relocatable except possibly by BIOS configuration or special manufacturer information.

Use windows device manager, View: Resources by Connection, Open the Memory item and look for items between 000A0000 up to 000FFFFF that might give you a clue as to what hardware could be removed or reconfigured. Actually only 000C0000 to 000FFFFF is candidate for EMS memory since 000A000-000BFFFF is mandatory video memory in all systems.

[[image:devicemanager.jpg]]

== Resolving issue where NEOSYS processes do not start-up at all or start-up and close immediately ==

# Find if a file with the name global.end exists in the root directory of the NEOSYS installation. Eg D:\global.end . If you find such a file, rename it to global.end.temp - for more information on global.end and what it does refer to [[Closing NEOSYS services]]
# If the above didn't fix the problem and NEOSYS still does not start, do a windows search for the entire NEOSYS folder for *.end (i.e. any file ending with .end extension). You may find a (databasecode).end file in D:\neosys\neosys folder which is created by the NEOSYS program during backup at 1 am and later on removed automatically. In this case NEOSYS program might have crashed during the backup and left this file behind. (databasecode).end files prevent other other NEOSYS processes starting up on the database while exclusive processes (like backup) are being done.

In case the above didn't fix the problem then escalate to the programmer immediately.

== Handling Change Backup message if the client does not use a USB backup device ==
DO *NOT* FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE SINCE IS IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR NEOSYS TO SEND OUT A "BACKUP SUCCESS" MESSAGE WHEN THE BACKUP IS NOT BEING DONE PROPERLY. IN GENERAL, TAKING SHORT CUTS THAT MAKE THINGS APPEAR SATISFACTORY WHEN THEY ARE NOT IS VERY POOR POLICY.

IF THE CLIENT IS BACKING UP TO A NON-REMOVABLE DESTINATION THEN EITHER 1. LIVE WITH THE FAILURE MESSAGE OR 2. SUPPRESS THE BACKUP ENTIRELY IN WHICH CASE NO BACKUPS ARE BEING DONE AND PROBABLY THIS WILL SHOW ON NEOSYS PROACTIVE WARNING SYSTEMS LIKE NAGIOS.

# Basically most of the client use USB for Neosys server but there are some clients who do not use USB but save their backups in hard drive.
# As we know that backup take place in Data.bak folder but it do a backup only for a week in a single USB. Over here client do not use USB but save their backup in hard drive in Data.bak folder, once the week is over it will again give Change backup message.
# In this case rename the Data.bak folder to Data1.bak this is done because system read only Data.bak folder as it is configured in the system. When you rename Data.bak to Data1.bak it automatically create a new folder Data.bak in Backup drive.
# This process is done so that the backup should not fail then next day morning and backups are done in Data.bak folder.
# In the third week we will again see the same message Chang backup USB message so you need to rename Data.bak folder to Data2.bak
# But in fourth week you rename the Data1.bak to Data.bak and change the Data2.bak to Data1.bak and Data.bak to Data2.bak
# Keep only three folders and Data.bak, Data1.bak, Data2.bak and keep on renaming these folders every week as shown above.

== Closing processes that are not visible on the desktop or hidden ==

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be hidden. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

In these cases whenever there is a hung NEOSYS process - due to many reasons for eg low memory. In this case you should close all processes using the global.end method and then from the task manager kill any NTVDM processes and then restart NEOSYS. This should be done within 30 seconds from using the global.end method to avoid any inconvenience to the users. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

== NEOSYS not updating NAGIOS ==

=== Error Message ===
You notice a problem on NAGIOS indicating that '''''NEOSYS not checked in''' on a particular client server.

=== Possible Causes & Solutions ===

====The NEOSYS process is '''NOT''' running on the server====

Start the NEOSYS process and wait for 10 mins for NEOSYS to check into NAGIOS.
 

====The NEOSYS process '''is''' running on the server but still cannot connect to NAGIOS====

NEOSYS connects to NAGIOS using http. NEOSYS automatically detects and uses any http proxy configuration configured in Internet Explorer. If Internet Explorer can reach the internet then NEOSYS should be able to update to NAGIOS via the same proxy.

First check if Internet Explorer can reach NAGIOS.

If you are asked to login then the Internet Explorer is working OK. You do not need to login. Just cancel and move on to the next step.

http://monitor.neosys.com

If Internet Explorer CANNOT connect to NAGIOS then resolving that fundamental issue will probably solve the NAGIOS connection issue too.

View the Internet Explorer proxy configuration as follows:

[[image:ieproxy.png]]

If Internet Explorer CAN connect to NAGIOS then check if there is an issue with NEOSYS's http proxy server configuration as follows:

#Search for '''UPDATE.$WG''' file located in the neosys\neosys. folder and open it using notepad or wordpad.
#You should find a message similar to the following:
<pre>
Connecting to 192.168.100.145:8080 failed: No such file or directory.
</pre>
Where the above appears to be some non-functional http proxy server ip/port number and is not the expected nagios server ip number.
'''A windows proxy command shows the same ip and port:'''

On Windows 2003/XP

proxycfg

On Windows 2008/Win7

NetSH WinHTTP import Proxy ie

Output:

<pre>
Microsoft (R) WinHTTP Default Proxy Configuration Tool
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Current WinHTTP proxy settings under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\
WinHttpSettings :

Proxy Server(s) : 192.168.100.145:8080
Bypass List : 192.168.*.*;localhost;<local>

</pre>

'''Solution 1 - Remove the above setting to create a direct connection'''

#To remove the registry entries that ProxyCfg.exe creates,you must delete the WinHttpSettings value from the following registry key: <PRE>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\WinHttpSettings</PRE>
#After you do the above, confirm that the proxy details are deleted by running the proxycfg command 
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

'''Solution 2 - Configure a functioning proxy ip/port number'''
#Use the proxycfg command to enter a working proxy ip/port number/exclusion list: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384069%28VS.85%29.aspx
#After you do the above, confirm that the new proxy details are working by running the proxycfg command again
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

 Note: Please refer to the link before you restart NEOSYS processes [[http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Closing_NEOSYS_services#CLOSING_NEOSYS_SERVICES|Closing Hidden Processes]] 

== Solving “page not found” when downloading some file types after uploading them successfully ==
=== One by One ===

Windows web server will not download file types that it is unaware of. You can enable the download of new file types one by one as follows.

This process is tedious and error-prone if you have to add many type.

#Computer Management
#Services and Applications
#IIS properties
#Mime Types
#Add

=== Many ===

Window Server 2003 is unaware of all the Office 2007+ file types. To add all Office 2007+ file types at once do the following:

Stop IIS

iisreset /stop

Open the list of mime types

*Start, Run, notepad C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\MetaBase.xml

Search the file for “xlsx” and quit the editor if already inserted.

Otherwise, find the following line,

.xml,text/xml

and insert after that line the following lines. They do not need to be indented.

<pre>
.docm,application/vnd.ms-word.document.macroEnabled.12
.docx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
.dotm,application/vnd.ms-word.template.macroEnabled.12
.dotx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.template
.potm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.template.macroEnabled.12
.potx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.template
.ppam,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.addin.macroEnabled.12
.ppsm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.slideshow.macroEnabled.12
.ppsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.slideshow
.pptm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.presentation.macroEnabled.12
.pptx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation
.xlam,application/vnd.ms-excel.addin.macroEnabled.12
.xlsb,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.binary.macroEnabled.12
.xlsm,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.macroEnabled.12
.xlsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
.xltm,application/vnd.ms-excel.template.macroEnabled.12
.xltx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.template
</pre>

Save the file with File and Exit

Restart IIS

== Handling Neosys Automatic Upgrade Error Messages ==

=== Error Message ===
We will receive an email from the NEOSYS client installation with the following message:

'''"UPGRADEN.EXE" does not have expected exe MZ signature'''

=== Solution ===
This message is a note that the NEOSYS automatic update procedure failed to download an upgrade file correctly.
This happens sometimes due to network issues but can be ignored because the file will be probably be correctly downloaded on the next automatic update check.

'''Note:''' This message is only informative to help with any problem with the automatic upgrade procedure and may be removed in a later version of neosys (currently Oct 2012)

== Testing https connection ==

The following procedure tests that the https server is operational and not blocked by firewall etc. It does not detect certificate errors.

From a windows command prompt use the following telnet command:
<pre>
telnet clientname.hosts.neosys.com 4430
</pre>
#4430 is the usual NEOSYS http port but replace it by whatever port is actually used for NEOSYS https on the system being tested. If there are multiple https installations on a particular server then different ports are probably used
#Replace clientname.hosts.neosys.com with the normal https login domain name of the client for whom we want to check the https service

Normal behavior is that it should open a black screen. Pressing Enter or any key returns the _ character. (Close the window using the [X] since there is no keyboard command to do so)

Hanging means that there is some connectivity issue (firewall/ip/server not running/https not installed etc)

== Troubleshooting "page not found" error while using https ==

'''Problem:'''

#The https service stops working and gives "Page not found" error.
#The https connection tests fine using telnet (see article above)

'''Solution:'''

#Reinstall https using the usual procedure (currently using selfssl)
#Email clients, requesting to reinstall the new security certificate by following the procedure given at [http://userwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Resolving_HTTPS_certificate_error_when_logging_in_from_an_external_link Resolving https certificate error].

== Installing "QUICKDEX" on some files ==
"Quickdex" is a type of index that keeps an alphabetical order on small files. In some maintenance procedures you may be asked to "install Quickdex".

For example to add a quickdex to the UNITS file.

Maintenance mode press F5

DICT UNITS

<pre>
г=================Dictionary=================┐
│ │
│ File name UNITS │
│ Field name ......................... │
│ │
│ Dict type │
│ Single/Multi │
│ Data type │
│ Output format │
│ Validation patterns │
│ │
│ Position Key part │
│ │
│ Column heading │
│ │
│ │
│ Justification Display length │
│ Description │
│ │
│ │
L============================================-
</pre>

Press Shift+F3.

If it says "Do you want to remove ..." then Quickdex has already been installed and you should not continue. Press Esc to cancel, then Esc to quit.

<pre>
г=[B202]==================================┐
│ │
│ "UNITS" has │
│ "QUICKDEX" installed. │
│ │
│ Do you want to remove "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L=========================================-
</pre>

Otherwise it should say "Do you want to install ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W963]============================┐
│ │
│ Do you want to install a │
│ Quickdex or Rightdex index? [Q/R] │
│ │
│<Q >│
L===================================-
</pre>

It should then say "Do you want to update ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W901]========================================┐
│ │
│ The "UNITS" file has had │
│ the "QUICKDEX" modifying filing system added. │
│ There are 0 records in "UNITS". │
│ │
│ Do you want to update "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L===============================================-
</pre>

Afterwards it should return to the initial screen. Press Esc to quit.

== Solving NEOSYS smtp server failure ==
In case the neosys smtp server fails then we can just use the client's smtp server.

The following information is required from the client's smtp server configuration:
#hostname
#username
#password
#port no. (most likely = 25)

These details should be entered in the '''System Configuration File''':

[[image:SYSCFGFILE-SMTP.jpg]]

== Strange characters in maintenance mode ==
While in Maintenance mode, pressing keys on keyboard gives strange characters. Even Enter and Esc don’t work.

This problem has been seen using RDP on:
*Window Server 2003 Web Edition
*Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2

[[image:strangecharmaint.jpg]]

Solution:
#Go to Windows -> control panel
#Go to Regional and Language Options
#Click on Languages tab then click on Details [[image:lang1.jpg]] 
#Click on Settings Tab and Change default input language to English (United States) (or perhaps something else depending on rdp keyboard) [[image:lang2.jpg]] 

== NEOSYS processes do not start after Windows Update ==

Servers with Windows 2008 will not start the NEOSYS processes after Windows update. The user will have to be log into the server to start the processes.

If one gets this message on the Schedule Task " The operation being requested was not performed because the user has not logged on to the network. The specified service does not exit ".
Then they should tick the options Run whether user is logged on or not and Run with highest privileges in General settings of the Task.

[[image:sti.jpg]]

== Troubleshooting Network Outages reflected in Nagios due to reassigning of router name or IP address ==
Nagios displays errors if a router name or the ip address it is monitoring have been reassigned.

We can resolve this issue by trying to find the ISP router ip address just before the NEOSYS server.

Steps:-
#Login to Nagios
#Click on Tactical Overview -> Network Outages and click on Blocking Outages to view [[image:tracert-00.jpg]] 
#You will now see the host/ISP which is down. Click on the status map icon to identify the host associated with the ISP, as shown below: [[image:tracert-01.jpg]] 
#From the Network Map displayed, identify the host associated with the ISP. [[image:tracert-02.jpg]] 
#If you already know the ip address of the host then skip to next step else, in Nagios, click on Host Detail, then on the hostname identified earlier and From the Host Details shown, save the host url. [[image:tracert-03.jpg]] [[image:tracert-04.jpg]] 
#Log onto www.network-tools.com:
#*Select Trace
#*Enter the host's ip address if already known or host url
#*Click on Go [[image:tracert-05.jpg]] 
#The trace route should complete successfully revealing the IP address of the ISP just before the NEOSYS server. [[image:tracert-06.jpg]] 
#You can now login to zoneedit and update the ip address of the host.
#Check Nagios.

== Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding ==
This assumes that you have already “port forwarded” tcp port 19580 from your public internet router to the NEOSYS server.

=== Tst 0 - Check if SSH is working on the NEOSYS Server ===
Type in the following command in command prompt:
telnet 127.0.0.1 19580

IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

=== Test 1 - Check if SSH is basically working on NEOSYS server over the LAN ===
You must know and use the NEOSYS SERVER LAN IP to do this.

telnet ???.???.???.??? 19580

[[image:tr-pf-01.jpg]]

If you have the WRONG SERVER LAN IP or NEOSYS server SSH is NOT working then it will hang for about 15 seconds and then say “Could not open connection to host …”

[[image:tr-pf-02.jpg]]

OR IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

Press Enter to Exit

[[image:tr-pf-04.jpg]]

=== Test 2 - Check if can connect to the NEOSYS ssh from OUTSIDE the office ===
From any internet connected computer OUTSIDE the office test if you can connect to NEOSYS ssh service. You cannot do this test from inside the office.

You need to know the public ip or domain name of the router. If the router IP is dynamic then NEOSYS sets up dynamic name server so instead of a static ip number you will have a domain name something like clientxyz.redirectme.net.

Enter the command .. using YOUR public internet IP number (NOT the LAN ip number) or the dynamic domain name.

[[image:tr-pf-05.jpg]]

If everything is working OK you will get a black screen as follows. You will NOT get the “SSH-2.0-OpenSSH-4.7” banner” because NEOSYS ssh remote support is restricted to connect ONLY from LAN ip nos and NEOSYS office ip nos.

[[image:tr-pf-06.jpg]]

If you press Enter a few times then the cursor will just go down. You have click the [X] to close the window.

[[image:tr-pf-07.jpg]]

=== Test 3 - Check that the ssh connection from step 2 was rejected ===
On the NEOSYS server, check the Windows Application log to verify that an SSH connection was rejected.

The rejected ip number will be of the system outside the office that you performed the test from.

[[image:tr-pf-08.jpg]]

=== Sample Email: Solving port 19580 port forwarding issues ===

Some IT people know how to trouble shoot port forwarding issues but others are more just power users who can configure a home router. If the IT person is in the second category then it is quicker for NEOSYS support to offer to configure their router from the NEOSYS server using Teamviewer. Here is a letter advising a more skilled person to check connections using telnet which is a low level test.

You can usually determine the NEOSYS server LAN ip number from nagios. If so then adjust the email text appropriately.

<pre>
Dear xyz,

There is no connection from the internet via your router to the NEOSYS server because when we do the following:

telnet CLIENTNAME.support.neosys.com 19580

We get no connection. Normally it should connect and presents a black screen (saying SSH something after pressing Enter) which we close.

Please check that you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally by using the NEOSYS server IP address in the following command on any
computer in your LAN.

telnet 192.168.?.? 19580

If you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally then please check port forwarding.

1. Has your router ip changed?
2. Has your server’s lan ip changed and are you forwarding to the correct LAN ip?
3. Is the configuration really correct?

For further information, see http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php
/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding

Until this is resolved we cannot resolve some types of user support issues.

Best Regards,
</pre>

== Solving “Cant login … INVALID DATA PATH … permission denied” ==
=== Error Message ===

[[image:error-invalid-data-path-1.jpg]]

'''Error Text:'''

Cannot login because:
ERROR: INVALID DATA PATH
“D:\HOSTS\HOSTNAME\DATA\HOSTNAME\~8746345.1$” Permission Denied

=== Problem Explained ===
When installing NEOSYS on an existing “non-clean” Windows installation, the standard NEOSYS installation procedure can result in failure to login if the standard windows folder permissions have been modified.

=== Solution ===
The solution is to grant IIS permission to write in the \neosys\DATA folder and subfolders as follows:
#First add the IUSR_XXXXXXX user to the list of users. (XXXXXXXX is the server name and therefore varies per server) as follows:
#*Right Click on DATA Folder and click on Properties
#*Click on Security Tab -> Add -> Advanced
#*Click on Find Now, Select the IUSR_XXXXXXX user and Click on OK [[image:error-invalid-data-path-2.jpg]] [[image:error-invalid-data-path-3.jpg]] 
#Second, for the newly added IUSR (IIS user) change the permissions as follows:
#*'''REMOVE''' the read and execute permission (for security, IIS should be unable to execute things that it might have uploaded)
#*'''ADD''' the write permission [[image:error-invalid-data-path-4.jpg]] 
#Login should now be possible.

== NEOSYS process window displays message "Upgrade Downloading" ==

[[image:upgradedownloading.jpg]]

=== Problem Explained ===
NEOSYS thinks it sees an new neosys2.exe upgrade file on the location http://www.neosys.com/support/neosys2.exe which is accessed by http so attempts to download it.

Http proxies and various internet issues can cause incorrect info to be sent and there is actually no upgrade available. In this case, eventually it realizes that it cant find an appropriate and it stops.

You don’t have to worry about this case.

File:Upgradedownloading.jpg

2012-07-26T08:30:44Z

Vineet:

Handling damaged files

2012-07-09T05:07:22Z

Vineet:

== Symptoms ==

"A Damaged file has been found..... ((the rest of this message to be completed))
Group format Error:
OS File : BOOKING.TEXTS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

== Cause ==
Rare but nasty problem on server 99% caused by power failure, killing NEOSYS or server hardware or operating system failure.

*Did somebody kill NEOSYS processes to reboot the server or any other reason?
*Was there a power cut?
*Any expected or unexpected reboots in the server log? (see Event Viewer > System Log)
*Enough disk free space especially on servers not dedicated to NEOSYS?
*Third party software running on NEOSYS server?
*RAID installed on the server?
*Did windows update happen?

== Solution==

Damaged files, when detected, cause an immediate termination of the currently executing program/user request and a restart of the process is involved. Some damaged files are automatically fixed during restart. Although the process "restarts" it may be internally corrupted in some way and it is advisable to close it completely and start or allow another process to start automatically. 
However, the solution always depends on the cause and usually often requires aggressive interrogation to discover the cause.

Guidelines:

#Identify the cause of the damaged file
#Depending on the type of damaged file follow the procedures mentioned below to handle Damaged Files:
#*[[Handling_damaged_files#Files_that_are_automatically_fixed|Damaged Files that are Automatically fixed]]
#*Damaged Files that Need fixing
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_file_that_have_a_process_to_recreate_them| Damaged Files that have a process to Recreate them]]
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_index_files_.28names_starting_with_.21.29| Damaged Index Files]]
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_files_that_have_no_process_for_recreating_them|Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them]]
#*[[ Handling_damaged_files#Dealing_with_damaged_files_that_cannot_be_fixed| Damaged Files that Cannot be fixed]]
#Verify if the damaged file is fixed in the database by following instructions at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_for_corrupt_database_files|Checking for corrupt database files]]

== Recovery==

It is URGENT to stop using NEOSYS and fix the damaged file because it will cause NEOSYS to crash everytime it happens to update that part of the file. NEOSYS crashing while updating often produces unrecoverable inconsistencies in the database that can only be fixed by programmers sitting for hours trying to edit the database .... or by restoring from a backup causing loss of work.

See the following sections how to patch the damaged files.

== Files that are automatically fixed ==

*LISTS
*LOCKS
*!INDEXING

The above files are automatically checked for corruption (and initialised to empty if so) when you
startup a NEOSYS process and do not require any manual intervention apart from locating and eliminating the initial cause of the damage.

If the !INDEXING file was damaged then you should also do REINDEXALL to reinstate any possibly missing index entries, but since this will take a long time
you should do this when everybody is off the system in the evening probably. A few missing index entries may only mean some records missing from some reports which may or may not be seriously inconvenient. It is a temporary file that should not hold any records for longer than it takes to update the various indexes immediately when the user saves any document.

Each process has its own LISTS file, so damage is limited to one process for the LISTS file. The process number can be seen in the error message. for example:

Process=7

You can also see the process number on the server screen. For example here is a process 2.

13:17:31 TESTDB NEOS0002 0 Listening 7 hours, 49 mins ...

The LISTS file is a temporary file for sorting records into order for reports, popups etc. Therefore any damage usually causes no real inconvenience apart from the failed report or popup on which the user might receive the "damaged LISTS file" message.

The error message would appear as follows :

SYSTEM ERROR:
An internal file LISTS was found
to be damaged and has been patched.
INFORM YOUR TECHNICAL SUPPORT 
SOME DATA HAS PROBABLY BEEN LOST
AND THE NEOSYS SYSTEM MAY MALFUNCTION 
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

The error could also appear as follows :

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : LISTS
Group # : 00000014
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

OR

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : STATISTICS
Group # : 00000005
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
114 files checked.
Failed with 1 error
!!!DANGER!!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!!BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

''Note - '' Statistics contains info about user usage as per support menu so loss of data is not critical and it will be rebuilt automatically

'''We might also get errors related to Temporary Files as follows:'''
<pre>
A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM!

Group Format Error:
File : MATDEL_MEDIALIN_3
Group # : 13369375
Wrong Overflow frame linked to group.

Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=11:26:27 26 JUL 2010
Database=23BF2931 MEDIALIN
Process=3
Client=100_100_100_77
User=HAMADA
Request=MEDIADIARY
@Id=
Data=
</pre>

'''Since these are temporary files, we need not use FIXFILE. They get cleared automatically.'''

== Fixing damaged file that have a process to recreate them ==

Below files can be recreated from the maintenance mode.

ADS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEADS

ANALYSIS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEANALYSIS

BRANDS files can be recreated with F5 CREATEBRANDS

If the file is actually damaged it might be necessary to initialise it first using CLEARFILE filename.

The following is an example of the error in the ADS File at the time of backup.

Group Format Error:
OS File : ADS
Group # : 00009543
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
217 files checked.
Failed with 1 errors
!!! DANGER !!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!! BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "ADS")

Explanation: The last four lines are very rare and can be seen with the above error messages in the backup email. The above message indicates that some external application is trying to access the backup files at the time of backup.

Before doing the solution below, please check the number of damaged files on the database by running CHK.FILES in maintenance mode. [CHK.FILES can be done when users are online]

Solution

'''NOTE:''' Stop all the processes before doing the below procedure. (see [[Closing_NEOSYS_services|Closing NEOSYS Services]] for instructions)

Procedure to run CREATEADS is as under

Login to maintenance

F5
CREATEXXXX

(XXXX = ADS, ANALYSIS OR BRANDS)

Select the option appropriate option and start the procedure and hit ENTER

''Note -'' CREATEADS no longer asks to choose CREATE/CHECK/REINDEX and only does CREATE from now on. CHECK was never used and REINDEXADS command is available independently.

To verify if the above is done successfully and check if the damage files is fixed in the database run CHK.FILES or CHK.FILES FILENAME (Recommended) from this link: [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_for_corrupt_database_files|Checking for corrupt database files]]

== Fixing damaged index files (names starting with !) ==

Whilst backing up or using NEOSYS the following error message might appear:

"A Damaged file has been found.....
Group format Error:
OS File : !ADS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

#Ensure that no-one is using NEOSYS
#Log into NEOSYS on the server
#Press F5 to get a TCL command box
#Type REINDEXADS and press enter.
#Wait until it finishes and you get back to the command box
#Type OFF in the command box and you will quit NEOSYS.

Other reindex commands are:

(''Note -'' You can save time when indexing very large files by indexing only selected indexes instead of all indexed for the file. You can select the field(s) that need to be reindexed from a list of indexed fields which REINDEX filename presents you after you enter the command.)

*REINDEXACCOUNTS recreates !ACCOUNTS, !BATCHES and !VOUCHERS
*REINDEXADDRESSES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS recreates !BOOKING.ORDERS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXINVS recreates !INVOICES
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXPRODINVS recreates !PRODUCTION.INVOICES
*REINDEXPRODORDERS recreates !PRODUCTION.ORDERS
*REINDEXRATECARDS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS
*REINDEXVEHICLES

REINDEXMEDIA does all the following
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS

REINDEXFILES does all the following
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXVEHICLES
*REINDEXRATECARDS

REINDEXPRODUCTION does all the following
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXPRODORDERS
*REINDEXPRODINVS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS

REINDEXALL does all the following
*REINDEXMEDIA
*REINDEXPRODUCTION
*REINDEXFILES
*REINDEXINVS
*REINDEXACCOUNTS
*REINDEXADDRESSES

== Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them ==

Some damaged files can be rebuilt using NEOSYS utilities especially index files with filenames starting with !. Other damaged files like ''LOG20xx'' can be “fixed” to prevent NEOSYS crashes as follows but some records will most probably be lost. Depending on the file loss of a few records may not be too bad compared to restoring a database but the client should be informed and make the decision. Depending on the file it is usually best to lose the records. We can make a list of files that one can afford to lose records and those files that can be rebuilt programmatically from other files. Booking order texts they can lose records but inform them and especially the numbers mentioned in FIXFILE

''SHADOW'' is a type of log file that can lose some records without serious impact and can therefore can also be fixed with FIXFILE.

FIXFILE will not run if there are neosys services still running so before doing the FIXFILE command, shut down the processes for the dataset in question.

''NOTE -'' If there are multiple datasets running on the server. Shut down the particular dataset which has got the problem. (see [[Closing_NEOSYS_services|Closing NEOSYS Services]] for instructions).

If you are trying to close processes during the day then please check if there are users that are actively working on that dataset in question. If yes, then please email the clients asking them to log off till the process is complete. If there are no users actively working then you may proceed to complete the fix quickly before users login so that users are not disturbed during their daily work.

Press F5

FIXFILE filename

(Select option 1 to update the file)

In case you get any Overwrite messages – type YES, as these are the actual files being updated.

The only alternative is restore from a previous backup in this case losing a days work. Nasty, and even worse, it will be impossible to reproduce the days work and especially the exact serial numbers of critical documents like orders, invoices, receipts and payments advices.

=== Using FIXFILE to repair corrupted files ===

'''BEWARE:''' FIXFILE causes loss of data. If the data is critical then use of FIXFILE can be totally catastrophic without any warning.
Hence, in such situations it is advisable to talk to NEOSYS technical staff to see if they can provide any proper fix or provide any better comment about the impact of loss of data rather than implement FIXFILE directly.
 
'''Please Note:'''
# Using FIXFILE on some files is a guaranteed way to cause complete chaos for the users without them being aware of it until too late to do anything about it.
#Corrupt files will cause programs to abort every time they try to update that section of the file. Aborting programs causes possibly horrendous inconsistency in the database so it is important to stop all user activity and fix the corrupt file immediately.
#You can freely use FIXFILE on any file but it works by deleting any problematic data so cannot realistically be used on some files at all.
#FIXFILE cannot and does not recover any corrupted records therefore, for those files that have specific programs to rebuild them, FIXFILE is not the correct option.
 
'''Why use FIXFILE at all since it causes loss of data?'''

#Many files do not have programs to rebuild them and for some of those files, using FIXFILE is a quick way to get the system back in operation BUT with missing records. Missing records causes various degrees of failure ranging from the odd document missing, totally misleading information like wrong account balances, or any kind of system failure.
#FIXFILE does not fix the consistency of information in the database. When the database is is being updated with a transaction, usually a series of files are updated for the one transaction. A damaged file causes the update program to abort in the middle of the series of updates. Therefore some of the updates are done and the remaining updates are not done. This means that the data in the database (even after fixing the corrupt file) is inconsistent.
#FIXFILE merely fixes the technical structure of the file so that any further program accesses to that portion of the file do not cause immediate program termination and consequent likely catastrophic database inconsistency.

'''IMPORTANT :''' You must prevent anyone from accessing NEOSYS while FIXFILE is running.

==== List of Files Impacted by FIXFILE ====
#'''USERS File :''' The main data of any lost records from the USERS file will be recreated any time the Authorisation File is saved, however only the information in the Authorisation File is recreated which means that all personal preferences, holiday records, login history etc will be lost.

=== Fixing Damaged DEFINITIONS file ===

==== Non-Solution ====

You will probably not be able to login if the DEFINITIONS FILE is damaged. You can press Alt+S and type EXECUTE to get a TCL command box but this still doesnt help because you cannot use FIXFILE on DEFINITIONS.

CAUTION: DO NOT USE FIXFILE TO TRY AND FIX THE DEFINITIONS FILE.

DOUBLE CAUTION: IN CASE YOU DECIDE TO IGNORE THIS EXPECT ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE PROBLEMS IN THE DATABASE REQUIRING A COMPLETE RESTORE FROM A GOOD BACKUP AFTER A FEW DAYS OF PAIN BECAUSE RANDOM OLD DATABASE UPGRADE/CONVERSIONS WILL BE PERFORMED *AGAIN* WITHOUT YOU KNOWING IT.

==== Partial Restore ====

You can copy recent DEFINITIONS.LK and DEFINITIONS.OV files from the DATA\datasetcode\GENERAL folder.

CAUTION: All changes done in the Configuration File, Authorisation File, Users File and various other changes will be reverted to the date of the DEFINITIONS files being restored. If you are restoring from last nights backup or testdata then this will not be much but could cause serious confusion to people who have changed their passwords etc.

==== Full Restore ====

Restore from your latest backup losing all work done since that time and date.

=== Preventing users from accessing NEOSYS in order to do maintenance or repairs ===

On most systems you can simply stop the NEOSYS processes. On other systems where NEOSYS processes are automatically started in response to requests from the web, you need to disable the autostart by one of the following methods

# Stop the autostart program/script
# Put a file called NET.CFG with a single line saying AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder
# Stop the IIS server
# Stop/Pause the particular web in question

== Dealing with damaged files that cannot be fixed ==

If programmers are unable to fix the damage in a reasonably period of time and the damage is caused due to matters beyond NEOSYS control such as non-dedicated servers and power failures then data must be restored and client advised why they are going to suffer loss of data.

THIS DOES NOT RELEASE NEOSYS SUPPORT STAFF FROM THE OBLIGATION TO PROACTIVELY INFORM THE CLIENT OF MEASURES TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF THE EVENT.

The following are the steps to follow:
# Ascertain the cause of the damage to the database by looking at the internal logs
# Create a new database from the damaged one as it will contain the up to date but damaged database.
# Restore the database from the backup media so that the database is in the last good known state.
# The client can see what work was done over the past couple of days from the damaged database and it will assist them to redo the work in the currently restored out of date main database.
# Next discuss with the client about the cause of the damage and (a) what to do to prevent the damage occurring again (b) to agree a procedure to perform a manual backup in case the automatic one is not performed for any reason overnight.

Troubleshooting NEOSYS Generally

2012-07-05T06:26:49Z

Vineet: /* The NEOSYS process is running on the server but still cannot connect to NAGIOS */

== Solving failure to start a NEOSYS server due to disk failure message ==
=== Problem ===
During a reboot process (which maybe due to a Windows update or even done by a support personnel) the NEOSYS server gets hung on the startup and shows a message "Boot Failure - Abort, Retry".

=== Temporary solution ===
This typically happens due to the USB being plugged into the server and the boot sequence being wrong - i.e. the server trying to boot from the USB first and fails. The immediate solution would be to unplug the USB and ask the client to reboot the server again and upon successfully rebooting the system, plug the USB back again.

=== Permanent solution ===
The above problem will occur every time the computer is rebooted, so you need to immediately talk to the IT Administrator of the client and ask them to rectify the boot sequence to make it boot first from the CD ROM, then the HDD and last the USB.
 Allowing "Boot from USB" causes a severe risk of infection by boot sector viruses since the first infected USB device inserted WILL infect the server immediately as anti-virus programs are not active during boot.

== Solving NEOSYS process hung due to “Abort, Retry, Fail” ==
=== Problem ===
The following messages may come on older versions of NEOSYS if there is a some problem with the USB media inserted for backup.

[[image:usberror.jpg]]

This results in “NEOSYS has not checked in” message on Nagios since it hangs during the monitoring update and locks all other processes from monitoring too.

General failure writing drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Not read reading drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Pressing A or F results in the problem happening again in about a minute, perhaps on a different process.

=== Solution ===
Temporary solution is to do “Safely remove hardware” from the windows notification area. Using “Eject” from My Computer will not work.

Permanent solution is to replace the defective USB memory stick. Sometime reformatting is sufficient.

Upgrading NEOSYS will probably stop the defective media from causing NEOSYS to hang but the USB will still be useless for backup.

== Solving "Read error in the operating system file" ==
=== Problem ===
Nagios reports a hung process and on the server a process has the following message popup.

Read error in the operating system file "..\DATA\PT0833\ACCOUNTS\REV20049
The file does not exist or the filename is
not valid for the operating system.

[[Image:readerrorintheoperatingsystemfile.png]]

=== Cause ===
Some non-NEOSYS program is directly accessing the NEOSYS database files while NEOSYS processes are running and using the files as well.

*Client IT staff using a backup program to perform backup without ensuring that NEOSYS processes are shutdown.
*A NEOSYS rsync process taking longer than expected due to new USB.

=== Solution ===
Kill the NEOSYS process eg with the X button. It is advisable NOT to let it run further while it cannot properly access one of its files.

=== Prevention ===
Remove the third party program or arrange for it to operate only while NEOSYS processes are shutdown eg from 3am-6am.

== Troubleshooting the "Database not available" error message ==
=== Problem explained ===
This error appears when you try to login to NEOSYS after you enter your username and password and click the Login button.

[[image:database_unavailable.jpg]]

Error message :

Cannot login because :
Error : The (database code) database is not available right now.

=== Solution explained ===
# Determine if the processes are running. If they are running and you still get the same message that means that the proccesses have hung. Close them by hitting the X button on the window.
# If the processes are not visible, it is possible that they are running in the background and have hung for some reason. Check the windows task manager to see if any ‘ntvdm’ process is running. If so, use the End Process method to force close it.
# If there is no trace of any process running, that means the process probably did not start at the scheduled time. Refer to the 'Hung Process Reports' to verify this claim.
# If the process had not hung, then the server might have restarted due to a power failure or a windows update and the administrator user had not logged in post the scheduled startup time of 6AM. To determine this cause, investigate in the Windows Event Viewer Log file.
# You can now start up the process by clicking on the respective desktop icons.
# Also check if the backup took place successfully or not. If not take a manual backup.

== Handling damaged files ==

[[Handling damaged files]]

== Checking for corrupt database files ==
Login to NEOSYS Maintenance

Press F5

CHK.FILES

or

CHK.FILES filename

== Assessing Database Size per File ==
In NEOSYS maintenance mode

LIST FILES BY BY-DSND SIZE VOLUME.NAME SIZE

This will include all files not just those in the actual dataset in DATA\* folders.

== Resolving slow speed ==
=== [[Benchmarking NEOSYS]] ===
=== Investigating CPU 100% using Windows Task Manager ===
Email, to support, a screen-shot of task manager APPLICATIONS, PROCESSES and PERFORMANCE screens MAXIMIZED TO SHOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

(Sort the processes to show ntvdm, waiting.exe and high cpu% processes clearly)

'''Steps:'''
#Right Click on Windows Taskbar and click on Start Task Manager [[image:starttaskmanager.jpg]] 
#Click on Processes and then click on CPU '''Note - The HIGH cpu% processes which should usually be the "process" called "System Idle Process" ''' [[image:cpu100percent1.jpg]] 
#Click on the Performance Tab '''Note - PF Usage should typically be much less than Physical Memory otherwise there is insufficient real memory in the server to handle the load''' [[image:cpu100percent3.jpg]] 
#Click on Application Tab then Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Bring to Front '''See what the NEOSYS Process is doing [[image:cpu100percent2.jpg]] 
#Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Go to Processes '''Note the cpu% ntvdm process [[image:cpu100percent2_2.jpg]] 
#Normally NEOSYS application screens say "LISTENING" in the bottom line and those applications should have very low cpu% [[image:normalneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Look at the difference between the screen of running NEOSYS processes (applications actually) which are idle (listening for requests) and active (processing a request from a user)
#Note the number of cpus or cpu threads in the server from the performance screen graphics [[image:performance-taskmgr-cputhread.jpg]] 
#Take screen-shots of any and ALL hung or long running processes (NEOSYS application screens) and email them to support. Even small details on the screens and user names, the user names may give clues to what problem caused the hanging.A Typical Hung NEOSYS process will look like this: [[image:hungneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Once all hung/long processes are closed then CPU should be low and not near 100%. If it is still 100% then check all high cpu% processes and send a screen-shot of processes sorted to show the high cpu% process names to support.

=== Solving server CPU% is 100 and all users are extremely slow/stopped ===
==== Too few cpus/threads for the number of users ====
In Windows task manager normally, you should see one ntvdm.exe and one waiting.exe process per NEOSYS process (application). A standard installation has three NEOSYS processes per main database and plus one per test database. This is configured in Support Menu, Configuration File.

If there are MORE ntvdm processes than you expect from the configuration file, then perhaps NEOSYS is auto starting new NEOSYS processes to try and cater for a high number of concurrent users.

If the number of concurrent NEOSYS processes significantly exceeds the number of cpus/hyperthreads available in the server then processing for everybody can become so slow for everybody and almost no work gets done.

==== Solution ====
Stop NEOSYS creating new NEOSYS processes automatically. Create a text file with the first and only line as AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder something like this.

notepad d:\neosys\neosys\NET.CFG

AUTOSTART=NO

== Handling failure and warning on nightly backup alerts ==

[[Handling failure and warning messages on nightly backup alerts]]

== Resolving permissions errors while logging in ==

=== Problem ===

While logging in, you get the following error message:
[[Image:login_error_message.jpg]]

=== Solution ===

Add the internet guest account to the security list of the data folder with the default permission of list/read/write

Make sure the read&execute permission is removed
[[Image:permissions_on_data.jpg]]

== Resolving the 'HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error' while logging in on IE on a Windows Vista system ==

=== Problem ===
After configuring IIS on Windows Vista you will get this error message while trying to login into NEOSYS from Internet Explorer:

HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error
Description: This application is running in an application pool that uses the Integrated .NET
mode. This is the preferred mode for running ASP.NET applications on the current and future
version of IIS.

In this mode, the application using client impersonation configured with <identity
impersonate="true" /> may not behave correctly. Client impersonation is not available in early
ASP.NET request processing stages and may lead modules in those stages to execute with process
identity instead.

=== Solution ===

You can move the application to an application pool that uses the Classic .NET mode by using the following from a command line window (the window must be running as Administrator)

%systemroot%\system32\inetsrv\APPCMD.EXE set app "Default Web Site/neosys" /applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

Alternatively, you can use any other application pool on your system that is running in the Classic .NET mode. You can also use the IIS Administration tool to move this application to another application pool.

== Resolving the 'Class Not Registered' error message while logging in ==

=== Problem ===
While logging into NEOSYS, you will get a popup window giving an error message saying 'Class Not Registered - Server Error'. Typically, you will encounter this error with XP Pro IIS 5.1. As usual, there's way to solve it, however the root cause of this is still unknown.

Anyway, you will get the proper message in the event log:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W3SVC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 36
Description: The server failed to load application '/LM/W3SVC/1/ROOT/NEOSYS.
The error was 'Class not registered'.

=== Solution ===
So, what do you do ? This problem is related to Component Services, and when you open Component Services MMC, you will most probably get Error Code 8004E00F COM + was unable to talk to Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator. So, fix the COM+ services first by using the following KB from Microsoft (PRB: Cannot Expand "My Computer" in Component Services MMC Snap-In http://support.microsoft.com/?id=301919):

To resolve this problem, reinstall Component Services as follows: WARNING:
# Open registry editor, locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\COM3, and then delete this key.
# From the Start menu, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs.
# Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
# Proceed through the wizard, and accept all of the defaults (including IIS)
# Restart the computer.

If the above didn't solve it, and you still receive the 'Class not registered' error message, then you need to recreate the IIS packages in COM+, try

# Delete IIS related package in Component Services MMC
# IIS In-Process Applications
# IIS Out-of-Process Pooled Applications
# IIS Utilities

Next, if you still get the message, try following before re-install IIS if you can't find Distributed Transaction Coordinator in your Services console.

Launch command prompt and run the following command.
# msdtc -install
# net start msdtc

Then try re-install IIS.

This should solve the problem

== Enabling File Security option on Win XP Professional ==

=== Problem ===

In the Properties of any folders, the Security option does not show, hence you cannot modify the Read, Write options.

=== Solution ===

The solution would be to untick the 'Simple File Sharing' option from Tools > Folder Options > View:
[[Image:simplefilesharingoff.jpg]]

== B703 Errors ==

The B703 error is usually always related to something too big for NEOSYS to handle.

These are the only B errors that NEOSYS cant always permanently prevent by fixing the software.

== Internet Explorer Menu, View, Text Size doesnt change font size as expected ==

Cause: This is because the font size is now user definable in NEOSYS and View, Text Size does not override predefined font sizes.

Solution: If you are using Internet Explorer 7 you can scale the screen (including the font size using ctrl + and ctrl - keyboard shortcuts or the font size button on the bottom right hand side of the window.

You can adjust the font size on the User Details form when you login although this permanently applies to all forms not just the one that you are on.

== Error on process window "Not enough string space - Out of Memory" ==

=== Message ===

‘RTP27’ Line 1. [B29] Not enough string space – Out of Memory.

Not enough memory to execute Debugger; current program aborted.
Press any key to continue

[[Image:out_of_memory.jpg]]

=== Cause ===
Unknown perhaps related to some large document or report

=== Solution ===
Ask users for any hanging transactions.
None other than closing and starting another process

== Uploaded jpg files fail to display in internet explorer ==

Some large jpg files > 2Mb cannot be viewed in internet explorer despite being viewable in image preview, ms paint and other viewers/editors. It is not an issue caused by uploading or downloading the files.

These file appear to have been created on Photoshop CS Macintosh and may be a special type of uncompressed jpg used for production quality files.

=== Partial solution ===
Before uploading the files, open them in some editor like MS Paint (right click, edit) and save them. However this results in a loss of quality. Perhaps there is some program that can convert these files to a format understandable by Internet explorer without any loss of quality.

== "You have attempted to write to a read-only file" ==

=== Message ===

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "..\DATA\ADLINEC\ADAGENCY\REV76467.OV00012618")

=== Cause ===

It is almost certainly due to some third party backup or other maintenance software opening the NEOSYS database files when it shouldn't e.g. badly configured third party backup scheduled to backup NEOSYS while NEOSYS is still running. Note that the exact filename varies each time.

=== Solution ===

This can be a serious error that causes damaged files in NEOSYS especially if the filename ends in .OV. Use the usual methods of checking for damaged files e.g. do a backup which also looks for damaged files BUT DO NOT OVERWRITE THE LATEST BACKUP SINCE IT MAY BE REQUIRED for restoration. Then fix the damaged files using the usual methods e.g. by rebuilding/using
FIXFILE or restoring databases.

=== Prevention ===

Remove the third party backup or other maintenance software or reschedule it to run at a time that NEOSYS is shutdown. Removal of software may require hunting through the windows process list for unexpected programs running.

== Resolving "Cannot backup/restore because PROCESS1 PROCESS2 (etc) is/are online" message ==

This can happen for a variety of reasons if all the NEOSYS processes fail to close down at backup time

# NEOSYS maintenance windows are left open.
# NEOSYS processes hang due to software error.

== How to kill hung NEOSYS processes ==

NOTE WELL: If you kill actively working NEOSYS processes (those which are "listening" and not hung/crashed) there is a reasonable chance that the database will be damaged and might need a restore losing possibly large amounts of work.

==== If NEOSYS processes are visible on the server desktop ====

Look for processes which don't have "Listening ..." on the last but one line. The times on the left hand side are frozen as at the time of the hang.

You can then click the X to kill the process and confirm that this is OK.

Example of a NEOSYS process that has hung due to a software error resulting in a failure to handle a complex query with a lot of brand codes.

[[Image:hungprocess.jpg]]

==== If NEOSYS processes are not visible on the server desktop ====

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on computer restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be running in the background. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

You can check if there are any hung processes from the NEOSYS Support Menu, List of Database Processes.
[[Image:databaseprocesseslist.jpg]]

In this case you should follow the below instructions - however all of them need to be done within 30 seconds of starting the first instruction to avoid inconvenience to the users. It is recommend that you keep relevant windows open before proceeding with the same:

#Shutdown NEOSYS by TEMPORARILY putting a file called GLOBAL.END in the parent directory of NEOSYS (if there is already a GLOBAL.END.TEMP file then rename it to GLOBAL.END). Leaving the file there would prevent NEOSYS from starting up again. Shutting down NEOSYS from the Support menu will not work because of the hung processes.
#Use Windows Task Manager to kill all the NTVDM processes - assuming that you have closed all the visible NEOSYS processes, then the NTVDM processes in the task manager would be the hung one.
#Delete GLOBAL.END or rename it to GLOBAL.END.TEMP
#Restart the processes back again. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.
#*Restarting a process is not noticed by users.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

=== Temporary workarounds for hung NEOSYS processes ===
Until the error in the software is fixed users can often get their results by simplifying their requirements. For example select individual clients instead of selecting all the brands for a particular client. If the user has repeated his request (in forlorn hope that it would work finally) then the number of NEOSYS working NEOSYS processes will drop causing severe slowdown for other users and complete stop if all the NEOSYS processes hang.

== How to fix a NEOSYS process which opens up in a notepad instead of Microsoft Windows Based Script Host (i.e. DOS window)==

The NEOSYS process (cmd file) might open up in a notepad, instead of the usual black colour DOS window. This can be fixed by the following:

# Download and install the Windows Script 5.6/5.7 from the Microsoft Website
# Go to any folder, click on Tools > Folder Options > File Types and find the .JS and .JSE and change the default program to wscript.exe (from windows>system32)

== Resolving a 'Could not start' error on Scheduled Tasks in Windows Server 2000 SP4 ==

This error occurs because of a change that is made to the data that is stored in the credentials database when you install Windows 2000 SP4. Hence installing SP4 causes the the data that is stored in the credentials database to get converted to an SP4-compatible format. A registry key is configured to indicate that the data has been converted to the SP4 format.

Hence the Scheduled Tasks do not work sometimes. However the Scheduled Tasks works fine sometimes, but when you uninstall SP4, it does not work.

The best solution is to:

# Incase Scheduled Tasks do not work after installing SP4, then uninstall SP4 and it should be fine.
# Incase Scheduled Tasks works after installing SP4, and later after uninstalling SP4, it does not work, then install SP4 and it should be fine.

== Checking for server or NEOSYS crashes ==

#NEOSYS Maintenance Mode
#General Menu, Setup, Processes
#Select the dates and the option Detailed

This report shows a list of dates and times that NEOSYS logged in but did not log out properly.

Ignore the very latest entries since they represent the current NEOSYS processes. For example, if you have four NEOSYS processes running at the time that you get the report (including any in maintenance mode) then you can ignore the last four entries.

The date and time shows for each process that has failed to shutdown correctly when the process logged in. Versions of NEOSYS from January 2008 will also show the date and time that each crashed NEOSYS process was last active (heartbeat) so that the time of failure can be known.

If you see a bunch of NEOSYS processes all started up at around the same time but all failed to shutdown correctly then the cause will be a server failure - usually power failure.

Isolated one-off failures will be related to individual NEOSYS process crashes - most commonly caused by one of the following:

#NEOSYS hanging to due to software failure
#Manually exiting a NEOSYS process on the server either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del or clicking the "X" close icon/box and ignoring the warning
#Random server failures eg memory, disk etc

Example:

LOGIN 22/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:53 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 13:51 NEOSYS SERVER NEOSYS Current user session

Interpretation:

The first four entries indicate that all four NEOSYS processes started at 06am were suddenly killed probably by power failure

The next four entries indicate that NEOSYS was restarted at around 08:52 and all these processes were AGAIN killed probably by power failure

The last four entries can be ignored because there were four NEOSYS processes running at the time that the report was generated

== Searching for word/number in the database files using maintenance mode ==

You can search for any word/number in the database files of NEOSYS, using the following command line:

F5
FIND FILENAME WORDWITHOUTANYSPACES

For eg:
FIND CURRENCIES 1.1
(here you are searching for the number 1.1 in the currencies file) You CANNOT search for a phrase ie include spaces like this.

Or you can also type:
FIND FILENAME <enter>
and it will ask you what you want do to search. You can enter an exact phrase with spaces.

Incase you do not know the filenames, you can enter the following command to see all the filenames in the system:

F5
LF

== Troubleshooting the NTVDM Hard error when opening up NEOSYS processes ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears:

[[Image:ntvdm.jpg]]

NTVDM encountered a hard error

=== Solution ===

This error is caused by missing or corrupt Windows system files (i.e. command.com, autoexec.nt and config.nt). The solution is to run a program called XP FIX which will reinstall these missing files. You can download it form http://www.visualtour.com/downloads/xp_fix.exe

Sometimes even after running the XP FIX program the error still appears. Then you need to copy all the files under C:/windows/repair to C:/windows/system32 and in the autoexec.nt and config.nt put REM before any lines there which don't have it.

== Troubleshooting a Service Unavailable message on Internet Explorer when opening up NEOSYS ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears in Internet Explorer when you try to open up NEOSYS:

Service Unavailable

=== Solution ===

Open the IIS Manager, right click Web Sites and select properties:
[[Image:serviceunavailable1.jpg]]

Switch to the Service Tab and tick the "Run WWW Service in IIS 5.0 Isolation Mode".
[[Image:serviceunavailable2.jpg]]

You will be asked for Restart of IIS. Click yes to restart IIS. If you are not asked just restart IIS.

== Inspecting IIS log files ==

At a windows command prompt:

c:
cd \Windows\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

or

%SystemDrive%
cd %SystemRoot%
cd system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

then (substituting the ip number you are interested in)

find "192.168.1.55" *|sort>temp.log

Open temp.log in Excel and use Tools, Data, Text to Columns to split into columns using options "Delimited" and check split on Space.

Autowidth all columns by clicking on the top left box just outside the data to the left of column A and above column 1 then double click the column separator to the right of column "A"

Note that times and dates are in UTC/GMT so you have to add/subtract your timezone offset to get local times.

== Fixing NEOSYS processes that do not auto start / Recovering from incorrect advanced date or time ==
This solution is applicable to live database processes only. Test database processes don’t auto-start any other processes.

=== Problem explained ===
After starting up the 1st process, the rest of the processes don't start up.

=== Solution ===

The possible cause for this could be that the system date/time might have been changed - either manually or by the auto synchronization. Do the following checks in the sequence of order:

# Check for any *.$* files (* after dollar sign should show a number, the highest being the latest one). If it shows OK, then proceed ahead.
# Check for any .end files and delete it to rename to .end.temp
# Check the System Event Viewer log for any 520 or 577 error message (refer http://128.175.24.251/forensics/timechange.htm). Also check for any out of sequence / ahead of today date or time.
# In case of no 520 or 577 error message, go to Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > Local Policies > Audit Policy > Audit Privilege use - make sure that Success and Failure are selected under this (this will ensure that future changes to the date/time are recorded in the System Log).
# In NEOSYS maintenance mode - F5 ED PROCESSES %UPDATE% - and see what it says, incase of any text (only text, not numbers) there, that means that for sure the system date has been changed. To fix this, exit the editor by pressing the ESCAPE key and then type DELETE PROCESSES "%UPDATE%"

== Recognising and Solving Low Memory Problems ==

Quick Note: Installing a server class operating system on a workstation class computer with the intention of NEOSYS serving a heavy load is likely to cause problems with low memory.

Quick Fix: Disable *ALL* non-essential features in the power-on setup menu.

=== Effects ===

It is speculated but not proven that low memory may cause NEOSYS to fail by hanging, causing damaged files etc.

=== Checking ===

F5
MEMORY

On server class machines it should say somewhere around 350Kb to 370Kb Free

Some server class machines have around 330Kb and sometimes even less with no reported problems

The actual effect of low memory is supposed to make NEOSYS slower and perhaps cause hanging and damaged files however this has not been proven in an specific case so far.

On workstation class machines it may often say around 280Kb to 300Kb.

=== Cause ===

Although there is plenty of real memory in virtually all computers now, NEOSYS runs in the legacy 16 bit virtual memory space of a windows mode called NTVDM. This is limited to 1Mb plus 4Mb of EMS memory.

The 1Mb memory space is shared with:

#Various non-essential windows drivers which NEOSYS automatically disables them in autoexec.nt
#Various plug and play hardware device drivers for the various adapters in the computer like video, network adapters and various other items that NEOSYS is unable to disable.

In a server class computer the hardware device drivers are usually minimally present in the 1Mb base memory and do not therefore DOESNT a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

In workstation class computers there are often many hardware device drivers present in the 1Mb base memory and this DOES causes a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

When NEOSYS is installed on workstation class computers with XP there is usually not a heavy load expectation and therefore the low memory does not cause a problem.

If Windows Server OS is installed on a workstation class computer NEOSYS may well be expected to serve a heavy load with limited amounts of memory.

Workstation class computers: hardware drivers present and EMS is installed in low memory (0000-9FFF) causing low memory for NEOSYS and possible inability to

Server class computers: Usually few hardware drivers are present in high part (A000-FFFF) of the 1Mb base memory and EMS is able to occupy the high memory leaving the low part (0000-9FFFF) of the 1Mb memory free for NEOSYS. You can find out how much memory is available to NEOSYS and whether EMS is occuping high or low memory using the following sections.

=== Fixing Low Memory ===

Start, Run, notepad c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt

Every time NEOSYS starts it tries to make some changes as follow:

#replaces all lines in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/AUTOEXEC.NT starting with 'lh ' to start with 'rem NEOSYS LH ' instead.
#changes the line in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG.NT "files=..." to "FILES=200"

The replacement is case sensitive triggered on 'lh' and 'files' so if you manually edit the files and remove the rem or change the number of files and leave the LH and FILES in uppercase then NEOSYS will NOT make further changes. This allows you to do manual amendments to the files without NEOSYS overwriting them.

Check that NEOSYS has successfully disabled all the drivers in the lines starting with LH.

They should be commented out (prefixed) with REM or REM NEOSYS as follows.

After making changes reopen NEOSYS in maintenance mode to use the MEMORY and WHO commands again.

<pre>
REM Install CD ROM extensions
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

REM Install DPMI support
REM NEOSYS LH %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\DOSX
</pre>

=== Allowing DOS programs that require DOSX to run on the same computer as NEOSYS ===

The automatic commenting out DOSX by NEOSYS will prevent some other DOS-like programs from running. If NEOSYS is on dedicated server then there should be no other such programs to fail. However, if you must allow DOS-like programs to work as well as NEOSYS you can do the following configuration:

#leave or restore the original AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files where they are
#copy them to another folder eg neosys folder
#make the necessary REM changes there by hand
#right click the NEOSYS\NEOSYS\AREV.PIF and select properties
#change the location of the AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files in the following location

[[image:pifsettings.jpg]]

=== Checking EMS Memory Configuration ===

==== Inspection ====

F5
WHO

press the up arrow to get to the last part/page

===== Example of Typical Server EMS Memory =====
[[image:serveremm.jpg]]

===== Example of Typical Workstation EMS Memory =====
[[image:workstationemm.jpg]]

====Correction====

No easy way

Removal of hardware adapters designed for workstations instead of servers eg graphics cards and network cards.

Many of the devices may be located on the motherboard and not relocatable except possibly by BIOS configuration or special manufacturer information.

Use windows device manager, View: Resources by Connection, Open the Memory item and look for items between 000A0000 up to 000FFFFF that might give you a clue as to what hardware could be removed or reconfigured. Actually only 000C0000 to 000FFFFF is candidate for EMS memory since 000A000-000BFFFF is mandatory video memory in all systems.

[[image:devicemanager.jpg]]

== Resolving issue where NEOSYS processes do not start-up at all or start-up and close immediately ==

# Find if a file with the name global.end exists in the root directory of the NEOSYS installation. Eg D:\global.end . If you find such a file, rename it to global.end.temp - for more information on global.end and what it does refer to [[Closing NEOSYS services]]
# If the above didn't fix the problem and NEOSYS still does not start, do a windows search for the entire NEOSYS folder for *.end (i.e. any file ending with .end extension). You may find a (databasecode).end file in D:\neosys\neosys folder which is created by the NEOSYS program during backup at 1 am and later on removed automatically. In this case NEOSYS program might have crashed during the backup and left this file behind. (databasecode).end files prevent other other NEOSYS processes starting up on the database while exclusive processes (like backup) are being done.

In case the above didn't fix the problem then escalate to the programmer immediately.

== Handling Change Backup message if the client does not use a USB backup device ==
DO *NOT* FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE SINCE IS IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR NEOSYS TO SEND OUT A "BACKUP SUCCESS" MESSAGE WHEN THE BACKUP IS NOT BEING DONE PROPERLY. IN GENERAL, TAKING SHORT CUTS THAT MAKE THINGS APPEAR SATISFACTORY WHEN THEY ARE NOT IS VERY POOR POLICY.

IF THE CLIENT IS BACKING UP TO A NON-REMOVABLE DESTINATION THEN EITHER 1. LIVE WITH THE FAILURE MESSAGE OR 2. SUPPRESS THE BACKUP ENTIRELY IN WHICH CASE NO BACKUPS ARE BEING DONE AND PROBABLY THIS WILL SHOW ON NEOSYS PROACTIVE WARNING SYSTEMS LIKE NAGIOS.

# Basically most of the client use USB for Neosys server but there are some clients who do not use USB but save their backups in hard drive.
# As we know that backup take place in Data.bak folder but it do a backup only for a week in a single USB. Over here client do not use USB but save their backup in hard drive in Data.bak folder, once the week is over it will again give Change backup message.
# In this case rename the Data.bak folder to Data1.bak this is done because system read only Data.bak folder as it is configured in the system. When you rename Data.bak to Data1.bak it automatically create a new folder Data.bak in Backup drive.
# This process is done so that the backup should not fail then next day morning and backups are done in Data.bak folder.
# In the third week we will again see the same message Chang backup USB message so you need to rename Data.bak folder to Data2.bak
# But in fourth week you rename the Data1.bak to Data.bak and change the Data2.bak to Data1.bak and Data.bak to Data2.bak
# Keep only three folders and Data.bak, Data1.bak, Data2.bak and keep on renaming these folders every week as shown above.

== Closing processes that are not visible on the desktop or hidden ==

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be hidden. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

In these cases whenever there is a hung NEOSYS process - due to many reasons for eg low memory. In this case you should close all processes using the global.end method and then from the task manager kill any NTVDM processes and then restart NEOSYS. This should be done within 30 seconds from using the global.end method to avoid any inconvenience to the users. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

== NEOSYS not updating NAGIOS ==

=== Error Message ===
You notice a problem on NAGIOS indicating that '''''NEOSYS not checked in''' on a particular client server.

=== Possible Causes & Solutions ===

====The NEOSYS process is '''NOT''' running on the server====

Start the NEOSYS process and wait for 10 mins for NEOSYS to check into NAGIOS.
 

====The NEOSYS process '''is''' running on the server but still cannot connect to NAGIOS====

NEOSYS connects to NAGIOS using http. NEOSYS automatically detects and uses any http proxy configuration configured in Internet Explorer. If Internet Explorer can reach the internet then NEOSYS should be able to update to NAGIOS via the same proxy.

First check if Internet Explorer can reach NAGIOS.

If you are asked to login then the Internet Explorer is working OK. You do not need to login. Just cancel and move on to the next step.

http://monitor.neosys.com

If Internet Explorer CANNOT connect to NAGIOS then resolving that fundamental issue will probably solve the NAGIOS connection issue too.

View the Internet Explorer proxy configuration as follows:

[[image:ieproxy.png]]

If Internet Explorer CAN connect to NAGIOS then check if there is an issue with NEOSYS's http proxy server configuration as follows:

#Search for '''UPDATE.$WG''' file located in the neosys\neosys. folder and open it using notepad or wordpad.
#You should find a message similar to the following:
<pre>
Connecting to 192.168.100.145:8080 failed: No such file or directory.
</pre>
Where the above appears to be some non-functional http proxy server ip/port number and is not the expected nagios server ip number.
'''A windows proxy command shows the same ip and port:'''

On Windows 2003/XP

proxycfg

On Windows 2008/Win7

NetSH WinHTTP import Proxy ie

Output:

<pre>
Microsoft (R) WinHTTP Default Proxy Configuration Tool
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Current WinHTTP proxy settings under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\
WinHttpSettings :

Proxy Server(s) : 192.168.100.145:8080
Bypass List : 192.168.*.*;localhost;<local>

</pre>

'''Solution 1 - Remove the above setting to create a direct connection'''

#To remove the registry entries that ProxyCfg.exe creates,you must delete the WinHttpSettings value from the following registry key: <PRE>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\WinHttpSettings</PRE>
#After you do the above, confirm that the proxy details are deleted by running the proxycfg command 
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

'''Solution 2 - Configure a functioning proxy ip/port number'''
#Use the proxycfg command to enter a working proxy ip/port number/exclusion list: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384069%28VS.85%29.aspx
#After you do the above, confirm that the new proxy details are working by running the proxycfg command again
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

 Note: Please refer to the link before you restart NEOSYS processes [[http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Closing_NEOSYS_services#CLOSING_NEOSYS_SERVICES|Closing Hidden Processes]] 

== Solving “page not found” when downloading some file types after uploading them successfully ==
=== One by One ===

Windows web server will not download file types that it is unaware of. You can enable the download of new file types one by one as follows.

This process is tedious and error-prone if you have to add many type.

#Computer Management
#Services and Applications
#IIS properties
#Mime Types
#Add

=== Many ===

Window Server 2003 is unaware of all the Office 2007+ file types. To add all Office 2007+ file types at once do the following:

Stop IIS

iisreset /stop

Open the list of mime types

*Start, Run, notepad C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\MetaBase.xml

Search the file for “xlsx” and quit the editor if already inserted.

Otherwise, find the following line,

.xml,text/xml

and insert after that line the following lines. They do not need to be indented.

<pre>
.docm,application/vnd.ms-word.document.macroEnabled.12
.docx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
.dotm,application/vnd.ms-word.template.macroEnabled.12
.dotx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.template
.potm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.template.macroEnabled.12
.potx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.template
.ppam,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.addin.macroEnabled.12
.ppsm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.slideshow.macroEnabled.12
.ppsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.slideshow
.pptm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.presentation.macroEnabled.12
.pptx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation
.xlam,application/vnd.ms-excel.addin.macroEnabled.12
.xlsb,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.binary.macroEnabled.12
.xlsm,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.macroEnabled.12
.xlsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
.xltm,application/vnd.ms-excel.template.macroEnabled.12
.xltx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.template
</pre>

Save the file with File and Exit

Restart IIS

== Handling Neosys Automatic Upgrade Error Messages ==

=== Error Message ===
We will receive an email from the NEOSYS client installation with the following message:

'''"UPGRADEN.EXE" does not have expected exe MZ signature'''

=== Solution ===
This message is a note that the NEOSYS automatic update procedure failed to download an upgrade file correctly.
This happens sometimes due to network issues but can be ignored because the file will be probably be correctly downloaded on the next automatic update check.

'''Note:''' This message is only informative to help with any problem with the automatic upgrade procedure and may be removed in a later version of neosys (currently Oct 2012)

== Testing https connection ==

The following procedure tests that the https server is operational and not blocked by firewall etc. It does not detect certificate errors.

From a windows command prompt use the following telnet command:
<pre>
telnet clientname.hosts.neosys.com 4430
</pre>
#4430 is the usual NEOSYS http port but replace it by whatever port is actually used for NEOSYS https on the system being tested. If there are multiple https installations on a particular server then different ports are probably used
#Replace clientname.hosts.neosys.com with the normal https login domain name of the client for whom we want to check the https service

Normal behavior is that it should open a black screen. Pressing Enter or any key returns the _ character. (Close the window using the [X] since there is no keyboard command to do so)

Hanging means that there is some connectivity issue (firewall/ip/server not running/https not installed etc)

== Troubleshooting "page not found" error while using https ==

'''Problem:'''

#The https service stops working and gives "Page not found" error.
#The https connection tests fine using telnet (see article above)

'''Solution:'''

#Reinstall https using the usual procedure (currently using selfssl)
#Email clients, requesting to reinstall the new security certificate by following the procedure given at [http://userwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Resolving_HTTPS_certificate_error_when_logging_in_from_an_external_link Resolving https certificate error].

== Installing "QUICKDEX" on some files ==
"Quickdex" is a type of index that keeps an alphabetical order on small files. In some maintenance procedures you may be asked to "install Quickdex".

For example to add a quickdex to the UNITS file.

Maintenance mode press F5

DICT UNITS

<pre>
г=================Dictionary=================┐
│ │
│ File name UNITS │
│ Field name ......................... │
│ │
│ Dict type │
│ Single/Multi │
│ Data type │
│ Output format │
│ Validation patterns │
│ │
│ Position Key part │
│ │
│ Column heading │
│ │
│ │
│ Justification Display length │
│ Description │
│ │
│ │
L============================================-
</pre>

Press Shift+F3.

If it says "Do you want to remove ..." then Quickdex has already been installed and you should not continue. Press Esc to cancel, then Esc to quit.

<pre>
г=[B202]==================================┐
│ │
│ "UNITS" has │
│ "QUICKDEX" installed. │
│ │
│ Do you want to remove "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L=========================================-
</pre>

Otherwise it should say "Do you want to install ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W963]============================┐
│ │
│ Do you want to install a │
│ Quickdex or Rightdex index? [Q/R] │
│ │
│<Q >│
L===================================-
</pre>

It should then say "Do you want to update ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W901]========================================┐
│ │
│ The "UNITS" file has had │
│ the "QUICKDEX" modifying filing system added. │
│ There are 0 records in "UNITS". │
│ │
│ Do you want to update "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L===============================================-
</pre>

Afterwards it should return to the initial screen. Press Esc to quit.

== Solving NEOSYS smtp server failure ==
In case the neosys smtp server fails then we can just use the client's smtp server.

The following information is required from the client's smtp server configuration:
#hostname
#username
#password
#port no. (most likely = 25)

These details should be entered in the '''System Configuration File''':

[[image:SYSCFGFILE-SMTP.jpg]]

== Strange characters in maintenance mode ==
While in Maintenance mode, pressing keys on keyboard gives strange characters. Even Enter and Esc don’t work.

This problem has been seen using RDP on:
*Window Server 2003 Web Edition
*Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2

[[image:strangecharmaint.jpg]]

Solution:
#Go to Windows -> control panel
#Go to Regional and Language Options
#Click on Languages tab then click on Details [[image:lang1.jpg]] 
#Click on Settings Tab and Change default input language to English (United States) (or perhaps something else depending on rdp keyboard) [[image:lang2.jpg]] 

== NEOSYS processes do not start after Windows Update ==

Servers with Windows 2008 will not start the NEOSYS processes after Windows update. The user will have to be log into the server to start the processes.

If one gets this message on the Schedule Task " The operation being requested was not performed because the user has not logged on to the network. The specified service does not exit ".
Then they should tick the options Run whether user is logged on or not and Run with highest privileges in General settings of the Task.

[[image:sti.jpg]]

== Troubleshooting Network Outages reflected in Nagios due to reassigning of router name or IP address ==
Nagios displays errors if a router name or the ip address it is monitoring have been reassigned.

We can resolve this issue by trying to find the ISP router ip address just before the NEOSYS server.

Steps:-
#Login to Nagios
#Click on Tactical Overview -> Network Outages and click on Blocking Outages to view [[image:tracert-00.jpg]] 
#You will now see the host/ISP which is down. Click on the status map icon to identify the host associated with the ISP, as shown below: [[image:tracert-01.jpg]] 
#From the Network Map displayed, identify the host associated with the ISP. [[image:tracert-02.jpg]] 
#If you already know the ip address of the host then skip to next step else, in Nagios, click on Host Detail, then on the hostname identified earlier and From the Host Details shown, save the host url. [[image:tracert-03.jpg]] [[image:tracert-04.jpg]] 
#Log onto www.network-tools.com:
#*Select Trace
#*Enter the host's ip address if already known or host url
#*Click on Go [[image:tracert-05.jpg]] 
#The trace route should complete successfully revealing the IP address of the ISP just before the NEOSYS server. [[image:tracert-06.jpg]] 
#You can now login to zoneedit and update the ip address of the host.
#Check Nagios.

== Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding ==
This assumes that you have already “port forwarded” tcp port 19580 from your public internet router to the NEOSYS server.

=== Tst 0 - Check if SSH is working on the NEOSYS Server ===
Type in the following command in command prompt:
telnet 127.0.0.1 19580

IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

=== Test 1 - Check if SSH is basically working on NEOSYS server over the LAN ===
You must know and use the NEOSYS SERVER LAN IP to do this.

telnet ???.???.???.??? 19580

[[image:tr-pf-01.jpg]]

If you have the WRONG SERVER LAN IP or NEOSYS server SSH is NOT working then it will hang for about 15 seconds and then say “Could not open connection to host …”

[[image:tr-pf-02.jpg]]

OR IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

Press Enter to Exit

[[image:tr-pf-04.jpg]]

=== Test 2 - Check if can connect to the NEOSYS ssh from OUTSIDE the office ===
From any internet connected computer OUTSIDE the office test if you can connect to NEOSYS ssh service. You cannot do this test from inside the office.

You need to know the public ip or domain name of the router. If the router IP is dynamic then NEOSYS sets up dynamic name server so instead of a static ip number you will have a domain name something like clientxyz.redirectme.net.

Enter the command .. using YOUR public internet IP number (NOT the LAN ip number) or the dynamic domain name.

[[image:tr-pf-05.jpg]]

If everything is working OK you will get a black screen as follows. You will NOT get the “SSH-2.0-OpenSSH-4.7” banner” because NEOSYS ssh remote support is restricted to connect ONLY from LAN ip nos and NEOSYS office ip nos.

[[image:tr-pf-06.jpg]]

If you press Enter a few times then the cursor will just go down. You have click the [X] to close the window.

[[image:tr-pf-07.jpg]]

=== Test 3 - Check that the ssh connection from step 2 was rejected ===
On the NEOSYS server, check the Windows Application log to verify that an SSH connection was rejected.

The rejected ip number will be of the system outside the office that you performed the test from.

[[image:tr-pf-08.jpg]]

=== Sample Email: Solving port 19580 port forwarding issues ===

Some IT people know how to trouble shoot port forwarding issues but others are more just power users who can configure a home router. If the IT person is in the second category then it is quicker for NEOSYS support to offer to configure their router from the NEOSYS server using Teamviewer. Here is a letter advising a more skilled person to check connections using telnet which is a low level test.

You can usually determine the NEOSYS server LAN ip number from nagios. If so then adjust the email text appropriately.

<pre>
Dear xyz,

There is no connection from the internet via your router to the NEOSYS server because when we do the following:

telnet CLIENTNAME.support.neosys.com 19580

We get no connection. Normally it should connect and presents a black screen (saying SSH something after pressing Enter) which we close.

Please check that you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally by using the NEOSYS server IP address in the following command on any
computer in your LAN.

telnet 192.168.?.? 19580

If you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally then please check port forwarding.

1. Has your router ip changed?
2. Has your server’s lan ip changed and are you forwarding to the correct LAN ip?
3. Is the configuration really correct?

For further information, see http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php
/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding

Until this is resolved we cannot resolve some types of user support issues.

Best Regards,
</pre>

== Solving “Cant login … INVALID DATA PATH … permission denied” ==
=== Error Message ===

[[image:error-invalid-data-path-1.jpg]]

'''Error Text:'''

Cannot login because:
ERROR: INVALID DATA PATH
“D:\HOSTS\HOSTNAME\DATA\HOSTNAME\~8746345.1$” Permission Denied

=== Problem Explained ===
When installing NEOSYS on an existing “non-clean” Windows installation, the standard NEOSYS installation procedure can result in failure to login if the standard windows folder permissions have been modified.

=== Solution ===
The solution is to grant IIS permission to write in the \neosys\DATA folder and subfolders as follows:
#First add the IUSR_XXXXXXX user to the list of users. (XXXXXXXX is the server name and therefore varies per server) as follows:
#*Right Click on DATA Folder and click on Properties
#*Click on Security Tab -> Add -> Advanced
#*Click on Find Now, Select the IUSR_XXXXXXX user and Click on OK [[image:error-invalid-data-path-2.jpg]] [[image:error-invalid-data-path-3.jpg]] 
#Second, for the newly added IUSR (IIS user) change the permissions as follows:
#*'''REMOVE''' the read and execute permission (for security, IIS should be unable to execute things that it might have uploaded)
#*'''ADD''' the write permission [[image:error-invalid-data-path-4.jpg]] 
#Login should now be possible.

Handling damaged files

2012-07-04T12:59:07Z

Vineet:

== Symptoms ==

"A Damaged file has been found..... ((the rest of this message to be completed))
Group format Error:
OS File : BOOKING.TEXTS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

== Cause ==
Rare but nasty problem on server 99% caused by power failure, killing NEOSYS or server hardware or operating system failure.

*Did somebody kill NEOSYS processes to reboot the server or any other reason?
*Was there a power cut?
*Any expected or unexpected reboots in the server log? (see Event Viewer > System Log)
*Enough disk free space especially on servers not dedicated to NEOSYS?
*Third party software running on NEOSYS server?
*RAID installed on the server?
*Did windows update happen?

== Solution==

Damaged files, when detected, cause an immediate termination of the currently executing program/user request and a restart of the process is involved. Some damaged files are automatically fixed during restart. Although the process "restarts" it may be internally corrupted in some way and it is advisable to close it completely and start or allow another process to start automatically. 
However, the solution always depends on the cause and usually often requires aggressive interrogation to discover the cause.

Guidelines:

#Identify the cause of the damaged file
#Depending on the type of damaged file follow the procedures mentioned below to handle Damaged Files:
#*[[Handling_damaged_files#Files_that_are_automatically_fixed|Damaged Files that are Automatically fixed]]
#*Damaged Files that Need fixing
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_file_that_have_a_process_to_recreate_them| Damaged Files that have a process to Recreate them]]
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_index_files_.28names_starting_with_.21.29| Damaged Index Files]]
#*#[[Handling_damaged_files#Fixing_damaged_files_that_have_no_process_for_recreating_them|Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them]]
#*[[ Handling_damaged_files#Dealing_with_damaged_files_that_cannot_be_fixed| Damaged Files that Cannot be fixed]]
#Verify if the damaged file is fixed in the database by following instructions at [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_for_corrupt_database_files|Checking for corrupt database files]]

== Recovery==

It is URGENT to stop using NEOSYS and fix the damaged file because it will cause NEOSYS to crash everytime it happens to update that part of the file. NEOSYS crashing while updating often produces unrecoverable inconsistencies in the database that can only be fixed by programmers sitting for hours trying to edit the database .... or by restoring from a backup causing loss of work.

See the following sections how to patch the damaged files.

== Files that are automatically fixed ==

*LISTS
*LOCKS
*!INDEXING

The above files are automatically checked for corruption (and initialised to empty if so) when you
startup a NEOSYS process and do not require any manual intervention apart from locating and eliminating the initial cause of the damage.

If the !INDEXING file was damaged then you should also do REINDEXALL to reinstate any possibly missing index entries, but since this will take a long time
you should do this when everybody is off the system in the evening probably. A few missing index entries may only mean some records missing from some reports which may or may not be seriously inconvenient. It is a temporary file that should not hold any records for longer than it takes to update the various indexes immediately when the user saves any document.

Each process has its own LISTS file, so damage is limited to one process for the LISTS file. The process number can be seen in the error message. for example:

Process=7

You can also see the process number on the server screen. For example here is a process 2.

13:17:31 TESTDB NEOS0002 0 Listening 7 hours, 49 mins ...

The LISTS file is a temporary file for sorting records into order for reports, popups etc. Therefore any damage usually causes no real inconvenience apart from the failed report or popup on which the user might receive the "damaged LISTS file" message.

The error message would appear as follows :

SYSTEM ERROR:
An internal file LISTS was found
to be damaged and has been patched.
INFORM YOUR TECHNICAL SUPPORT 
SOME DATA HAS PROBABLY BEEN LOST
AND THE NEOSYS SYSTEM MAY MALFUNCTION 
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

The error could also appear as follows :

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : LISTS
Group # : 00000014
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

OR

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : STATISTICS
Group # : 00000005
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
114 files checked.
Failed with 1 error
!!!DANGER!!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!!BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

''Note - '' Statistics contains info about user usage as per support menu so loss of data is not critical and it will be rebuilt automatically

'''We might also get errors related to Temporary Files as follows:'''
<pre>
A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM!

Group Format Error:
File : MATDEL_MEDIALIN_3
Group # : 13369375
Wrong Overflow frame linked to group.

Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=11:26:27 26 JUL 2010
Database=23BF2931 MEDIALIN
Process=3
Client=100_100_100_77
User=HAMADA
Request=MEDIADIARY
@Id=
Data=
</pre>

'''Since these are temporary files, we need not use FIXFILE. They get cleared automatically.'''

== Fixing damaged file that have a process to recreate them ==

Below files can be recreated from the maintenance mode.

ADS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEADS

ANALYSIS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEANALYSIS

BRANDS files can be recreated with F5 CREATEBRANDS

If the file is actually damaged it might be necessary to initialise it first using CLEARFILE filename.

The following is an example of the error in the ADS File at the time of backup.

Group Format Error:
OS File : ADS
Group # : 00009543
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
217 files checked.
Failed with 1 errors
!!! DANGER !!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!! BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "ADS")

Explanation: The last four lines are very rare and can be seen with the above error messages in the backup email. The above message indicates that some external application is trying to access the backup files at the time of backup.

Before doing the solution below, please check the number of damaged files on the database by running CHK.FILES in maintenance mode. [CHK.FILES can be done when users are online]

Solution

'''NOTE:''' Stop all the processes before doing the below procedure. (see [[Closing_NEOSYS_services|Closing NEOSYS Services]] for instructions)

Procedure to run CREATEADS is as under

Login to maintenance

F5
CREATEXXXX

(XXXX = ADS, ANALYSIS OR BRANDS)

Select the option appropriate option and start the procedure and hit ENTER

To verify if the above is done successfully and check if the damage files is fixed in the database run CHK.FILES or CHK.FILES FILENAME (Recommended) from this link: [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_for_corrupt_database_files|Checking for corrupt database files]]

== Fixing damaged index files (names starting with !) ==

Whilst backing up or using NEOSYS the following error message might appear:

"A Damaged file has been found.....
Group format Error:
OS File : !ADS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

#Ensure that no-one is using NEOSYS
#Log into NEOSYS on the server
#Press F5 to get a TCL command box
#Type REINDEXADS and press enter.
#Wait until it finishes and you get back to the command box
#Type OFF in the command box and you will quit NEOSYS.

Other reindex commands are:

(''Note -'' You can save time when indexing very large files by indexing only selected indexes instead of all indexed for the file. You can select the field(s) that need to be reindexed from a list of indexed fields which REINDEX filename presents you after you enter the command.)

*REINDEXACCOUNTS recreates !ACCOUNTS, !BATCHES and !VOUCHERS
*REINDEXADDRESSES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS recreates !BOOKING.ORDERS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXINVS recreates !INVOICES
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXPRODINVS recreates !PRODUCTION.INVOICES
*REINDEXPRODORDERS recreates !PRODUCTION.ORDERS
*REINDEXRATECARDS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS
*REINDEXVEHICLES

REINDEXMEDIA does all the following
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS

REINDEXFILES does all the following
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXVEHICLES
*REINDEXRATECARDS

REINDEXPRODUCTION does all the following
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXPRODORDERS
*REINDEXPRODINVS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS

REINDEXALL does all the following
*REINDEXMEDIA
*REINDEXPRODUCTION
*REINDEXFILES
*REINDEXINVS
*REINDEXACCOUNTS
*REINDEXADDRESSES

== Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them ==

Some damaged files can be rebuilt using NEOSYS utilities especially index files with filenames starting with !. Other damaged files like ''LOG20xx'' can be “fixed” to prevent NEOSYS crashes as follows but some records will most probably be lost. Depending on the file loss of a few records may not be too bad compared to restoring a database but the client should be informed and make the decision. Depending on the file it is usually best to lose the records. We can make a list of files that one can afford to lose records and those files that can be rebuilt programmatically from other files. Booking order texts they can lose records but inform them and especially the numbers mentioned in FIXFILE

''SHADOW'' is a type of log file that can lose some records without serious impact and can therefore can also be fixed with FIXFILE.

FIXFILE will not run if there are neosys services still running so before doing the FIXFILE command, shut down the processes for the dataset in question.

''NOTE -'' If there are multiple datasets running on the server. Shut down the particular dataset which has got the problem. (see [[Closing_NEOSYS_services|Closing NEOSYS Services]] for instructions).

If you are trying to close processes during the day then please check if there are users that are actively working on that dataset in question. If yes, then please email the clients asking them to log off till the process is complete. If there are no users actively working then you may proceed to complete the fix quickly before users login so that users are not disturbed during their daily work.

Press F5

FIXFILE filename

(Select option 1 to update the file)

In case you get any Overwrite messages – type YES, as these are the actual files being updated.

The only alternative is restore from a previous backup in this case losing a days work. Nasty, and even worse, it will be impossible to reproduce the days work and especially the exact serial numbers of critical documents like orders, invoices, receipts and payments advices.

=== Using FIXFILE to repair corrupted files ===

'''BEWARE:''' FIXFILE causes loss of data. If the data is critical then use of FIXFILE can be totally catastrophic without any warning.
Hence, in such situations it is advisable to talk to NEOSYS technical staff to see if they can provide any proper fix or provide any better comment about the impact of loss of data rather than implement FIXFILE directly.
 
'''Please Note:'''
# Using FIXFILE on some files is a guaranteed way to cause complete chaos for the users without them being aware of it until too late to do anything about it.
#Corrupt files will cause programs to abort every time they try to update that section of the file. Aborting programs causes possibly horrendous inconsistency in the database so it is important to stop all user activity and fix the corrupt file immediately.
#You can freely use FIXFILE on any file but it works by deleting any problematic data so cannot realistically be used on some files at all.
#FIXFILE cannot and does not recover any corrupted records therefore, for those files that have specific programs to rebuild them, FIXFILE is not the correct option.
 
'''Why use FIXFILE at all since it causes loss of data?'''

#Many files do not have programs to rebuild them and for some of those files, using FIXFILE is a quick way to get the system back in operation BUT with missing records. Missing records causes various degrees of failure ranging from the odd document missing, totally misleading information like wrong account balances, or any kind of system failure.
#FIXFILE does not fix the consistency of information in the database. When the database is is being updated with a transaction, usually a series of files are updated for the one transaction. A damaged file causes the update program to abort in the middle of the series of updates. Therefore some of the updates are done and the remaining updates are not done. This means that the data in the database (even after fixing the corrupt file) is inconsistent.
#FIXFILE merely fixes the technical structure of the file so that any further program accesses to that portion of the file do not cause immediate program termination and consequent likely catastrophic database inconsistency.

'''IMPORTANT :''' You must prevent anyone from accessing NEOSYS while FIXFILE is running.

==== List of Files Impacted by FIXFILE ====
#'''USERS File :''' The main data of any lost records from the USERS file will be recreated any time the Authorisation File is saved, however only the information in the Authorisation File is recreated which means that all personal preferences, holiday records, login history etc will be lost.

=== Fixing Damaged DEFINITIONS file ===

==== Non-Solution ====

You will probably not be able to login if the DEFINITIONS FILE is damaged. You can press Alt+S and type EXECUTE to get a TCL command box but this still doesnt help because you cannot use FIXFILE on DEFINITIONS.

CAUTION: DO NOT USE FIXFILE TO TRY AND FIX THE DEFINITIONS FILE.

DOUBLE CAUTION: IN CASE YOU DECIDE TO IGNORE THIS EXPECT ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE PROBLEMS IN THE DATABASE REQUIRING A COMPLETE RESTORE FROM A GOOD BACKUP AFTER A FEW DAYS OF PAIN BECAUSE RANDOM OLD DATABASE UPGRADE/CONVERSIONS WILL BE PERFORMED *AGAIN* WITHOUT YOU KNOWING IT.

==== Partial Restore ====

You can copy recent DEFINITIONS.LK and DEFINITIONS.OV files from the DATA\datasetcode\GENERAL folder.

CAUTION: All changes done in the Configuration File, Authorisation File, Users File and various other changes will be reverted to the date of the DEFINITIONS files being restored. If you are restoring from last nights backup or testdata then this will not be much but could cause serious confusion to people who have changed their passwords etc.

==== Full Restore ====

Restore from your latest backup losing all work done since that time and date.

=== Preventing users from accessing NEOSYS in order to do maintenance or repairs ===

On most systems you can simply stop the NEOSYS processes. On other systems where NEOSYS processes are automatically started in response to requests from the web, you need to disable the autostart by one of the following methods

# Stop the autostart program/script
# Put a file called NET.CFG with a single line saying AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder
# Stop the IIS server
# Stop/Pause the particular web in question

== Dealing with damaged files that cannot be fixed ==

If programmers are unable to fix the damage in a reasonably period of time and the damage is caused due to matters beyond NEOSYS control such as non-dedicated servers and power failures then data must be restored and client advised why they are going to suffer loss of data.

THIS DOES NOT RELEASE NEOSYS SUPPORT STAFF FROM THE OBLIGATION TO PROACTIVELY INFORM THE CLIENT OF MEASURES TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF THE EVENT.

The following are the steps to follow:
# Ascertain the cause of the damage to the database by looking at the internal logs
# Create a new database from the damaged one as it will contain the up to date but damaged database.
# Restore the database from the backup media so that the database is in the last good known state.
# The client can see what work was done over the past couple of days from the damaged database and it will assist them to redo the work in the currently restored out of date main database.
# Next discuss with the client about the cause of the damage and (a) what to do to prevent the damage occurring again (b) to agree a procedure to perform a manual backup in case the automatic one is not performed for any reason overnight.

Troubleshooting NEOSYS Generally

2012-07-04T10:29:41Z

Vineet: /* If NEOSYS processes are not visible on the server desktop */

== Solving failure to start a NEOSYS server due to disk failure message ==
=== Problem ===
During a reboot process (which maybe due to a Windows update or even done by a support personnel) the NEOSYS server gets hung on the startup and shows a message "Boot Failure - Abort, Retry".

=== Temporary solution ===
This typically happens due to the USB being plugged into the server and the boot sequence being wrong - i.e. the server trying to boot from the USB first and fails. The immediate solution would be to unplug the USB and ask the client to reboot the server again and upon successfully rebooting the system, plug the USB back again.

=== Permanent solution ===
The above problem will occur every time the computer is rebooted, so you need to immediately talk to the IT Administrator of the client and ask them to rectify the boot sequence to make it boot first from the CD ROM, then the HDD and last the USB.
 Allowing "Boot from USB" causes a severe risk of infection by boot sector viruses since the first infected USB device inserted WILL infect the server immediately as anti-virus programs are not active during boot.

== Solving NEOSYS process hung due to “Abort, Retry, Fail” ==
=== Problem ===
The following messages may come on older versions of NEOSYS if there is a some problem with the USB media inserted for backup.

[[image:usberror.jpg]]

This results in “NEOSYS has not checked in” message on Nagios since it hangs during the monitoring update and locks all other processes from monitoring too.

General failure writing drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Not read reading drive F
Abort, Retry, Fail?

Pressing A or F results in the problem happening again in about a minute, perhaps on a different process.

=== Solution ===
Temporary solution is to do “Safely remove hardware” from the windows notification area. Using “Eject” from My Computer will not work.

Permanent solution is to replace the defective USB memory stick. Sometime reformatting is sufficient.

Upgrading NEOSYS will probably stop the defective media from causing NEOSYS to hang but the USB will still be useless for backup.

== Solving "Read error in the operating system file" ==
=== Problem ===
Nagios reports a hung process and on the server a process has the following message popup.

Read error in the operating system file "..\DATA\PT0833\ACCOUNTS\REV20049
The file does not exist or the filename is
not valid for the operating system.

[[Image:readerrorintheoperatingsystemfile.png]]

=== Cause ===
Some non-NEOSYS program is directly accessing the NEOSYS database files while NEOSYS processes are running and using the files as well.

*Client IT staff using a backup program to perform backup without ensuring that NEOSYS processes are shutdown.
*A NEOSYS rsync process taking longer than expected due to new USB.

=== Solution ===
Kill the NEOSYS process eg with the X button. It is advisable NOT to let it run further while it cannot properly access one of its files.

=== Prevention ===
Remove the third party program or arrange for it to operate only while NEOSYS processes are shutdown eg from 3am-6am.

== Troubleshooting the "Database not available" error message ==
=== Problem explained ===
This error appears when you try to login to NEOSYS after you enter your username and password and click the Login button.

[[image:database_unavailable.jpg]]

Error message :

Cannot login because :
Error : The (database code) database is not available right now.

=== Solution explained ===
# Determine if the processes are running. If they are running and you still get the same message that means that the proccesses have hung. Close them by hitting the X button on the window.
# If the processes are not visible, it is possible that they are running in the background and have hung for some reason. Check the windows task manager to see if any ‘ntvdm’ process is running. If so, use the End Process method to force close it.
# If there is no trace of any process running, that means the process probably did not start at the scheduled time. Refer to the 'Hung Process Reports' to verify this claim.
# If the process had not hung, then the server might have restarted due to a power failure or a windows update and the administrator user had not logged in post the scheduled startup time of 6AM. To determine this cause, investigate in the Windows Event Viewer Log file.
# You can now start up the process by clicking on the respective desktop icons.
# Also check if the backup took place successfully or not. If not take a manual backup.

== Handling damaged files ==

[[Handling damaged files]]

== Checking for corrupt database files ==
Login to NEOSYS Maintenance

Press F5

CHK.FILES

or

CHK.FILES filename

== Assessing Database Size per File ==
In NEOSYS maintenance mode

LIST FILES BY BY-DSND SIZE VOLUME.NAME SIZE

This will include all files not just those in the actual dataset in DATA\* folders.

== Resolving slow speed ==
=== [[Benchmarking NEOSYS]] ===
=== Investigating CPU 100% using Windows Task Manager ===
Email, to support, a screen-shot of task manager APPLICATIONS, PROCESSES and PERFORMANCE screens MAXIMIZED TO SHOW AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

(Sort the processes to show ntvdm, waiting.exe and high cpu% processes clearly)

'''Steps:'''
#Right Click on Windows Taskbar and click on Start Task Manager [[image:starttaskmanager.jpg]] 
#Click on Processes and then click on CPU '''Note - The HIGH cpu% processes which should usually be the "process" called "System Idle Process" ''' [[image:cpu100percent1.jpg]] 
#Click on the Performance Tab '''Note - PF Usage should typically be much less than Physical Memory otherwise there is insufficient real memory in the server to handle the load''' [[image:cpu100percent3.jpg]] 
#Click on Application Tab then Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Bring to Front '''See what the NEOSYS Process is doing [[image:cpu100percent2.jpg]] 
#Right Click on a NEOSYS Process and Click on Go to Processes '''Note the cpu% ntvdm process [[image:cpu100percent2_2.jpg]] 
#Normally NEOSYS application screens say "LISTENING" in the bottom line and those applications should have very low cpu% [[image:normalneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Look at the difference between the screen of running NEOSYS processes (applications actually) which are idle (listening for requests) and active (processing a request from a user)
#Note the number of cpus or cpu threads in the server from the performance screen graphics [[image:performance-taskmgr-cputhread.jpg]] 
#Take screen-shots of any and ALL hung or long running processes (NEOSYS application screens) and email them to support. Even small details on the screens and user names, the user names may give clues to what problem caused the hanging.A Typical Hung NEOSYS process will look like this: [[image:hungneosysprocess.jpg]] 
#Once all hung/long processes are closed then CPU should be low and not near 100%. If it is still 100% then check all high cpu% processes and send a screen-shot of processes sorted to show the high cpu% process names to support.

=== Solving server CPU% is 100 and all users are extremely slow/stopped ===
==== Too few cpus/threads for the number of users ====
In Windows task manager normally, you should see one ntvdm.exe and one waiting.exe process per NEOSYS process (application). A standard installation has three NEOSYS processes per main database and plus one per test database. This is configured in Support Menu, Configuration File.

If there are MORE ntvdm processes than you expect from the configuration file, then perhaps NEOSYS is auto starting new NEOSYS processes to try and cater for a high number of concurrent users.

If the number of concurrent NEOSYS processes significantly exceeds the number of cpus/hyperthreads available in the server then processing for everybody can become so slow for everybody and almost no work gets done.

==== Solution ====
Stop NEOSYS creating new NEOSYS processes automatically. Create a text file with the first and only line as AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder something like this.

notepad d:\neosys\neosys\NET.CFG

AUTOSTART=NO

== Handling failure and warning on nightly backup alerts ==

[[Handling failure and warning messages on nightly backup alerts]]

== Resolving permissions errors while logging in ==

=== Problem ===

While logging in, you get the following error message:
[[Image:login_error_message.jpg]]

=== Solution ===

Add the internet guest account to the security list of the data folder with the default permission of list/read/write

Make sure the read&execute permission is removed
[[Image:permissions_on_data.jpg]]

== Resolving the 'HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error' while logging in on IE on a Windows Vista system ==

=== Problem ===
After configuring IIS on Windows Vista you will get this error message while trying to login into NEOSYS from Internet Explorer:

HTTP Error 500.0 - Internal Server Error
Description: This application is running in an application pool that uses the Integrated .NET
mode. This is the preferred mode for running ASP.NET applications on the current and future
version of IIS.

In this mode, the application using client impersonation configured with <identity
impersonate="true" /> may not behave correctly. Client impersonation is not available in early
ASP.NET request processing stages and may lead modules in those stages to execute with process
identity instead.

=== Solution ===

You can move the application to an application pool that uses the Classic .NET mode by using the following from a command line window (the window must be running as Administrator)

%systemroot%\system32\inetsrv\APPCMD.EXE set app "Default Web Site/neosys" /applicationPool:"Classic .NET AppPool"

Alternatively, you can use any other application pool on your system that is running in the Classic .NET mode. You can also use the IIS Administration tool to move this application to another application pool.

== Resolving the 'Class Not Registered' error message while logging in ==

=== Problem ===
While logging into NEOSYS, you will get a popup window giving an error message saying 'Class Not Registered - Server Error'. Typically, you will encounter this error with XP Pro IIS 5.1. As usual, there's way to solve it, however the root cause of this is still unknown.

Anyway, you will get the proper message in the event log:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W3SVC
Event Category: None
Event ID: 36
Description: The server failed to load application '/LM/W3SVC/1/ROOT/NEOSYS.
The error was 'Class not registered'.

=== Solution ===
So, what do you do ? This problem is related to Component Services, and when you open Component Services MMC, you will most probably get Error Code 8004E00F COM + was unable to talk to Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator. So, fix the COM+ services first by using the following KB from Microsoft (PRB: Cannot Expand "My Computer" in Component Services MMC Snap-In http://support.microsoft.com/?id=301919):

To resolve this problem, reinstall Component Services as follows: WARNING:
# Open registry editor, locate HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\COM3, and then delete this key.
# From the Start menu, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs.
# Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
# Proceed through the wizard, and accept all of the defaults (including IIS)
# Restart the computer.

If the above didn't solve it, and you still receive the 'Class not registered' error message, then you need to recreate the IIS packages in COM+, try

# Delete IIS related package in Component Services MMC
# IIS In-Process Applications
# IIS Out-of-Process Pooled Applications
# IIS Utilities

Next, if you still get the message, try following before re-install IIS if you can't find Distributed Transaction Coordinator in your Services console.

Launch command prompt and run the following command.
# msdtc -install
# net start msdtc

Then try re-install IIS.

This should solve the problem

== Enabling File Security option on Win XP Professional ==

=== Problem ===

In the Properties of any folders, the Security option does not show, hence you cannot modify the Read, Write options.

=== Solution ===

The solution would be to untick the 'Simple File Sharing' option from Tools > Folder Options > View:
[[Image:simplefilesharingoff.jpg]]

== B703 Errors ==

The B703 error is usually always related to something too big for NEOSYS to handle.

These are the only B errors that NEOSYS cant always permanently prevent by fixing the software.

== Internet Explorer Menu, View, Text Size doesnt change font size as expected ==

Cause: This is because the font size is now user definable in NEOSYS and View, Text Size does not override predefined font sizes.

Solution: If you are using Internet Explorer 7 you can scale the screen (including the font size using ctrl + and ctrl - keyboard shortcuts or the font size button on the bottom right hand side of the window.

You can adjust the font size on the User Details form when you login although this permanently applies to all forms not just the one that you are on.

== Error on process window "Not enough string space - Out of Memory" ==

=== Message ===

‘RTP27’ Line 1. [B29] Not enough string space – Out of Memory.

Not enough memory to execute Debugger; current program aborted.
Press any key to continue

[[Image:out_of_memory.jpg]]

=== Cause ===
Unknown perhaps related to some large document or report

=== Solution ===
Ask users for any hanging transactions.
None other than closing and starting another process

== Uploaded jpg files fail to display in internet explorer ==

Some large jpg files > 2Mb cannot be viewed in internet explorer despite being viewable in image preview, ms paint and other viewers/editors. It is not an issue caused by uploading or downloading the files.

These file appear to have been created on Photoshop CS Macintosh and may be a special type of uncompressed jpg used for production quality files.

=== Partial solution ===
Before uploading the files, open them in some editor like MS Paint (right click, edit) and save them. However this results in a loss of quality. Perhaps there is some program that can convert these files to a format understandable by Internet explorer without any loss of quality.

== "You have attempted to write to a read-only file" ==

=== Message ===

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "..\DATA\ADLINEC\ADAGENCY\REV76467.OV00012618")

=== Cause ===

It is almost certainly due to some third party backup or other maintenance software opening the NEOSYS database files when it shouldn't e.g. badly configured third party backup scheduled to backup NEOSYS while NEOSYS is still running. Note that the exact filename varies each time.

=== Solution ===

This can be a serious error that causes damaged files in NEOSYS especially if the filename ends in .OV. Use the usual methods of checking for damaged files e.g. do a backup which also looks for damaged files BUT DO NOT OVERWRITE THE LATEST BACKUP SINCE IT MAY BE REQUIRED for restoration. Then fix the damaged files using the usual methods e.g. by rebuilding/using
FIXFILE or restoring databases.

=== Prevention ===

Remove the third party backup or other maintenance software or reschedule it to run at a time that NEOSYS is shutdown. Removal of software may require hunting through the windows process list for unexpected programs running.

== Resolving "Cannot backup/restore because PROCESS1 PROCESS2 (etc) is/are online" message ==

This can happen for a variety of reasons if all the NEOSYS processes fail to close down at backup time

# NEOSYS maintenance windows are left open.
# NEOSYS processes hang due to software error.

== How to kill hung NEOSYS processes ==

NOTE WELL: If you kill actively working NEOSYS processes (those which are "listening" and not hung/crashed) there is a reasonable chance that the database will be damaged and might need a restore losing possibly large amounts of work.

==== If NEOSYS processes are visible on the server desktop ====

Look for processes which don't have "Listening ..." on the last but one line. The times on the left hand side are frozen as at the time of the hang.

You can then click the X to kill the process and confirm that this is OK.

Example of a NEOSYS process that has hung due to a software error resulting in a failure to handle a complex query with a lot of brand codes.

[[Image:hungprocess.jpg]]

==== If NEOSYS processes are not visible on the server desktop ====

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on computer restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be running in the background. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

You can check if there are any hung processes from the NEOSYS Support Menu, List of Database Processes.
[[Image:databaseprocesseslist.jpg]]

In this case you should follow the below instructions - however all of them need to be done within 30 seconds of starting the first instruction to avoid inconvenience to the users. It is recommend that you keep relevant windows open before proceeding with the same:

#Shutdown NEOSYS by TEMPORARILY putting a file called GLOBAL.END in the parent directory of NEOSYS (if there is already a GLOBAL.END.TEMP file then rename it to GLOBAL.END). Leaving the file there would prevent NEOSYS from starting up again. Shutting down NEOSYS from the Support menu will not work because of the hung processes.
#Use Windows Task Manager to kill all the NTVDM processes - assuming that you have closed all the visible NEOSYS processes, then the NTVDM processes in the task manager would be the hung one.
#Delete GLOBAL.END or rename it to GLOBAL.END.TEMP
#Restart the processes back again. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.
#*Restarting a process is not noticed by users.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

=== Temporary workarounds for hung NEOSYS processes ===
Until the error in the software is fixed users can often get their results by simplifying their requirements. For example select individual clients instead of selecting all the brands for a particular client. If the user has repeated his request (in forlorn hope that it would work finally) then the number of NEOSYS working NEOSYS processes will drop causing severe slowdown for other users and complete stop if all the NEOSYS processes hang.

== How to fix a NEOSYS process which opens up in a notepad instead of Microsoft Windows Based Script Host (i.e. DOS window)==

The NEOSYS process (cmd file) might open up in a notepad, instead of the usual black colour DOS window. This can be fixed by the following:

# Download and install the Windows Script 5.6/5.7 from the Microsoft Website
# Go to any folder, click on Tools > Folder Options > File Types and find the .JS and .JSE and change the default program to wscript.exe (from windows>system32)

== Resolving a 'Could not start' error on Scheduled Tasks in Windows Server 2000 SP4 ==

This error occurs because of a change that is made to the data that is stored in the credentials database when you install Windows 2000 SP4. Hence installing SP4 causes the the data that is stored in the credentials database to get converted to an SP4-compatible format. A registry key is configured to indicate that the data has been converted to the SP4 format.

Hence the Scheduled Tasks do not work sometimes. However the Scheduled Tasks works fine sometimes, but when you uninstall SP4, it does not work.

The best solution is to:

# Incase Scheduled Tasks do not work after installing SP4, then uninstall SP4 and it should be fine.
# Incase Scheduled Tasks works after installing SP4, and later after uninstalling SP4, it does not work, then install SP4 and it should be fine.

== Checking for server or NEOSYS crashes ==

#NEOSYS Maintenance Mode
#General Menu, Setup, Processes
#Select the dates and the option Detailed

This report shows a list of dates and times that NEOSYS logged in but did not log out properly.

Ignore the very latest entries since they represent the current NEOSYS processes. For example, if you have four NEOSYS processes running at the time that you get the report (including any in maintenance mode) then you can ignore the last four entries.

The date and time shows for each process that has failed to shutdown correctly when the process logged in. Versions of NEOSYS from January 2008 will also show the date and time that each crashed NEOSYS process was last active (heartbeat) so that the time of failure can be known.

If you see a bunch of NEOSYS processes all started up at around the same time but all failed to shutdown correctly then the cause will be a server failure - usually power failure.

Isolated one-off failures will be related to individual NEOSYS process crashes - most commonly caused by one of the following:

#NEOSYS hanging to due to software failure
#Manually exiting a NEOSYS process on the server either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del or clicking the "X" close icon/box and ignoring the warning
#Random server failures eg memory, disk etc

Example:

LOGIN 22/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:52 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 23/12/2007 08:53 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:00 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:01 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 06:02 NEOSYS SERVER ADAGENCY Current workstation
LOGIN 8/1/2008 13:51 NEOSYS SERVER NEOSYS Current user session

Interpretation:

The first four entries indicate that all four NEOSYS processes started at 06am were suddenly killed probably by power failure

The next four entries indicate that NEOSYS was restarted at around 08:52 and all these processes were AGAIN killed probably by power failure

The last four entries can be ignored because there were four NEOSYS processes running at the time that the report was generated

== Searching for word/number in the database files using maintenance mode ==

You can search for any word/number in the database files of NEOSYS, using the following command line:

F5
FIND FILENAME WORDWITHOUTANYSPACES

For eg:
FIND CURRENCIES 1.1
(here you are searching for the number 1.1 in the currencies file) You CANNOT search for a phrase ie include spaces like this.

Or you can also type:
FIND FILENAME <enter>
and it will ask you what you want do to search. You can enter an exact phrase with spaces.

Incase you do not know the filenames, you can enter the following command to see all the filenames in the system:

F5
LF

== Troubleshooting the NTVDM Hard error when opening up NEOSYS processes ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears:

[[Image:ntvdm.jpg]]

NTVDM encountered a hard error

=== Solution ===

This error is caused by missing or corrupt Windows system files (i.e. command.com, autoexec.nt and config.nt). The solution is to run a program called XP FIX which will reinstall these missing files. You can download it form http://www.visualtour.com/downloads/xp_fix.exe

Sometimes even after running the XP FIX program the error still appears. Then you need to copy all the files under C:/windows/repair to C:/windows/system32 and in the autoexec.nt and config.nt put REM before any lines there which don't have it.

== Troubleshooting a Service Unavailable message on Internet Explorer when opening up NEOSYS ==

=== Error Message ===

The following error message appears in Internet Explorer when you try to open up NEOSYS:

Service Unavailable

=== Solution ===

Open the IIS Manager, right click Web Sites and select properties:
[[Image:serviceunavailable1.jpg]]

Switch to the Service Tab and tick the "Run WWW Service in IIS 5.0 Isolation Mode".
[[Image:serviceunavailable2.jpg]]

You will be asked for Restart of IIS. Click yes to restart IIS. If you are not asked just restart IIS.

== Inspecting IIS log files ==

At a windows command prompt:

c:
cd \Windows\system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

or

%SystemDrive%
cd %SystemRoot%
cd system32\LogFiles\W3SVC1

then (substituting the ip number you are interested in)

find "192.168.1.55" *|sort>temp.log

Open temp.log in Excel and use Tools, Data, Text to Columns to split into columns using options "Delimited" and check split on Space.

Autowidth all columns by clicking on the top left box just outside the data to the left of column A and above column 1 then double click the column separator to the right of column "A"

Note that times and dates are in UTC/GMT so you have to add/subtract your timezone offset to get local times.

== Fixing NEOSYS processes that do not auto start / Recovering from incorrect advanced date or time ==
This solution is applicable to live database processes only. Test database processes don’t auto-start any other processes.

=== Problem explained ===
After starting up the 1st process, the rest of the processes don't start up.

=== Solution ===

The possible cause for this could be that the system date/time might have been changed - either manually or by the auto synchronization. Do the following checks in the sequence of order:

# Check for any *.$* files (* after dollar sign should show a number, the highest being the latest one). If it shows OK, then proceed ahead.
# Check for any .end files and delete it to rename to .end.temp
# Check the System Event Viewer log for any 520 or 577 error message (refer http://128.175.24.251/forensics/timechange.htm). Also check for any out of sequence / ahead of today date or time.
# In case of no 520 or 577 error message, go to Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy > Local Policies > Audit Policy > Audit Privilege use - make sure that Success and Failure are selected under this (this will ensure that future changes to the date/time are recorded in the System Log).
# In NEOSYS maintenance mode - F5 ED PROCESSES %UPDATE% - and see what it says, incase of any text (only text, not numbers) there, that means that for sure the system date has been changed. To fix this, exit the editor by pressing the ESCAPE key and then type DELETE PROCESSES "%UPDATE%"

== Recognising and Solving Low Memory Problems ==

Quick Note: Installing a server class operating system on a workstation class computer with the intention of NEOSYS serving a heavy load is likely to cause problems with low memory.

Quick Fix: Disable *ALL* non-essential features in the power-on setup menu.

=== Effects ===

It is speculated but not proven that low memory may cause NEOSYS to fail by hanging, causing damaged files etc.

=== Checking ===

F5
MEMORY

On server class machines it should say somewhere around 350Kb to 370Kb Free

Some server class machines have around 330Kb and sometimes even less with no reported problems

The actual effect of low memory is supposed to make NEOSYS slower and perhaps cause hanging and damaged files however this has not been proven in an specific case so far.

On workstation class machines it may often say around 280Kb to 300Kb.

=== Cause ===

Although there is plenty of real memory in virtually all computers now, NEOSYS runs in the legacy 16 bit virtual memory space of a windows mode called NTVDM. This is limited to 1Mb plus 4Mb of EMS memory.

The 1Mb memory space is shared with:

#Various non-essential windows drivers which NEOSYS automatically disables them in autoexec.nt
#Various plug and play hardware device drivers for the various adapters in the computer like video, network adapters and various other items that NEOSYS is unable to disable.

In a server class computer the hardware device drivers are usually minimally present in the 1Mb base memory and do not therefore DOESNT a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

In workstation class computers there are often many hardware device drivers present in the 1Mb base memory and this DOES causes a low memory situation for NEOSYS.

When NEOSYS is installed on workstation class computers with XP there is usually not a heavy load expectation and therefore the low memory does not cause a problem.

If Windows Server OS is installed on a workstation class computer NEOSYS may well be expected to serve a heavy load with limited amounts of memory.

Workstation class computers: hardware drivers present and EMS is installed in low memory (0000-9FFF) causing low memory for NEOSYS and possible inability to

Server class computers: Usually few hardware drivers are present in high part (A000-FFFF) of the 1Mb base memory and EMS is able to occupy the high memory leaving the low part (0000-9FFFF) of the 1Mb memory free for NEOSYS. You can find out how much memory is available to NEOSYS and whether EMS is occuping high or low memory using the following sections.

=== Fixing Low Memory ===

Start, Run, notepad c:\windows\system32\autoexec.nt

Every time NEOSYS starts it tries to make some changes as follow:

#replaces all lines in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/AUTOEXEC.NT starting with 'lh ' to start with 'rem NEOSYS LH ' instead.
#changes the line in C:/WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG.NT "files=..." to "FILES=200"

The replacement is case sensitive triggered on 'lh' and 'files' so if you manually edit the files and remove the rem or change the number of files and leave the LH and FILES in uppercase then NEOSYS will NOT make further changes. This allows you to do manual amendments to the files without NEOSYS overwriting them.

Check that NEOSYS has successfully disabled all the drivers in the lines starting with LH.

They should be commented out (prefixed) with REM or REM NEOSYS as follows.

After making changes reopen NEOSYS in maintenance mode to use the MEMORY and WHO commands again.

<pre>
REM Install CD ROM extensions
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Install network redirector (load before dosx.exe)
REM NEOSYS LH %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

REM Install DPMI support
REM NEOSYS LH %SYSTEMROOT%\SYSTEM32\DOSX
</pre>

=== Allowing DOS programs that require DOSX to run on the same computer as NEOSYS ===

The automatic commenting out DOSX by NEOSYS will prevent some other DOS-like programs from running. If NEOSYS is on dedicated server then there should be no other such programs to fail. However, if you must allow DOS-like programs to work as well as NEOSYS you can do the following configuration:

#leave or restore the original AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files where they are
#copy them to another folder eg neosys folder
#make the necessary REM changes there by hand
#right click the NEOSYS\NEOSYS\AREV.PIF and select properties
#change the location of the AUTOEXEC.NT and CONFIG.NT files in the following location

[[image:pifsettings.jpg]]

=== Checking EMS Memory Configuration ===

==== Inspection ====

F5
WHO

press the up arrow to get to the last part/page

===== Example of Typical Server EMS Memory =====
[[image:serveremm.jpg]]

===== Example of Typical Workstation EMS Memory =====
[[image:workstationemm.jpg]]

====Correction====

No easy way

Removal of hardware adapters designed for workstations instead of servers eg graphics cards and network cards.

Many of the devices may be located on the motherboard and not relocatable except possibly by BIOS configuration or special manufacturer information.

Use windows device manager, View: Resources by Connection, Open the Memory item and look for items between 000A0000 up to 000FFFFF that might give you a clue as to what hardware could be removed or reconfigured. Actually only 000C0000 to 000FFFFF is candidate for EMS memory since 000A000-000BFFFF is mandatory video memory in all systems.

[[image:devicemanager.jpg]]

== Resolving issue where NEOSYS processes do not start-up at all or start-up and close immediately ==

# Find if a file with the name global.end exists in the root directory of the NEOSYS installation. Eg D:\global.end . If you find such a file, rename it to global.end.temp - for more information on global.end and what it does refer to [[Closing NEOSYS services]]
# If the above didn't fix the problem and NEOSYS still does not start, do a windows search for the entire NEOSYS folder for *.end (i.e. any file ending with .end extension). You may find a (databasecode).end file in D:\neosys\neosys folder which is created by the NEOSYS program during backup at 1 am and later on removed automatically. In this case NEOSYS program might have crashed during the backup and left this file behind. (databasecode).end files prevent other other NEOSYS processes starting up on the database while exclusive processes (like backup) are being done.

In case the above didn't fix the problem then escalate to the programmer immediately.

== Handling Change Backup message if the client does not use a USB backup device ==
DO *NOT* FOLLOW THIS PROCEDURE SINCE IS IT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR NEOSYS TO SEND OUT A "BACKUP SUCCESS" MESSAGE WHEN THE BACKUP IS NOT BEING DONE PROPERLY. IN GENERAL, TAKING SHORT CUTS THAT MAKE THINGS APPEAR SATISFACTORY WHEN THEY ARE NOT IS VERY POOR POLICY.

IF THE CLIENT IS BACKING UP TO A NON-REMOVABLE DESTINATION THEN EITHER 1. LIVE WITH THE FAILURE MESSAGE OR 2. SUPPRESS THE BACKUP ENTIRELY IN WHICH CASE NO BACKUPS ARE BEING DONE AND PROBABLY THIS WILL SHOW ON NEOSYS PROACTIVE WARNING SYSTEMS LIKE NAGIOS.

# Basically most of the client use USB for Neosys server but there are some clients who do not use USB but save their backups in hard drive.
# As we know that backup take place in Data.bak folder but it do a backup only for a week in a single USB. Over here client do not use USB but save their backup in hard drive in Data.bak folder, once the week is over it will again give Change backup message.
# In this case rename the Data.bak folder to Data1.bak this is done because system read only Data.bak folder as it is configured in the system. When you rename Data.bak to Data1.bak it automatically create a new folder Data.bak in Backup drive.
# This process is done so that the backup should not fail then next day morning and backups are done in Data.bak folder.
# In the third week we will again see the same message Chang backup USB message so you need to rename Data.bak folder to Data2.bak
# But in fourth week you rename the Data1.bak to Data.bak and change the Data2.bak to Data1.bak and Data.bak to Data2.bak
# Keep only three folders and Data.bak, Data1.bak, Data2.bak and keep on renaming these folders every week as shown above.

== Closing processes that are not visible on the desktop or hidden ==

NEOSYS processes are most of the time visible on the desktop (i.e. the black dos windows) in Windows 2003 OS, except in the case that the process has been scheduled to start on restart and no one has logged into the server. In this case it would be hidden. Secondly in the case of Windows 2008, the processes always are hidden.

In these cases whenever there is a hung NEOSYS process - due to many reasons for eg low memory. In this case you should close all processes using the global.end method and then from the task manager kill any NTVDM processes and then restart NEOSYS. This should be done within 30 seconds from using the global.end method to avoid any inconvenience to the users. If there are many datasets then you need to restart them all well within the 30 seconds period.

In case of Patsalides, where we have a thousand datasets which start "on demand" i.e. usually on login; all you need to do is start one dataset which will restart all the other datasets "on demand". If there is no response within 30 seconds then one of the running datasets will start it up so there appears to be a 30 second delay when you login to one of the thousand datasets the first time on any one day.

== NEOSYS not updating NAGIOS ==

=== Error Message ===
You notice a problem on NAGIOS indicating that '''''NEOSYS not checked in''' on a particular client server.

=== Possible Causes & Solutions ===

====The NEOSYS process is '''NOT''' running on the server====

Start the NEOSYS process and wait for 10 mins for NEOSYS to check into NAGIOS.
 

====The NEOSYS process '''is''' running on the server but still cannot connect to NAGIOS====

NEOSYS connects to NAGIOS using http. NEOSYS automatically detects and uses any http proxy configuration configured in Internet Explorer. If Internet Explorer can reach the internet then NEOSYS should be able to update to NAGIOS via the same proxy.

First check if Internet Explorer can reach NAGIOS.

If you are asked to login then the Internet Explorer is working OK. You do not need to login. Just cancel and move on to the next step.

http://monitor.neosys.com

If Internet Explorer CANNOT connect to NAGIOS then resolving that fundamental issue will probably solve the NAGIOS connection issue too.

View the Internet Explorer proxy configuration as follows:

[[image:ieproxy.png]]

If Internet Explorer CAN connect to NAGIOS then check if there is an issue with NEOSYS's http proxy server configuration as follows:

#Search for '''UPDATE.$WG''' file located in the neosys\neosys. folder and open it using notepad or wordpad.
#You should find a message similar to the following:
<pre>
Connecting to 192.168.100.145:8080 failed: No such file or directory.
</pre>
Where the above appears to be some non-functional http proxy server ip/port number and is not the expected nagios server ip number.
'''A windows proxy command shows the same ip and port:'''

On Windows 2003/XP

proxycfg

On Windows 2008/Win7

NetSH WinHTTP import Proxy ie

Output:

<pre>
Microsoft (R) WinHTTP Default Proxy Configuration Tool
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Current WinHTTP proxy settings under:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\
WinHttpSettings :

Proxy Server(s) : 192.168.100.145:8080
Bypass List : 192.168.*.*;localhost;<local>

</pre>

'''Solution 1 - Remove the above setting to create a direct connection'''

#To remove the registry entries that ProxyCfg.exe creates,you must delete the WinHttpSettings value from the following registry key: <PRE>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Connections\WinHttpSettings</PRE>
#After you do the above, confirm that the proxy details are deleted by running the proxycfg command 
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

'''Solution 2 - Configure a functioning proxy ip/port number'''
#Use the proxycfg command to enter a working proxy ip/port number/exclusion list: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa384069%28VS.85%29.aspx
#After you do the above, confirm that the new proxy details are working by running the proxycfg command again
#Next, restart the NEOSYS processes for the changes to be affected
 

 Note: Please refer to the link before you restart NEOSYS processes [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Closing_processes_that_are_not_visible_on_the_desktop_or_hidden| Closing Hidden Processes]] 

== Solving “page not found” when downloading some file types after uploading them successfully ==
=== One by One ===

Windows web server will not download file types that it is unaware of. You can enable the download of new file types one by one as follows.

This process is tedious and error-prone if you have to add many type.

#Computer Management
#Services and Applications
#IIS properties
#Mime Types
#Add

=== Many ===

Window Server 2003 is unaware of all the Office 2007+ file types. To add all Office 2007+ file types at once do the following:

Stop IIS

iisreset /stop

Open the list of mime types

*Start, Run, notepad C:\WINDOWS\system32\inetsrv\MetaBase.xml

Search the file for “xlsx” and quit the editor if already inserted.

Otherwise, find the following line,

.xml,text/xml

and insert after that line the following lines. They do not need to be indented.

<pre>
.docm,application/vnd.ms-word.document.macroEnabled.12
.docx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
.dotm,application/vnd.ms-word.template.macroEnabled.12
.dotx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.template
.potm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.template.macroEnabled.12
.potx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.template
.ppam,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.addin.macroEnabled.12
.ppsm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.slideshow.macroEnabled.12
.ppsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.slideshow
.pptm,application/vnd.ms-powerpoint.presentation.macroEnabled.12
.pptx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation
.xlam,application/vnd.ms-excel.addin.macroEnabled.12
.xlsb,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.binary.macroEnabled.12
.xlsm,application/vnd.ms-excel.sheet.macroEnabled.12
.xlsx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
.xltm,application/vnd.ms-excel.template.macroEnabled.12
.xltx,application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.template
</pre>

Save the file with File and Exit

Restart IIS

== Handling Neosys Automatic Upgrade Error Messages ==

=== Error Message ===
We will receive an email from the NEOSYS client installation with the following message:

'''"UPGRADEN.EXE" does not have expected exe MZ signature'''

=== Solution ===
This message is a note that the NEOSYS automatic update procedure failed to download an upgrade file correctly.
This happens sometimes due to network issues but can be ignored because the file will be probably be correctly downloaded on the next automatic update check.

'''Note:''' This message is only informative to help with any problem with the automatic upgrade procedure and may be removed in a later version of neosys (currently Oct 2012)

== Testing https connection ==

The following procedure tests that the https server is operational and not blocked by firewall etc. It does not detect certificate errors.

From a windows command prompt use the following telnet command:
<pre>
telnet clientname.hosts.neosys.com 4430
</pre>
#4430 is the usual NEOSYS http port but replace it by whatever port is actually used for NEOSYS https on the system being tested. If there are multiple https installations on a particular server then different ports are probably used
#Replace clientname.hosts.neosys.com with the normal https login domain name of the client for whom we want to check the https service

Normal behavior is that it should open a black screen. Pressing Enter or any key returns the _ character. (Close the window using the [X] since there is no keyboard command to do so)

Hanging means that there is some connectivity issue (firewall/ip/server not running/https not installed etc)

== Troubleshooting "page not found" error while using https ==

'''Problem:'''

#The https service stops working and gives "Page not found" error.
#The https connection tests fine using telnet (see article above)

'''Solution:'''

#Reinstall https using the usual procedure (currently using selfssl)
#Email clients, requesting to reinstall the new security certificate by following the procedure given at [http://userwiki.neosys.com/index.php/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Resolving_HTTPS_certificate_error_when_logging_in_from_an_external_link Resolving https certificate error].

== Installing "QUICKDEX" on some files ==
"Quickdex" is a type of index that keeps an alphabetical order on small files. In some maintenance procedures you may be asked to "install Quickdex".

For example to add a quickdex to the UNITS file.

Maintenance mode press F5

DICT UNITS

<pre>
г=================Dictionary=================┐
│ │
│ File name UNITS │
│ Field name ......................... │
│ │
│ Dict type │
│ Single/Multi │
│ Data type │
│ Output format │
│ Validation patterns │
│ │
│ Position Key part │
│ │
│ Column heading │
│ │
│ │
│ Justification Display length │
│ Description │
│ │
│ │
L============================================-
</pre>

Press Shift+F3.

If it says "Do you want to remove ..." then Quickdex has already been installed and you should not continue. Press Esc to cancel, then Esc to quit.

<pre>
г=[B202]==================================┐
│ │
│ "UNITS" has │
│ "QUICKDEX" installed. │
│ │
│ Do you want to remove "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L=========================================-
</pre>

Otherwise it should say "Do you want to install ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W963]============================┐
│ │
│ Do you want to install a │
│ Quickdex or Rightdex index? [Q/R] │
│ │
│<Q >│
L===================================-
</pre>

It should then say "Do you want to update ...". Press Enter to accept.

<pre>
г=[W901]========================================┐
│ │
│ The "UNITS" file has had │
│ the "QUICKDEX" modifying filing system added. │
│ There are 0 records in "UNITS". │
│ │
│ Do you want to update "QUICKDEX"? [Y/N] │
│ │
│<Y >│
L===============================================-
</pre>

Afterwards it should return to the initial screen. Press Esc to quit.

== Solving NEOSYS smtp server failure ==
In case the neosys smtp server fails then we can just use the client's smtp server.

The following information is required from the client's smtp server configuration:
#hostname
#username
#password
#port no. (most likely = 25)

These details should be entered in the '''System Configuration File''':

[[image:SYSCFGFILE-SMTP.jpg]]

== Strange characters in maintenance mode ==
While in Maintenance mode, pressing keys on keyboard gives strange characters. Even Enter and Esc don’t work.

This problem has been seen using RDP on:
*Window Server 2003 Web Edition
*Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2

[[image:strangecharmaint.jpg]]

Solution:
#Go to Windows -> control panel
#Go to Regional and Language Options
#Click on Languages tab then click on Details [[image:lang1.jpg]] 
#Click on Settings Tab and Change default input language to English (United States) (or perhaps something else depending on rdp keyboard) [[image:lang2.jpg]] 

== NEOSYS processes do not start after Windows Update ==

Servers with Windows 2008 will not start the NEOSYS processes after Windows update. The user will have to be log into the server to start the processes.

If one gets this message on the Schedule Task " The operation being requested was not performed because the user has not logged on to the network. The specified service does not exit ".
Then they should tick the options Run whether user is logged on or not and Run with highest privileges in General settings of the Task.

[[image:sti.jpg]]

== Troubleshooting Network Outages reflected in Nagios due to reassigning of router name or IP address ==
Nagios displays errors if a router name or the ip address it is monitoring have been reassigned.

We can resolve this issue by trying to find the ISP router ip address just before the NEOSYS server.

Steps:-
#Login to Nagios
#Click on Tactical Overview -> Network Outages and click on Blocking Outages to view [[image:tracert-00.jpg]] 
#You will now see the host/ISP which is down. Click on the status map icon to identify the host associated with the ISP, as shown below: [[image:tracert-01.jpg]] 
#From the Network Map displayed, identify the host associated with the ISP. [[image:tracert-02.jpg]] 
#If you already know the ip address of the host then skip to next step else, in Nagios, click on Host Detail, then on the hostname identified earlier and From the Host Details shown, save the host url. [[image:tracert-03.jpg]] [[image:tracert-04.jpg]] 
#Log onto www.network-tools.com:
#*Select Trace
#*Enter the host's ip address if already known or host url
#*Click on Go [[image:tracert-05.jpg]] 
#The trace route should complete successfully revealing the IP address of the ISP just before the NEOSYS server. [[image:tracert-06.jpg]] 
#You can now login to zoneedit and update the ip address of the host.
#Check Nagios.

== Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding ==
This assumes that you have already “port forwarded” tcp port 19580 from your public internet router to the NEOSYS server.

=== Tst 0 - Check if SSH is working on the NEOSYS Server ===
Type in the following command in command prompt:
telnet 127.0.0.1 19580

IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

=== Test 1 - Check if SSH is basically working on NEOSYS server over the LAN ===
You must know and use the NEOSYS SERVER LAN IP to do this.

telnet ???.???.???.??? 19580

[[image:tr-pf-01.jpg]]

If you have the WRONG SERVER LAN IP or NEOSYS server SSH is NOT working then it will hang for about 15 seconds and then say “Could not open connection to host …”

[[image:tr-pf-02.jpg]]

OR IF ALL OK you will see the following:

[[image:tr-pf-03.jpg]]

Press Enter to Exit

[[image:tr-pf-04.jpg]]

=== Test 2 - Check if can connect to the NEOSYS ssh from OUTSIDE the office ===
From any internet connected computer OUTSIDE the office test if you can connect to NEOSYS ssh service. You cannot do this test from inside the office.

You need to know the public ip or domain name of the router. If the router IP is dynamic then NEOSYS sets up dynamic name server so instead of a static ip number you will have a domain name something like clientxyz.redirectme.net.

Enter the command .. using YOUR public internet IP number (NOT the LAN ip number) or the dynamic domain name.

[[image:tr-pf-05.jpg]]

If everything is working OK you will get a black screen as follows. You will NOT get the “SSH-2.0-OpenSSH-4.7” banner” because NEOSYS ssh remote support is restricted to connect ONLY from LAN ip nos and NEOSYS office ip nos.

[[image:tr-pf-06.jpg]]

If you press Enter a few times then the cursor will just go down. You have click the [X] to close the window.

[[image:tr-pf-07.jpg]]

=== Test 3 - Check that the ssh connection from step 2 was rejected ===
On the NEOSYS server, check the Windows Application log to verify that an SSH connection was rejected.

The rejected ip number will be of the system outside the office that you performed the test from.

[[image:tr-pf-08.jpg]]

=== Sample Email: Solving port 19580 port forwarding issues ===

Some IT people know how to trouble shoot port forwarding issues but others are more just power users who can configure a home router. If the IT person is in the second category then it is quicker for NEOSYS support to offer to configure their router from the NEOSYS server using Teamviewer. Here is a letter advising a more skilled person to check connections using telnet which is a low level test.

You can usually determine the NEOSYS server LAN ip number from nagios. If so then adjust the email text appropriately.

<pre>
Dear xyz,

There is no connection from the internet via your router to the NEOSYS server because when we do the following:

telnet CLIENTNAME.support.neosys.com 19580

We get no connection. Normally it should connect and presents a black screen (saying SSH something after pressing Enter) which we close.

Please check that you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally by using the NEOSYS server IP address in the following command on any
computer in your LAN.

telnet 192.168.?.? 19580

If you can connect to the NEOSYS server internally then please check port forwarding.

1. Has your router ip changed?
2. Has your server’s lan ip changed and are you forwarding to the correct LAN ip?
3. Is the configuration really correct?

For further information, see http://techwiki.neosys.com/index.php
/Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding

Until this is resolved we cannot resolve some types of user support issues.

Best Regards,
</pre>

== Solving “Cant login … INVALID DATA PATH … permission denied” ==
=== Error Message ===

[[image:error-invalid-data-path-1.jpg]]

'''Error Text:'''

Cannot login because:
ERROR: INVALID DATA PATH
“D:\HOSTS\HOSTNAME\DATA\HOSTNAME\~8746345.1$” Permission Denied

=== Problem Explained ===
When installing NEOSYS on an existing “non-clean” Windows installation, the standard NEOSYS installation procedure can result in failure to login if the standard windows folder permissions have been modified.

=== Solution ===
The solution is to grant IIS permission to write in the \neosys\DATA folder and subfolders as follows:
#First add the IUSR_XXXXXXX user to the list of users. (XXXXXXXX is the server name and therefore varies per server) as follows:
#*Right Click on DATA Folder and click on Properties
#*Click on Security Tab -> Add -> Advanced
#*Click on Find Now, Select the IUSR_XXXXXXX user and Click on OK [[image:error-invalid-data-path-2.jpg]] [[image:error-invalid-data-path-3.jpg]] 
#Second, for the newly added IUSR (IIS user) change the permissions as follows:
#*'''REMOVE''' the read and execute permission (for security, IIS should be unable to execute things that it might have uploaded)
#*'''ADD''' the write permission [[image:error-invalid-data-path-4.jpg]] 
#Login should now be possible.

Handling damaged files

2012-07-04T10:19:58Z

Vineet:

== Symptoms ==

"A Damaged file has been found..... ((the rest of this message to be completed))
Group format Error:
OS File : BOOKING.TEXTS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

== Cause ==
Rare but nasty problem on server 99% caused by power failure, killing NEOSYS or server hardware or operating system failure.

*Did somebody kill NEOSYS processes to reboot the server or any other reason?
*Was there a power cut?
*Any expected or unexpected reboots in the server log? (see Event Viewer > System Log)
*Enough disk free space especially on servers not dedicated to NEOSYS?
*Third party software running on NEOSYS server?
*RAID installed on the server?
*Did windows update happen?

== Solution==

Damaged files, when detected, cause an immediate termination of the currently executing program/user request and a restart of the process is involved. Some damaged files are automatically fixed during restart. Although the process "restarts" it may be internally corrupted in some way and it is advisable to close it completely and start or allow another process to start automatically. 
However, the solution always depends on the cause and usually often requires aggressive interrogation to discover the cause.

== Recovery==

It is URGENT to stop using NEOSYS and fix the damaged file because it will cause NEOSYS to crash everytime it happens to update that part of the file. NEOSYS crashing while updating often produces unrecoverable inconsistencies in the database that can only be fixed by programmers sitting for hours trying to edit the database .... or by restoring from a backup causing loss of work.

See the following sections how to patch the damaged files.

== Files that are automatically fixed ==

*LISTS
*LOCKS
*!INDEXING

The above files are automatically checked for corruption (and initialised to empty if so) when you
startup a NEOSYS process and do not require any manual intervention apart from locating and eliminating the initial cause of the damage.

If the !INDEXING file was damaged then you should also do REINDEXALL to reinstate any possibly missing index entries, but since this will take a long time
you should do this when everybody is off the system in the evening probably. A few missing index entries may only mean some records missing from some reports which may or may not be seriously inconvenient. It is a temporary file that should not hold any records for longer than it takes to update the various indexes immediately when the user saves any document.

Each process has its own LISTS file, so damage is limited to one process for the LISTS file. The process number can be seen in the error message. for example:

Process=7

You can also see the process number on the server screen. For example here is a process 2.

13:17:31 TESTDB NEOS0002 0 Listening 7 hours, 49 mins ...

The LISTS file is a temporary file for sorting records into order for reports, popups etc. Therefore any damage usually causes no real inconvenience apart from the failed report or popup on which the user might receive the "damaged LISTS file" message.

The error message would appear as follows :

SYSTEM ERROR:
An internal file LISTS was found
to be damaged and has been patched.
INFORM YOUR TECHNICAL SUPPORT 
SOME DATA HAS PROBABLY BEEN LOST
AND THE NEOSYS SYSTEM MAY MALFUNCTION 
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

The error could also appear as follows :

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : LISTS
Group # : 00000014
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

OR

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : STATISTICS
Group # : 00000005
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
114 files checked.
Failed with 1 error
!!!DANGER!!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!!BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

''Note - '' Statistics contains info about user usage as per support menu so loss of data is not critical and it will be rebuilt automatically

'''We might also get errors related to Temporary Files as follows:'''
<pre>
A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM!

Group Format Error:
File : MATDEL_MEDIALIN_3
Group # : 13369375
Wrong Overflow frame linked to group.

Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=11:26:27 26 JUL 2010
Database=23BF2931 MEDIALIN
Process=3
Client=100_100_100_77
User=HAMADA
Request=MEDIADIARY
@Id=
Data=
</pre>

'''Since these are temporary files, we need not use FIXFILE. They get cleared automatically.'''

== Fixing damaged file that have a process to recreate them ==

Below files can be recreated from the maintenance mode.

ADS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEADS

ANALYSIS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEANALYSIS

BRANDS files can be recreated with F5 CREATEBRANDS

If the file is actually damaged it might be necessary to initialise it first using CLEARFILE filename.

The following is an example of the error in the ADS File at the time of backup.

Group Format Error:
OS File : ADS
Group # : 00009543
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
217 files checked.
Failed with 1 errors
!!! DANGER !!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!! BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "ADS")

Explanation: The last four lines are very rare and can be seen with the above error messages in the backup email. The above message indicates that some external application is trying to access the backup files at the time of backup.

Before doing the solution below, please check the number of damaged files on the database by running CHK.FILES in maintenance mode. [CHK.FILES can be done when users are online]

Solution

'''NOTE:''' Stop all the processes before doing the below procedure. (see [[Closing_NEOSYS_services|Closing NEOSYS Services]] for instructions)

Procedure to run CREATEADS is as under

Login to maintenance

F5
CREATEXXXX

(XXXX = ADS, ANALYSIS OR BRANDS)

Select the option appropriate option and start the procedure and hit ENTER

To verify if the above is done successfully and check if the damage files is fixed in the database run CHK.FILES or CHK.FILES FILENAME (Recommended) from this link: [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_for_corrupt_database_files|Checking for corrupt database files]]

== Fixing damaged index files (names starting with !) ==

Whilst backing up or using NEOSYS the following error message might appear:

"A Damaged file has been found.....
Group format Error:
OS File : !ADS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

#Ensure that no-one is using NEOSYS
#Log into NEOSYS on the server
#Press F5 to get a TCL command box
#Type REINDEXADS and press enter.
#Wait until it finishes and you get back to the command box
#Type OFF in the command box and you will quit NEOSYS.

Other reindex commands are:

(''Note -'' You can save time when indexing very large files by indexing only selected indexes instead of all indexed for the file. You can select the field(s) that need to be reindexed from a list of indexed fields which REINDEX filename presents you after you enter the command.)

*REINDEXACCOUNTS recreates !ACCOUNTS, !BATCHES and !VOUCHERS
*REINDEXADDRESSES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS recreates !BOOKING.ORDERS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXINVS recreates !INVOICES
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXPRODINVS recreates !PRODUCTION.INVOICES
*REINDEXPRODORDERS recreates !PRODUCTION.ORDERS
*REINDEXRATECARDS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS
*REINDEXVEHICLES

REINDEXMEDIA does all the following
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS

REINDEXFILES does all the following
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXVEHICLES
*REINDEXRATECARDS

REINDEXPRODUCTION does all the following
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXPRODORDERS
*REINDEXPRODINVS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS

REINDEXALL does all the following
*REINDEXMEDIA
*REINDEXPRODUCTION
*REINDEXFILES
*REINDEXINVS
*REINDEXACCOUNTS
*REINDEXADDRESSES

== Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them ==

Some damaged files can be rebuilt using NEOSYS utilities especially index files with filenames starting with !. Other damaged files like ''LOG20xx'' can be “fixed” to prevent NEOSYS crashes as follows but some records will most probably be lost. Depending on the file loss of a few records may not be too bad compared to restoring a database but the client should be informed and make the decision. Depending on the file it is usually best to lose the records. We can make a list of files that one can afford to lose records and those files that can be rebuilt programmatically from other files. Booking order texts they can lose records but inform them and especially the numbers mentioned in FIXFILE

''SHADOW'' is a type of log file that can lose some records without serious impact and can therefore can also be fixed with FIXFILE.

FIXFILE will not run if there are neosys services still running so before doing the FIXFILE command, shut down the processes for the dataset in question.

''NOTE -'' If there are multiple datasets running on the server. Shut down the particular dataset which has got the problem. (see [[Closing_NEOSYS_services|Closing NEOSYS Services]] for instructions).

If you are trying to close processes during the day then please check if there are users that are actively working on that dataset in question. If yes, then please email the clients asking them to log off till the process is complete. If there are no users actively working then you may proceed to complete the fix quickly before users login so that users are not disturbed during their daily work.

Press F5

FIXFILE filename

(Select option 1 to update the file)

In case you get any Overwrite messages – type YES, as these are the actual files being updated.

The only alternative is restore from a previous backup in this case losing a days work. Nasty, and even worse, it will be impossible to reproduce the days work and especially the exact serial numbers of critical documents like orders, invoices, receipts and payments advices.

=== Using FIXFILE to repair corrupted files ===

'''BEWARE:''' FIXFILE causes loss of data. If the data is critical then use of FIXFILE can be totally catastrophic without any warning.
Hence, in such situations it is advisable to talk to NEOSYS technical staff to see if they can provide any proper fix or provide any better comment about the impact of loss of data rather than implement FIXFILE directly.
 
'''Please Note:'''
# Using FIXFILE on some files is a guaranteed way to cause complete chaos for the users without them being aware of it until too late to do anything about it.
#Corrupt files will cause programs to abort every time they try to update that section of the file. Aborting programs causes possibly horrendous inconsistency in the database so it is important to stop all user activity and fix the corrupt file immediately.
#You can freely use FIXFILE on any file but it works by deleting any problematic data so cannot realistically be used on some files at all.
#FIXFILE cannot and does not recover any corrupted records therefore, for those files that have specific programs to rebuild them, FIXFILE is not the correct option.
 
'''Why use FIXFILE at all since it causes loss of data?'''

#Many files do not have programs to rebuild them and for some of those files, using FIXFILE is a quick way to get the system back in operation BUT with missing records. Missing records causes various degrees of failure ranging from the odd document missing, totally misleading information like wrong account balances, or any kind of system failure.
#FIXFILE does not fix the consistency of information in the database. When the database is is being updated with a transaction, usually a series of files are updated for the one transaction. A damaged file causes the update program to abort in the middle of the series of updates. Therefore some of the updates are done and the remaining updates are not done. This means that the data in the database (even after fixing the corrupt file) is inconsistent.
#FIXFILE merely fixes the technical structure of the file so that any further program accesses to that portion of the file do not cause immediate program termination and consequent likely catastrophic database inconsistency.

'''IMPORTANT :''' You must prevent anyone from accessing NEOSYS while FIXFILE is running.

==== List of Files Impacted by FIXFILE ====
#'''USERS File :''' The main data of any lost records from the USERS file will be recreated any time the Authorisation File is saved, however only the information in the Authorisation File is recreated which means that all personal preferences, holiday records, login history etc will be lost.

=== Fixing Damaged DEFINITIONS file ===

==== Non-Solution ====

You will probably not be able to login if the DEFINITIONS FILE is damaged. You can press Alt+S and type EXECUTE to get a TCL command box but this still doesnt help because you cannot use FIXFILE on DEFINITIONS.

CAUTION: DO NOT USE FIXFILE TO TRY AND FIX THE DEFINITIONS FILE.

DOUBLE CAUTION: IN CASE YOU DECIDE TO IGNORE THIS EXPECT ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE PROBLEMS IN THE DATABASE REQUIRING A COMPLETE RESTORE FROM A GOOD BACKUP AFTER A FEW DAYS OF PAIN BECAUSE RANDOM OLD DATABASE UPGRADE/CONVERSIONS WILL BE PERFORMED *AGAIN* WITHOUT YOU KNOWING IT.

==== Partial Restore ====

You can copy recent DEFINITIONS.LK and DEFINITIONS.OV files from the DATA\datasetcode\GENERAL folder.

CAUTION: All changes done in the Configuration File, Authorisation File, Users File and various other changes will be reverted to the date of the DEFINITIONS files being restored. If you are restoring from last nights backup or testdata then this will not be much but could cause serious confusion to people who have changed their passwords etc.

==== Full Restore ====

Restore from your latest backup losing all work done since that time and date.

=== Preventing users from accessing NEOSYS in order to do maintenance or repairs ===

On most systems you can simply stop the NEOSYS processes. On other systems where NEOSYS processes are automatically started in response to requests from the web, you need to disable the autostart by one of the following methods

# Stop the autostart program/script
# Put a file called NET.CFG with a single line saying AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder
# Stop the IIS server
# Stop/Pause the particular web in question

== Dealing with damaged files that cannot be fixed ==

If programmers are unable to fix the damage in a reasonably period of time and the damage is caused due to matters beyond NEOSYS control such as non-dedicated servers and power failures then data must be restored and client advised why they are going to suffer loss of data.

THIS DOES NOT RELEASE NEOSYS SUPPORT STAFF FROM THE OBLIGATION TO PROACTIVELY INFORM THE CLIENT OF MEASURES TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF THE EVENT.

The following are the steps to follow:
# Ascertain the cause of the damage to the database by looking at the internal logs
# Create a new database from the damaged one as it will contain the up to date but damaged database.
# Restore the database from the backup media so that the database is in the last good known state.
# The client can see what work was done over the past couple of days from the damaged database and it will assist them to redo the work in the currently restored out of date main database.
# Next discuss with the client about the cause of the damage and (a) what to do to prevent the damage occurring again (b) to agree a procedure to perform a manual backup in case the automatic one is not performed for any reason overnight.

Procedures

2012-07-03T06:57:55Z

Vineet:

Here are procedures to be followed by Support Staff in respect to various technical matters in day to day operations of client issues.

== NEOSYS Support Policies ==
In order to maintain good payment speed by clients NEOSYS needs to restrict support to clients that dont pay their bills on time, however the degree of restriction needs to depend on an intimate knowledge of the client which cannot be expected from all NEOSYS support staff. Therefore we will use a simple escalation policy as follows:

=== Stop Support List ===
NEOSYS SUPPORT MANAGERS WILL maintain an overdue/stop list on a whiteboard visible to all support staff. Generally clients will go on the list immediately when their invoice is overdue and come off only after satisfactory commitment to pay have been obtained.

NEOSYS SUPPORT STAFF WILL discretely refer any calls for support from client on the overdue/stop list to support managers for handling.

Managers may well instruct support to provide support on a case by case basis even if clients are on the stop list. Being on the stop list does not necessarily indicate a major issue with accounts

In case clients pressurize neosys staff to provide support then the support staff must inform them that there is an issue with their account and that their request had been forwarded to the manager.

This policy excludes dealing with server failures, backup failures and measures required to be taken to fix these failures.

== Client Password Policy ==
All client user passwords, including their initial one, are to be obtained via the user's email address using the password reminder/reset button on the login screen.

NEOSYS staff should never know users passwords therefore NEOSYS will not obtain and grant user passwords.

=== Support requests from ordinary client users ===
Any support requests concerning inability to obtain passwords will be forwarded to known skilled users on the client staff since this is the most efficient (not fastest) way to handle such issues.

=== Support requests from senior client management ===
Any support requests concerning inability to obtain passwords by senior client management users shall be handled directly by NEOSYS support staff in any way convenient to resolve the issue in the quickest possible time rather than the most efficient.

Bearing in mind that NEOSYS staff should never know user's passwords this will probably involve NEOSYS staff using the Password Reminder/Reset button to send a new password to the user.

=== User Defined Passwords ===
NEOSYS will provide user defined passwords in very special cases which must be pre-approved case by case by NEOSYS management. For many reasons, NEOSYS will not approve.

Currently this permission has only been granted to one NEOSYS client with several hundred of databases.

== Handling client issues ==
=== Handling error messages ===

'''Important:''' Before Attempting to resolve client issues, please ensure that we have secure access to the NEOSYS server.

#The very first step is understanding client problem.
#Ask the client what error does he gets on the screen.
#If error seems to be familiar then resolve it over the phone.
#If error is unknown then ask user to send a screenshot of the error displayed along with the options used (basically you need to know HOW to replicate the error)
#Upon receipt of the error, check in all the wikis for a solution.
#If the issue is unknown or you don’t understand it clearly ask the user then use remote support to gain access to the users desktop to view how to replicate the error.

If it is new issue then report by escalation the same issue to your manager with a brief explanation.

=== NEOSYS support for resolving issues with totals on reports ===

If a client has a problem with any total output by NEOSYS software then NEOSYS support will advise them which other NEOSYS report or reports provide a complete breakdown of the total (if necessary, to individual transactions) and ask the client to locate any offending transactions themselves.

NEOSYS support staff will handle any issues where the total on the breakdown report does not add up to the total on the summary report.

Reconciling totals can be hard if there are many transactions involved. Regardless of how hard it may be, reconciliation is an operational task for users not for support staff since NEOSYS support staff will not get involved in understanding client transactions or data.

== Using Support Tools ==

=== NEOSYS Software ===

The NEOSYS Software is currently supported on the following Operating Systems (OS) and browsers:

* For Media & Finance modules, Internet Explorer 6+ on Windows
* For Jobs & Timesheets modules, Internet Explorer 6+ on Windows or Safari 5+ on Mac

Users are to ensure that pop-up blockers and any 3rd party toolbars are deactivated/switched off or else certain pages and alert messages while using NEOSYS do not appear as a result of blocking from either the pop-up blocker or toolbars with built-in pop-up blockers.

NEOSYS Support personnel should additionally ensure that under Internet Explorer > Tools > Internet Options > Advanced > Browsing - the items Disable script debugging (Internet Explorer) and Disable script debugging (Other) are '''UNTICKED'''. This is because if NEOSYS generates any javascript error message, the same would disappear in the bottom left corner of a window, which in turn helps the programmer fix the error.

''Note-'' The above mentioned process must be carried out after every Factory Reset.

=== Website Live Support ===
www.neosys.com is equipped with a Live Support software and clients can visit the website, click on this link and chat with any of our support staff, without the need for any installation. The client has to fill in their name and email address to connect to an available support personnel. During non-working hours, the Live Support icon on the website automatically displays "offline".

NEOSYS Support personnel who are authorised to provide such support, need to download a software called Kayako Live Support from http://hotfix.kayako.com/latest.php?product=lr&platform=win32&buildtype=stable

Once downloaded the account needs to be setup as follows:

* Account Name: (as provided by NEOSYS IT)
* SupportSuite URL: http://support.neosys.com/
* User Name: (as provided by NEOSYS IT and usually same as Account Name)
* Password: (as provided by NEOSYS IT)

The first time the account is setup, you need to close Kayako Live Support completely and restart for it to login and work properly.

=== Teamviewer ===
Since teamviewer allows no restriction on access once a fixed pass is installed, we cannot install fixed pass on teamviewer however convenient it might be.

RULE: NO FIXED PASS TO BE INSTALLED ON TEAMVIEWER IN ANY NEOSYS OR NEOSYS CLIENT COMPUTER

Running teamviewer live from a web link is fine because it does not allow installation of a permanent password

=== Documenting Processes in Wiki ===
[[How to create templates in wiki]]

== Handling Nagios Client Monitoring system ==
Nagios is configured to display information pertaining to all NEOSYS client's server statuses which include multiple services such as:
# HTTPS: Most of NEOSYS clients are configured to have external web access via secure HTTP protocol (port 4430) from outside office. Nagios is configured to check port 4430 on a regular interval of 10 minutes and display any issues in accessing the same.
# SSH: As part of the support contract, NEOSYS should have external secure access to the client server usually over port 19580. Nagios is configured to check this port on a regular interval of 10 minutes and display any issues in accessing the same.
# Ping: Nagios is also configured to ping the client router as a measure to check if router responds incase the NEOSYS server is down.
# NEOSYS: This service works in a reverse direction, and the NEOSYS installation on the client server sends information such as databases running, current backup status, internal and internet IP addressess etc to Nagios on a regular interval of 10 minutes.

Some key information about Nagios is as follows:
* Nagios is also configured to display information related to internal servers.
* Clients hosted on a NEOSYS cloud server might not have services such as SSH or PING as this is monitored as part of the internal server service.
* Nagios sends out email alerts to support2@neosys.com (which is forwarded to support@neosys.com) from 8 am to 12 midnight on all Dubai working days (Sun-Thu). No alerts are sent out on Fri and Sat, unless they are for NEOSYS internal servers.

NEOSYS support staff on duty has to follow the below outlined procedures in case of any Nagios items showing a critical or warning message for any service:
# Nagios is required to be checked first thing in the morning and any critical or warning messages need to be dealth with to resolve the same at the earliest.
# Some of the messages could be related to backup failures and the usual procedure as stated in #Backup Procedures needs to be followed. In case the backup issue isn't resolved by 9:30 am, the Nagios service needs to be scheduled with downtime for a minimum of 2 hours and maximum until 1 am next day if the issue cannot be solved.
# In case any HTTPS, SSH or PING service is down, immediate action is required and the relevant IT people at the client side needs to be contacted to get this resolved. A downtime of 2 hours is required to be scheduled with further intervals of 2 hours incase this is not resolved. Support staff shouldn't schedule downtime till 1 am next day, just to get rid of the alerts for the day. Proactive follow up with the client is required to get this resolved before the business day - more so, if there is a weekend ahead.
# In case the HTTPS, SSH or PING service goes down during the day, a grace period of 20 minutes is given before the issue is reported to the client IT. This helps incase there is any temporary internet connection issue at the client or along the internet route.
# In case of "Backup not changed" warning status which occurs if the client has not interchanged the USB before 12 noon on that day, no action is required from the support staff and a downtime until 1 am next day needs to be scheduled.

**'''PLEASE NOTE''': Failure to schedule appropriate downtime will lead to REDUNDANT ALERTS from NAGIOS every hour.

== What happens if there is no remote access to NEOSYS server based in client’s premises ? ==

If access to the NEOSYS server is lost then we must determine the root cause by:

# Checking if the server is UP and running
# If yes, please check internet connectivity on the server
# If there is connectivity, please check the router for connectivity issues

'''Sample Response:'''
Please note that we have currently lost access to the NEOSYS server. The server seems to be down at the moment and it seems that neosys processes are not running on the server.
Kindly check if the server is UP and running. If yes, please check internet connectivity on the server.
Do keep us posted on the server status so we can test connectivity from our side as well.0

== New Router (Port Forwarding) ==

If you have changed your router then you may notice that external access to NEOSYS is unavailable.

'''Solution:'''

Setup a permanent access for NEOSYS by reconfiguring the Router / Firewall for Port Forwarding from Router to the NEOSYS Server as follows:
# Port 19580 > 19580 for SSH
# Port 4430 > 4430 for HTTPS

You can see [http://portforward.com/ Set Up Port Forwarding] to learn how to configure your Router.

To see how to test/ troubleshoot port forwarding settings, go to [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting Port Forwarding]].

'''Sample Response:'''
You are requested to kindly setup a permanent access for NEOSYS by reconfiguring the Router / Firewall for Port Forwarding from Router to the NEOSYS Server,i.e. port 19580 for SSH and port 4430 for HTTPS.

Once this is complete, kindly send me an email to confirm the same so that we could test connectivity from our end as well.

== Backup Procedures ==
=== Preparing daily backup report ===
# Note the success, failure and other error of the clients backup mail in an excel sheet and forward the same to your manager.
# If there is a backup failure or backup is not available, check wiki to take necessary steps.
# If there is any unknown error, forward the same to your manager.

=== Updating Nagios incase of failures ===
# If the backup failure is unsolved, schedule downtime Neosys service in Nagios till 01 am.
# If the backup did not happen because of server down. Call the IT person; ask him to re-boot the server and check wiki to do necessary step ahead and schedule downtime to Nagios for 2hours.
# If there is an error "Backup->Impossible" on Nagios check wiki and schedule downtime to Nagios for 2hours.

=== Interchange backup USB mail reminder ===
# Basically all the clients have different days to change their backup USB. All the notification can be seen on Nagios at 12.00 pm every day.
# When you see the change backup notification on Nagios at 12.00 pm, send a mail to the IT person or the person who changes the USB. As you send the mail schedule downtime for Neosys services for two hours.
# Check the Nagios at 2.00 pm if the backup USB is changed, don't send another mail and stop there. But if backup is still not yet changed, send a another mail and this time cc the mail to your manager. After sending the mail, schedule downtime for Neosys service for more two hours.
# Now at 4.00 pm if you still find the backup USB not changed. Call the IT person and ask him to change the USB ASAP and schedule downtime for Neosys services for one hour.
# Now at 5.00 pm check Nagios and see if the backup USB is changed and if not changed. Send the mail to everyone from the backup mail.
# If the backup is still not changed, escalate the issue to your manager.

==== Importance of interchanging backup USBs ====
If the backup USB is not interchanged on the scheduled day then the NEOSYS automated backup fails. This happens because traditionally, each USB holds backup of 7 days and using 3 different USBs we can store backups for the last 21 days enabling us to restore the system unto a time period beginning 21 days prior.
If the USB is not changed then the first backup on the current USB is replaced with the new or latest backup leading to inconsistencies within the backups. Hence we must interchange the USB on schedule to avoid a backup failure the next morning.

The reasons for using multiple USBs for backup are:
#We can keep other USBs out of the office for safety purposes since theft or office fire/water hazards could damage the computer and the USB keys if they are all in the same place.
#Having multiple USBs provide safety against corrupt USBs which cannot be used to restore any backup data.

'''Sample Response:'''
The NEOSYS backup has failed today as the USB was not interchanged on the scheduled day.
Please interchange the USB immediately today to avoid a backup failure tomorrow morning.
Also note that your scheduled day to interchange the USB next week and hence forth remains unchanged to '''(Scheduled Day)'''.

=== Finding out which USB is inserted into the server ===
As we ask the client to have 3 USB's and interchange them weekly, we also need to sometimes track which one of these 3 USB's are inserted into the server. USB's can be tracked using their volume serial number in most cases. To find this out either go to the command prompt and type VOL or in the nightly backup message check for the 2nd line (which looks like this - 14/12/2009 2:45pm Media: 705B-5B5F). However serial numbers can be the same even for different USB's.

== Client relocating operations to a new premises ==

Ensure that the following procedure is followed by the clients IT staff prior to relocation:

# Login to the NEOSYS server and shut down all the processes by hitting the ESC button on each of the window three times or until they close
# Take a backup of the D drive on another system or network / external drive
# Remove the USB plugged in and secure the same along with the other two USB’s in a safe location
# The NEOSYS server may now be shutdown and moved to the new premises

Post relocation, the clients IT staff must ensure the following immediately:

# Connect the server to the local network and complete all setup required for users to be able to access the system internally
# Configure the firewall and/or port settings to enable NEOSYS support staff to connect to the server externally
# Provide NEOSYS support with the new fixed IP address so that the connection can be tested.

== Creating and Handling passwords ==
Passwords made out of a pass phrase should be at least 10 characters since using initials results in a lot of i's and a's etc which reduces the effectiveness of the password and allows hacking via brute force guessing especially since windows doesnt slow down logins even if it sees thousands of password attempts.

=== Creating a password ===
Passwords are generated from a pass phrase and it is important to create a very difficult to guess pass phrase.

For example, a good pass phrase would be: '''Today is a good day and it is the best time to go for a holiday'''

The password for this would be '''Tiagdaiitbt2g4ah'''

The important instructions for the above are:
#You have to take the first letter of each word and that makes your password (i.e. by using initials)
#Wherever any word starts with a capital, then you have to take first letter as a capital (eg. For Today you will take T)
#Replace '''and''' with '''&'''
#Replace '''to''' with '''2'''
#Replace '''for''' with '''4'''

=== Handling passwords ===
#Never send the actual password - always send the pass phrase
#Make sure that the password created out of the pass phrase is at least 10 characters long since using initials results in a lot of i's and a's etc which reduces the effectiveness of the password and allows hacking via brute force guessing especially since windows doesnt slow down logins even if it sees thousands of password attempts
#Pass phrases are never to be sent by email, whatever the case maybe.
#Pass phrases can be sent by chat - however they have to be broken down in two parts and sent separately over two different messengers or if you are using Gtalk then use the 'off the record' mode.
#Using SMS to send pass phrases is the best known way as of now.
#If you save the passwords on your system as a file, make sure the file is encrypted with a master password.

== NEOSYS Maintenance Window ==

The NEOSYS server is functional from 6am – 1am. There is a 5hr window gap for the system to perform updates & backups.

The 5hr maintenance window:-

1. At 1am – The server performs a data backup on a USB (for the respective clients) & once the backup has been completed, the system automatically generates an email addressed to the neosys staff & the respective clients.

2. At 2:45am – The main data over writes the test data on the server.

3. At 3:00am – The server by itself performs an update for Windows.

4. At 4:00am – The server performs a backup to the headquarters for clients, and then automatically generates an email addressed to the NEOSYS staff & the respective clients. This process is followed by only two clients i.e. Adline & Farouk.

5. At 6:00am – The server starts up NEOSYS.

==Switching to a backup server==

As NEOSYS provides clients with option of backing up their data to a remote NEOSYS server in case of emergencies or server problems, it is crucial you understand the below procedure on how to switch to a backup server in the event of such a situation. Extreme care must be taken when switching over to using a backup server otherwise unnecessary data loss is very likely.

Backup servers are normally switched off and should not be started automatically otherwise there is a serious risk of the client’s staff working on two systems. It is not possible to merge two databases into one database. Before the backup server is enabled the main server must be disabled, and before the main server is re-enabled, the backup server must be disabled again. This can be managed technically without requiring any decision from senior non-technical staff.

However, there are also some potentially hard decisions about unavoidable loss of data versus continued system availability. *** Backup servers should therefore only be started with the written approval of the clients senior staff. A suitable email requesting approval follows.

The following case assumes that the main server has gone down sometime during the working day and that therefore the data on the backup server is out of date. Allowing them to use the backup server therefore implies some loss of data. They may wish to lose the data. They may wish to work on the backup server data and then try to redo the work on the main server once it is restored. There are a variety of options depending on the situation.

If the main server is still functioning AND you are reasonably sure that the database is not damaged (which is perhaps an unlikely situation if you need to use the backup server!), it may be sensible to trigger an additional “backup/sync” process to bring the backup server database up to date with the main server. Before you do this, it is advisable that you take a backup copy of the backup system on the backup server. In this case there would be no data loss in using the backup.

An additional option of providing usage of the backup server in read-only mode so that people can at least access some data is being developed. The backup server could be available continuously at any time in read-only mode. This article would then be related to switching a backup server into main operational mode.

Dear {senior staff} cc {IT staff}

Please note that we can enable the backup server if you wish.

However the data on the backup server is out of date since it is a copy of your main database as at 11/22/33 99:99.

If you wish to allow work to be done on the backup server then any data entered on your main server since the above date will be lost if we
subsequently copy the data on the backup server to the main server.

If, after using the backup server, we do NOT copy the data on the back server to the main server then any data you have entered on the backup
server/database will be lost.

Please confirm a) you want to work on HOSTS2 database and that we should therefore enable it and b) you have disconnected your main server
for the duration.

Best Regards,
xxxxxx xxxxxxx
NEOSYS Support

== Description of Backup Procedure for the NEOSYS Client Hosting Server ==

NEOSYS backup is a two phase process. It is mandatory that both phases are complete for the process to be considered a backup. 
#On the main NEOSYS server host(Schuberg Philis in Amsterdam as of Dec 2010) Every night, the NEOSYS process for selected databases stops serving users at around 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM (local time of the client's main office) and performs the following procedure: - All the database files are checked for physical corruption. - All the database files are zipped into a file who's path would be something like C:\DATA.BAK\CLIENTX\MONDAY\BACKUP.ZIP file. - The file having the same name as that of the corresponding day of the week as last week is overwritten.A "backup alert" email indicating success or failure is sent to senior managers at the client, the client’s IT manager and backups@neosys.com. - An internal log (accessible on each database's Support Menu) is maintained as a record and in case the emails cannot be sent out for some reason. - NEOSYS support staff in Dubai check the emails every morning Sunday through Thursday. - In the case of failure, NEOSYS support staff in Dubai take appropriate action and send an email (to the same people who receive the automated backup alert emails) indicating what action has been taken. - The above does not by itself constitute a proper backup because the backup is stored on the same server and physical disk as the actual data. 
#On the NEOSYS backup server host (in NEOSYS Dubai Office as of Dec 2010 but could be changed without notice to EvoSwitch in Amsterdam). - At around 02:00-02:30 AM GMT daily, NEOSYS's backup server copies (replicates) all the BACKUP.ZIP files from the main NEOSYS server host to itself. - An email indicating success or failure is sent to NEOSYS support staff (only) who deal with it in a similar way to phase 1, except that only NEOSYS management are updated.

== Cutting and Pasting NEOSYS Maintenance Mode Messages into Wiki ==

Error messages expressed as images are not searchable.

Therefore SELECT THE TEXT OF MAINTENANCE MODE WINDOWS using right click on window heading, Edit, Mark, Copy .. not graphical copy.

Then paste the text into wiki and surround with "< pre>" and "< /pre>" tags (without the space) as follows:

[[image:loginmessage.jpg]]

the result is searchable text as follows ...

<pre>
╔════════════════════════════╗
║ NEOSYS SECURITY ║
║ What is your name ? ║
║ ║
║ [ ] ║
║ ║
║ Please enter your name, ║
║ or press Esc to exit. ║
╚════════════════════════════╝
</pre>

== Amending/Reposting Journal Entries ==
In certain exceptional cases, amending/reposting of journal entries is allowed for a brief period of time to enable clients to present reports in an alternative manner. This would be subject to NEOSYS would requiring a written LETTER OF APPROVAL duly signed and stamped by the highest management of the company.

In case the client management decides to allow editing/reposting of journal entries, the following procedure is to be followed:
# Client must de-allocate vouchers which need to be amended
# NEOSYS support staff must wait for a day so that de-allocated vouchers are copied into Test database
# Authorise required users to amend and repost (without record) '''in Test database only''' ( While reposting, we have 2 options i.e. with record and without record. The 'with record' option causes the system to maintain a history of edits made. Hence, we want to repost without record so that there is no trace of the edit in the system)
# Amend a substantial number of vouchers in Test and verify them. To verify if the edits made are reflected:
# *Print all ledgers for the whole year
# *Cross-check all balances
# Once you verify the balances are correct in Test database, grant users permission to amend and repost in the Live database.
# Ask users to amend and repost vouchers in the Live database.
# Cross-check all balances for the current year.
# If you successfully verify the balances, revoke permissions immediately. Else, wait for 24 hours and revoke permissions irrespectively.

== Removal of unauthorized third-party software on client servers ==

Rule: Any third party software that is discovered by NEOSYS support staff on client servers that has been installed without the agreement of NEOSYS should be uninstalled immediately on discovery.

However purposeful a software is, NEOSYS is contractually responsible for support and there are too many opportunities for poorly installed software to cause unpredictable damage to the NEOSYS database so NEOSYS has to have a clear and safe and simple policy to ensure the integrity of client data. Installing software without prior discussion with NEOSYS by itself indicates that insufficient care and consideration as been given to possible issues.

Any software required by client IT for some purpose may only be installed after discussion and agreement from NEOSYS support staff concerning the configuration and operation of the software.

The NEOSYS Software Licence and Support agreement requires that where NEOSYS software is installed on client servers that a dedicated server is provided and dedicated implies that no other software may be installed without the agreement of NEOSYS support.

== Configuring tunnelier to autologin on opening tlp files ==
If you have many tunnelier tlp files in a directory and connect by opening the desired tlp file the, instead of opening the file and then clicking Login you can also right click the file and select Connect.

Alternatively, you can configure tunnelier to login (connect) automatically by following the procedure mentioned below. (Even if you configure automatic login, you can still open and not login by right clicking and choosing Open)
#Go to My Computer
#Click on Tools -> Folder Options [[image:tunnauto-1.jpg]] 
#Click on File Types
#*Select TLP (Bitvise Tunnelier Profile) [Type "TLP" to find it quickly]
#*Click on Advanced [[image:tunnauto-2.jpg]] 
#Click on Connect and Click on Set Default [[image:tunnauto-3.jpg]]

File:Tunnauto-3.jpg

2012-07-03T06:56:51Z

Vineet:

File:Tunnauto-2.jpg

2012-07-03T06:56:33Z

Vineet:

File:Tunnauto-1.jpg

2012-07-03T06:52:55Z

Vineet:

Checklists

2012-06-28T05:11:55Z

Vineet:

== Windows 2003 Installtion ==

[[Media:Windows 2003_New_Installation_Checklist_with_remote_support.doc]]

[[Media:New_Installation_Checklist_(Finance_only)_&_without_remote_support.doc]]

== Windows 2008 Installation ==

[[Media:New_Installation_Checklist_with_remote_support_(Windows_Server_2008).doc]]

[[Media:Windows 2008_New_Installation_Checklist_Virtual_Server.doc]]

== Shifting Servers ==
[[Media:Shifting_servers_Checklist.doc‎]]

File:Windows 2008 New Installation Checklist Virtual Server.doc

2012-06-28T05:11:29Z

Vineet:

Checklists

2012-06-28T04:53:54Z

Vineet:

[[Media:Windows 2003_New_Installation_Checklist_with_remote_support.doc]]

[[Media:New_Installation_Checklist_with_remote_support_(Windows_Server_2008).doc]] - Windows 2008

[[Media:New_Installation_Checklist_(Finance_only)_&_without_remote_support.doc]] - Windows 2003

[[Media:Shifting_servers_Checklist.doc‎]]

File:Windows 2003 New Installation Checklist with remote support.doc

2012-06-28T04:53:38Z

Vineet:

Setting up and using remote support

2012-06-26T12:58:45Z

Vineet: /* Upgrading SSHD / Cygwin */

== Getting agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support ==

[[Letter to obtain agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support]]

== Installing and configuring the server ==

=== Initial Connection to the server before setting up permanent remote connection ===

In case of a remote installation you need to get an initial connection to the server before you can setup Cygwin for a permanent remote connection. For this purpose you can either use your customised reverse connect UltraVNC SC file or the one-time run Teamviewer utility.

Do not use Microsoft Remote Desktop Client (RDP/RDC) on port 3389 at anytime to access the server from the internet since IT suppliers not aware of the situation often setup the initial administrator password to something obvious like "password" or even blank and in this case there is a good chance internet worms will discover the "open door" and install themselves before you get the chance to put a strong password.

=== Installing and configuring SSH ===
==== Installing Cygwin with OPENSSH ====

These instruction are only for installing in a server NOT part of a domain. For installing in a server that is part of a domain, see http://cygwin.com/faq-nochunks.html#faq.using.sshd-in-domain

Watch out for non-intuitive steps like clicking "skip" to install something.

# Read [[Avoiding Corrupt Cygwin Installations]]
# ENSURE that you are logged in as the local (NOT DOMAIN) administrator
# Download/Run/Install http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe (you might have to go to the home page http://www.cygwin.com and click the link to setup.exe)
# Download source: '''Install from Internet'''
# Root Directory: '''c:\cygwin'''
# Local Package Directory: '''c:\cygwin.lib'''
# Internet Connection: '''Direct Connection'''
# Download Site: '''http://mirrors.kernel.org''' (near the bottom) (If this does not show in the list, key in the URL in the field '''User URL''' and click on Add)
# Select Packages: Maximise window then click '''View''' once to get '''Full'''. You can then enter the name of the desired packages in the Search box to speed up location of the desired packages.
# Next to the package '''OPENSSH''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get version 4.4p1-1 or later
# Next to the package '''NANO''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get the latest version available
# Check the NEOSYS INSTALLATION CHECKLIST for any other packages to install like the above.
# Click Next and complete the installation

==== Win32 Error ====

The Win32 Error occur when the bad file is cached in internet explorer cache. You can try clearing the internet explorer cache and redownloading or you can try to download from cygwin.com instead of www.cygwin.com so it doesnt look in the cache or www.cygwin.com if your original download was from cygwin.com. All else failing, you can simply upload the setup.exe file from your own pc to the server.

All this relates to win32 error when running a downloaded file. Any downloaded file and not just cygwin.com/setup.exe

==== Configuring and starting SSHD ====
Open the Cygwin icon to get a linux/bash command line and type:

Run the following commands:

chmod +r /etc/passwd
chmod +r /etc/group
chmod 777 /var

Thereafter start with the ssh configuration:

ssh-host-config

Then on the following options type:

Privilege – YES
New local sshd account - YES
Install SSHD as a service - YES
Enter value of daemon - ntsec
Different name - NO
Create new privileged user - YES
Enter a password now - Set any random password and should not be the same as the neosys server (8 characters min)

At the command prompt type

net start sshd

==== Configuring SSHD to use a non-standard port number ====
This is necessary if the router cannot forward port 19580 --> 22 and we don’t want to open port 22 directly.

Capitalization is signification in cygwin/linux commands

open cygwin command prompt
cd /etc
chown administrator sshd_config
nano sshd_config (assuming that you have installed the NANO editor)
notepad sshd_config (incase you havent installed the NANO editor)
Move your cursor to '''Port 22''' and change 22 to 19580. ctrl+x to save. On the confirmation type Y and on the next prompt hit enter.
chown system sshd_config
net stop sshd
net start sshd

To check that the connection to port 19580 is successful you can run the following test:
ssh -p 19580 administrator@localhost

You will be prompted to confirm the connection (say yes)

Now enter the system password to complete the procedure.

==== Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator” ====
Current NEOSYS policy to cater for recent versions of Cygwin is to rename the windows Administrator user to administrator to keep a consistent ssh login across all installations.

If you forget to do this before installing or upgrading Cygwin then you must to the following:

#Rename “Administrator” to “administrator” in Windows
#*If you cannot rename Administrator to administrator, follow the procedure mentioned at [[Changing username from Administrator to administrator]]
#In a Cygwin console do:

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd

It should come back with nothing

==== Error while changing Cygwin port 22 to 19580 ====

Error Message:

"Could not open file for writing: permission denied"

Occurrence:
Sometimes when you edit the sshd_config file through NANO.

Solution:
In SSH shell, follow these commands:

cp sshd_config ashwin_temp #copies sshd_config to a new file ashwin_temp
rm sshd_config #deletes sshd_config
cp ashwin_temp sshd_config #copies ashwin_temp to sshd_config

In case it does not copy sshd_config to ashwin_temp, than check whether an ashwin_temp filename exists and delete it using the rm command.

==== Opening up ssh connections to additional source ip nos ====

Starting a NEOSYS process will automatically restrict cygwin ssh to accept connections from known NEOSYS company static ip numbers.

In the cygwin command line, insert a line in the list of allowable hosts

DO NOT ALLOW ALL OR GENERAL SSH ACCESS TO NEOSYS CLIENTS SERVERS WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION *AND* INSTALLING EMAIL ALERTS FOR LOGINS AS DESCRIBED BELOW

nano /etc/hosts.allow

sshd: ALL

or a ip numbers or CIDR format

sshd 12.34.56.78
sshd 12.34.0.0/16

==== Setting up email alerts for cygwin ssh logins ====

Use http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe to install "email" and "whois" packages

Insert the following script using cygwin command prompt.

NOTE! it@neosys.com to whatever you want.

cd /etc
nano sshrc

<pre>
#!/bin/bash
#
#you configure this

ALERTEMAILADDRESS=it@neosys.com

#
#get the ip number without the ipv6 prefix
FROMIPNO=`echo $SSH_CLIENT|cut -f 1 -d " "|sed 's/::ffff://'`
#
#quit with no message if from a known host

if grep -x $FROMIPNO /etc/trustedipnos
then exit
fi

#
#get the host name by reverse lookup

FROMHOST=`nslookup $FROMIPNO|grep "name ="`

#
#get whois info about the login ip number

#and pipe it into the mail program
#"&" on the end creates a new process in order not to delay login

whois $FROMIPNO|\
email -q -f nl1@neosys.com -s "login $USER $FROMIPNO $FROMHOST" -r \
mailout.neosys.com -p 2500 $ALERTEMAILADDRESS&
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

Inserted trusted ip nos.

cd /etc
nano trustedipnos

<pre>
#sorry, ip ranges and cidr etc not accepted yet

#vm1.neosys.com for remote checking
85.17.154.105

#nl1.neosys.com
83.149.104.167

#nl2.neosys.com
85.17.154.66

#uk.neosys.com
78.143.212.191

#nl3.neosys.com
94.75.233.2
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

==== Testing SSH connection to the NEOSYS server over port 19580 ====

In you cannot connect to the server using SSH, see [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding]]

==== Troubleshooting SSH: If SSH connects and then disconnects immediately without exchanging keys ====

The first time that NEOSYS runs, it automatically adds source ip number restrictions to the sshd remote support configuration in /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny. This is an important security procedure to allow connection to clients systems from NEOSYS ip numbers only. This process allows only local and known NEOSYS ip numbers to connect using SSH. Upgrading NEOSYS will add and/or remove allowable ip numbers as NEOSYS configuration changes.

It is possible that in some client network configurations incoming ssh connections will appear to be from the clients internal routers with an ip unknown to NEOSYS due to NAT configurations. Therefore ssh connections will be blocked unless specifically allow the local ip number or it is added into an upgraded version of NEOSYS.

NOTE: Therefore you must check that remote support via ssh works AFTER you have run NEOSYS once (maintenance mode).

#Look in the Windows, Computer Management, System Tools, Event Viewer, Application
#Search for entries from source "sshd", double click and look in the Event Properties, Description for ip numbers
#Information type sshd entries will give the ip number of successful sshd connections.
#Warning type sshd entries will give the ip number of failed sshd connections.
#Find the ip number of failed connections.

===== Possible Problem 1 - Port mapping in router is using NAT =====

If the ip number of failed connections is some local ip number (of the router for example) then possibly the inbound port forwarding has been done with NAT and the source ip number has been lost. Therefore the NEOSYS ip restrictions are blocking ssh connections because they appear to be coming from an unknown ip number (ie that of the router)

===== Solution 1A =====

Change the router configuration to not use NAT and leave the genuine original source IP number

===== Solution 1B =====

DO NOT USE THIS PROCEDURE TO BREAK NEOSYS SECURITY. DO NOT GRANT ACCESS TO ANY IP OTHER THAN CLIENTS ROUTER IPS

Add the routers IP number to the list of authorised ip numbers in the cygwin hosts.allow file as follows:

nano /etc/hosts.allow

and add the line as follows ... but put the ip number of your router

sshd: allow 192.168.0.99

#router - sadly using NAT instead of plain old port forwarding
#if the router ip changes then neosys remote support will fail until this line is changed
#NB do not grant access to 192.168.* etc since this allows local LAN viruses to attack

==== Troubleshooting sshd ====

You can run the sshd service interactively to see all messages instead of having to search logs/events etc.

Unfortunately this will not work the same as the normal windows sshd service unless you assume the identity of the sshd_server user. To assume the identity of the sshd_server user you will have to reset its password to something new (since we dont take a record of it during sshd-host-setup) AND ALSO place the new password in the logon properties of the sshd windows service.

su sshd_server
/usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 19580

==== Reinstalling SSHD if service fails to startup ====

Sometimes reinstallation isnt necessary and sshd can be made to restart by doing

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd
mkgroup > /etc/group

If all else fails:

#Look in '''/var/log/sshd.log''' for errors
#Delete the following users: '''sshd''' and '''sshd_server'''
#Remove the sshd service at the cygwin prompt type '''cygrunsrv –R sshd'''
#Do the above Configuration and starting SSHD step again

Note that you don't have to reinstall cygwin entirely, just sshd with the above steps.

==== Upgrading SSHD / Cygwin ====
NEOSYS relies on cygwin to provide secure network access and support various linux/unix services under Windows, mainly rsync for interoffice consolidation.

Just like MS Windows update, cygwin should be updated at regular intervals to close security holes discovered in the software by its authors. This is particularly important for cygwin's remote access service sshd since it is exposed to the internet although on a non-standard port.

TO DO: Find a simple way to learn about when cygwin upgrades sshd and/or when there are issues generally with sshd. Join the cygwin and sshd security news email lists.

To find out what versions of cygwin/sshd are installed at NEOSYS clients, look at Nagios, last column "Status Information":

http://vm1.neosys.com/nagios3/cgi-bin/status.cgi?servicegroup=neosys-ssh&style=detail%22SSH%20OK%20-%20OpenSSH_5.9%20%28protocol%202.0%29%22

eg

SSH OK - OpenSSH_5.9 (protocol 2.0)

===== Upgrading Cygwin remotely =====
NEOSYS normal remote server support connection uses cygwin/ssh. Cygwin can be upgraded while in use but only if a reboot is performed and perhaps some cygwin packages reinstalled.

You can use:
*vnc server
*direct rdp connection
*directly on the server
*teamviewer started manually on the server

You cannot use:
*standard NEOSYS remote support connection using rdp/cygwin/sshd
*teamviewer started using a standard NEOSYS remote support connection.

Since cygwin cannot be upgraded while using tunnelier+cygwin/sshd, we can use tunnelier to setup Teamviewer *temporarily* to do the upgrade.

Teamviewer must be uninstalled afterwards because it is not secure because NEOSYS has no way to manage TV to limit connections by ip number like cygwin sshd in the same way.

'''Procedure To Upgrade Cygwin remotely using TeamViewer:'''

Install Teamviewer (will be commercial on server) and allow unattended access.

Note the Teamviewer number and password during installation.

Logout of tunnelier.

Connect on teamviewer using the number and password

In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
net stop sshd
net stop cygwinrsync
net stop exim
</pre>

In task viewer, ensure no bash or ssh processes and kill any such processes.

Run the cygwin upgrade procedure starting with http://www.cygwin.com and setup.exe etc. If you get any message about file in use, do not ignore, make sure you kill all cygwin related processes in task manager. If necessary find and kill the process holding the files open. For example using sysinternal’s process explorer “find file handle”

If not already done, rename Administrator to administrator and run mkpasswd/mkgroup in Cygwin console. (See [[Setting_up_and_using_remote_support#Changing_ssh_login_from_.E2.80.9CAdministrator.E2.80.9D_to_.E2.80.9Cadministrator.E2.80.9D|Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator”]])

In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
mkpasswd -l > /etc/passwd
mkgroup -l > /etc/group
</pre>

Start the NEOSYS remote connection service - cygwin/sshd, and any cygwin services stopped:
<pre>
net start sshd
net start cygwinrsync
net start exim
</pre>

Check the version of the packages you installed using the cygcheck command mentioned below to ensure that they have been upgraded.

For eg - To check the version of the openssh package you will have to type the following command in cygwin:

cygcheck -c openssh

The output should be as follows:
<pre>
Package Version Status
openssh 6.0p1-2 OK
</pre>

Login using tunnelier. If successful, close your Teamviewer on the server

Uninstall Teamviewer and REMOVE SETTINGS to avoid accidental reinstallation. Teamviewer must NOT BE LEFT with permanent login by number and password! Teamviewer options, security, REMOVE "Predefined password (For unattended access)"

===== Upgrading Cygwin with server reboot =====
If not already done, rename Windows “Administrator” user to “administrator” before upgrading

Connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

Follow the usual cygwin installation procedure.

If and when cygwin "says files in use" then at console command prompt then click "continue". NB "retry" will not work because your NEOSYS remote support uses files like cygwin1.dll that are being updated by cygwin.

If you have used the "continue" option then, towards the end of the cygwin installation process, you may get error messages similar to the one below.
You can ignore them.

"the procedure point __ctype_ptr__ could not be located in the dynamic link library cygwin1.dll"

Finally, you may get a message "postinstall script errors". Copy this message so you know what packages have to be reinstalled.

Your list may vary! The list of packages is longer if the cygwin1.dll file has to be upgraded as this is an essential library file for all cygwin programs.

<pre>
Package: base-cygwin
Package: coreutils
Package: bash
Package: terminfo
Package: _update-info-dir
Package: base-files
Package: colordiff
Package: man
Package: terminfo0
Package: vim
Package: wget
</pre>

Reboot the server

Reinstall Bash and check that you can connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

*The login user name might be changed to "Administrator" instead of "administrator".
*If you cannot reconnect after rebooting then the following steps (in particular the cygwin sshd package) may have to be performed directly on the server directly or using the usual initial NEOSYS remote installation procedures that do not rely on cygwin/sshd.

Reinstall any problematic Cygwin packages
#Select View: "Up to date"
#"Keep" to "Reinstall" for the packages listed in the previous section.

Check that you can run the ls command in a cygwin command prompt window.

Finally, check the version of the packages you installed using the cygcheck command mentioned below to ensure that they have been upgraded.

For eg - To check the version of the openssh package you will have to type the following command in cygwin:

cygcheck -c openssh

The output should be as follows:
<pre>
Package Version Status
openssh 6.0p1-2 OK
</pre>

''Note -'' If you dont reinstall bash after rebooting then the bash prompt will be abbreviated to something different and there will be no response to any command entered.

===== How to check Cygwin version ? =====

If you are looking for the version number for the whole Cygwin release, there is none.

Each package in the Cygwin release has its own version.

To find the version of the Cygwin Package installed, you can use

cygcheck -c PACKAGE_NAME

eg - To check the version of the openssh package you will have to type the following command in cygwin:

cygcheck -c openssh

The output should be as follows:
<pre>
Package Version Status
openssh 6.0p1-2 OK
</pre>

==== How to uninstall/reinstall cygwin ====

With setup.exe (the installer file of cygwin) you can uninstall individual packages but not Cygwin.

Before you do this, make sure you have stopped the cygwin service (NET STOP SSHD), removed the sshd server (cygrunsrv -R sshd), deleted the sshd & sshd_server users (net user sshd/DELETE)

To uninstall Cygwin you have to run the following in DOS prompt:

rmdir /s /q C:\cygwin

You cannot delete the cygwin folder from Windows explorer due to a Access Denied error and this is the best way to uninstall cygwin.

==== Getting Ownership and Permissions Correct ====

Installation of cygrin under domain administrator account needs to be fixed as follows:

#c:\cygin Properties, Security, Advanced
#Change owner to: Administrators
#Tick: Replace owner on subcontainers

After changing ownership of all cygwin folders to Administrators all ssh login will be blocked and you will get a windows application event log message. "root" actually means sshd's user which is sshd_server by default or can be found in the cygwin ssh windows services properties under log on

fatal: /var/empty must be owned by root and not group or world-writable.

Fix this in cygwin console as follows:

chown sshd_server /var/empty

==== Configuring Firewall/Router ====

You will have to port forward 19580 on the router to port 19580 on the neosys server. Some routers call port forwarding “port mapping” or “virtual servers”

It is BAD idea to simply open port 22 since an open port 22 attracts scanners/hackers like flies.

Also configure port forwarding of port 4430 to port 4430. This is for remote access via https if desired at a later date.

==== Configuring Specific Client Routers ====

[[Adline Dubai - CISCO PIX Firewall]]

[[Sonicwall Firewall Configuration]]

==== How to install ssh on port 19580 over vnc on port 19580 ====

Install vnc on port 19580

connect on vnc

setup cygwin sshd on port 22

test you can login on port 22

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1

change sshd port to 19580 (but it wont start)

schedule a windows system reboot in 10 mins at windows command prompt

shutdown -t 600

change vnc port to 5900 (if will disconnect you)

wait for 10 mins and try to ssh login on port 19580

==== Changing user on Cygwin ====

On SSH command line:

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1 (where 'neosys' is the username)

=== Installing and configuring UltraVNC ===

VNC/Putty is not typically used for NEOSYS remote support anymore and has been replaced by tunnelier/rdp

[[Installing and configuring UltraVNC]]

== Remote Desktop Connection ==

Servers are normally not exposed to the internet so IT staff and suppliers are often not careful to use strong passwords and use things like "password" or blank.

Given the above, it is NEOSYS policy NOT to use remote desktop via direct access from the internet at all and especially not long term. This is to prevent worms from instantly discovering possible entry points - typically before NEOSYS can even begin to enforce strong administrator password.

If it is otherwise IMPOSSIBLE (difficult or inconvenient does NOT count as impossible!) to avoid using remote desktop protocol to the public internet then a simple and effective way of significantly increasing security is to change the remote desktop port from 3389 to something else e.g. 33890 as per NEOSYS convention.

=== Changing RDC port from standard to nonstandard ===

# Start Registry Editor.
# Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
# On the Edit menu, click Modify, and then click Decimal.
# Type the new port number, and then click OK.
# Quit Registry Editor.

Setting up and using remote support

2012-06-26T10:19:47Z

Vineet: /* Installing and configuring SSH */

== Getting agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support ==

[[Letter to obtain agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support]]

== Installing and configuring the server ==

=== Initial Connection to the server before setting up permanent remote connection ===

In case of a remote installation you need to get an initial connection to the server before you can setup Cygwin for a permanent remote connection. For this purpose you can either use your customised reverse connect UltraVNC SC file or the one-time run Teamviewer utility.

Do not use Microsoft Remote Desktop Client (RDP/RDC) on port 3389 at anytime to access the server from the internet since IT suppliers not aware of the situation often setup the initial administrator password to something obvious like "password" or even blank and in this case there is a good chance internet worms will discover the "open door" and install themselves before you get the chance to put a strong password.

=== Installing and configuring SSH ===
==== Installing Cygwin with OPENSSH ====

These instruction are only for installing in a server NOT part of a domain. For installing in a server that is part of a domain, see http://cygwin.com/faq-nochunks.html#faq.using.sshd-in-domain

Watch out for non-intuitive steps like clicking "skip" to install something.

# Read [[Avoiding Corrupt Cygwin Installations]]
# ENSURE that you are logged in as the local (NOT DOMAIN) administrator
# Download/Run/Install http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe (you might have to go to the home page http://www.cygwin.com and click the link to setup.exe)
# Download source: '''Install from Internet'''
# Root Directory: '''c:\cygwin'''
# Local Package Directory: '''c:\cygwin.lib'''
# Internet Connection: '''Direct Connection'''
# Download Site: '''http://mirrors.kernel.org''' (near the bottom) (If this does not show in the list, key in the URL in the field '''User URL''' and click on Add)
# Select Packages: Maximise window then click '''View''' once to get '''Full'''. You can then enter the name of the desired packages in the Search box to speed up location of the desired packages.
# Next to the package '''OPENSSH''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get version 4.4p1-1 or later
# Next to the package '''NANO''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get the latest version available
# Check the NEOSYS INSTALLATION CHECKLIST for any other packages to install like the above.
# Click Next and complete the installation

==== Win32 Error ====

The Win32 Error occur when the bad file is cached in internet explorer cache. You can try clearing the internet explorer cache and redownloading or you can try to download from cygwin.com instead of www.cygwin.com so it doesnt look in the cache or www.cygwin.com if your original download was from cygwin.com. All else failing, you can simply upload the setup.exe file from your own pc to the server.

All this relates to win32 error when running a downloaded file. Any downloaded file and not just cygwin.com/setup.exe

==== Configuring and starting SSHD ====
Open the Cygwin icon to get a linux/bash command line and type:

Run the following commands:

chmod +r /etc/passwd
chmod +r /etc/group
chmod 777 /var

Thereafter start with the ssh configuration:

ssh-host-config

Then on the following options type:

Privilege – YES
New local sshd account - YES
Install SSHD as a service - YES
Enter value of daemon - ntsec
Different name - NO
Create new privileged user - YES
Enter a password now - Set any random password and should not be the same as the neosys server (8 characters min)

At the command prompt type

net start sshd

==== Configuring SSHD to use a non-standard port number ====
This is necessary if the router cannot forward port 19580 --> 22 and we don’t want to open port 22 directly.

Capitalization is signification in cygwin/linux commands

open cygwin command prompt
cd /etc
chown administrator sshd_config
nano sshd_config (assuming that you have installed the NANO editor)
notepad sshd_config (incase you havent installed the NANO editor)
Move your cursor to '''Port 22''' and change 22 to 19580. ctrl+x to save. On the confirmation type Y and on the next prompt hit enter.
chown system sshd_config
net stop sshd
net start sshd

To check that the connection to port 19580 is successful you can run the following test:
ssh -p 19580 administrator@localhost

You will be prompted to confirm the connection (say yes)

Now enter the system password to complete the procedure.

==== Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator” ====
Current NEOSYS policy to cater for recent versions of Cygwin is to rename the windows Administrator user to administrator to keep a consistent ssh login across all installations.

If you forget to do this before installing or upgrading Cygwin then you must to the following:

#Rename “Administrator” to “administrator” in Windows
#*If you cannot rename Administrator to administrator, follow the procedure mentioned at [[Changing username from Administrator to administrator]]
#In a Cygwin console do:

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd

It should come back with nothing

==== Error while changing Cygwin port 22 to 19580 ====

Error Message:

"Could not open file for writing: permission denied"

Occurrence:
Sometimes when you edit the sshd_config file through NANO.

Solution:
In SSH shell, follow these commands:

cp sshd_config ashwin_temp #copies sshd_config to a new file ashwin_temp
rm sshd_config #deletes sshd_config
cp ashwin_temp sshd_config #copies ashwin_temp to sshd_config

In case it does not copy sshd_config to ashwin_temp, than check whether an ashwin_temp filename exists and delete it using the rm command.

==== Opening up ssh connections to additional source ip nos ====

Starting a NEOSYS process will automatically restrict cygwin ssh to accept connections from known NEOSYS company static ip numbers.

In the cygwin command line, insert a line in the list of allowable hosts

DO NOT ALLOW ALL OR GENERAL SSH ACCESS TO NEOSYS CLIENTS SERVERS WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION *AND* INSTALLING EMAIL ALERTS FOR LOGINS AS DESCRIBED BELOW

nano /etc/hosts.allow

sshd: ALL

or a ip numbers or CIDR format

sshd 12.34.56.78
sshd 12.34.0.0/16

==== Setting up email alerts for cygwin ssh logins ====

Use http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe to install "email" and "whois" packages

Insert the following script using cygwin command prompt.

NOTE! it@neosys.com to whatever you want.

cd /etc
nano sshrc

<pre>
#!/bin/bash
#
#you configure this

ALERTEMAILADDRESS=it@neosys.com

#
#get the ip number without the ipv6 prefix
FROMIPNO=`echo $SSH_CLIENT|cut -f 1 -d " "|sed 's/::ffff://'`
#
#quit with no message if from a known host

if grep -x $FROMIPNO /etc/trustedipnos
then exit
fi

#
#get the host name by reverse lookup

FROMHOST=`nslookup $FROMIPNO|grep "name ="`

#
#get whois info about the login ip number

#and pipe it into the mail program
#"&" on the end creates a new process in order not to delay login

whois $FROMIPNO|\
email -q -f nl1@neosys.com -s "login $USER $FROMIPNO $FROMHOST" -r \
mailout.neosys.com -p 2500 $ALERTEMAILADDRESS&
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

Inserted trusted ip nos.

cd /etc
nano trustedipnos

<pre>
#sorry, ip ranges and cidr etc not accepted yet

#vm1.neosys.com for remote checking
85.17.154.105

#nl1.neosys.com
83.149.104.167

#nl2.neosys.com
85.17.154.66

#uk.neosys.com
78.143.212.191

#nl3.neosys.com
94.75.233.2
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

==== Testing SSH connection to the NEOSYS server over port 19580 ====

In you cannot connect to the server using SSH, see [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding]]

==== Troubleshooting SSH: If SSH connects and then disconnects immediately without exchanging keys ====

The first time that NEOSYS runs, it automatically adds source ip number restrictions to the sshd remote support configuration in /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny. This is an important security procedure to allow connection to clients systems from NEOSYS ip numbers only. This process allows only local and known NEOSYS ip numbers to connect using SSH. Upgrading NEOSYS will add and/or remove allowable ip numbers as NEOSYS configuration changes.

It is possible that in some client network configurations incoming ssh connections will appear to be from the clients internal routers with an ip unknown to NEOSYS due to NAT configurations. Therefore ssh connections will be blocked unless specifically allow the local ip number or it is added into an upgraded version of NEOSYS.

NOTE: Therefore you must check that remote support via ssh works AFTER you have run NEOSYS once (maintenance mode).

#Look in the Windows, Computer Management, System Tools, Event Viewer, Application
#Search for entries from source "sshd", double click and look in the Event Properties, Description for ip numbers
#Information type sshd entries will give the ip number of successful sshd connections.
#Warning type sshd entries will give the ip number of failed sshd connections.
#Find the ip number of failed connections.

===== Possible Problem 1 - Port mapping in router is using NAT =====

If the ip number of failed connections is some local ip number (of the router for example) then possibly the inbound port forwarding has been done with NAT and the source ip number has been lost. Therefore the NEOSYS ip restrictions are blocking ssh connections because they appear to be coming from an unknown ip number (ie that of the router)

===== Solution 1A =====

Change the router configuration to not use NAT and leave the genuine original source IP number

===== Solution 1B =====

DO NOT USE THIS PROCEDURE TO BREAK NEOSYS SECURITY. DO NOT GRANT ACCESS TO ANY IP OTHER THAN CLIENTS ROUTER IPS

Add the routers IP number to the list of authorised ip numbers in the cygwin hosts.allow file as follows:

nano /etc/hosts.allow

and add the line as follows ... but put the ip number of your router

sshd: allow 192.168.0.99

#router - sadly using NAT instead of plain old port forwarding
#if the router ip changes then neosys remote support will fail until this line is changed
#NB do not grant access to 192.168.* etc since this allows local LAN viruses to attack

==== Troubleshooting sshd ====

You can run the sshd service interactively to see all messages instead of having to search logs/events etc.

Unfortunately this will not work the same as the normal windows sshd service unless you assume the identity of the sshd_server user. To assume the identity of the sshd_server user you will have to reset its password to something new (since we dont take a record of it during sshd-host-setup) AND ALSO place the new password in the logon properties of the sshd windows service.

su sshd_server
/usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 19580

==== Reinstalling SSHD if service fails to startup ====

Sometimes reinstallation isnt necessary and sshd can be made to restart by doing

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd
mkgroup > /etc/group

If all else fails:

#Look in '''/var/log/sshd.log''' for errors
#Delete the following users: '''sshd''' and '''sshd_server'''
#Remove the sshd service at the cygwin prompt type '''cygrunsrv –R sshd'''
#Do the above Configuration and starting SSHD step again

Note that you don't have to reinstall cygwin entirely, just sshd with the above steps.

==== Upgrading SSHD / Cygwin ====
NEOSYS relies on cygwin to provide secure network access and support various linux/unix services under Windows, mainly rsync for interoffice consolidation.

Just like MS Windows update, cygwin should be updated at regular intervals to close security holes discovered in the software by its authors. This is particularly important for cygwin's remote access service sshd since it is exposed to the internet although on a non-standard port.

TO DO: Find a simple way to learn about when cygwin upgrades sshd and/or when there are issues generally with sshd. Join the cygwin and sshd security news email lists.

To find out what versions of cygwin/sshd are installed at NEOSYS clients, look at Nagios, last column "Status Information":

http://vm1.neosys.com/nagios3/cgi-bin/status.cgi?servicegroup=neosys-ssh&style=detail%22SSH%20OK%20-%20OpenSSH_5.9%20%28protocol%202.0%29%22

eg

SSH OK - OpenSSH_5.9 (protocol 2.0)

===== Upgrading Cygwin remotely =====
NEOSYS normal remote server support connection uses cygwin/ssh. Cygwin can be upgraded while in use but only if a reboot is performed and perhaps some cygwin packages reinstalled.

You can use:
*vnc server
*direct rdp connection
*directly on the server
*teamviewer started manually on the server

You cannot use:
*standard NEOSYS remote support connection using rdp/cygwin/sshd
*teamviewer started using a standard NEOSYS remote support connection.

Since cygwin cannot be upgraded while using tunnelier+cygwin/sshd, we can use tunnelier to setup Teamviewer *temporarily* to do the upgrade.

Teamviewer must be uninstalled afterwards because it is not secure because NEOSYS has no way to manage TV to limit connections by ip number like cygwin sshd in the same way.

'''Procedure To Upgrade Cygwin remotely using TeamViewer:'''

Install Teamviewer (will be commercial on server) and allow unattended access.

Note the Teamviewer number and password during installation.

Logout of tunnelier.

Connect on teamviewer using the number and password

In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
net stop sshd
net stop cygwinrsync
net stop exim
</pre>

In task viewer, ensure no bash or ssh processes and kill any such processes.

Run the cygwin upgrade procedure starting with http://www.cygwin.com and setup.exe etc. If you get any message about file in use, do not ignore, make sure you kill all cygwin related processes in task manager. If necessary find and kill the process holding the files open. For example using sysinternal’s process explorer “find file handle”

If not already done, rename Administrator to administrator and run mkpasswd/mkgroup in Cygwin console. (See [[Setting_up_and_using_remote_support#Changing_ssh_login_from_.E2.80.9CAdministrator.E2.80.9D_to_.E2.80.9Cadministrator.E2.80.9D|Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator”]])

In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
mkpasswd -l > /etc/passwd
mkgroup -l > /etc/group
</pre>

Start the NEOSYS remote connection service - cygwin/sshd, and any cygwin services stopped:
<pre>
net start sshd
net start cygwinrsync
net start exim
</pre>

Check the version of the packages you installed using the cygcheck command mentioned below to ensure that they have been upgraded.

Login using tunnelier. If successful, close your Teamviewer on the server

Uninstall Teamviewer and REMOVE SETTINGS to avoid accidental reinstallation. Teamviewer must NOT BE LEFT with permanent login by number and password! Teamviewer options, security, REMOVE "Predefined password (For unattended access)"

===== Upgrading Cygwin with server reboot =====
If not already done, rename Windows “Administrator” user to “administrator” before upgrading

Connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

Follow the usual cygwin installation procedure.

If and when cygwin "says files in use" then at console command prompt then click "continue". NB "retry" will not work because your NEOSYS remote support uses files like cygwin1.dll that are being updated by cygwin.

If you have used the "continue" option then, towards the end of the cygwin installation process, you may get error messages similar to the one below.
You can ignore them.

"the procedure point __ctype_ptr__ could not be located in the dynamic link library cygwin1.dll"

Finally, you may get a message "postinstall script errors". Copy this message so you know what packages have to be reinstalled.

Your list may vary! The list of packages is longer if the cygwin1.dll file has to be upgraded as this is an essential library file for all cygwin programs.

<pre>
Package: base-cygwin
Package: coreutils
Package: bash
Package: terminfo
Package: _update-info-dir
Package: base-files
Package: colordiff
Package: man
Package: terminfo0
Package: vim
Package: wget
</pre>

Reboot the server

Reinstall Bash and check that you can connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

*The login user name might be changed to "Administrator" instead of "administrator".
*If you cannot reconnect after rebooting then the following steps (in particular the cygwin sshd package) may have to be performed directly on the server directly or using the usual initial NEOSYS remote installation procedures that do not rely on cygwin/sshd.

Reinstall any problematic Cygwin packages
#Select View: "Up to date"
#"Keep" to "Reinstall" for the packages listed in the previous section.

Check that you can run the ls command in a cygwin command prompt window.

Finally, check the version of the packages you installed using the cygcheck command mentioned below to ensure that they have been upgraded.

''Note -'' If you dont reinstall bash after rebooting then the bash prompt will be abbreviated to something different and there will be no response to any command entered.

===== How to check Cygwin version ? =====

If you are looking for the version number for the whole Cygwin release, there is none.

Each package in the Cygwin release has its own version.

To find the version of the Cygwin Package installed, you can use

cygcheck -c PACKAGE_NAME

eg - To check the version of the openssh package you will have to type the following command in cygwin:

cygcheck -c openssh

The output should be as follows:
<pre>
Package Version Status
openssh 6.0p1-2 OK
</pre>
==== How to uninstall/reinstall cygwin ====

With setup.exe (the installer file of cygwin) you can uninstall individual packages but not Cygwin.

Before you do this, make sure you have stopped the cygwin service (NET STOP SSHD), removed the sshd server (cygrunsrv -R sshd), deleted the sshd & sshd_server users (net user sshd/DELETE)

To uninstall Cygwin you have to run the following in DOS prompt:

rmdir /s /q C:\cygwin

You cannot delete the cygwin folder from Windows explorer due to a Access Denied error and this is the best way to uninstall cygwin.

==== Getting Ownership and Permissions Correct ====

Installation of cygrin under domain administrator account needs to be fixed as follows:

#c:\cygin Properties, Security, Advanced
#Change owner to: Administrators
#Tick: Replace owner on subcontainers

After changing ownership of all cygwin folders to Administrators all ssh login will be blocked and you will get a windows application event log message. "root" actually means sshd's user which is sshd_server by default or can be found in the cygwin ssh windows services properties under log on

fatal: /var/empty must be owned by root and not group or world-writable.

Fix this in cygwin console as follows:

chown sshd_server /var/empty

==== Configuring Firewall/Router ====

You will have to port forward 19580 on the router to port 19580 on the neosys server. Some routers call port forwarding “port mapping” or “virtual servers”

It is BAD idea to simply open port 22 since an open port 22 attracts scanners/hackers like flies.

Also configure port forwarding of port 4430 to port 4430. This is for remote access via https if desired at a later date.

==== Configuring Specific Client Routers ====

[[Adline Dubai - CISCO PIX Firewall]]

[[Sonicwall Firewall Configuration]]

==== How to install ssh on port 19580 over vnc on port 19580 ====

Install vnc on port 19580

connect on vnc

setup cygwin sshd on port 22

test you can login on port 22

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1

change sshd port to 19580 (but it wont start)

schedule a windows system reboot in 10 mins at windows command prompt

shutdown -t 600

change vnc port to 5900 (if will disconnect you)

wait for 10 mins and try to ssh login on port 19580

==== Changing user on Cygwin ====

On SSH command line:

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1 (where 'neosys' is the username)

=== Installing and configuring UltraVNC ===

VNC/Putty is not typically used for NEOSYS remote support anymore and has been replaced by tunnelier/rdp

[[Installing and configuring UltraVNC]]

== Remote Desktop Connection ==

Servers are normally not exposed to the internet so IT staff and suppliers are often not careful to use strong passwords and use things like "password" or blank.

Given the above, it is NEOSYS policy NOT to use remote desktop via direct access from the internet at all and especially not long term. This is to prevent worms from instantly discovering possible entry points - typically before NEOSYS can even begin to enforce strong administrator password.

If it is otherwise IMPOSSIBLE (difficult or inconvenient does NOT count as impossible!) to avoid using remote desktop protocol to the public internet then a simple and effective way of significantly increasing security is to change the remote desktop port from 3389 to something else e.g. 33890 as per NEOSYS convention.

=== Changing RDC port from standard to nonstandard ===

# Start Registry Editor.
# Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
# On the Edit menu, click Modify, and then click Decimal.
# Type the new port number, and then click OK.
# Quit Registry Editor.

Troubleshooting NEOSYS Finance System

2012-06-26T10:07:45Z

Vineet: /* Fixing "Cross Check Balance" warning using CHK.VINDEX */

== Cross-Year Cross Check Balance Warnings ==

When you use Opening Balance Journals, NEOSYS does not guarantee that the opening balances of one year match the closing balance of a prior year. This occurs quite normally and commonly occurs in two situations described below.

Regardless of the cause, in such cases, any statement or ledger account of movements (not open items) that crosses the disjoint years will have a "cross check balance" note at the bottom of the account. A cross check balance warning is just a warning that the closing balance of the account (as calculated from a simple total of the opening balance in the old year plus all transactions) does not agree with the actual account balance according to the trial balance in the new year.

If the opening balance of the account in the second year is not equal to the closing balance in the prior year then logically the two years cannot be viewed as a single continuous account and agree with the trial balance.

=== Producing Historical Accounts ===

When you start up a company in one year using Opening Balance Journals then the closing balances of the prior years remain zero. If you thereafter start to post into prior years, the closing balances of those years will remain in disagreement with the opening balance of the following years.

=== Opening Balance Journals ===

If you post Opening Balance Journals into one year for any reason, they are not posted into prior years. Therefore the opening balances of the amended year become different from the prior year.

In this respect, auditors amendments to opening balances should be posted as normal journals in the final period of the prior year and not as Opening Balance Journals in the current year.

=== Solution ===

If you wish to obtain cross-year accounts between years, and you wish such account's balances to agree with the later year trial balance, then you must arrange for the closing balances of the prior years to agree with the opening balances of the following years.

To do this, ensure that any Opening Balance Journals that are posted into any particular year are also posted into all prior financial years of interest.

== Editing and Reposting Vouchers ==

WARNING: Can cause effectively irreversible damage to the finance database requiring restoration of a suitable backup causing loss of data and/or total loss of database if backup not available.

It is almost impossible to edit and repost vouchers and keep the audit trail correct so this procedure is of limited use. The stages are UNPOST, EDIT, REPOST.

Must be done on test data and advisable to run CHK.VOUCHERS afterwards.

=== UNPOST ===
F5
UNPOST XXX*YYYYY*ZZZ

Where:
*XXX is the voucher type/journal code
*YYY is the voucher number
*ZZZ is the company code

Any problems with the voucher might generate messages but the problems will be reverse the problems which must have occurred when posting the voucher in the first place.

=== EDIT ===
F5
ED VOUCHERS XXX*YYYYY*ZZZ

For example, if due to a neosys system error, the ZZZ999 suspense account has been used instead of some missing internal system accounts like exchange gain/loss accounts then you can insert the correct account.

Change line 8 (which contains the account numbers) from:

REZO²REZO²BMDI²BMDI²²

to

REZO²REZO²BMDI²BMDI²EXDI²EXDI

where EXDI is the A/c No. of the Exchange Difference A/c.

F9, ESC to save and exit

=== REPOST ===

F5
REPOST XXX*YYYYY*ZZZ



== Using Finance Maintenance Mode fixing tools ==
Do not do mass fixes eg “Add/Delete ALL xyz” options from a year in the past eg 2007 while only checking accounts for 2009. You must CHECK EVERYTHING THAT YOU REQUEST TO BE FIXED.

The various fixing tools like CHK.ALLOC etc are impossible to make safe in all circumstances so if you don’t really know what you are doing you assume the WORST not the BEST with these fixing tools.

''CHECK EVERYTHING YOU “FIX”!!!''

IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY YOU CAN END UP MODIFYING AUDITED ACCOUNTS AND IT WILL TAKE DAYS FOR PROGRAMMERS TO TRY AND CORRECT THE DAMAGE YOU CAUSE OR EVEN REQUIRE A RESTORE OF A BACKUP CAUSING LOSS OF MANY DAYS WORK TO THE CLIENT



== Fixing "Cross Check Balance" warnings using CHK.ALLOC ==

Cross Check Balance Message on an account means the total of the outstanding items in an account does not match the balance as in the movement - typically the outstanding shows a higher balance than the balance in the movement, but might not always be the case. The reasons why this may happen is because of the following:

*Reposting journals containing allocated items (which NEOSYS doesnt handle in all circumstances)
*Failing to clear open item accounts on a regular basis where the number of postings is high

This procedure only applies to CCB on the outstanding item type statements which are the more common problem. CCB on movement accounts are rarer, more serious and cannot be fixed by this procedure.

This might not always fix the CCB warnings and hence you will need to escalate to the programmer.

!!! WARNING This is a dangerous procedure. IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY YOU CAN END UP MODIFYING AUDITED ACCOUNTS AND AUDITORS/ACCOUNTANTS AND IT WILL TAKE DAYS FOR PROGRAMMERS TO TRY AND CORRECT THE DAMAGE YOU CAUSE!

This can be run while other users are online.

DO THIS ON TESTDATA FIRST

This exact procedure restores vouchers missing from open item accounts. This can be caused by:

F5
UTIL (nothing happens at this stage as its a background process and gives you access to the next command)
CHK.ALLOC

Minimum voucher year.period?

Generally go back as little as possible to cover vouchers that might be missing from O/I accounts.

Which account do you want or blank for all?

You MUST press Esc to search for all accounts. Entering one account WILL NOT WORK since it will only check vouchers already on the open item accounts and we are looking for those that are missing.

IGNORE OR RESPOND NEGATIVELY to all messages or questions EXCEPT the following:

Missing from O/I index?

Select "Yes" or "Yes to all"

=== Meaning of other messages ===

The following message pair does not usually cause cross check balances and indicates that they have cancelled some foreign currency allocation since allocation should not cause and change in rate.

IN*175510*C 20/01/08 ALMA 4/2 REC*4440*C allocation base outstanding -7326.15 expected -6762.60 (-563.550,.08333333)
IN*175510*C 20/01/08 ALMA 4/2 REC*4440*C allocation changed exchange rate from .08333333 to .07692308

Following MUST choose "Leave all" otherwise risk damage to closed audited prior year accounts:

Account numbers do not agree. Delete the allocation?

Following MUST choose "Leave all" otherwise risk damage to closed audited prior year accounts:

Allocation is missing ?

Choose "Skip further Warnings" for the following message:

Amounts do not agree - please fix manually

=== Re-enabling CCB warning mail notifications ===
NEOSYS is pre-configured to send out email notifications (to the same group of people who receive the backup alerts) when a Cross Check Balance (CCB) warning is found for the first time on an account. That means there will be only 1 email notification irrespective of the times the warning occurs until it is fixed.

After the CCB is fixed or after clearing or otherwise eliminating the same, you need to delete the CCB file in D:\neosys\neosys to re-enable NEOSYS to resend notification by email after it discovers CCB warnings on that account again in the future.

== Fixing "Cross Check Balance" warning using CHK.VINDEX ==

YOU MUST READ AND APPLY THE GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS WRITTEN FOR CHK.ALLOC AS WELL FOR CHK.VINDEX

This program can fix a few CCB warnings that CHK.ALLOC cannot - including some in balance forward type accounts (ie not open item/outstanding item accounts) .

Not all the possible fixes are described here and any messages which are not described here should be responded to NEGATIVELY!

=== Different account - Delete the index entry?===
<pre>
"*MEVEJ*FZ" L=232 V=REC*461*FZ 05/07/09 B=447 "MEVEJ"
different account "ADVOPME"
Delete the index entry?
───┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1>No
2│None
3│Yes
4│All
</pre>

Select Yes.

=== Missing Voucher - Delete the index entry?===
<pre>
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ "*VIV*N" L=458 V=IN*2012/1170*N 29/05/12 missing voucher ║
║ Delete the index entry? ║
║───┬─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ 1>No ║
║ 2│Yes ║
║ 3│None ║
║ 4│All ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
</pre>

Select Yes.

== Using CHK.POST to fix some types of Cross Check Balance (CCB) errors ==

This program adjusts the balances in the trial balance reports (which also show in the “Cross Check Balance phrase on the Detailed Ledger Accounts) to match the vouchers found in the voucher file. Note that CHK.ALLOC and CHK.VINDEX have no effect on these figures and instead amend the transactions shown on the Detailed Ledger Account - and thereby the totals on the same report so that they agree with the CCB amount and thereby the conflict is resolved.

Most CCB in NEOSYS are related to problems on outstanding item accounts and are fixed with the CHK.ALLOC program. More rarely, problems occur in the movement accounts and are fixed with the CHK.VINDEX program - although this can also fix some errors in outstanding item statements. Even more rarely will the problem be on the Trial Balances/CCB balances and can be fixed with this CHK.POST procedure

WARNING! This solution may make things worse so don’t use on live data unless EXHAUSTIVELY checked that everything is ok on test data first.

WARNING! Don’t go back and “correct” previous years which have been closed because auditors expect them never to change (EVEN IF THEY ARE WRONG!) and it can be impossible to put them back “wrong” if you “correct” them.

WARNING! If you correct previous years then you must rerun the Open New Year procedure for all prior years and this procedure is not documented and can only be run by programmers at the moment.

#In maintenance mode press Alt+1
#Enter the range of periods that you want to check/adjust the trial balance for e.g. 1/9-7/9 for 1st Period of 2009 up to the 7th period of 2009.
#Press F9 and Esc
#Press F5 and type CHK.POST
#What stage to start at? Choose “Select Vouchers”
#Clear the updated balances file? Choose “Clear it”
#OK to Start? … OK
#If there are any discrepancies found between the Trial Balance Balances/CCB balances … and the Vouchers in the file you will get some fairly cryptic questions asking you, one by one, if you want to fix the balances.

IMPORTANT
#It is advised that you only fix the balances which refer to the accounts that you are concerned about. You will find the account number buried in the cryptic questions referred to above.
#If you fix subsidiary account balances then MAKE SURE that you also fix the control accounts balances (if you are prompted).

== B10 & B12 Errors ==

The error might be displayed as follows :

ERROR NO: B10 IN DAYBOOK.SUBSX AT 133
Variable has not been assigned a value. Zero used.

This error should have said something like : "The ledgers are closed up to the period you have just tried to post" OR "Financial Year 2011 must be opened before you post into it."

Try again and you would see the exact message if you have not opened the new year as yet.

== Reinstating Open Item Statements after Clear Open Items ==

WARNING: DO THIS PROCESS ON TEST DATA FIRST TO VERIFY THAT IT DOES NOT CAUSE CROSS CHECK BALANCE ERRORS

WARNING: THIS PROCESS MAY CAUSE CROSS CHECK BALANCE ERRORS BY REINSTATING "ANCIENT CORRUPT VOUCHERS"

"CHECK BACK" AS FEW YEARS AS NEEDED TO INCLUDE ALL VOUCHERS THAT COULD BE OPEN/OUTSTANDING AT THE DESIRED PERIOD.

It is not easy to know how far to "check back" for open items so go back two years initially unless it is known that there may be items outstanding from even earlier years.

=== 1. Check, solve, record all existing cross check balances ===

Restoring open items may create cross check balance errors so first you need to fix all EXISTING cross check balance errors in the database.

Do not proceed to the next step until this step is complete otherwise you will have no idea what problems were created by CHK.ALLOC and what problems were in the database before.

Expect no sympathy from programmers if you ignore this or fail to work on testdata first.

First print ***ALL*** open item ledger accounts to check for existing cross check balances in open item accounts.

Correct all "cross check balances" using the usual procedures to do so.

Note that cross check balances are unavoidable on some *extremely large* open item accounts. This does not mean that you can ignore cross check balances on merely large accounts. They must be fixed.

Save copies of the detailed ledger accounts of any *extremely large" open items accounts that you have not fixed their cross check balances.

=== 2. Edit back the Company File "cleared-upto period" ===

Complete this step quickly if users are working online - in order not to lock the company file for longer than it takes to change the "cleared upto period".

In maintenance mode, press F5. example company code X. Do this for all companies that need to.

ED COMPANIES X

change line 17 to be the last period (YYMM) desired to have been cleared.

DONT add or delete any lines!

F9, Esc

=== 3. Run CHK.ALLOC ===

This process can be run while users are working since there is a only a very slight chance that they will be posting the same account at the time that the program is updating its open item voucher index.

In maintenance mode press F5

CHK.ALLOC

Minimum is how far to go back. See explanation above.
<pre>
╔═══════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Minimum voucher year.period to check? ║
║ (0 for all) ║
║<200801 >║
╚═══════════════════════════════════════╝
</pre>

Which account do you want? PRESS ESC (or Enter+Esc)
<pre>
╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Which account do you want ? ║
║ ║
║ Give the account number or name, ║
║ or press [Enter] if not known. ║
║ (separate multiple entries with spaces) ║
║< >║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝
</pre>
Add it? ... Choose "Yes to All"
<pre>
╔═══════════════════════════╗
║ Missing from O/I index ║
║ Add it? (1.1KB) ║
║───┬───────────────────────║
║ 1│Yes ║
║ 2│No ║
║ 3>Yes to all <-THIS ONE ║
║ 4│No to all ║
║ 5│Yes to all *HAEX*FZ ║
║ 6│No to all *HAEX*FZ ║
╚═══════════════════════════╝
</pre>

=== 4. Check for cross check balances ===

Print ***ALL*** open item ledger accounts to check for any additional cross check balances in open item accounts.

If you have any ADDITIONAL cross check balances compared to those recorded in step 1, then you can rerun step 3 and "check back" a little earlier. Try one year earlier at a time - to avoid the problem of reinstating "ancient corrupt vouchers".

Setting up and using remote support

2012-06-26T06:06:18Z

Vineet: /* Upgrading Cygwin remotely */

== Getting agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support ==

[[Letter to obtain agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support]]

== Installing and configuring the server ==

=== Initial Connection to the server before setting up permanent remote connection ===

In case of a remote installation you need to get an initial connection to the server before you can setup Cygwin for a permanent remote connection. For this purpose you can either use your customised reverse connect UltraVNC SC file or the one-time run Teamviewer utility.

Do not use Microsoft Remote Desktop Client (RDP/RDC) on port 3389 at anytime to access the server from the internet since IT suppliers not aware of the situation often setup the initial administrator password to something obvious like "password" or even blank and in this case there is a good chance internet worms will discover the "open door" and install themselves before you get the chance to put a strong password.

=== Installing and configuring SSH ===
==== Installing Cygwin with OPENSSH ====

These instruction are only for installing in a server NOT part of a domain. For installing in a server that is part of a domain, see http://cygwin.com/faq-nochunks.html#faq.using.sshd-in-domain

Watch out for non-intuitive steps like clicking "skip" to install something.

# Read [[Avoiding Corrupt Cygwin Installations]]
# ENSURE that you are logged in as the local (NOT DOMAIN) administrator
# Download/Run/Install http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe (you might have to go to the home page http://www.cygwin.com and click the link to setup.exe)
# Download source: '''Install from Internet'''
# Root Directory: '''c:\cygwin'''
# Local Package Directory: '''c:\cygwin.lib'''
# Internet Connection: '''Direct Connection'''
# Download Site: '''http://mirrors.kernel.org''' (near the bottom) (If this does not show in the list, key in the URL in the field '''User URL''' and click on Add)
# Select Packages: Maximise window then click '''View''' once to get '''Full'''. You can then enter the name of the desired packages in the Search box to speed up location of the desired packages.
# Next to the package '''OPENSSH''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get version 4.4p1-1 or later
# Next to the package '''NANO''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get the latest version available
# Check the NEOSYS INSTALLATION CHECKLIST for any other packages to install like the above.
# Click Next and complete the installation

==== Win32 Error ====

The Win32 Error occur when the bad file is cached in internet explorer cache. You can try clearing the internet explorer cache and redownloading or you can try to download from cygwin.com instead of www.cygwin.com so it doesnt look in the cache or www.cygwin.com if your original download was from cygwin.com. All else failing, you can simply upload the setup.exe file from your own pc to the server.

All this relates to win32 error when running a downloaded file. Any downloaded file and not just cygwin.com/setup.exe

==== Configuring and starting SSHD ====
Open the Cygwin icon to get a linux/bash command line and type:

Run the following commands:

chmod +r /etc/passwd
chmod +r /etc/group
chmod 777 /var

Thereafter start with the ssh configuration:

ssh-host-config

Then on the following options type:

Privilege – YES
New local sshd account - YES
Install SSHD as a service - YES
Enter value of daemon - ntsec
Different name - NO
Create new privileged user - YES
Enter a password now - Set any random password and should not be the same as the neosys server (8 characters min)

At the command prompt type

net start sshd

==== Configuring SSHD to use a non-standard port number ====
This is necessary if the router cannot forward port 19580 --> 22 and we don’t want to open port 22 directly.

Capitalization is signification in cygwin/linux commands

open cygwin command prompt
cd /etc
chown administrator sshd_config
nano sshd_config (assuming that you have installed the NANO editor)
notepad sshd_config (incase you havent installed the NANO editor)
Move your cursor to '''Port 22''' and change 22 to 19580. ctrl+x to save. On the confirmation type Y and on the next prompt hit enter.
chown system sshd_config
net stop sshd
net start sshd

To check that the connection to port 19580 is successful you can run the following test:
ssh -p 19580 administrator@localhost

You will be prompted to confirm the connection (say yes)

Now enter the system password to complete the procedure.

==== Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator” ====
Current NEOSYS policy to cater for recent versions of Cygwin is to rename the windows Administrator user to administrator to keep a consistent ssh login across all installations.

If you forget to do this before installing or upgrading Cygwin then you must to the following:

#Rename “Administrator” to “administrator” in Windows
#*If you cannot rename Administrator to administrator, follow the procedure mentioned at [[Changing username from Administrator to administrator]]
#In a Cygwin console do:

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd

It should come back with nothing

==== Error while changing Cygwin port 22 to 19580 ====

Error Message:

"Could not open file for writing: permission denied"

Occurrence:
Sometimes when you edit the sshd_config file through NANO.

Solution:
In SSH shell, follow these commands:

cp sshd_config ashwin_temp #copies sshd_config to a new file ashwin_temp
rm sshd_config #deletes sshd_config
cp ashwin_temp sshd_config #copies ashwin_temp to sshd_config

In case it does not copy sshd_config to ashwin_temp, than check whether an ashwin_temp filename exists and delete it using the rm command.

==== Opening up ssh connections to additional source ip nos ====

Starting a NEOSYS process will automatically restrict cygwin ssh to accept connections from known NEOSYS company static ip numbers.

In the cygwin command line, insert a line in the list of allowable hosts

DO NOT ALLOW ALL OR GENERAL SSH ACCESS TO NEOSYS CLIENTS SERVERS WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION *AND* INSTALLING EMAIL ALERTS FOR LOGINS AS DESCRIBED BELOW

nano /etc/hosts.allow

sshd: ALL

or a ip numbers or CIDR format

sshd 12.34.56.78
sshd 12.34.0.0/16

==== Setting up email alerts for cygwin ssh logins ====

Use http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe to install "email" and "whois" packages

Insert the following script using cygwin command prompt.

NOTE! it@neosys.com to whatever you want.

cd /etc
nano sshrc

<pre>
#!/bin/bash
#
#you configure this

ALERTEMAILADDRESS=it@neosys.com

#
#get the ip number without the ipv6 prefix
FROMIPNO=`echo $SSH_CLIENT|cut -f 1 -d " "|sed 's/::ffff://'`
#
#quit with no message if from a known host

if grep -x $FROMIPNO /etc/trustedipnos
then exit
fi

#
#get the host name by reverse lookup

FROMHOST=`nslookup $FROMIPNO|grep "name ="`

#
#get whois info about the login ip number

#and pipe it into the mail program
#"&" on the end creates a new process in order not to delay login

whois $FROMIPNO|\
email -q -f nl1@neosys.com -s "login $USER $FROMIPNO $FROMHOST" -r \
mailout.neosys.com -p 2500 $ALERTEMAILADDRESS&
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

Inserted trusted ip nos.

cd /etc
nano trustedipnos

<pre>
#sorry, ip ranges and cidr etc not accepted yet

#vm1.neosys.com for remote checking
85.17.154.105

#nl1.neosys.com
83.149.104.167

#nl2.neosys.com
85.17.154.66

#uk.neosys.com
78.143.212.191

#nl3.neosys.com
94.75.233.2
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

==== Testing SSH connection to the NEOSYS server over port 19580 ====

In you cannot connect to the server using SSH, see [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding]]

==== Troubleshooting SSH: If SSH connects and then disconnects immediately without exchanging keys ====

The first time that NEOSYS runs, it automatically adds source ip number restrictions to the sshd remote support configuration in /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny. This is an important security procedure to allow connection to clients systems from NEOSYS ip numbers only. This process allows only local and known NEOSYS ip numbers to connect using SSH. Upgrading NEOSYS will add and/or remove allowable ip numbers as NEOSYS configuration changes.

It is possible that in some client network configurations incoming ssh connections will appear to be from the clients internal routers with an ip unknown to NEOSYS due to NAT configurations. Therefore ssh connections will be blocked unless specifically allow the local ip number or it is added into an upgraded version of NEOSYS.

NOTE: Therefore you must check that remote support via ssh works AFTER you have run NEOSYS once (maintenance mode).

#Look in the Windows, Computer Management, System Tools, Event Viewer, Application
#Search for entries from source "sshd", double click and look in the Event Properties, Description for ip numbers
#Information type sshd entries will give the ip number of successful sshd connections.
#Warning type sshd entries will give the ip number of failed sshd connections.
#Find the ip number of failed connections.

===== Possible Problem 1 - Port mapping in router is using NAT =====

If the ip number of failed connections is some local ip number (of the router for example) then possibly the inbound port forwarding has been done with NAT and the source ip number has been lost. Therefore the NEOSYS ip restrictions are blocking ssh connections because they appear to be coming from an unknown ip number (ie that of the router)

===== Solution 1A =====

Change the router configuration to not use NAT and leave the genuine original source IP number

===== Solution 1B =====

DO NOT USE THIS PROCEDURE TO BREAK NEOSYS SECURITY. DO NOT GRANT ACCESS TO ANY IP OTHER THAN CLIENTS ROUTER IPS

Add the routers IP number to the list of authorised ip numbers in the cygwin hosts.allow file as follows:

nano /etc/hosts.allow

and add the line as follows ... but put the ip number of your router

sshd: allow 192.168.0.99

#router - sadly using NAT instead of plain old port forwarding
#if the router ip changes then neosys remote support will fail until this line is changed
#NB do not grant access to 192.168.* etc since this allows local LAN viruses to attack

==== Troubleshooting sshd ====

You can run the sshd service interactively to see all messages instead of having to search logs/events etc.

Unfortunately this will not work the same as the normal windows sshd service unless you assume the identity of the sshd_server user. To assume the identity of the sshd_server user you will have to reset its password to something new (since we dont take a record of it during sshd-host-setup) AND ALSO place the new password in the logon properties of the sshd windows service.

su sshd_server
/usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 19580

==== Reinstalling SSHD if service fails to startup ====

Sometimes reinstallation isnt necessary and sshd can be made to restart by doing

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd
mkgroup > /etc/group

If all else fails:

#Look in '''/var/log/sshd.log''' for errors
#Delete the following users: '''sshd''' and '''sshd_server'''
#Remove the sshd service at the cygwin prompt type '''cygrunsrv –R sshd'''
#Do the above Configuration and starting SSHD step again

Note that you don't have to reinstall cygwin entirely, just sshd with the above steps.

==== Upgrading SSHD / Cygwin ====
NEOSYS relies on cygwin to provide secure network access and support various linux/unix services under Windows, mainly rsync for interoffice consolidation.

Just like MS Windows update, cygwin should be updated at regular intervals to close security holes discovered in the software by its authors. This is particularly important for cygwin's remote access service sshd since it is exposed to the internet although on a non-standard port.

TO DO: Find a simple way to learn about when cygwin upgrades sshd and/or when there are issues generally with sshd. Join the cygwin and sshd security news email lists.

To find out what versions of cygwin/sshd are installed at NEOSYS clients, look at Nagios, last column "Status Information":

http://vm1.neosys.com/nagios3/cgi-bin/status.cgi?servicegroup=neosys-ssh&style=detail%22SSH%20OK%20-%20OpenSSH_5.9%20%28protocol%202.0%29%22

eg

SSH OK - OpenSSH_5.9 (protocol 2.0)

===== Upgrading Cygwin remotely =====
NEOSYS normal remote server support connection uses cygwin/ssh. Cygwin can be upgraded while in use but only if a reboot is performed and perhaps some cygwin packages reinstalled.

You can use:
*vnc server
*direct rdp connection
*directly on the server
*teamviewer started manually on the server

You cannot use:
*standard NEOSYS remote support connection using rdp/cygwin/sshd
*teamviewer started using a standard NEOSYS remote support connection.

Since cygwin cannot be upgraded while using tunnelier+cygwin/sshd, we can use tunnelier to setup Teamviewer *temporarily* to do the upgrade.

Teamviewer must be uninstalled afterwards because it is not secure because NEOSYS has no way to manage TV to limit connections by ip number like cygwin sshd in the same way.

'''Procedure To Upgrade Cygwin remotely using TeamViewer:'''

Install Teamviewer (will be commercial on server) and allow unattended access.

Note the Teamviewer number and password during installation.

Logout of tunnelier.

Connect on teamviewer using the number and password

In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
net stop sshd
net stop cygwinrsync
net stop exim
</pre>

In task viewer, ensure no bash or ssh processes and kill any such processes.

Run the cygwin upgrade procedure starting with http://www.cygwin.com and setup.exe etc. If you get any message about file in use, do not ignore, make sure you kill all cygwin related processes in task manager. If necessary find and kill the process holding the files open. For example using sysinternal’s process explorer “find file handle”

If not already done, rename Administrator to administrator and run mkpasswd/mkgroup in Cygwin console. (See [[Setting_up_and_using_remote_support#Changing_ssh_login_from_.E2.80.9CAdministrator.E2.80.9D_to_.E2.80.9Cadministrator.E2.80.9D|Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator”]])

In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
mkpasswd -l > /etc/passwd
mkgroup -l > /etc/group
</pre>

Start the NEOSYS remote connection service - cygwin/sshd, and any cygwin services stopped:
<pre>
net start sshd
net start cygwinrsync
net start exim
</pre>

Login using tunnelier. If successful, close your Teamviewer on the server

Uninstall Teamviewer and REMOVE SETTINGS to avoid accidental reinstallation. Teamviewer must NOT BE LEFT with permanent login by number and password! Teamviewer options, security, REMOVE "Predefined password (For unattended access)"

===== Upgrading Cygwin with server reboot =====
If not already done, rename Windows “Administrator” user to “administrator” before upgrading

Connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

Follow the usual cygwin installation procedure.

If and when cygwin "says files in use" then at console command prompt then click "continue". NB "retry" will not work because your NEOSYS remote support uses files like cygwin1.dll that are being updated by cygwin.

If you have used the "continue" option then, towards the end of the cygwin installation process, you may get error messages similar to the one below.
You can ignore them.

"the procedure point __ctype_ptr__ could not be located in the dynamic link library cygwin1.dll"

Finally, you may get a message "postinstall script errors". Copy this message so you know what packages have to be reinstalled.

Your list may vary! The list of packages is longer if the cygwin1.dll file has to be upgraded as this is an essential library file for all cygwin programs.

<pre>
Package: base-cygwin
Package: coreutils
Package: bash
Package: terminfo
Package: _update-info-dir
Package: base-files
Package: colordiff
Package: man
Package: terminfo0
Package: vim
Package: wget
</pre>

Reboot the server

Reinstall Bash and check that you can connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

*The login user name might be changed to "Administrator" instead of "administrator".
*If you cannot reconnect after rebooting then the following steps (in particular the cygwin sshd package) may have to be performed directly on the server directly or using the usual initial NEOSYS remote installation procedures that do not rely on cygwin/sshd.

Reinstall any problematic Cygwin packages
#Select View: "Up to date"
#"Keep" to "Reinstall" for the packages listed in the previous section.

Finally, check that you can run the ls command in a cygwin command prompt window.

''Note -'' If you dont reinstall bash after rebooting then the bash prompt will be abbreviated to something different and there will be no response to any command entered.

==== How to uninstall/reinstall cygwin ====

With setup.exe (the installer file of cygwin) you can uninstall individual packages but not Cygwin.

Before you do this, make sure you have stopped the cygwin service (NET STOP SSHD), removed the sshd server (cygrunsrv -R sshd), deleted the sshd & sshd_server users (net user sshd/DELETE)

To uninstall Cygwin you have to run the following in DOS prompt:

rmdir /s /q C:\cygwin

You cannot delete the cygwin folder from Windows explorer due to a Access Denied error and this is the best way to uninstall cygwin.

==== Getting Ownership and Permissions Correct ====

Installation of cygrin under domain administrator account needs to be fixed as follows:

#c:\cygin Properties, Security, Advanced
#Change owner to: Administrators
#Tick: Replace owner on subcontainers

After changing ownership of all cygwin folders to Administrators all ssh login will be blocked and you will get a windows application event log message. "root" actually means sshd's user which is sshd_server by default or can be found in the cygwin ssh windows services properties under log on

fatal: /var/empty must be owned by root and not group or world-writable.

Fix this in cygwin console as follows:

chown sshd_server /var/empty

==== Configuring Firewall/Router ====

You will have to port forward 19580 on the router to port 19580 on the neosys server. Some routers call port forwarding “port mapping” or “virtual servers”

It is BAD idea to simply open port 22 since an open port 22 attracts scanners/hackers like flies.

Also configure port forwarding of port 4430 to port 4430. This is for remote access via https if desired at a later date.

==== Configuring Specific Client Routers ====

[[Adline Dubai - CISCO PIX Firewall]]

[[Sonicwall Firewall Configuration]]

==== How to install ssh on port 19580 over vnc on port 19580 ====

Install vnc on port 19580

connect on vnc

setup cygwin sshd on port 22

test you can login on port 22

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1

change sshd port to 19580 (but it wont start)

schedule a windows system reboot in 10 mins at windows command prompt

shutdown -t 600

change vnc port to 5900 (if will disconnect you)

wait for 10 mins and try to ssh login on port 19580

==== Changing user on Cygwin ====

On SSH command line:

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1 (where 'neosys' is the username)

=== Installing and configuring UltraVNC ===

VNC/Putty is not typically used for NEOSYS remote support anymore and has been replaced by tunnelier/rdp

[[Installing and configuring UltraVNC]]

== Remote Desktop Connection ==

Servers are normally not exposed to the internet so IT staff and suppliers are often not careful to use strong passwords and use things like "password" or blank.

Given the above, it is NEOSYS policy NOT to use remote desktop via direct access from the internet at all and especially not long term. This is to prevent worms from instantly discovering possible entry points - typically before NEOSYS can even begin to enforce strong administrator password.

If it is otherwise IMPOSSIBLE (difficult or inconvenient does NOT count as impossible!) to avoid using remote desktop protocol to the public internet then a simple and effective way of significantly increasing security is to change the remote desktop port from 3389 to something else e.g. 33890 as per NEOSYS convention.

=== Changing RDC port from standard to nonstandard ===

# Start Registry Editor.
# Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
# On the Edit menu, click Modify, and then click Decimal.
# Type the new port number, and then click OK.
# Quit Registry Editor.

Setting up and using remote support

2012-06-25T05:44:13Z

Vineet: /* Upgrading Cygwin remotely */

== Getting agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support ==

[[Letter to obtain agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support]]

== Installing and configuring the server ==

=== Initial Connection to the server before setting up permanent remote connection ===

In case of a remote installation you need to get an initial connection to the server before you can setup Cygwin for a permanent remote connection. For this purpose you can either use your customised reverse connect UltraVNC SC file or the one-time run Teamviewer utility.

Do not use Microsoft Remote Desktop Client (RDP/RDC) on port 3389 at anytime to access the server from the internet since IT suppliers not aware of the situation often setup the initial administrator password to something obvious like "password" or even blank and in this case there is a good chance internet worms will discover the "open door" and install themselves before you get the chance to put a strong password.

=== Installing and configuring SSH ===
==== Installing Cygwin with OPENSSH ====

These instruction are only for installing in a server NOT part of a domain. For installing in a server that is part of a domain, see http://cygwin.com/faq-nochunks.html#faq.using.sshd-in-domain

Watch out for non-intuitive steps like clicking "skip" to install something.

# Read [[Avoiding Corrupt Cygwin Installations]]
# ENSURE that you are logged in as the local (NOT DOMAIN) administrator
# Download/Run/Install http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe (you might have to go to the home page http://www.cygwin.com and click the link to setup.exe)
# Download source: '''Install from Internet'''
# Root Directory: '''c:\cygwin'''
# Local Package Directory: '''c:\cygwin.lib'''
# Internet Connection: '''Direct Connection'''
# Download Site: '''http://mirrors.kernel.org''' (near the bottom) (If this does not show in the list, key in the URL in the field '''User URL''' and click on Add)
# Select Packages: Maximise window then click '''View''' once to get '''Full'''. You can then enter the name of the desired packages in the Search box to speed up location of the desired packages.
# Next to the package '''OPENSSH''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get version 4.4p1-1 or later
# Next to the package '''NANO''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get the latest version available
# Check the NEOSYS INSTALLATION CHECKLIST for any other packages to install like the above.
# Click Next and complete the installation

==== Win32 Error ====

The Win32 Error occur when the bad file is cached in internet explorer cache. You can try clearing the internet explorer cache and redownloading or you can try to download from cygwin.com instead of www.cygwin.com so it doesnt look in the cache or www.cygwin.com if your original download was from cygwin.com. All else failing, you can simply upload the setup.exe file from your own pc to the server.

All this relates to win32 error when running a downloaded file. Any downloaded file and not just cygwin.com/setup.exe

==== Configuring and starting SSHD ====
Open the Cygwin icon to get a linux/bash command line and type:

Run the following commands:

chmod +r /etc/passwd
chmod +r /etc/group
chmod 777 /var

Thereafter start with the ssh configuration:

ssh-host-config

Then on the following options type:

Privilege – YES
New local sshd account - YES
Install SSHD as a service - YES
Enter value of daemon - ntsec
Different name - NO
Create new privileged user - YES
Enter a password now - Set any random password and should not be the same as the neosys server (8 characters min)

At the command prompt type

net start sshd

==== Configuring SSHD to use a non-standard port number ====
This is necessary if the router cannot forward port 19580 --> 22 and we don’t want to open port 22 directly.

Capitalization is signification in cygwin/linux commands

open cygwin command prompt
cd /etc
chown administrator sshd_config
nano sshd_config (assuming that you have installed the NANO editor)
notepad sshd_config (incase you havent installed the NANO editor)
Move your cursor to '''Port 22''' and change 22 to 19580. ctrl+x to save. On the confirmation type Y and on the next prompt hit enter.
chown system sshd_config
net stop sshd
net start sshd

To check that the connection to port 19580 is successful you can run the following test:
ssh -p 19580 administrator@localhost

You will be prompted to confirm the connection (say yes)

Now enter the system password to complete the procedure.

==== Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator” ====
Current NEOSYS policy to cater for recent versions of Cygwin is to rename the windows Administrator user to administrator to keep a consistent ssh login across all installations.

If you forget to do this before installing or upgrading Cygwin then you must to the following:

#Rename “Administrator” to “administrator” in Windows
#*If you cannot rename Administrator to administrator, follow the procedure mentioned at [[Changing username from Administrator to administrator]]
#In a Cygwin console do:

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd

It should come back with nothing

==== Error while changing Cygwin port 22 to 19580 ====

Error Message:

"Could not open file for writing: permission denied"

Occurrence:
Sometimes when you edit the sshd_config file through NANO.

Solution:
In SSH shell, follow these commands:

cp sshd_config ashwin_temp #copies sshd_config to a new file ashwin_temp
rm sshd_config #deletes sshd_config
cp ashwin_temp sshd_config #copies ashwin_temp to sshd_config

In case it does not copy sshd_config to ashwin_temp, than check whether an ashwin_temp filename exists and delete it using the rm command.

==== Opening up ssh connections to additional source ip nos ====

Starting a NEOSYS process will automatically restrict cygwin ssh to accept connections from known NEOSYS company static ip numbers.

In the cygwin command line, insert a line in the list of allowable hosts

DO NOT ALLOW ALL OR GENERAL SSH ACCESS TO NEOSYS CLIENTS SERVERS WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION *AND* INSTALLING EMAIL ALERTS FOR LOGINS AS DESCRIBED BELOW

nano /etc/hosts.allow

sshd: ALL

or a ip numbers or CIDR format

sshd 12.34.56.78
sshd 12.34.0.0/16

==== Setting up email alerts for cygwin ssh logins ====

Use http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe to install "email" and "whois" packages

Insert the following script using cygwin command prompt.

NOTE! it@neosys.com to whatever you want.

cd /etc
nano sshrc

<pre>
#!/bin/bash
#
#you configure this

ALERTEMAILADDRESS=it@neosys.com

#
#get the ip number without the ipv6 prefix
FROMIPNO=`echo $SSH_CLIENT|cut -f 1 -d " "|sed 's/::ffff://'`
#
#quit with no message if from a known host

if grep -x $FROMIPNO /etc/trustedipnos
then exit
fi

#
#get the host name by reverse lookup

FROMHOST=`nslookup $FROMIPNO|grep "name ="`

#
#get whois info about the login ip number

#and pipe it into the mail program
#"&" on the end creates a new process in order not to delay login

whois $FROMIPNO|\
email -q -f nl1@neosys.com -s "login $USER $FROMIPNO $FROMHOST" -r \
mailout.neosys.com -p 2500 $ALERTEMAILADDRESS&
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

Inserted trusted ip nos.

cd /etc
nano trustedipnos

<pre>
#sorry, ip ranges and cidr etc not accepted yet

#vm1.neosys.com for remote checking
85.17.154.105

#nl1.neosys.com
83.149.104.167

#nl2.neosys.com
85.17.154.66

#uk.neosys.com
78.143.212.191

#nl3.neosys.com
94.75.233.2
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

==== Testing SSH connection to the NEOSYS server over port 19580 ====

In you cannot connect to the server using SSH, see [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding]]

==== Troubleshooting SSH: If SSH connects and then disconnects immediately without exchanging keys ====

The first time that NEOSYS runs, it automatically adds source ip number restrictions to the sshd remote support configuration in /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny. This is an important security procedure to allow connection to clients systems from NEOSYS ip numbers only. This process allows only local and known NEOSYS ip numbers to connect using SSH. Upgrading NEOSYS will add and/or remove allowable ip numbers as NEOSYS configuration changes.

It is possible that in some client network configurations incoming ssh connections will appear to be from the clients internal routers with an ip unknown to NEOSYS due to NAT configurations. Therefore ssh connections will be blocked unless specifically allow the local ip number or it is added into an upgraded version of NEOSYS.

NOTE: Therefore you must check that remote support via ssh works AFTER you have run NEOSYS once (maintenance mode).

#Look in the Windows, Computer Management, System Tools, Event Viewer, Application
#Search for entries from source "sshd", double click and look in the Event Properties, Description for ip numbers
#Information type sshd entries will give the ip number of successful sshd connections.
#Warning type sshd entries will give the ip number of failed sshd connections.
#Find the ip number of failed connections.

===== Possible Problem 1 - Port mapping in router is using NAT =====

If the ip number of failed connections is some local ip number (of the router for example) then possibly the inbound port forwarding has been done with NAT and the source ip number has been lost. Therefore the NEOSYS ip restrictions are blocking ssh connections because they appear to be coming from an unknown ip number (ie that of the router)

===== Solution 1A =====

Change the router configuration to not use NAT and leave the genuine original source IP number

===== Solution 1B =====

DO NOT USE THIS PROCEDURE TO BREAK NEOSYS SECURITY. DO NOT GRANT ACCESS TO ANY IP OTHER THAN CLIENTS ROUTER IPS

Add the routers IP number to the list of authorised ip numbers in the cygwin hosts.allow file as follows:

nano /etc/hosts.allow

and add the line as follows ... but put the ip number of your router

sshd: allow 192.168.0.99

#router - sadly using NAT instead of plain old port forwarding
#if the router ip changes then neosys remote support will fail until this line is changed
#NB do not grant access to 192.168.* etc since this allows local LAN viruses to attack

==== Troubleshooting sshd ====

You can run the sshd service interactively to see all messages instead of having to search logs/events etc.

Unfortunately this will not work the same as the normal windows sshd service unless you assume the identity of the sshd_server user. To assume the identity of the sshd_server user you will have to reset its password to something new (since we dont take a record of it during sshd-host-setup) AND ALSO place the new password in the logon properties of the sshd windows service.

su sshd_server
/usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 19580

==== Reinstalling SSHD if service fails to startup ====

Sometimes reinstallation isnt necessary and sshd can be made to restart by doing

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd
mkgroup > /etc/group

If all else fails:

#Look in '''/var/log/sshd.log''' for errors
#Delete the following users: '''sshd''' and '''sshd_server'''
#Remove the sshd service at the cygwin prompt type '''cygrunsrv –R sshd'''
#Do the above Configuration and starting SSHD step again

Note that you don't have to reinstall cygwin entirely, just sshd with the above steps.

==== Upgrading SSHD / Cygwin ====
NEOSYS relies on cygwin to provide secure network access and support various linux/unix services under Windows, mainly rsync for interoffice consolidation.

Just like MS Windows update, cygwin should be updated at regular intervals to close security holes discovered in the software by its authors. This is particularly important for cygwin's remote access service sshd since it is exposed to the internet although on a non-standard port.

TO DO: Find a simple way to learn about when cygwin upgrades sshd and/or when there are issues generally with sshd. Join the cygwin and sshd security news email lists.

To find out what versions of cygwin/sshd are installed at NEOSYS clients, look at Nagios, last column "Status Information":

http://vm1.neosys.com/nagios3/cgi-bin/status.cgi?servicegroup=neosys-ssh&style=detail%22SSH%20OK%20-%20OpenSSH_5.9%20%28protocol%202.0%29%22

eg

SSH OK - OpenSSH_5.9 (protocol 2.0)

===== Upgrading Cygwin remotely =====
NEOSYS normal remote server support connection uses cygwin/ssh. Cygwin can be upgraded while in use but only if a reboot is performed and perhaps some cygwin packages reinstalled.

You can use:
*vnc server
*direct rdp connection
*directly on the server
*teamviewer started manually on the server

You cannot use:
*standard NEOSYS remote support connection using rdp/cygwin/sshd
*teamviewer started using a standard NEOSYS remote support connection.

Since cygwin cannot be upgraded while using tunnelier+cygwin/sshd, we can use tunnelier to setup Teamviewer *temporarily* to do the upgrade.

Teamviewer must be uninstalled afterwards because it is not secure because NEOSYS has no way to manage TV to limit connections by ip number like cygwin sshd in the same way.

Procedure To Upgrade Cygwin remotely using TeamViewer:

1. Install Teamviewer (will be commercial on server) and allow unattended access.

2. Note the Teamviewer number and password during installation.

3. Logout of tunnelier.

4. Connect on teamviewer using the number and password

5. In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
net stop sshd
net stop cygwinrsync
net stop exim
</pre>

6. In task viewer, ensure no bash or ssh processes and kill any such processes.

7. Run the cygwin upgrade procedure starting with http://www.cygwin.com and setup.exe etc. If you get any message about file in use, do not ignore, make sure you kill all cygwin related processes in task manager. If necessary find and kill the process holding the files open. For example using sysinternal’s process explorer “find file handle”

8. If not already done, rename Administrator to administrator and run mkpasswd/mkgroup in Cygwin console. (See [[Setting_up_and_using_remote_support#Changing_ssh_login_from_.E2.80.9CAdministrator.E2.80.9D_to_.E2.80.9Cadministrator.E2.80.9D|Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator”]])

9. In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
mkpasswd -l > /etc/passwd
mkgroup -l > /etc/group
</pre>

10. Start the NEOSYS remote connection service - cygwin/sshd, and any cygwin services stopped:
<pre>
net start sshd
net start cygwinrsync
net start exim
</pre>

11. Login using tunnelier
*If successful, close your Teamviewer on the server

12. Uninstall Teamviewer and REMOVE SETTINGS to avoid accidental reinstallation
*Teamviewer must NOT BE LEFT with permanent login by number and password! Teamviewer options, security, REMOVE "Predefined password (For unattended access)"

===== Upgrading Cygwin with server reboot =====
If not already done, rename Windows “Administrator” user to “administrator” before upgrading

Connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

Follow the usual cygwin installation procedure.

If and when cygwin "says files in use" then at console command prompt then click "continue". NB "retry" will not work because your NEOSYS remote support uses files like cygwin1.dll that are being updated by cygwin.

If you have used the "continue" option then, towards the end of the cygwin installation process, you may get error messages similar to the one below.
You can ignore them.

"the procedure point __ctype_ptr__ could not be located in the dynamic link library cygwin1.dll"

Finally, you may get a message "postinstall script errors". Copy this message so you know what packages have to be reinstalled.

Your list may vary! The list of packages is longer if the cygwin1.dll file has to be upgraded as this is an essential library file for all cygwin programs.

<pre>
Package: base-cygwin
Package: coreutils
Package: bash
Package: terminfo
Package: _update-info-dir
Package: base-files
Package: colordiff
Package: man
Package: terminfo0
Package: vim
Package: wget
</pre>

Reboot the server

Reinstall Bash and check that you can connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

*The login user name might be changed to "Administrator" instead of "administrator".
*If you cannot reconnect after rebooting then the following steps (in particular the cygwin sshd package) may have to be performed directly on the server directly or using the usual initial NEOSYS remote installation procedures that do not rely on cygwin/sshd.

Reinstall any problematic Cygwin packages
#Select View: "Up to date"
#"Keep" to "Reinstall" for the packages listed in the previous section.

Finally, check that you can run the ls command in a cygwin command prompt window.

''Note -'' If you dont reinstall bash after rebooting then the bash prompt will be abbreviated to something different and there will be no response to any command entered.

==== How to uninstall/reinstall cygwin ====

With setup.exe (the installer file of cygwin) you can uninstall individual packages but not Cygwin.

Before you do this, make sure you have stopped the cygwin service (NET STOP SSHD), removed the sshd server (cygrunsrv -R sshd), deleted the sshd & sshd_server users (net user sshd/DELETE)

To uninstall Cygwin you have to run the following in DOS prompt:

rmdir /s /q C:\cygwin

You cannot delete the cygwin folder from Windows explorer due to a Access Denied error and this is the best way to uninstall cygwin.

==== Getting Ownership and Permissions Correct ====

Installation of cygrin under domain administrator account needs to be fixed as follows:

#c:\cygin Properties, Security, Advanced
#Change owner to: Administrators
#Tick: Replace owner on subcontainers

After changing ownership of all cygwin folders to Administrators all ssh login will be blocked and you will get a windows application event log message. "root" actually means sshd's user which is sshd_server by default or can be found in the cygwin ssh windows services properties under log on

fatal: /var/empty must be owned by root and not group or world-writable.

Fix this in cygwin console as follows:

chown sshd_server /var/empty

==== Configuring Firewall/Router ====

You will have to port forward 19580 on the router to port 19580 on the neosys server. Some routers call port forwarding “port mapping” or “virtual servers”

It is BAD idea to simply open port 22 since an open port 22 attracts scanners/hackers like flies.

Also configure port forwarding of port 4430 to port 4430. This is for remote access via https if desired at a later date.

==== Configuring Specific Client Routers ====

[[Adline Dubai - CISCO PIX Firewall]]

[[Sonicwall Firewall Configuration]]

==== How to install ssh on port 19580 over vnc on port 19580 ====

Install vnc on port 19580

connect on vnc

setup cygwin sshd on port 22

test you can login on port 22

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1

change sshd port to 19580 (but it wont start)

schedule a windows system reboot in 10 mins at windows command prompt

shutdown -t 600

change vnc port to 5900 (if will disconnect you)

wait for 10 mins and try to ssh login on port 19580

==== Changing user on Cygwin ====

On SSH command line:

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1 (where 'neosys' is the username)

=== Installing and configuring UltraVNC ===

VNC/Putty is not typically used for NEOSYS remote support anymore and has been replaced by tunnelier/rdp

[[Installing and configuring UltraVNC]]

== Remote Desktop Connection ==

Servers are normally not exposed to the internet so IT staff and suppliers are often not careful to use strong passwords and use things like "password" or blank.

Given the above, it is NEOSYS policy NOT to use remote desktop via direct access from the internet at all and especially not long term. This is to prevent worms from instantly discovering possible entry points - typically before NEOSYS can even begin to enforce strong administrator password.

If it is otherwise IMPOSSIBLE (difficult or inconvenient does NOT count as impossible!) to avoid using remote desktop protocol to the public internet then a simple and effective way of significantly increasing security is to change the remote desktop port from 3389 to something else e.g. 33890 as per NEOSYS convention.

=== Changing RDC port from standard to nonstandard ===

# Start Registry Editor.
# Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
# On the Edit menu, click Modify, and then click Decimal.
# Type the new port number, and then click OK.
# Quit Registry Editor.

Setting up and using remote support

2012-06-25T05:42:48Z

Vineet: /* Upgrading Cygwin remotely */

== Getting agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support ==

[[Letter to obtain agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support]]

== Installing and configuring the server ==

=== Initial Connection to the server before setting up permanent remote connection ===

In case of a remote installation you need to get an initial connection to the server before you can setup Cygwin for a permanent remote connection. For this purpose you can either use your customised reverse connect UltraVNC SC file or the one-time run Teamviewer utility.

Do not use Microsoft Remote Desktop Client (RDP/RDC) on port 3389 at anytime to access the server from the internet since IT suppliers not aware of the situation often setup the initial administrator password to something obvious like "password" or even blank and in this case there is a good chance internet worms will discover the "open door" and install themselves before you get the chance to put a strong password.

=== Installing and configuring SSH ===
==== Installing Cygwin with OPENSSH ====

These instruction are only for installing in a server NOT part of a domain. For installing in a server that is part of a domain, see http://cygwin.com/faq-nochunks.html#faq.using.sshd-in-domain

Watch out for non-intuitive steps like clicking "skip" to install something.

# Read [[Avoiding Corrupt Cygwin Installations]]
# ENSURE that you are logged in as the local (NOT DOMAIN) administrator
# Download/Run/Install http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe (you might have to go to the home page http://www.cygwin.com and click the link to setup.exe)
# Download source: '''Install from Internet'''
# Root Directory: '''c:\cygwin'''
# Local Package Directory: '''c:\cygwin.lib'''
# Internet Connection: '''Direct Connection'''
# Download Site: '''http://mirrors.kernel.org''' (near the bottom) (If this does not show in the list, key in the URL in the field '''User URL''' and click on Add)
# Select Packages: Maximise window then click '''View''' once to get '''Full'''. You can then enter the name of the desired packages in the Search box to speed up location of the desired packages.
# Next to the package '''OPENSSH''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get version 4.4p1-1 or later
# Next to the package '''NANO''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get the latest version available
# Check the NEOSYS INSTALLATION CHECKLIST for any other packages to install like the above.
# Click Next and complete the installation

==== Win32 Error ====

The Win32 Error occur when the bad file is cached in internet explorer cache. You can try clearing the internet explorer cache and redownloading or you can try to download from cygwin.com instead of www.cygwin.com so it doesnt look in the cache or www.cygwin.com if your original download was from cygwin.com. All else failing, you can simply upload the setup.exe file from your own pc to the server.

All this relates to win32 error when running a downloaded file. Any downloaded file and not just cygwin.com/setup.exe

==== Configuring and starting SSHD ====
Open the Cygwin icon to get a linux/bash command line and type:

Run the following commands:

chmod +r /etc/passwd
chmod +r /etc/group
chmod 777 /var

Thereafter start with the ssh configuration:

ssh-host-config

Then on the following options type:

Privilege – YES
New local sshd account - YES
Install SSHD as a service - YES
Enter value of daemon - ntsec
Different name - NO
Create new privileged user - YES
Enter a password now - Set any random password and should not be the same as the neosys server (8 characters min)

At the command prompt type

net start sshd

==== Configuring SSHD to use a non-standard port number ====
This is necessary if the router cannot forward port 19580 --> 22 and we don’t want to open port 22 directly.

Capitalization is signification in cygwin/linux commands

open cygwin command prompt
cd /etc
chown administrator sshd_config
nano sshd_config (assuming that you have installed the NANO editor)
notepad sshd_config (incase you havent installed the NANO editor)
Move your cursor to '''Port 22''' and change 22 to 19580. ctrl+x to save. On the confirmation type Y and on the next prompt hit enter.
chown system sshd_config
net stop sshd
net start sshd

To check that the connection to port 19580 is successful you can run the following test:
ssh -p 19580 administrator@localhost

You will be prompted to confirm the connection (say yes)

Now enter the system password to complete the procedure.

==== Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator” ====
Current NEOSYS policy to cater for recent versions of Cygwin is to rename the windows Administrator user to administrator to keep a consistent ssh login across all installations.

If you forget to do this before installing or upgrading Cygwin then you must to the following:

#Rename “Administrator” to “administrator” in Windows
#*If you cannot rename Administrator to administrator, follow the procedure mentioned at [[Changing username from Administrator to administrator]]
#In a Cygwin console do:

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd

It should come back with nothing

==== Error while changing Cygwin port 22 to 19580 ====

Error Message:

"Could not open file for writing: permission denied"

Occurrence:
Sometimes when you edit the sshd_config file through NANO.

Solution:
In SSH shell, follow these commands:

cp sshd_config ashwin_temp #copies sshd_config to a new file ashwin_temp
rm sshd_config #deletes sshd_config
cp ashwin_temp sshd_config #copies ashwin_temp to sshd_config

In case it does not copy sshd_config to ashwin_temp, than check whether an ashwin_temp filename exists and delete it using the rm command.

==== Opening up ssh connections to additional source ip nos ====

Starting a NEOSYS process will automatically restrict cygwin ssh to accept connections from known NEOSYS company static ip numbers.

In the cygwin command line, insert a line in the list of allowable hosts

DO NOT ALLOW ALL OR GENERAL SSH ACCESS TO NEOSYS CLIENTS SERVERS WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION *AND* INSTALLING EMAIL ALERTS FOR LOGINS AS DESCRIBED BELOW

nano /etc/hosts.allow

sshd: ALL

or a ip numbers or CIDR format

sshd 12.34.56.78
sshd 12.34.0.0/16

==== Setting up email alerts for cygwin ssh logins ====

Use http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe to install "email" and "whois" packages

Insert the following script using cygwin command prompt.

NOTE! it@neosys.com to whatever you want.

cd /etc
nano sshrc

<pre>
#!/bin/bash
#
#you configure this

ALERTEMAILADDRESS=it@neosys.com

#
#get the ip number without the ipv6 prefix
FROMIPNO=`echo $SSH_CLIENT|cut -f 1 -d " "|sed 's/::ffff://'`
#
#quit with no message if from a known host

if grep -x $FROMIPNO /etc/trustedipnos
then exit
fi

#
#get the host name by reverse lookup

FROMHOST=`nslookup $FROMIPNO|grep "name ="`

#
#get whois info about the login ip number

#and pipe it into the mail program
#"&" on the end creates a new process in order not to delay login

whois $FROMIPNO|\
email -q -f nl1@neosys.com -s "login $USER $FROMIPNO $FROMHOST" -r \
mailout.neosys.com -p 2500 $ALERTEMAILADDRESS&
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

Inserted trusted ip nos.

cd /etc
nano trustedipnos

<pre>
#sorry, ip ranges and cidr etc not accepted yet

#vm1.neosys.com for remote checking
85.17.154.105

#nl1.neosys.com
83.149.104.167

#nl2.neosys.com
85.17.154.66

#uk.neosys.com
78.143.212.191

#nl3.neosys.com
94.75.233.2
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

==== Testing SSH connection to the NEOSYS server over port 19580 ====

In you cannot connect to the server using SSH, see [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding]]

==== Troubleshooting SSH: If SSH connects and then disconnects immediately without exchanging keys ====

The first time that NEOSYS runs, it automatically adds source ip number restrictions to the sshd remote support configuration in /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny. This is an important security procedure to allow connection to clients systems from NEOSYS ip numbers only. This process allows only local and known NEOSYS ip numbers to connect using SSH. Upgrading NEOSYS will add and/or remove allowable ip numbers as NEOSYS configuration changes.

It is possible that in some client network configurations incoming ssh connections will appear to be from the clients internal routers with an ip unknown to NEOSYS due to NAT configurations. Therefore ssh connections will be blocked unless specifically allow the local ip number or it is added into an upgraded version of NEOSYS.

NOTE: Therefore you must check that remote support via ssh works AFTER you have run NEOSYS once (maintenance mode).

#Look in the Windows, Computer Management, System Tools, Event Viewer, Application
#Search for entries from source "sshd", double click and look in the Event Properties, Description for ip numbers
#Information type sshd entries will give the ip number of successful sshd connections.
#Warning type sshd entries will give the ip number of failed sshd connections.
#Find the ip number of failed connections.

===== Possible Problem 1 - Port mapping in router is using NAT =====

If the ip number of failed connections is some local ip number (of the router for example) then possibly the inbound port forwarding has been done with NAT and the source ip number has been lost. Therefore the NEOSYS ip restrictions are blocking ssh connections because they appear to be coming from an unknown ip number (ie that of the router)

===== Solution 1A =====

Change the router configuration to not use NAT and leave the genuine original source IP number

===== Solution 1B =====

DO NOT USE THIS PROCEDURE TO BREAK NEOSYS SECURITY. DO NOT GRANT ACCESS TO ANY IP OTHER THAN CLIENTS ROUTER IPS

Add the routers IP number to the list of authorised ip numbers in the cygwin hosts.allow file as follows:

nano /etc/hosts.allow

and add the line as follows ... but put the ip number of your router

sshd: allow 192.168.0.99

#router - sadly using NAT instead of plain old port forwarding
#if the router ip changes then neosys remote support will fail until this line is changed
#NB do not grant access to 192.168.* etc since this allows local LAN viruses to attack

==== Troubleshooting sshd ====

You can run the sshd service interactively to see all messages instead of having to search logs/events etc.

Unfortunately this will not work the same as the normal windows sshd service unless you assume the identity of the sshd_server user. To assume the identity of the sshd_server user you will have to reset its password to something new (since we dont take a record of it during sshd-host-setup) AND ALSO place the new password in the logon properties of the sshd windows service.

su sshd_server
/usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 19580

==== Reinstalling SSHD if service fails to startup ====

Sometimes reinstallation isnt necessary and sshd can be made to restart by doing

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd
mkgroup > /etc/group

If all else fails:

#Look in '''/var/log/sshd.log''' for errors
#Delete the following users: '''sshd''' and '''sshd_server'''
#Remove the sshd service at the cygwin prompt type '''cygrunsrv –R sshd'''
#Do the above Configuration and starting SSHD step again

Note that you don't have to reinstall cygwin entirely, just sshd with the above steps.

==== Upgrading SSHD / Cygwin ====
NEOSYS relies on cygwin to provide secure network access and support various linux/unix services under Windows, mainly rsync for interoffice consolidation.

Just like MS Windows update, cygwin should be updated at regular intervals to close security holes discovered in the software by its authors. This is particularly important for cygwin's remote access service sshd since it is exposed to the internet although on a non-standard port.

TO DO: Find a simple way to learn about when cygwin upgrades sshd and/or when there are issues generally with sshd. Join the cygwin and sshd security news email lists.

To find out what versions of cygwin/sshd are installed at NEOSYS clients, look at Nagios, last column "Status Information":

http://vm1.neosys.com/nagios3/cgi-bin/status.cgi?servicegroup=neosys-ssh&style=detail%22SSH%20OK%20-%20OpenSSH_5.9%20%28protocol%202.0%29%22

eg

SSH OK - OpenSSH_5.9 (protocol 2.0)

===== Upgrading Cygwin remotely =====
NEOSYS normal remote server support connection uses cygwin/ssh. Cygwin can be upgraded while in use but only if a reboot is performed and perhaps some cygwin packages reinstalled.

You can use:
*vnc server
*direct rdp connection
*directly on the server
*teamviewer started manually on the server

You cannot use:
*standard NEOSYS remote support connection using rdp/cygwin/sshd
*teamviewer started using a standard NEOSYS remote support connection.

Since cygwin cannot be upgraded while using tunnelier+cygwin/sshd, we can use tunnelier to setup Teamviewer *temporarily* to do the upgrade.

Teamviewer must be uninstalled afterwards because it is not secure because NEOSYS has no way to manage TV to limit connections by ip number like cygwin sshd in the same way.

Procedure To Upgrade Cygwin remotely using TeamViewer:
1. Install Teamviewer (will be commercial on server) and allow unattended access.
2. Note the Teamviewer number and password during installation.
3. Logout of tunnelier.
4. Connect on teamviewer using the number and password
5. In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
net stop sshd
net stop cygwinrsync
net stop exim
</pre>
6. In task viewer, ensure no bash or ssh processes and kill any such processes.
7. Run the cygwin upgrade procedure starting with http://www.cygwin.com and setup.exe etc. If you get any message about file in use, do not ignore, make sure you kill all cygwin related processes in task manager. If necessary find and kill the process holding the files open. For example using sysinternal’s process explorer “find file handle”
8. If not already done, rename Administrator to administrator and run mkpasswd/mkgroup in Cygwin console. (See [Setting_up_and_using_remote_support#Changing_ssh_login_from_.E2.80.9CAdministrator.E2.80.9D_to_.E2.80.9Cadministrator.E2.80.9D|Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator”])
9. In command console type the following commands:
<pre>
mkpasswd -l > /etc/passwd
mkgroup -l > /etc/group
</pre>
10. Start the NEOSYS remote connection service - cygwin/sshd, and any cygwin services stopped:
<pre>
net start sshd
net start cygwinrsync
net start exim
</pre>
11. Login using tunnelier
*If successful, close your Teamviewer on the server
12. Uninstall Teamviewer and REMOVE SETTINGS to avoid accidental reinstallation
*Teamviewer must NOT BE LEFT with permanent login by number and password! Teamviewer options, security, REMOVE "Predefined password (For unattended access)"

===== Upgrading Cygwin with server reboot =====
If not already done, rename Windows “Administrator” user to “administrator” before upgrading

Connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

Follow the usual cygwin installation procedure.

If and when cygwin "says files in use" then at console command prompt then click "continue". NB "retry" will not work because your NEOSYS remote support uses files like cygwin1.dll that are being updated by cygwin.

If you have used the "continue" option then, towards the end of the cygwin installation process, you may get error messages similar to the one below.
You can ignore them.

"the procedure point __ctype_ptr__ could not be located in the dynamic link library cygwin1.dll"

Finally, you may get a message "postinstall script errors". Copy this message so you know what packages have to be reinstalled.

Your list may vary! The list of packages is longer if the cygwin1.dll file has to be upgraded as this is an essential library file for all cygwin programs.

<pre>
Package: base-cygwin
Package: coreutils
Package: bash
Package: terminfo
Package: _update-info-dir
Package: base-files
Package: colordiff
Package: man
Package: terminfo0
Package: vim
Package: wget
</pre>

Reboot the server

Reinstall Bash and check that you can connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

*The login user name might be changed to "Administrator" instead of "administrator".
*If you cannot reconnect after rebooting then the following steps (in particular the cygwin sshd package) may have to be performed directly on the server directly or using the usual initial NEOSYS remote installation procedures that do not rely on cygwin/sshd.

Reinstall any problematic Cygwin packages
#Select View: "Up to date"
#"Keep" to "Reinstall" for the packages listed in the previous section.

Finally, check that you can run the ls command in a cygwin command prompt window.

''Note -'' If you dont reinstall bash after rebooting then the bash prompt will be abbreviated to something different and there will be no response to any command entered.

==== How to uninstall/reinstall cygwin ====

With setup.exe (the installer file of cygwin) you can uninstall individual packages but not Cygwin.

Before you do this, make sure you have stopped the cygwin service (NET STOP SSHD), removed the sshd server (cygrunsrv -R sshd), deleted the sshd & sshd_server users (net user sshd/DELETE)

To uninstall Cygwin you have to run the following in DOS prompt:

rmdir /s /q C:\cygwin

You cannot delete the cygwin folder from Windows explorer due to a Access Denied error and this is the best way to uninstall cygwin.

==== Getting Ownership and Permissions Correct ====

Installation of cygrin under domain administrator account needs to be fixed as follows:

#c:\cygin Properties, Security, Advanced
#Change owner to: Administrators
#Tick: Replace owner on subcontainers

After changing ownership of all cygwin folders to Administrators all ssh login will be blocked and you will get a windows application event log message. "root" actually means sshd's user which is sshd_server by default or can be found in the cygwin ssh windows services properties under log on

fatal: /var/empty must be owned by root and not group or world-writable.

Fix this in cygwin console as follows:

chown sshd_server /var/empty

==== Configuring Firewall/Router ====

You will have to port forward 19580 on the router to port 19580 on the neosys server. Some routers call port forwarding “port mapping” or “virtual servers”

It is BAD idea to simply open port 22 since an open port 22 attracts scanners/hackers like flies.

Also configure port forwarding of port 4430 to port 4430. This is for remote access via https if desired at a later date.

==== Configuring Specific Client Routers ====

[[Adline Dubai - CISCO PIX Firewall]]

[[Sonicwall Firewall Configuration]]

==== How to install ssh on port 19580 over vnc on port 19580 ====

Install vnc on port 19580

connect on vnc

setup cygwin sshd on port 22

test you can login on port 22

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1

change sshd port to 19580 (but it wont start)

schedule a windows system reboot in 10 mins at windows command prompt

shutdown -t 600

change vnc port to 5900 (if will disconnect you)

wait for 10 mins and try to ssh login on port 19580

==== Changing user on Cygwin ====

On SSH command line:

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1 (where 'neosys' is the username)

=== Installing and configuring UltraVNC ===

VNC/Putty is not typically used for NEOSYS remote support anymore and has been replaced by tunnelier/rdp

[[Installing and configuring UltraVNC]]

== Remote Desktop Connection ==

Servers are normally not exposed to the internet so IT staff and suppliers are often not careful to use strong passwords and use things like "password" or blank.

Given the above, it is NEOSYS policy NOT to use remote desktop via direct access from the internet at all and especially not long term. This is to prevent worms from instantly discovering possible entry points - typically before NEOSYS can even begin to enforce strong administrator password.

If it is otherwise IMPOSSIBLE (difficult or inconvenient does NOT count as impossible!) to avoid using remote desktop protocol to the public internet then a simple and effective way of significantly increasing security is to change the remote desktop port from 3389 to something else e.g. 33890 as per NEOSYS convention.

=== Changing RDC port from standard to nonstandard ===

# Start Registry Editor.
# Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
# On the Edit menu, click Modify, and then click Decimal.
# Type the new port number, and then click OK.
# Quit Registry Editor.

Setting up and using remote support

2012-06-24T13:52:12Z

Vineet: /* Upgrading Cygwin Without requiring a server reboot */

== Getting agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support ==

[[Letter to obtain agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support]]

== Installing and configuring the server ==

=== Initial Connection to the server before setting up permanent remote connection ===

In case of a remote installation you need to get an initial connection to the server before you can setup Cygwin for a permanent remote connection. For this purpose you can either use your customised reverse connect UltraVNC SC file or the one-time run Teamviewer utility.

Do not use Microsoft Remote Desktop Client (RDP/RDC) on port 3389 at anytime to access the server from the internet since IT suppliers not aware of the situation often setup the initial administrator password to something obvious like "password" or even blank and in this case there is a good chance internet worms will discover the "open door" and install themselves before you get the chance to put a strong password.

=== Installing and configuring SSH ===
==== Installing Cygwin with OPENSSH ====

These instruction are only for installing in a server NOT part of a domain. For installing in a server that is part of a domain, see http://cygwin.com/faq-nochunks.html#faq.using.sshd-in-domain

Watch out for non-intuitive steps like clicking "skip" to install something.

# Read [[Avoiding Corrupt Cygwin Installations]]
# ENSURE that you are logged in as the local (NOT DOMAIN) administrator
# Download/Run/Install http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe (you might have to go to the home page http://www.cygwin.com and click the link to setup.exe)
# Download source: '''Install from Internet'''
# Root Directory: '''c:\cygwin'''
# Local Package Directory: '''c:\cygwin.lib'''
# Internet Connection: '''Direct Connection'''
# Download Site: '''http://mirrors.kernel.org''' (near the bottom) (If this does not show in the list, key in the URL in the field '''User URL''' and click on Add)
# Select Packages: Maximise window then click '''View''' once to get '''Full'''. You can then enter the name of the desired packages in the Search box to speed up location of the desired packages.
# Next to the package '''OPENSSH''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get version 4.4p1-1 or later
# Next to the package '''NANO''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get the latest version available
# Check the NEOSYS INSTALLATION CHECKLIST for any other packages to install like the above.
# Click Next and complete the installation

==== Win32 Error ====

The Win32 Error occur when the bad file is cached in internet explorer cache. You can try clearing the internet explorer cache and redownloading or you can try to download from cygwin.com instead of www.cygwin.com so it doesnt look in the cache or www.cygwin.com if your original download was from cygwin.com. All else failing, you can simply upload the setup.exe file from your own pc to the server.

All this relates to win32 error when running a downloaded file. Any downloaded file and not just cygwin.com/setup.exe

==== Configuring and starting SSHD ====
Open the Cygwin icon to get a linux/bash command line and type:

Run the following commands:

chmod +r /etc/passwd
chmod +r /etc/group
chmod 777 /var

Thereafter start with the ssh configuration:

ssh-host-config

Then on the following options type:

Privilege – YES
New local sshd account - YES
Install SSHD as a service - YES
Enter value of daemon - ntsec
Different name - NO
Create new privileged user - YES
Enter a password now - Set any random password and should not be the same as the neosys server (8 characters min)

At the command prompt type

net start sshd

==== Configuring SSHD to use a non-standard port number ====
This is necessary if the router cannot forward port 19580 --> 22 and we don’t want to open port 22 directly.

Capitalization is signification in cygwin/linux commands

open cygwin command prompt
cd /etc
chown administrator sshd_config
nano sshd_config (assuming that you have installed the NANO editor)
notepad sshd_config (incase you havent installed the NANO editor)
Move your cursor to '''Port 22''' and change 22 to 19580. ctrl+x to save. On the confirmation type Y and on the next prompt hit enter.
chown system sshd_config
net stop sshd
net start sshd

To check that the connection to port 19580 is successful you can run the following test:
ssh -p 19580 administrator@localhost

You will be prompted to confirm the connection (say yes)

Now enter the system password to complete the procedure.

==== Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator” ====
Current NEOSYS policy to cater for recent versions of Cygwin is to rename the windows Administrator user to administrator to keep a consistent ssh login across all installations.

If you forget to do this before installing or upgrading Cygwin then you must to the following:

#Rename “Administrator” to “administrator” in Windows
#*If you cannot rename Administrator to administrator, follow the procedure mentioned at [[Changing username from Administrator to administrator]]
#In a Cygwin console do:

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd

It should come back with nothing

==== Error while changing Cygwin port 22 to 19580 ====

Error Message:

"Could not open file for writing: permission denied"

Occurrence:
Sometimes when you edit the sshd_config file through NANO.

Solution:
In SSH shell, follow these commands:

cp sshd_config ashwin_temp #copies sshd_config to a new file ashwin_temp
rm sshd_config #deletes sshd_config
cp ashwin_temp sshd_config #copies ashwin_temp to sshd_config

In case it does not copy sshd_config to ashwin_temp, than check whether an ashwin_temp filename exists and delete it using the rm command.

==== Opening up ssh connections to additional source ip nos ====

Starting a NEOSYS process will automatically restrict cygwin ssh to accept connections from known NEOSYS company static ip numbers.

In the cygwin command line, insert a line in the list of allowable hosts

DO NOT ALLOW ALL OR GENERAL SSH ACCESS TO NEOSYS CLIENTS SERVERS WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION *AND* INSTALLING EMAIL ALERTS FOR LOGINS AS DESCRIBED BELOW

nano /etc/hosts.allow

sshd: ALL

or a ip numbers or CIDR format

sshd 12.34.56.78
sshd 12.34.0.0/16

==== Setting up email alerts for cygwin ssh logins ====

Use http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe to install "email" and "whois" packages

Insert the following script using cygwin command prompt.

NOTE! it@neosys.com to whatever you want.

cd /etc
nano sshrc

<pre>
#!/bin/bash
#
#you configure this

ALERTEMAILADDRESS=it@neosys.com

#
#get the ip number without the ipv6 prefix
FROMIPNO=`echo $SSH_CLIENT|cut -f 1 -d " "|sed 's/::ffff://'`
#
#quit with no message if from a known host

if grep -x $FROMIPNO /etc/trustedipnos
then exit
fi

#
#get the host name by reverse lookup

FROMHOST=`nslookup $FROMIPNO|grep "name ="`

#
#get whois info about the login ip number

#and pipe it into the mail program
#"&" on the end creates a new process in order not to delay login

whois $FROMIPNO|\
email -q -f nl1@neosys.com -s "login $USER $FROMIPNO $FROMHOST" -r \
mailout.neosys.com -p 2500 $ALERTEMAILADDRESS&
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

Inserted trusted ip nos.

cd /etc
nano trustedipnos

<pre>
#sorry, ip ranges and cidr etc not accepted yet

#vm1.neosys.com for remote checking
85.17.154.105

#nl1.neosys.com
83.149.104.167

#nl2.neosys.com
85.17.154.66

#uk.neosys.com
78.143.212.191

#nl3.neosys.com
94.75.233.2
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

==== Testing SSH connection to the NEOSYS server over port 19580 ====

In you cannot connect to the server using SSH, see [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding]]

==== Troubleshooting SSH: If SSH connects and then disconnects immediately without exchanging keys ====

The first time that NEOSYS runs, it automatically adds source ip number restrictions to the sshd remote support configuration in /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny. This is an important security procedure to allow connection to clients systems from NEOSYS ip numbers only. This process allows only local and known NEOSYS ip numbers to connect using SSH. Upgrading NEOSYS will add and/or remove allowable ip numbers as NEOSYS configuration changes.

It is possible that in some client network configurations incoming ssh connections will appear to be from the clients internal routers with an ip unknown to NEOSYS due to NAT configurations. Therefore ssh connections will be blocked unless specifically allow the local ip number or it is added into an upgraded version of NEOSYS.

NOTE: Therefore you must check that remote support via ssh works AFTER you have run NEOSYS once (maintenance mode).

#Look in the Windows, Computer Management, System Tools, Event Viewer, Application
#Search for entries from source "sshd", double click and look in the Event Properties, Description for ip numbers
#Information type sshd entries will give the ip number of successful sshd connections.
#Warning type sshd entries will give the ip number of failed sshd connections.
#Find the ip number of failed connections.

===== Possible Problem 1 - Port mapping in router is using NAT =====

If the ip number of failed connections is some local ip number (of the router for example) then possibly the inbound port forwarding has been done with NAT and the source ip number has been lost. Therefore the NEOSYS ip restrictions are blocking ssh connections because they appear to be coming from an unknown ip number (ie that of the router)

===== Solution 1A =====

Change the router configuration to not use NAT and leave the genuine original source IP number

===== Solution 1B =====

DO NOT USE THIS PROCEDURE TO BREAK NEOSYS SECURITY. DO NOT GRANT ACCESS TO ANY IP OTHER THAN CLIENTS ROUTER IPS

Add the routers IP number to the list of authorised ip numbers in the cygwin hosts.allow file as follows:

nano /etc/hosts.allow

and add the line as follows ... but put the ip number of your router

sshd: allow 192.168.0.99

#router - sadly using NAT instead of plain old port forwarding
#if the router ip changes then neosys remote support will fail until this line is changed
#NB do not grant access to 192.168.* etc since this allows local LAN viruses to attack

==== Troubleshooting sshd ====

You can run the sshd service interactively to see all messages instead of having to search logs/events etc.

Unfortunately this will not work the same as the normal windows sshd service unless you assume the identity of the sshd_server user. To assume the identity of the sshd_server user you will have to reset its password to something new (since we dont take a record of it during sshd-host-setup) AND ALSO place the new password in the logon properties of the sshd windows service.

su sshd_server
/usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 19580

==== Reinstalling SSHD if service fails to startup ====

Sometimes reinstallation isnt necessary and sshd can be made to restart by doing

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd
mkgroup > /etc/group

If all else fails:

#Look in '''/var/log/sshd.log''' for errors
#Delete the following users: '''sshd''' and '''sshd_server'''
#Remove the sshd service at the cygwin prompt type '''cygrunsrv –R sshd'''
#Do the above Configuration and starting SSHD step again

Note that you don't have to reinstall cygwin entirely, just sshd with the above steps.

==== Upgrading SSHD / Cygwin ====
NEOSYS relies on cygwin to provide secure network access and support various linux/unix services under Windows, mainly rsync for interoffice consolidation.

Just like MS Windows update, cygwin should be updated at regular intervals to close security holes discovered in the software by its authors. This is particularly important for cygwin's remote access service sshd since it is exposed to the internet although on a non-standard port.

TO DO: Find a simple way to learn about when cygwin upgrades sshd and/or when there are issues generally with sshd. Join the cygwin and sshd security news email lists.

To find out what versions of cygwin/sshd are installed at NEOSYS clients, look at Nagios, last column "Status Information":

http://vm1.neosys.com/nagios3/cgi-bin/status.cgi?servicegroup=neosys-ssh&style=detail%22SSH%20OK%20-%20OpenSSH_5.9%20%28protocol%202.0%29%22

eg

SSH OK - OpenSSH_5.9 (protocol 2.0)

===== Upgrading Cygwin remotely =====
NEOSYS normal remote server support connection uses cygwin/ssh. Cygwin can be upgraded while in use but only if a reboot is performed and perhaps some cygwin packages reinstalled.

You can use:
*vnc server
*direct rdp connection
*directly on the server
*teamviewer started manually on the server

You cannot use:
*standard NEOSYS remote support connection using rdp/cygwin/sshd
*teamviewer started using a standard NEOSYS remote support connection.

Since cygwin cannot be upgraded while using tunnelier+cygwin/sshd, we can use tunnelier to setup Teamviewer *temporarily* to do the upgrade.

Teamviewer must be uninstalled afterwards because it is not secure because NEOSYS has no way to manage TV to limit connections by ip number like cygwin sshd in the same way.

Procedure To Upgrade Cygwin remotely using TeamViewer:
#Install Teamviewer (will be commercial on server) and allow unattended access.
#Note the Teamviewer number and password during installation.
#Logout of tunnelier.
#Connect on teamviewer using the number and password
#In command console type the following commands:<pre>net stop sshd</pre><pre>net stop cygwinrsync</pre><pre>net stop exim</pre>
#In task viewer, ensure no bash or ssh processes and kill any such processes.
#Run the cygwin upgrade procedure starting with http://www.cygwin.com and setup.exe etc. If you get any message about file in use, do not ignore, make sure you kill all cygwin related processes in task manager. If necessary find and kill the process holding the files open. For example using sysinternal’s process explorer “find file handle”
#If not already done, rename Administrator to administrator and run mkpasswd/mkgroup in Cygwin console. (See [Setting_up_and_using_remote_support#Changing_ssh_login_from_.E2.80.9CAdministrator.E2.80.9D_to_.E2.80.9Cadministrator.E2.80.9D|Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator”])
#In command console type the following commands:<pre>mkpasswd -l > /etc/passwd</pre> <pre>mkgroup -l > /etc/group</pre>
#Start the NEOSYS remote connection service - cygwin/sshd, and any cygwin services stopped:<pre>net start sshd</pre><pre>net start cygwinrsync</pre><pre>net start exim</pre>
#Login using tunnelier
#*If successful, close your Teamviewer on the server
#Uninstall Teamviewer and REMOVE SETTINGS to avoid accidental reinstallation
#*Teamviewer must NOT BE LEFT with permanent login by number and password! Teamviewer options, security, REMOVE "Predefined password (For unattended access)"

===== Upgrading Cygwin with server reboot =====
If not already done, rename Windows “Administrator” user to “administrator” before upgrading

Connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

Follow the usual cygwin installation procedure.

If and when cygwin "says files in use" then at console command prompt then click "continue". NB "retry" will not work because your NEOSYS remote support uses files like cygwin1.dll that are being updated by cygwin.

If you have used the "continue" option then, towards the end of the cygwin installation process, you may get error messages similar to the one below.
You can ignore them.

"the procedure point __ctype_ptr__ could not be located in the dynamic link library cygwin1.dll"

Finally, you may get a message "postinstall script errors". Copy this message so you know what packages have to be reinstalled.

Your list may vary! The list of packages is longer if the cygwin1.dll file has to be upgraded as this is an essential library file for all cygwin programs.

<pre>
Package: base-cygwin
Package: coreutils
Package: bash
Package: terminfo
Package: _update-info-dir
Package: base-files
Package: colordiff
Package: man
Package: terminfo0
Package: vim
Package: wget
</pre>

Reboot the server

Reinstall Bash and check that you can connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

*The login user name might be changed to "Administrator" instead of "administrator".
*If you cannot reconnect after rebooting then the following steps (in particular the cygwin sshd package) may have to be performed directly on the server directly or using the usual initial NEOSYS remote installation procedures that do not rely on cygwin/sshd.

Reinstall any problematic Cygwin packages
#Select View: "Up to date"
#"Keep" to "Reinstall" for the packages listed in the previous section.

Finally, check that you can run the ls command in a cygwin command prompt window.

''Note -'' If you dont reinstall bash after rebooting then the bash prompt will be abbreviated to something different and there will be no response to any command entered.

==== How to uninstall/reinstall cygwin ====

With setup.exe (the installer file of cygwin) you can uninstall individual packages but not Cygwin.

Before you do this, make sure you have stopped the cygwin service (NET STOP SSHD), removed the sshd server (cygrunsrv -R sshd), deleted the sshd & sshd_server users (net user sshd/DELETE)

To uninstall Cygwin you have to run the following in DOS prompt:

rmdir /s /q C:\cygwin

You cannot delete the cygwin folder from Windows explorer due to a Access Denied error and this is the best way to uninstall cygwin.

==== Getting Ownership and Permissions Correct ====

Installation of cygrin under domain administrator account needs to be fixed as follows:

#c:\cygin Properties, Security, Advanced
#Change owner to: Administrators
#Tick: Replace owner on subcontainers

After changing ownership of all cygwin folders to Administrators all ssh login will be blocked and you will get a windows application event log message. "root" actually means sshd's user which is sshd_server by default or can be found in the cygwin ssh windows services properties under log on

fatal: /var/empty must be owned by root and not group or world-writable.

Fix this in cygwin console as follows:

chown sshd_server /var/empty

==== Configuring Firewall/Router ====

You will have to port forward 19580 on the router to port 19580 on the neosys server. Some routers call port forwarding “port mapping” or “virtual servers”

It is BAD idea to simply open port 22 since an open port 22 attracts scanners/hackers like flies.

Also configure port forwarding of port 4430 to port 4430. This is for remote access via https if desired at a later date.

==== Configuring Specific Client Routers ====

[[Adline Dubai - CISCO PIX Firewall]]

[[Sonicwall Firewall Configuration]]

==== How to install ssh on port 19580 over vnc on port 19580 ====

Install vnc on port 19580

connect on vnc

setup cygwin sshd on port 22

test you can login on port 22

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1

change sshd port to 19580 (but it wont start)

schedule a windows system reboot in 10 mins at windows command prompt

shutdown -t 600

change vnc port to 5900 (if will disconnect you)

wait for 10 mins and try to ssh login on port 19580

==== Changing user on Cygwin ====

On SSH command line:

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1 (where 'neosys' is the username)

=== Installing and configuring UltraVNC ===

VNC/Putty is not typically used for NEOSYS remote support anymore and has been replaced by tunnelier/rdp

[[Installing and configuring UltraVNC]]

== Remote Desktop Connection ==

Servers are normally not exposed to the internet so IT staff and suppliers are often not careful to use strong passwords and use things like "password" or blank.

Given the above, it is NEOSYS policy NOT to use remote desktop via direct access from the internet at all and especially not long term. This is to prevent worms from instantly discovering possible entry points - typically before NEOSYS can even begin to enforce strong administrator password.

If it is otherwise IMPOSSIBLE (difficult or inconvenient does NOT count as impossible!) to avoid using remote desktop protocol to the public internet then a simple and effective way of significantly increasing security is to change the remote desktop port from 3389 to something else e.g. 33890 as per NEOSYS convention.

=== Changing RDC port from standard to nonstandard ===

# Start Registry Editor.
# Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
# On the Edit menu, click Modify, and then click Decimal.
# Type the new port number, and then click OK.
# Quit Registry Editor.

Setting up and using remote support

2012-06-24T06:12:46Z

Vineet: /* Upgrading Cygwin Without requiring a server reboot */

== Getting agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support ==

[[Letter to obtain agreement of client IT staff to provide remote support]]

== Installing and configuring the server ==

=== Initial Connection to the server before setting up permanent remote connection ===

In case of a remote installation you need to get an initial connection to the server before you can setup Cygwin for a permanent remote connection. For this purpose you can either use your customised reverse connect UltraVNC SC file or the one-time run Teamviewer utility.

Do not use Microsoft Remote Desktop Client (RDP/RDC) on port 3389 at anytime to access the server from the internet since IT suppliers not aware of the situation often setup the initial administrator password to something obvious like "password" or even blank and in this case there is a good chance internet worms will discover the "open door" and install themselves before you get the chance to put a strong password.

=== Installing and configuring SSH ===
==== Installing Cygwin with OPENSSH ====

These instruction are only for installing in a server NOT part of a domain. For installing in a server that is part of a domain, see http://cygwin.com/faq-nochunks.html#faq.using.sshd-in-domain

Watch out for non-intuitive steps like clicking "skip" to install something.

# Read [[Avoiding Corrupt Cygwin Installations]]
# ENSURE that you are logged in as the local (NOT DOMAIN) administrator
# Download/Run/Install http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe (you might have to go to the home page http://www.cygwin.com and click the link to setup.exe)
# Download source: '''Install from Internet'''
# Root Directory: '''c:\cygwin'''
# Local Package Directory: '''c:\cygwin.lib'''
# Internet Connection: '''Direct Connection'''
# Download Site: '''http://mirrors.kernel.org''' (near the bottom) (If this does not show in the list, key in the URL in the field '''User URL''' and click on Add)
# Select Packages: Maximise window then click '''View''' once to get '''Full'''. You can then enter the name of the desired packages in the Search box to speed up location of the desired packages.
# Next to the package '''OPENSSH''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get version 4.4p1-1 or later
# Next to the package '''NANO''', click the word '''Skip''' (once!) to get the latest version available
# Check the NEOSYS INSTALLATION CHECKLIST for any other packages to install like the above.
# Click Next and complete the installation

==== Win32 Error ====

The Win32 Error occur when the bad file is cached in internet explorer cache. You can try clearing the internet explorer cache and redownloading or you can try to download from cygwin.com instead of www.cygwin.com so it doesnt look in the cache or www.cygwin.com if your original download was from cygwin.com. All else failing, you can simply upload the setup.exe file from your own pc to the server.

All this relates to win32 error when running a downloaded file. Any downloaded file and not just cygwin.com/setup.exe

==== Configuring and starting SSHD ====
Open the Cygwin icon to get a linux/bash command line and type:

Run the following commands:

chmod +r /etc/passwd
chmod +r /etc/group
chmod 777 /var

Thereafter start with the ssh configuration:

ssh-host-config

Then on the following options type:

Privilege – YES
New local sshd account - YES
Install SSHD as a service - YES
Enter value of daemon - ntsec
Different name - NO
Create new privileged user - YES
Enter a password now - Set any random password and should not be the same as the neosys server (8 characters min)

At the command prompt type

net start sshd

==== Configuring SSHD to use a non-standard port number ====
This is necessary if the router cannot forward port 19580 --> 22 and we don’t want to open port 22 directly.

Capitalization is signification in cygwin/linux commands

open cygwin command prompt
cd /etc
chown administrator sshd_config
nano sshd_config (assuming that you have installed the NANO editor)
notepad sshd_config (incase you havent installed the NANO editor)
Move your cursor to '''Port 22''' and change 22 to 19580. ctrl+x to save. On the confirmation type Y and on the next prompt hit enter.
chown system sshd_config
net stop sshd
net start sshd

To check that the connection to port 19580 is successful you can run the following test:
ssh -p 19580 administrator@localhost

You will be prompted to confirm the connection (say yes)

Now enter the system password to complete the procedure.

==== Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator” ====
Current NEOSYS policy to cater for recent versions of Cygwin is to rename the windows Administrator user to administrator to keep a consistent ssh login across all installations.

If you forget to do this before installing or upgrading Cygwin then you must to the following:

#Rename “Administrator” to “administrator” in Windows
#*If you cannot rename Administrator to administrator, follow the procedure mentioned at [[Changing username from Administrator to administrator]]
#In a Cygwin console do:

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd

It should come back with nothing

==== Error while changing Cygwin port 22 to 19580 ====

Error Message:

"Could not open file for writing: permission denied"

Occurrence:
Sometimes when you edit the sshd_config file through NANO.

Solution:
In SSH shell, follow these commands:

cp sshd_config ashwin_temp #copies sshd_config to a new file ashwin_temp
rm sshd_config #deletes sshd_config
cp ashwin_temp sshd_config #copies ashwin_temp to sshd_config

In case it does not copy sshd_config to ashwin_temp, than check whether an ashwin_temp filename exists and delete it using the rm command.

==== Opening up ssh connections to additional source ip nos ====

Starting a NEOSYS process will automatically restrict cygwin ssh to accept connections from known NEOSYS company static ip numbers.

In the cygwin command line, insert a line in the list of allowable hosts

DO NOT ALLOW ALL OR GENERAL SSH ACCESS TO NEOSYS CLIENTS SERVERS WITHOUT GETTING PERMISSION *AND* INSTALLING EMAIL ALERTS FOR LOGINS AS DESCRIBED BELOW

nano /etc/hosts.allow

sshd: ALL

or a ip numbers or CIDR format

sshd 12.34.56.78
sshd 12.34.0.0/16

==== Setting up email alerts for cygwin ssh logins ====

Use http://www.cygwin.com/setup.exe to install "email" and "whois" packages

Insert the following script using cygwin command prompt.

NOTE! it@neosys.com to whatever you want.

cd /etc
nano sshrc

<pre>
#!/bin/bash
#
#you configure this

ALERTEMAILADDRESS=it@neosys.com

#
#get the ip number without the ipv6 prefix
FROMIPNO=`echo $SSH_CLIENT|cut -f 1 -d " "|sed 's/::ffff://'`
#
#quit with no message if from a known host

if grep -x $FROMIPNO /etc/trustedipnos
then exit
fi

#
#get the host name by reverse lookup

FROMHOST=`nslookup $FROMIPNO|grep "name ="`

#
#get whois info about the login ip number

#and pipe it into the mail program
#"&" on the end creates a new process in order not to delay login

whois $FROMIPNO|\
email -q -f nl1@neosys.com -s "login $USER $FROMIPNO $FROMHOST" -r \
mailout.neosys.com -p 2500 $ALERTEMAILADDRESS&
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

Inserted trusted ip nos.

cd /etc
nano trustedipnos

<pre>
#sorry, ip ranges and cidr etc not accepted yet

#vm1.neosys.com for remote checking
85.17.154.105

#nl1.neosys.com
83.149.104.167

#nl2.neosys.com
85.17.154.66

#uk.neosys.com
78.143.212.191

#nl3.neosys.com
94.75.233.2
</pre>

Make sure that you configure the file permissions

chmod a+x sshrc

==== Testing SSH connection to the NEOSYS server over port 19580 ====

In you cannot connect to the server using SSH, see [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_remote_support_port_forwarding|Troubleshooting NEOSYS remote support port forwarding]]

==== Troubleshooting SSH: If SSH connects and then disconnects immediately without exchanging keys ====

The first time that NEOSYS runs, it automatically adds source ip number restrictions to the sshd remote support configuration in /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny. This is an important security procedure to allow connection to clients systems from NEOSYS ip numbers only. This process allows only local and known NEOSYS ip numbers to connect using SSH. Upgrading NEOSYS will add and/or remove allowable ip numbers as NEOSYS configuration changes.

It is possible that in some client network configurations incoming ssh connections will appear to be from the clients internal routers with an ip unknown to NEOSYS due to NAT configurations. Therefore ssh connections will be blocked unless specifically allow the local ip number or it is added into an upgraded version of NEOSYS.

NOTE: Therefore you must check that remote support via ssh works AFTER you have run NEOSYS once (maintenance mode).

#Look in the Windows, Computer Management, System Tools, Event Viewer, Application
#Search for entries from source "sshd", double click and look in the Event Properties, Description for ip numbers
#Information type sshd entries will give the ip number of successful sshd connections.
#Warning type sshd entries will give the ip number of failed sshd connections.
#Find the ip number of failed connections.

===== Possible Problem 1 - Port mapping in router is using NAT =====

If the ip number of failed connections is some local ip number (of the router for example) then possibly the inbound port forwarding has been done with NAT and the source ip number has been lost. Therefore the NEOSYS ip restrictions are blocking ssh connections because they appear to be coming from an unknown ip number (ie that of the router)

===== Solution 1A =====

Change the router configuration to not use NAT and leave the genuine original source IP number

===== Solution 1B =====

DO NOT USE THIS PROCEDURE TO BREAK NEOSYS SECURITY. DO NOT GRANT ACCESS TO ANY IP OTHER THAN CLIENTS ROUTER IPS

Add the routers IP number to the list of authorised ip numbers in the cygwin hosts.allow file as follows:

nano /etc/hosts.allow

and add the line as follows ... but put the ip number of your router

sshd: allow 192.168.0.99

#router - sadly using NAT instead of plain old port forwarding
#if the router ip changes then neosys remote support will fail until this line is changed
#NB do not grant access to 192.168.* etc since this allows local LAN viruses to attack

==== Troubleshooting sshd ====

You can run the sshd service interactively to see all messages instead of having to search logs/events etc.

Unfortunately this will not work the same as the normal windows sshd service unless you assume the identity of the sshd_server user. To assume the identity of the sshd_server user you will have to reset its password to something new (since we dont take a record of it during sshd-host-setup) AND ALSO place the new password in the logon properties of the sshd windows service.

su sshd_server
/usr/sbin/sshd -D -p 19580

==== Reinstalling SSHD if service fails to startup ====

Sometimes reinstallation isnt necessary and sshd can be made to restart by doing

mkpasswd > /etc/passwd
mkgroup > /etc/group

If all else fails:

#Look in '''/var/log/sshd.log''' for errors
#Delete the following users: '''sshd''' and '''sshd_server'''
#Remove the sshd service at the cygwin prompt type '''cygrunsrv –R sshd'''
#Do the above Configuration and starting SSHD step again

Note that you don't have to reinstall cygwin entirely, just sshd with the above steps.

==== Upgrading SSHD / Cygwin ====
NEOSYS relies on cygwin to provide secure network access and support various linux/unix services under Windows, mainly rsync for interoffice consolidation.

Just like MS Windows update, cygwin should be updated at regular intervals to close security holes discovered in the software by its authors. This is particularly important for cygwin's remote access service sshd since it is exposed to the internet although on a non-standard port.

TO DO: Find a simple way to learn about when cygwin upgrades sshd and/or when there are issues generally with sshd. Join the cygwin and sshd security news email lists.

To find out what versions of cygwin/sshd are installed at NEOSYS clients, look at Nagios, last column "Status Information":

http://vm1.neosys.com/nagios3/cgi-bin/status.cgi?servicegroup=neosys-ssh&style=detail%22SSH%20OK%20-%20OpenSSH_5.9%20%28protocol%202.0%29%22

eg

SSH OK - OpenSSH_5.9 (protocol 2.0)

===== Upgrading Cygwin Without requiring a server reboot =====
NEOSYS normal remote server support connection uses cygwin/ssh. Cygwin can be upgraded while in use but only if a reboot is performed and perhaps some cygwin packages reinstalled.

You can use:
*vnc server
*direct rdp connection
*directly on the server
*teamviewer started manually on the server

You cannot use:
*standard NEOSYS remote support connection using rdp/cygwin/sshd
*teamviewer started using a standard NEOSYS remote support connection.

Since cygwin cannot be upgraded while using tunnelier+cygwin/sshd, we can use tunnelier to setup Teamviewer *temporarily* to do the upgrade.

Teamviewer must be uninstalled afterwards because it is not secure because NEOSYS has no way to manage TV to limit connections by ip number like cygwin sshd in the same way.

Procedure To Upgrade Cygwin remotely using TeamViewer:
#Install Teamviewer (will be commercial on server) and allow unattended access.
#Note the Teamviewer number and password during installation.
#Logout of tunnelier.
#Connect on teamviewer using the number and password
#In command console type the following commands:<pre>net stop sshd</pre><pre>net stop cygwinrsync</pre><pre>net stop exim</pre>
#In task viewer, ensure no bash or ssh processes and kill any such processes.
#Run the cygwin upgrade procedure starting with http://www.cygwin.com and setup.exe etc. If you get any message about file in use, do not ignore, make sure you kill all cygwin related processes in task manager. If necessary find and kill the process holding the files open. For example using sysinternal’s process explorer “find file handle”
#If not already done, rename Administrator to administrator and run mkpasswd/mkgroup in Cygwin console. (See [Setting_up_and_using_remote_support#Changing_ssh_login_from_.E2.80.9CAdministrator.E2.80.9D_to_.E2.80.9Cadministrator.E2.80.9D|Changing ssh login from “Administrator” to “administrator”])
#In command console type the following commands:<pre>mkpasswd -l > /etc/passwd</pre><pre>mkgroup -l > /etc/group</pre>
#Start the NEOSYS remote connection service - cygwin/sshd, and any cygwin services stopped:<pre>net start sshd</pre><pre>net start cygwinrsync</pre><pre>net start exim</pre>
#Login using tunnelier
#*If successful, close your Teamviewer on the server
#Uninstall Teamviewer and REMOVE SETTINGS to avoid accidental reinstallation
#*Teamviewer must NOT BE LEFT with permanent login by number and password! Teamviewer options, security, REMOVE "Predefined password (For unattended access)"

===== Upgrading Cygwin with server reboot =====
If not already done, rename Windows “Administrator” user to “administrator” before upgrading

Connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

Follow the usual cygwin installation procedure.

If and when cygwin "says files in use" then at console command prompt then click "continue". NB "retry" will not work because your NEOSYS remote support uses files like cygwin1.dll that are being updated by cygwin.

If you have used the "continue" option then, towards the end of the cygwin installation process, you may get error messages similar to the one below.
You can ignore them.

"the procedure point __ctype_ptr__ could not be located in the dynamic link library cygwin1.dll"

Finally, you may get a message "postinstall script errors". Copy this message so you know what packages have to be reinstalled.

Your list may vary! The list of packages is longer if the cygwin1.dll file has to be upgraded as this is an essential library file for all cygwin programs.

<pre>
Package: base-cygwin
Package: coreutils
Package: bash
Package: terminfo
Package: _update-info-dir
Package: base-files
Package: colordiff
Package: man
Package: terminfo0
Package: vim
Package: wget
</pre>

Reboot the server

Reinstall Bash and check that you can connect using usual NEOSYS remote support.

*The login user name might be changed to "Administrator" instead of "administrator".
*If you cannot reconnect after rebooting then the following steps (in particular the cygwin sshd package) may have to be performed directly on the server directly or using the usual initial NEOSYS remote installation procedures that do not rely on cygwin/sshd.

Reinstall any problematic Cygwin packages
#Select View: "Up to date"
#"Keep" to "Reinstall" for the packages listed in the previous section.

Finally, check that you can run the ls command in a cygwin command prompt window.

''Note -'' If you dont reinstall bash after rebooting then the bash prompt will be abbreviated to something different and there will be no response to any command entered.

==== How to uninstall/reinstall cygwin ====

With setup.exe (the installer file of cygwin) you can uninstall individual packages but not Cygwin.

Before you do this, make sure you have stopped the cygwin service (NET STOP SSHD), removed the sshd server (cygrunsrv -R sshd), deleted the sshd & sshd_server users (net user sshd/DELETE)

To uninstall Cygwin you have to run the following in DOS prompt:

rmdir /s /q C:\cygwin

You cannot delete the cygwin folder from Windows explorer due to a Access Denied error and this is the best way to uninstall cygwin.

==== Getting Ownership and Permissions Correct ====

Installation of cygrin under domain administrator account needs to be fixed as follows:

#c:\cygin Properties, Security, Advanced
#Change owner to: Administrators
#Tick: Replace owner on subcontainers

After changing ownership of all cygwin folders to Administrators all ssh login will be blocked and you will get a windows application event log message. "root" actually means sshd's user which is sshd_server by default or can be found in the cygwin ssh windows services properties under log on

fatal: /var/empty must be owned by root and not group or world-writable.

Fix this in cygwin console as follows:

chown sshd_server /var/empty

==== Configuring Firewall/Router ====

You will have to port forward 19580 on the router to port 19580 on the neosys server. Some routers call port forwarding “port mapping” or “virtual servers”

It is BAD idea to simply open port 22 since an open port 22 attracts scanners/hackers like flies.

Also configure port forwarding of port 4430 to port 4430. This is for remote access via https if desired at a later date.

==== Configuring Specific Client Routers ====

[[Adline Dubai - CISCO PIX Firewall]]

[[Sonicwall Firewall Configuration]]

==== How to install ssh on port 19580 over vnc on port 19580 ====

Install vnc on port 19580

connect on vnc

setup cygwin sshd on port 22

test you can login on port 22

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1

change sshd port to 19580 (but it wont start)

schedule a windows system reboot in 10 mins at windows command prompt

shutdown -t 600

change vnc port to 5900 (if will disconnect you)

wait for 10 mins and try to ssh login on port 19580

==== Changing user on Cygwin ====

On SSH command line:

ssh neosys@127.0.0.1 (where 'neosys' is the username)

=== Installing and configuring UltraVNC ===

VNC/Putty is not typically used for NEOSYS remote support anymore and has been replaced by tunnelier/rdp

[[Installing and configuring UltraVNC]]

== Remote Desktop Connection ==

Servers are normally not exposed to the internet so IT staff and suppliers are often not careful to use strong passwords and use things like "password" or blank.

Given the above, it is NEOSYS policy NOT to use remote desktop via direct access from the internet at all and especially not long term. This is to prevent worms from instantly discovering possible entry points - typically before NEOSYS can even begin to enforce strong administrator password.

If it is otherwise IMPOSSIBLE (difficult or inconvenient does NOT count as impossible!) to avoid using remote desktop protocol to the public internet then a simple and effective way of significantly increasing security is to change the remote desktop port from 3389 to something else e.g. 33890 as per NEOSYS convention.

=== Changing RDC port from standard to nonstandard ===

# Start Registry Editor.
# Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\TerminalServer\WinStations\RDP-Tcp\PortNumber
# On the Edit menu, click Modify, and then click Decimal.
# Type the new port number, and then click OK.
# Quit Registry Editor.

Checklists

2012-06-18T14:08:00Z

Vineet:

Checklists

2012-06-18T13:24:21Z

Vineet:

[[Media:New_Installation_Checklist_with_remote_support.doc]] - Windows 2003

[[Media:New_Installation_Checklist_with_remote_support_(Windows_Server_2008).doc]] - Windows 2008

[[Media:New_Installation_Checklist_(Finance_only)_&_without_remote_support.doc]] - Windows 2003

[[Media:Shifting_servers_Checklist.doc‎]]

=Completed Checklists=

[[Asha Advertising 2010]]

[[Adline Bahrain 2010]]

[[Adline Cairo - New Server - 2012]]

[[Bates Timesheets - New Server - 2012]]

Moving NEOSYS

2012-06-10T08:26:37Z

Vineet:

=== Moving NEOSYS to new servers ===

Make sure you disable old systems BEFORE you enable new systems.

You cannot count on users to pay attention to WHICH system they are using so its up to you to prevent access to the old system PRIOR to opening a new system for them.

Failure to follow this procedure OFTEN results in chaos in the clients procedures. Missing invoices, etc etc etc.

==== Export Server Certificate from Old Server and Import Certificate on New Server ====
While trying to access NEOSYS from the new server, you will come across the error page shown below.

The solution is to export the certificate from the old server and import the certificate in the new server. Instructions at [[Setting_up_HTTPS#Re-installing_Certificates|Reinstalling Server Certificates]]

[[image:server-certificatepage.jpg]]

==== Changing drive letter to match old drive letter ====

[[Image:changepartitiondriveletter.png]]

==== Backup and restore of IIS configuration ====

[[Image:backupiis.png]]

==== How to deauthorisation a NEOSYS installation ====

Deauthorisation removes the authorisation and gives a pair of "authorisation numbers" that can be run through a check to prove that deauthorisation has been done.

After deauthorisation you cannot use NEOSYS. If you try then it will ask for authorisation again and you cannot use the original authorisation number to reauthorise it.

In NEOSYS Maintenance mode press F5 then type

DEAUTHORISE

... and answer all the questions properly.

At the final stage it will give you the "deauthorisation numbers" which consist of the original computer number plus another number. These numbers should not be lost and should be given to NEOSYS who will verify they are correct.

=== Reinstating live system from backup system and shifting back ===

This process should be done only when all the users are offline.

To move the data from live to backup server and to restore it back, follow the steps mentioned below:

Before restoring the data from live server to backup server and vice versa, do a manual backup (this will not be required if you are doing this procedure after the nightly backup has taken place; and before the users have logged in) and run the '''backup.hostname''' task on backup server.

====Steps to stop neosys process to start:====

# Un-tick automatic backup from the configuration file at host server.
# Rename Global.end.temp to Global.end
# Disable schedule task (Copy livedatatotest & start host)
# Disable backup.hostname task at backup server to avoid backup of host server > backup server
# After doing this start neosys processes at backup server and tick the automatic backup option in the configure file.
# Email client giving the new URL to access NEOSYS.
# Ask the IT guy to plug-in the backup USB to the server
# Configure the drive letter on the configuration file in neosys.

====Steps to restore backup dataset to Live server====

ATTENTION: Send a mail to the client staff, saying NEOSYS will be down from XXXX hours and they should logout from neosys before the mentioned time and save their work.

If possible co-ordinate with IT guy (or the person responsible) to follow up and make sure that users logout by the decided time. Once all the users are offline, Block all users from accessing NEOSYS.

# Take a manual backup of the dataset you want to move to a removable drive (Flash/USB drive)
# Once the backup is complete, go to the configuration file and un-tick the automatic backup from there.
# Now request the IT guy to unplug the USB from the backup server and plug it into the main server.
# Before doing a restore read the '''NOTE''' that follows very carefully.
# Now log in to maintenance process and go to '''General > Backup & Data Management''', select '''Restore from disk or diskette''' (i.e. option 4), select the backup drive and follow the prompts that follow.
# Now enable all the tasks that were disabled earlier on the live server and then enable the backup.hostname schedule task on backup server.

'''NOTE:'''

REMEMBER THAT RESTORE = first DELETE! and then RESTORE

'''Chat for reference:'''

DELETE MEANS YOU SHOULD BE FRIGHTENED >> AND THEREFORE TAKE A COPY

In this case you KNOW you have a good working copy of the data on the backup server so DELETING+RESTORE on the main server is not very frightening .. but STILL .. play SAFE .. take a COPY OF WHAT YOU DELETE DURING RESTORE

=== Moving NEOSYS server to a new/another client office location ===

This is done by the client IT responsible and we just have to provide this checklist for them to follow. Typically this needs to be emailed out to them.

Please ensure the following procedures are followed on the day of the move:

# Login to the NEOSYS server and shut down all the processes by hitting the ESC button on each of the window three times or until they close
# Take a backup of the D drive on another system or network / external drive
# Remove the USB plugged in and secure the same along with the other two USB’s in a safe location
# You can shut down the server now and move it to your new office

After the move is completed, please ensure the following immediately:

# Connect the server to your local network and complete all setup required for users to be able to access the system internally
# Configure the firewall and/or port settings to enable us to connect to the server externally (i.e. 19580 external to 19580 internal)
# Configure the firewall and/or port settings to your staff for external access (i.e. 4430 external to 4430 internal)
# Provide us with the new fixed IP address so that we can test the connection

File:Server-certificatepage.jpg

2012-06-10T08:23:47Z

Vineet:

Installing NEOSYS Service

2012-06-05T07:26:00Z

Vineet: /* Differences for Pure Accounts Module Only Installations */

= INSTALLING NEOSYS SERVICE =

Reference to X:\ in the notes below denotes the actual drive letter and needs to be replaced (eg D:\)

== Main installation: ==

Make sure NOT TO COPY an existing NEOSYS installation to another location and ONLY do a
completely new install with a fresh database, because copying a folder will copy a variety of
hidden configurations.

=== Installing NEOSYS on partitions ===
Good server management practice is to have separate partitions for operating system (C:) and data partitions (D:)

In the case of operating system reinstallation (which causes the loss of the C: partition) if NEOSYS programs and data were installed on D: can be preserved. If there is only one partition then NEOSYS programs and data will have to be backed up and restored.

==== Multiple Partitions ====
NEOSYS should be installed on a different partition rather than the C drive for reasons already explained above (eg. D drive)

==== Single Partition ====
If there is only one partition then you have to inform the client to take the effort to reinstall the operating system or using third party repartitioning tools to create separate partitions.

=== Downloading and running installation files ===
# http://www.neosys.com/support/neosys.exe ... and unzip/install to X:\neosys (or to X:\hosts\clientcd for multi-installation on one server)
# http://www.neosys.com/support/neosys2.exe ... and install same as previous step.

=== Creating shortcuts ===
In x:\neosys (or x:\hosts\clientcd), make a shortcut called ‘Maintenance’ and link it to

x:\neosys\neosys\adagency.bat (for Adagency install)

or

x:\neosys\neosys\accounts.bat (for Accounts install)

=== Activating NEOSYS using authorization number ===

Start NEOSYS Maintenance, select Initial Backup and it will give a “Computer Number” and ask for an “Authorisation No”

Send the computer number to NEOSYS admin to get the authorization no. Do not leave the authorization no. promt page open for a long time. This will cause the CPU usage to go to 100%.

If you cannot get the authorization number immediately then you can close NEOSYS and when you reopen NEOSYS it will still give the same computer number and accept the same authorization number.

=== Installing initial Database ===
For standard NEOSYS Installations, copy the BACKUP.ZIP file from NL1 server (C:\DATA.BAK\STARTUP1\"Day of week") and place it on the D drive of the server where we wish to install NEOSYS. You may choose any other drive also but make sure that this file exists in the root folder e.g. D:\BACKUP.ZIP
 

Follow the steps below:
#Click on the Maintenance icon.
#Select BASIC DATA SET and type in the NEOSYS username and password. (If the system does not prompt for a username and password,then go to Quit > Quit to next user and type the same in. If you do not enter with a username and password then NEOSYS will not allow you to restore the database). The first time when you enter maintenance you will get a command box (like when you do F5). If you do not get a command box, hit the F5 key and get it on the screen and hit ESC after you get it.
#Now restore the BACKUP.ZIP (STARTUP DATABASE), to do so go to General > Backup & Data Management, select (the 4th option) Restore from disk or diskette. select D drive (or whichever drive you put the backup.zip file in) and follow the prompts ahead.
#On every successful restore or creation of dataset, system will give you a message to switch to new database always '''say NO''' to this,because the switch to database option brings you back to the BASIC DATA SET. Hence press the ESC button, type EXIT on the F5 prompt.
#Now startup maintenance again and you will find a new database "STARTUP DATABASE" select it and login with NEOSYS username and password. Once you enter you may find a prompt "TASK ADDED" follow the prompt and continue.
#After you have logged in, go to General > Backup & Data Management > Delete a dataset and select the "BASIC DATASET" to delete, to confirm the delete system will ask you to enter the dataset code. Enter the code and delete the basis dataset.
#Now create a new dataset for the client, go to general > Backup & Data management> Create a new dataset, select (6th option) and follow the instruction on how to setup database code from the following link [[Installing_NEOSYS_Service#Assigning_database_codes|Assigning database codes]]
#Once the client dataset is created,login to the clientdataset and follow the steps in above point6 and delete the STARTUP DATABASE. (while logging in to the client dataset, it ask " This database hsa been copied or the database name or code has been changed. Is this going to be a unique new master database?" select first option YES - Going to be a new independent database.
#To check the list of dataset on the computer, go to go to General > Backup & Data Management > See a list of dataset in the computer(8th option).

Note:
#Sometimes it may tell you that you cannot use FILEMAN as you are logged in as MASTER. Hence you need to hit the ESC key, go to General > Backup & Data Management > Restore from disk or diskette, select C drive or whichever drive you put the backup.zip file in and follow the prompts ahead.
#While doing the step no.2 if you get a message as below just hit enter or space and continue.

[[File:Message while installing.jpg]]

==== Assigning database codes ====
It is necessary to make sure that the following guidelines are met while creating database codes:

#The code must be within 8 letters
#The client should instantly recognisable or as recognisable as possible from the main database code
#The test database code MUST END with the word "TEST" and it is not necessary that it must be recognisable. The system needs to know if a database is "test" or not. Otherwise test documents like invoices appear like real live documents potentially causing serious confusion. Many other internal problems will also occur.
#The test database code should sort alphabetically after the main database code at login. Prefixing with code with the letter X may achieve this.

Examples of wrong and right database codes:

ALTO VISTA ADVERTISING
ALTOVIST and XALTTEST - right AVISTA and AVTEST - wrong (AVISTA not "as recognisable as possible")

CONTEXTURE ASSOCIATES
CONTEXT and XCONTEST - right CONTEXT and CONTEST - wrong (CONTEST alphabetically first in the login screen database drop down)

=== Creating a .CMD file to start NEOSYS Service: ===
(Note: change x to the correct drive you have installed NEOSYS on)

In x:\neosys create a file start MAIN-DATABASE-CODE.cmd (eg start ALTOVIST.cmd)

x:
cd \neosys\neosys
Start neosys.js /system ADAGENCY /database databasecode

(where databasecode is the code of the database)
(also you need to replace ADAGENCY with ACCOUNTS if this is an accounts only installation)

In x:\neosys create a file start TEST-DATABASE-CODE.cmd (eg start AVTEST.cmd)

x:
cd \neosys\neosys
Start neosys.js /system ADAGENCY /database testdatabasecode

(where testdatabasecode is the code of the testdatabase)
(also you need to replace ADAGENCY with ACCOUNTS if this is an accounts only installation)

TEST THAT THE FILES YOU HAVE CREATED CAN RUN SUCCESSFULLY

ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT CLOSE THE PROCESS WINDOWS BY USING THE X BUTTON. HIT ESC 3 TIMES ON EACH WINDOW.

=== Differences for Pure Accounts Module Only Installations ===
Accounts module only has a slightly different startup command. In the above, replace '''/system adagency''' with '''/system accounts''' to startup a service and use '''accounts.bat''' instead of '''adagency.bat''' to start up maintenance. Other than that, accounts module setup is identical. Pure accounts clients are very few and tend not to upgrade often so care needs to be taken when upgrading. Upgrade is done using the usual neosys2.exe file.

=== Creating a .CMD file to copy maindata to testdata ===

In x:\neosys create a file copy MAINDATABASECODE to TESTDABASECODE.cmd

Make sure you put the same xcopy command TWICE so that the time elapsed between the start of the copy and the end of the copy is minimal. The /d option copies only unchanged files so the second xcopy should complete in minimal or even close to zero time.

Copying in the minimum time (by not copying unchanged files) reduces the chance that updates will occur during the copy resulting in the test database containing a mix of pre-update and post-update information. This risk only occurs if copying live data to test data during the day while NEOSYS live database is operational. Normally live data is copied to test data during the night while the live database is shutdown and therefore is not being updated. Note that if the live system is not updated during the first copy then the second xcopy will do precisely nothing since all files will be identical (have the same "last modified" date and time).

@rem put nearly the same command twice!
xcopy x:\neosys\data\maindatabasecode x:\neosys\data\testdatabasecode /s /y /m
xcopy x:\neosys\data\maindatabasecode x:\neosys\data\testdatabasecode /s /y /d

Example:

@rem put nearly the same command twice!
xcopy c:\neosys\data\ALTOVIST x:\neosys\data\AVTEST /s /y /m
xcopy c:\neosys\data\ALTOVIST x:\neosys\data\AVTEST /s /y /d

Run this file to test that it works fine.

=== Setting up daily scheduled tasks ===
NEOSYS is normally configured to backup and shutdown at 1am. All the processes shutdown except one which performs the backup and then closes.

A Windows Scheduled Task must be created to startup NEOSYS every day typically at 6am. It can startup one live database process and that process will startup all other required database processes. Test databases will not startup other database processes automatically.

On Windows 2008 Standard, untick highest privileges and untick run whether user is logged in or not. This means that NEOSYS processes will be visible on the desktop when you login BUT the windows schedules tasks to startup NEOSYS will FAIL to run if the server is rebooted for any reason including power failure or when the monthly Windows Update procedure reboots.

Alternatively, for clients which cannot tolerate manual intervention after server reboots for any reason (eg need to start work before NEOSYS support is available or on NEOSYS support weekends), tick "highest privileges" and "run whether the user is logged in or not". This approach means that NEOSYS processes which are started by the windows scheduled task are not visible on the desktop and run hidden in the background and only listed in task manager.

1. Create a task to start one Main database process at 6:00 am daily.

[[File:start1.jpg]] 
[[File:start2.jpg]] 
[[File:start3.jpg]] 

2. Create a second task to Copy Maindata to Testdata at 2:45 am daily.

[[File:copy1.jpg]] 
[[File:copy2.jpg]] 
[[File:copy3.jpg]] 

(For multiple sites on the same computer put the second site starting five minutes later at 6:05am, third site starting five minutes earlier at 5:55am, the third site starting five minutes later at 6:10am and so on.)

Once created, test them to see that they are working correctly by running them directly using right click- Run.

[[File:task1.jpg]] 

(Use web access and go to Support Menu, System Configuration File to request 3 processes for main database and 1 for test database).

Please note that test running “copy test data” should be avoided while users are online but there is no problem testing the “daily 6am startup task” at any time since it will just add an additional process.

=== Configuring NEOSYS to start automatically on server start-up / reboot ===
We no longer configure NEOSYS processes to start on reboot as we would like to know of the failures at the client side and hence whenever the server reboots we expect the client to inform us and we will start the process - or NEOSYS will start automatically next day at 6 am

Unfortunately using this method the NEOSYS processes are not visible when you login as a user.

[[Image:win_sch_task.jpg]]

Schedule a task to run the main database file whenever the computer starts. In Windows 2008 you need to tick the options - Run whether user logged in or not and Run with highest privilege.

Additional in Windows 2008: Tick Highest Priviledges and Run whether user logged in or not

== Installing and upgrading NEOSYS pure accounting systems ==

Basic installation using NEOSYS.EXE and upgrades using NEOSYS2.EXE are identical to the normal adagency installation process.

Differences are as follows:

# Maintenance shortcut to ACCOUNTS.BAT
# Process startup file contains "/system ACCOUNTS" instead of "/system ADAGENCY"
# Internet address is http://server/neosys/accounts.htm although it auto converts to http://server/neosys/default.htm??ACCOUNTS. Although not to be relied upon, the login page stores a cookie so even plain http://server/neosys or http://server/neosys/default.htm works thereafter until the cookie is lost. To get back to adagency login you use http://server/neosys/default.htm??ADAGENCY
# BACKUP.ZIP files created by ADAGENCY systems and ACCOUNTS systems are slightly incompatible with the result that restoring one in the other type of system will not work. NEOSYS programmers can convert from one type to the other but it is almost never required since any ad agency that only requires accounts only module is given the adagency version of NEOSYS and accounting only clients becoming ad agencies never happened.

Handling damaged files

2012-05-29T06:22:38Z

Vineet:

== Symptoms ==

"A Damaged file has been found..... ((the rest of this message to be completed))
Group format Error:
OS File : BOOKING.TEXTS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

== Cause ==
Rare but nasty problem on server 99% caused by power failure, killing NEOSYS or server hardware or operating system failure.

*Did somebody kill NEOSYS processes to reboot the server or any other reason?
*Was there a power cut?
*Any expected or unexpected reboots in the server log? (see Event Viewer > System Log)
*Enough disk free space especially on servers not dedicated to NEOSYS?
*Third party software running on NEOSYS server?
*RAID installed on the server?
*Did windows update happen?

== Solution==

Damaged files, when detected, cause an immediate termination of the currently executing program/user request and a restart of the process is involved. Some damaged files are automatically fixed during restart. Although the process "restarts" it may be internally corrupted in some way and it is advisable to close it completely and start or allow another process to start automatically. 
However, the solution always depends on the cause and usually often requires aggressive interrogation to discover the cause.

== Recovery==

It is URGENT to stop using NEOSYS and fix the damaged file because it will cause NEOSYS to crash everytime it happens to update that part of the file. NEOSYS crashing while updating often produces unrecoverable inconsistencies in the database that can only be fixed by programmers sitting for hours trying to edit the database .... or by restoring from a backup causing loss of work.

See the following sections how to patch the damaged files.

== Files that are automatically fixed ==

*LISTS
*LOCKS
*!INDEXING

The above files are automatically checked for corruption (and initialised to empty if so) when you
startup a NEOSYS process and do not require any manual intervention apart from locating and eliminating the initial cause of the damage.

If the !INDEXING file was damaged then you should also do REINDEXALL to reinstate any possibly missing index entries, but since this will take a long time
you should do this when everybody is off the system in the evening probably. A few missing index entries may only mean some records missing from some reports which may or may not be seriously inconvenient. It is a temporary file that should not hold any records for longer than it takes to update the various indexes immediately when the user saves any document.

Each process has its own LISTS file, so damage is limited to one process for the LISTS file. The process number can be seen in the error message. for example:

Process=7

You can also see the process number on the server screen. For example here is a process 2.

13:17:31 TESTDB NEOS0002 0 Listening 7 hours, 49 mins ...

The LISTS file is a temporary file for sorting records into order for reports, popups etc. Therefore any damage usually causes no real inconvenience apart from the failed report or popup on which the user might receive the "damaged LISTS file" message.

The error message would appear as follows :

SYSTEM ERROR:
An internal file LISTS was found
to be damaged and has been patched.
INFORM YOUR TECHNICAL SUPPORT 
SOME DATA HAS PROBABLY BEEN LOST
AND THE NEOSYS SYSTEM MAY MALFUNCTION 
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

The error could also appear as follows :

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : LISTS
Group # : 00000014
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=17:16:04 23 JAN 2011
Database=1D68EE63 ADLINED
Process=2

OR

A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM! 
Group Format Error:
File : STATISTICS
Group # : 00000005
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
114 files checked.
Failed with 1 error
!!!DANGER!!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!!BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

''Note - '' Statistics contains info about user usage as per support menu so loss of data is not critical and it will be rebuilt automatically

'''We might also get errors related to Temporary Files as follows:'''
<pre>
A DAMAGED FILE HAS BEEN FOUND.
YOU MUST GIVE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE TO TECHNICAL SUPPORT NOW.
DO NOT CONTINUE USING THE SYSTEM!

Group Format Error:
File : MATDEL_MEDIALIN_3
Group # : 13369375
Wrong Overflow frame linked to group.

Server=NEOSYS-SERVER
Install=D:\NEOSYS\NEOSYS\
Version=11:26:27 26 JUL 2010
Database=23BF2931 MEDIALIN
Process=3
Client=100_100_100_77
User=HAMADA
Request=MEDIADIARY
@Id=
Data=
</pre>

'''Since these are temporary files, we need not use FIXFILE. They get cleared automatically.'''

== Fixing damaged file that have a process to recreate them ==

Below files can be recreated from the maintenance mode.

ADS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEADS

ANALYSIS file can be recreated with F5 CREATEANALYSIS

BRANDS files can be recreated with F5 CREATEBRANDS

If the file is actually damaged it might be necessary to initialise it first using CLEARFILE filename.

The following is an example of the error in the ADS File at the time of backup.

Group Format Error:
OS File : ADS
Group # : 00009543
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.
217 files checked.
Failed with 1 errors
!!! DANGER !!!
!!! DAMAGED FILES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE NEOSYS SYSTEM !!!
!!! BACKUP NOT DONE !!!

Error while writing data.
You have attempted to write to a read-only file.
- or -
access to the file has been denied by the operating system.
(operating system file name: "ADS")

Explanation: The last four lines are very rare and can be seen with the above error messages in the backup email. The above message indicates that some external application is trying to access the backup files at the time of backup.

Before doing the solution below, please check the number of damaged files on the database by running CHK.FILES in maintenance mode. [CHK.FILES can be done when users are online]

Solution

'''NOTE:''' Stop all the processes before doing the below procedure.

Procedure to run CREATEADS is as under

Login to maintenance

F5
CREATEXXXX

(XXXX = ADS, ANALYSIS OR BRANDS)

Select the option appropriate option and start the procedure and hit ENTER

To verify if the above is done successfully and check if the damage files is fixed in the database run CHK.FILES or CHK.FILES FILENAME (Recommended) from this link: [[Troubleshooting_NEOSYS_Generally#Checking_for_corrupt_database_files|Checking for corrupt database files]]

== Fixing damaged index files (names starting with !) ==

Whilst backing up or using NEOSYS the following error message might appear:

"A Damaged file has been found.....
Group format Error:
OS File : !ADS
Group# : 00000932
Record length incorrect or frame linkage error.

#Ensure that no-one is using NEOSYS
#Log into NEOSYS on the server
#Press F5 to get a TCL command box
#Type REINDEXADS and press enter.
#Wait until it finishes and you get back to the command box
#Type OFF in the command box and you will quit NEOSYS.

Other reindex commands are:

(''Note -'' You can save time when indexing very large files by indexing only selected indexes instead of all indexed for the file. You can select the field(s) that need to be reindexed from a list of indexed fields which REINDEX filename presents you after you enter the command.)

*REINDEXACCOUNTS recreates !ACCOUNTS, !BATCHES and !VOUCHERS
*REINDEXADDRESSES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS recreates !BOOKING.ORDERS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXINVS recreates !INVOICES
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXPRODINVS recreates !PRODUCTION.INVOICES
*REINDEXPRODORDERS recreates !PRODUCTION.ORDERS
*REINDEXRATECARDS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS
*REINDEXVEHICLES

REINDEXMEDIA does all the following
*REINDEXPLANS
*REINDEXSCHEDULES
*REINDEXADS
*REINDEXMATERIALS
*REINDEXBOOKINGS

REINDEXFILES does all the following
*REINDEXCLIENTS
*REINDEXBRANDS
*REINDEXSUPPLIERS
*REINDEXVEHICLES
*REINDEXRATECARDS

REINDEXPRODUCTION does all the following
*REINDEXJOBS
*REINDEXPRODORDERS
*REINDEXPRODINVS
*REINDEXTIMESHEETS

REINDEXALL does all the following
*REINDEXMEDIA
*REINDEXPRODUCTION
*REINDEXFILES
*REINDEXINVS
*REINDEXACCOUNTS
*REINDEXADDRESSES

== Fixing damaged files that have no process for recreating them ==

Some damaged files can be rebuilt using NEOSYS utilities especially index files with filenames starting with !. Other damaged files like ''LOG20xx'' can be “fixed” to prevent NEOSYS crashes as follows but some records will most probably be lost. Depending on the file loss of a few records may not be too bad compared to restoring a database but the client should be informed and make the decision. Depending on the file it is usually best to lose the records. We can make a list of files that one can afford to lose records and those files that can be rebuilt programmatically from other files. Booking order texts they can lose records but inform them and especially the numbers mentioned in FIXFILE

''SHADOW'' is a type of log file that can lose some records without serious impact and can therefore can also be fixed with FIXFILE.

FIXFILE will not run if there are neosys services still running so before doing the FIXFILE command, shut down services from the Support menu or with the Global command:

'''NOTE:''' If there are multiple datasets running on the server. Shut down the particular dataset which has got the problem:

F5

FIXFILE filename

(Select option 1 to update the file)

In case you get any Overwrite messages – type YES, as these are the actual files being updated.

The only alternative is restore from a previous backup in this case losing a days work. Nasty, and even worse, it will be impossible to reproduce the days work and especially the exact serial numbers of critical documents like orders, invoices, receipts and payments advices.

=== Using FIXFILE to repair corrupted files ===

'''BEWARE:''' FIXFILE causes loss of data. If the data is critical then use of FIXFILE can be totally catastrophic without any warning.
Hence, in such situations it is advisable to talk to NEOSYS technical staff to see if they can provide any proper fix or provide any better comment about the impact of loss of data rather than implement FIXFILE directly.
 
'''Please Note:'''
# Using FIXFILE on some files is a guaranteed way to cause complete chaos for the users without them being aware of it until too late to do anything about it.
#Corrupt files will cause programs to abort every time they try to update that section of the file. Aborting programs causes possibly horrendous inconsistency in the database so it is important to stop all user activity and fix the corrupt file immediately.
#You can freely use FIXFILE on any file but it works by deleting any problematic data so cannot realistically be used on some files at all.
#FIXFILE cannot and does not recover any corrupted records therefore, for those files that have specific programs to rebuild them, FIXFILE is not the correct option.
 
'''Why use FIXFILE at all since it causes loss of data?'''

#Many files do not have programs to rebuild them and for some of those files, using FIXFILE is a quick way to get the system back in operation BUT with missing records. Missing records causes various degrees of failure ranging from the odd document missing, totally misleading information like wrong account balances, or any kind of system failure.
#FIXFILE does not fix the consistency of information in the database. When the database is is being updated with a transaction, usually a series of files are updated for the one transaction. A damaged file causes the update program to abort in the middle of the series of updates. Therefore some of the updates are done and the remaining updates are not done. This means that the data in the database (even after fixing the corrupt file) is inconsistent.
#FIXFILE merely fixes the technical structure of the file so that any further program accesses to that portion of the file do not cause immediate program termination and consequent likely catastrophic database inconsistency.

'''IMPORTANT :''' You must prevent anyone from accessing NEOSYS while FIXFILE is running.

==== List of Files Impacted by FIXFILE ====
#'''USERS File :''' The main data of any lost records from the USERS file will be recreated any time the Authorisation File is saved, however only the information in the Authorisation File is recreated which means that all personal preferences, holiday records, login history etc will be lost.

=== Fixing Damaged DEFINITIONS file ===

==== Non-Solution ====

You will probably not be able to login if the DEFINITIONS FILE is damaged. You can press Alt+S and type EXECUTE to get a TCL command box but this still doesnt help because you cannot use FIXFILE on DEFINITIONS.

CAUTION: DO NOT USE FIXFILE TO TRY AND FIX THE DEFINITIONS FILE.

DOUBLE CAUTION: IN CASE YOU DECIDE TO IGNORE THIS EXPECT ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE PROBLEMS IN THE DATABASE REQUIRING A COMPLETE RESTORE FROM A GOOD BACKUP AFTER A FEW DAYS OF PAIN BECAUSE RANDOM OLD DATABASE UPGRADE/CONVERSIONS WILL BE PERFORMED *AGAIN* WITHOUT YOU KNOWING IT.

==== Partial Restore ====

You can copy recent DEFINITIONS.LK and DEFINITIONS.OV files from the DATA\datasetcode\GENERAL folder.

CAUTION: All changes done in the Configuration File, Authorisation File, Users File and various other changes will be reverted to the date of the DEFINITIONS files being restored. If you are restoring from last nights backup or testdata then this will not be much but could cause serious confusion to people who have changed their passwords etc.

==== Full Restore ====

Restore from your latest backup losing all work done since that time and date.

=== Preventing users from accessing NEOSYS in order to do maintenance or repairs ===

On most systems you can simply stop the NEOSYS processes. On other systems where NEOSYS processes are automatically started in response to requests from the web, you need to disable the autostart by one of the following methods

# Stop the autostart program/script
# Put a file called NET.CFG with a single line saying AUTOSTART=NO in the neosys\neosys folder
# Stop the IIS server
# Stop/Pause the particular web in question

== Dealing with damaged files that cannot be fixed ==

If programmers are unable to fix the damage in a reasonably period of time and the damage is caused due to matters beyond NEOSYS control such as non-dedicated servers and power failures then data must be restored and client advised why they are going to suffer loss of data.

THIS DOES NOT RELEASE NEOSYS SUPPORT STAFF FROM THE OBLIGATION TO PROACTIVELY INFORM THE CLIENT OF MEASURES TO PREVENT THE RECURRENCE OF THE EVENT.

The following are the steps to follow:

# Ascertain the cause of the damage to the database by looking at the internal logs
# Create a new database from the damaged one as it will contain the up to date but damaged database.
# Restore the database from the backup media so that the database is in the last good known state.
# The client can see what work was done over the past couple of days from the damaged database and it will assist them to redo the work in the currently restored out of date main database.
# Next discuss with the client about the cause of the damage and (a) what to do to prevent the damage occurring again (b) to agree a procedure to perform a manual backup in case the automatic one is not performed for any reason overnight.