random Server connection errors using ^BVN

rrdbstudios

Ok,

so I've found what appears to of been a pre-existing problem in a system Im upgrading; when the control room would go to remote into a panel, it would occassionally not connect and say theres a server connection failure.

A way to duplicate this was to use to adjacent panels, and connect to the remore panel on one, but then try to start another connection with that same remote panel with the adjacent one; this will show the error until the first panel disconnects.


The problem seems to have worsened as I've added more operator control panels to remote into individual rooms. Because of increased systems added to the facility, we have had to change our subnet to accomadate the new systems.
The connection failures seem to be random, where I can connect one minute to a panel and then close out of it and try it again and it wont work at that point.

Any advice or reasons for this would be much appreciated.

Below is the code used for the remote buttons to access panels.

// Control other Touch Panels ******************************
BUTTON_EVENT[dvTPG,0]
{
    PUSH :
    {
	LOCAL_VAR INTEGER nRoomTP
	IF (BUTTON.INPUT.CHANNEL = 500)
	{
	    SEND_COMMAND dvTPG[GET_LAST(dvTPG)],"'^BVN-1,'"
	    nRoomLoggedOn[GET_LAST(dvTPG)] = 0
	}
	ELSE
	{
	    nRoomTP = BUTTON.INPUT.CHANNEL
	    
	    SEND_COMMAND dvTPG[GET_LAST(dvTPG)],"'^BVN-1,',cAllPanelIPs[nRoomTP]"
	    nRoomLoggedOn[GET_LAST(dvTPG)] = nRoomTP
	}
    }
}

rrdbstudios

still need help

...Does anybody have any insight on this?

to recap, when we try to remote a touchpanel, it often times fails and says server connection failure. Is there anyway to make this work everytime or what would cause the failure messages.

ericmedley

Need a little more detail.

When you say you connect what do you mean? By the panel's web interface? Using an AMX panel with a remote NI?

My guess is that you're talking about using the web/VNCinterface connection.

If so, it sounds like you're running into the limit on number of connections. I've found that quite often if a connection is momentarily lost the panel doesn't cancel out the session and thinks its still serving a particular session. Thus the count doesn't decrement. Also, I've never had much luck with allowing more than one connection.

rrdbstudios

Thanks for the reply Eric,

To give some more info:

Background, I have one dedicated master which has all touch panels IP's loaded into an array.
When there is a problem in a room, one of our helpdesk guys can hop onto their touch panel, which has all rooms listed, and when they click on that room needing assistance, the button uses the "^BVN" command to establish a vnc connection directly into that rooms panel using the IP from the array for that room.

When we're done, we just click the back button.

It does appear that the connect is staying active even after exiting the panel. AMX PI doesnt mention any proper way to exit this connection. Within the G4 web menu within the touchpanel, depending on the firmware and panel type, we can allow upto 3 connections, but in some cases 1 as you state.

Does anybody know of a correct way to exit this connection to not allow it to stay up? I was thinking possibly send a reboot command to all panels at the end of the day to physically reset these connections ....if nothing else...

the code I posted is physically all the code im using with the exception of the array of IP's themselves.

Thanks

John Nagy

There are two factors here, I think. One is the previously mentioned tendency for the panels to hold on to the incoming connection for up to many minutes after the remote viewing stops... but now that you explain how you use it, there may also be a factor in the "calling panel" holding on to the connection you think is no longer in use.

Just because a page isn't still in view doesn't mean it isn't still pointing to the last value you pushed there. Your help desk panel may continue to be connected even after you navigate "away".

You can try terminating the "call" by making a new VNC connection to a known local panel in the help room. That would at least assure you that the calling panel no longer is holding pointers to the remote.

You can also view how many connections a panel has or thinks it has live from the SETUP page for "Computer Control". That way you can see how long it takes to clear. I have seen it take a full panel reboot to clear a VNC, but typically they close in about a minute.

I would expect TELNET to the panels to show the VNC status too, as well as offer the remote reboot if required.