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    GUI client gets "Failed to connect to host" after logging in successfully

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    • Article Type: General
    • Product: Aleph
    • Product Version: 20

    Description:
    GUI clients are returning a communication error (global-5): "Failed to connect to host" under specific conditions. The Cataloging module returns the message immediately upon logging in, before doing anything else. All other modules log in without difficulty, but return the same error when accessing the Help -> About ... dialog box. The Cataloging module also displays the error message when accessing this menu item.

    Other than these specific conditions, functionality is apparently not hampered. (Even Cataloging, once one gets beyond the error message, appears to work without problems.) The one evidence of apparent problems is in the about box. After clicking through the error message about communication failure, the about box in every module shows these versions: "GUI version: 20.2.4 (3556) Server Version: " The server version is blank. Yesterday, the about box showed (as expected) the same version for both GUI and server.

    One area in which this problem prevents functionality is in the GUI AlephADM module. Trying to bring up the tables navigator (either through the menu or the icon) presents the "Failed to connect" error message, but no tables navigator is presented after dismissing the error dialog.

    Resolution:
    [Explanation from Jerry S:]

    If you have specified Yes to "Version check on boot" in installing the client, the first thing the client does is Version Check (using the server address/port specified in the PCVER line in library.ini). It seems that this Version Check is failing because the PCVER server/port is inactive.

    But this failure does *not* prevent the Cataloging client from proceeding to connect successfully to the server specified in the ABC01 line in library.ini.

    It would certainly seem that the PCVER should be looking at the same server/port as the libraries in library.ini.

    [From site:]

    I have discovered a fix for the problem by comparing my problem and non-problem workstations.

    In Alephadm-->Configuration-->Libraries manager, go the Libraries tab.

    The line for PCVER (2nd from bottom on my list) had the identical port to the rest of my libraries on the non-problem station (abc.edu:6525) and a different port on the problem station (abc.edu:6505).

    On the right hand side of the window, enter the port number of your institution's standard port (it's different for each of us, but for QRS it's 6525) and check the "Apply to All" box and then [Apply].

    Close & reopen all GUI modules; the problem's gone.

    • Article last edited: 3/2/2015