Flippin' problems
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For the last few weeks we have been having problems with an overnight automated procedure. We need to be able to turn off a vendor's service that interacts with one of our main databases before the db goes down for maintenance (about 12:30 am) and turn the service back on again after the db is back up (approx 3:30 am). So we created a couple of batch files that uses the -stop and -start switches on the service manager app to stop and start the service, and ran those two batch files from Windows Task Scheduler. From early last year until October 9th this year, the service was stopped and started without problem, but since then we've seen all sorts of problems. Typically the start command is given, but never notifies completion, so the batch file never ends, so the Task Scheduler task times out. The service doesn't start properly, so the clients start work at 5am, find that the application isn't running and get the HelpDesk guys to reboot the application server. The problems seemed to start about the time a new anti-virus was installed, so the first thing we did was to uninstall that. We still had the same problems. So next we disabled the Task Scheduler tasks and someone runs the service manager app to stop and start the service manually. The stop happens between 3:30 pm and midnight and the start between 4am and 5am. For the last two days the application has been running when the clients log on. :) (I realize that two days is too small a sample to base any results on, but I'm quietly confident). I've noticed something interesting. When I was checking the server's system and application event logs, I saw that the service had been started at odd hours ... even I had apparently started it on one occasion, even although I had no recollection of doing it. After digging further, I found that if you run the application administration tool when the service is not running, it automatically starts the service!!! It would have been nice if that had been documented! This is mostly a rant but, seeing as the problem seems to point to the Windows Task Scheduler, have any of you had problems using the Windows Task Scheduler? Are you aware of any automatic updates to it around 10/9/2009?
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For the last few weeks we have been having problems with an overnight automated procedure. We need to be able to turn off a vendor's service that interacts with one of our main databases before the db goes down for maintenance (about 12:30 am) and turn the service back on again after the db is back up (approx 3:30 am). So we created a couple of batch files that uses the -stop and -start switches on the service manager app to stop and start the service, and ran those two batch files from Windows Task Scheduler. From early last year until October 9th this year, the service was stopped and started without problem, but since then we've seen all sorts of problems. Typically the start command is given, but never notifies completion, so the batch file never ends, so the Task Scheduler task times out. The service doesn't start properly, so the clients start work at 5am, find that the application isn't running and get the HelpDesk guys to reboot the application server. The problems seemed to start about the time a new anti-virus was installed, so the first thing we did was to uninstall that. We still had the same problems. So next we disabled the Task Scheduler tasks and someone runs the service manager app to stop and start the service manually. The stop happens between 3:30 pm and midnight and the start between 4am and 5am. For the last two days the application has been running when the clients log on. :) (I realize that two days is too small a sample to base any results on, but I'm quietly confident). I've noticed something interesting. When I was checking the server's system and application event logs, I saw that the service had been started at odd hours ... even I had apparently started it on one occasion, even although I had no recollection of doing it. After digging further, I found that if you run the application administration tool when the service is not running, it automatically starts the service!!! It would have been nice if that had been documented! This is mostly a rant but, seeing as the problem seems to point to the Windows Task Scheduler, have any of you had problems using the Windows Task Scheduler? Are you aware of any automatic updates to it around 10/9/2009?
A web service, or a windows service? Do you have any of the related source code, and if so, for what components? Do you have access to the machine on which the service is running? My guess is that your problems may be connected to user privileges. One way around this is to write a windows service that replaces the scheduler/batch file mechanism so that your scheduling service can do what it needs to do. It's hard to give more complete advice because your question doesn't provide any of the important details.
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001
