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Topic: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

Our IT department have been trying all month to install the NBN Exchange addin on a network version of Recorder 6.16.2.241 in a Citrix environment.

The addin works when running directly from the combined application/database server.

When launching Recorder from a Citrix desktop on the Citrix server, via a short cut icon to Recorder on the application/database server, we receive the "NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow" error.  Recorder still loads despite this error message.  However, if I try to view the 'About' information about the addin, or to create an export using the NBN Exchange format, Recorder entirely disappears off the screen and has to be restarted.

The AddinLoadFailed.txt file says:

Version: 6.16.2.241
Date: 23/01/2013 3:23:43 PM

The following addins could not be loaded for the specified reasons:
    NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack overflow

The following addins loaded successfully:
    Go to spatial ref on map.
    GoTo Key
    Display unchecked records
    Recorder 6 Standard Validation

What may or may not be relevant is an error received by our IT department that I suspect is a login denial by SQL Server:

When I attempted to install the NBN Exchange addin on the Citrix server, I got the following message:

‘Addin of that name already exist.  Would you like to replace it?’

I selected Yes and then got the following error message:

‘The following file was not installed : NBNExchange.  Cannot generate SSPI context’

The addin did not appear in the configuration list.  I then closed and reopend Recorder6.  The ‘NBN Exchange Format’ addin now appears under ‘add-in configuration.

They have since overcome this issue and have provided me with the following summary of what they have tried:

We have installed the NBN Addin to Recorder6 onto both the server (name censored) and the Citrix box (name censored).

On both installs we selected ‘Windows login credentials’ to access SQL Server when prompted.  This would be the Domain Administrator account that we have used to login to each box.

The ‘NBN Exchange Format’ is now visable on both servers under Tools Install and Add-in Module.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  This could well be a screwed up installation so I have put data entry on hold in case we have to restore from backup.

Mike Beard
Natural Course Project Officer
Greater Manchester Local Records Centre

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

Think I heard somewhere that the NBN exchange export addin was broken. We had problems with it  which were supposed to be fixed by the upgrade to 6.18

Rob Large
Wildlife Sites Officer
Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

The addin isn't broken as far as I know.   The R6 consortium don't support it and have no access to the code. As far as I know nothing has been done in 6.18 to break it or fix any problems.  I suspect installation problems are due either to the fact that when installed  it attempts to add new User Defined fuctions to the database, or  with permission problems associated with writing to the addin folder or regsitry.  If other addins can be installed then it is the former which is the problem.  There does seem to be a general problem with addins which means that on some systems the addin file  needs to be copied into the R6 addins folder before it will install.  The addin only adds a UDF and doesn't affect the data in anyway so if Recorder runs it is unliley that there would have been any data  corruption

Mike Weideli

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

Thank you for your input Rob and Mike.

Who do I contact for support of this addin?

Mike Beard
Natural Course Project Officer
Greater Manchester Local Records Centre

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

I don't think the add-in is broken. Last week I managed to run an export of ~130000 records into Exchange format using 6.18.1.259. Haven't checked that it actually worked properly, but I have a txt file of 27MB, small xml and zip of 1.8MB, which seems reasonable. I previously had problems installing add-ins but fixed it last year with the help of the forum. Running 6.18 over Terminal Services.

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

Thanks Gordon. 

The addin is certainly not broken because it is working when run directly on the application/database server.  The problem is that we will be wanting regular user access to this function, which unfortunately requires access via the Citrix server with a client installation.

Gordon's previous problem http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=3215 appears to have featured a different error message "The specified file is not a COM server and cannot be registered".

Mike Beard
Natural Course Project Officer
Greater Manchester Local Records Centre

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

Yes sorry if I was leading you in the wrong direction. Not sure how similar, apart from the concept, Citrix is from TS. I am probably fortunate to have admin access to the server Recorder is on rather than going through IT each time.

Gordon Barker
Biological Survey Data Manager
National Trust

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

Sorry Gordon, did not receive an email notification of this new reply.

I do not know much about Citrix, and not much more about TS really, but the remote desktop concept seems very similar.  The other difference I suspect is that your TS goes straight to the Recorder server with a stand-alone installation, whereas somehow we have ended up with a network installation on a database/application server and a client on a Citrix server.  Not what you recommended and I am quite sure it has made our experience with Recorder much more difficult than necessary.  Corporate IT environmments have their benefits but they do create additional hurdles as well.

Mike Beard
Natural Course Project Officer
Greater Manchester Local Records Centre

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

We have managed to install the Taxon Occurrence Extra Info Addin on both the Recorder server and the Citrix server, so that points the finger towards SQL server blocking the addition of the UDF.

It does seem strange for the workstation Addin installation to be trying to add a UDF to SQL Server when it has already been added when the Addin was installed on the server.

So, is the solution to change our access rights to enable the workstation to add the UDF?  If so, how?

Mike Beard
Natural Course Project Officer
Greater Manchester Local Records Centre

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Re: NBNExchange.NBN Exchange Format: Stack Overflow

An extra bit of diagnostic information.   When we try to import a csv file on the Citrix box we also experience the crash where Recorder simply disappers without trace.  The import works fine when done directly on the application/database server.

Mike Beard
Natural Course Project Officer
Greater Manchester Local Records Centre