C-Gate Connection Issues

[Greg Mortlock]

When C-Gate loses contact with a CNI, for whatever reason, we run into a couple of problems:

1) We get no indication to our program that this has happened (until we try to send a new command).

2) The only way to reconnect appears to be to restart the C-Gate app.

To be blunt, this is a real pain in the arse. We have to regularly poll something on the network to check when the connection drops and then restart C-Gate when it has. These problems have been apparent for sometime now and, though we've reported them through other channels, I've not heard anything. I'm suprised others aren't having similar problems, or is everyone just living with it?

While we're at it, the earlier version of C-Gate was a Windows service. We had a similar auto restart setup because we found the service used to die every three months or so (not too bad). Being a service it was easy to monitor it's status and restart automatically. Now C-Gate's an app this is more difficult and also creates security and admin problems as we've now got to be logged on to run it.

When can we expect C-Gate to auto reconnect to a CNI, or at least some feedback and commands to monitor and restart the connection?

Any chance of having a Windows service version again?

[Richo]

When can we expect C-Gate to auto reconnect to a CNI, or at least some feedback and commands to monitor and restart the connection?

I'm not close enough to the CGate team to answer this one. I'll leave that to them

Any chance of having a Windows service version again?

This was changed because to work it relied on proprietory MS extensions to Java which was a problem to maintain when MS dropped Java support in the development tools. We had to move to true independant Java tools which although was a benefit as CGate is truly multi-platform, unfortunately we lost this feature.

However, thanks for posting this question as it reminded me that I had an idea abot 3 nights ago on how we can implement CGate as service again. I will send and email to the relevant team and discuss it with them. Unlikely to happen in the immediate future, but it a valuable feature and internally we would like to be able to offer it again at some point in the future.

[jacksim]

Hi Experts,
My side also facing this problem...we are using a gate-way(mini pc) to run c-gate s/w. We alway need to power on both gate-way and CNI at the sametime. :)

Regards
Jack

[Richo]

I can't talk about unreleased products, but I can say the development build of CGate I'm using doesn't have this problem. That is it can re-establish a connection to a CNI once it has be dropped automatically without requiring a restart.

[johnnychan]

May i know the Version of your CGate software? Thanks

[Richo]

May i know the Version of your CGate software? Thanks

I can't say anything more than it's "an unreleased development build of CGate". It will be released at somepoint in the future.

My remark was just to confirm that that specific concern has been address in a future build of CGate as far as I can tell. This is not an official committment that this concern has been resolved, mearly an observation.

[MikeS]

- Bug: C-Gate app closes when a different user logs off the machine. :eek: Is this still true in your version?

- Any progress making into a service as we don't want any users logged onto the server? :confused:

- When/where can we get a release schedule? :confused:

[Richo]

- Bug: C-Gate app closes when a different user logs off the machine. :eek: Is this still true in your version?

Yes, that still happens.

- Any progress making into a service as we don't want any users logged onto the server? :confused:

This has been discussed and the engineering team would like to re-instate the capability to run as a service. It won't be in the next release. But certainly I would like to see it happen sooner rather than later. I (and others)consider it a a very important feature.

- When/where can we get a release schedule? :confused:

It's probably safe to say "not long now". I can't give an extact date as the beta hasn't passed final approval by all the powers that be. The product has moved from a development phase to a test and approval phase.

[steve_mcneill]

- Bug: C-Gate app closes when a different user logs off the machine. :eek: Is this still true in your version?

- Any progress making into a service as we don't want any users logged onto the server? :confused:



i have a solution for the service problem!
it is based on this Program (http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.org/doc/english/introduction.html).

you can download a tailored version for c-gate Here (https://mail.domesticsecurity.com.au/C-Gate.zip)

read the service.txt file for installaion instructions. the files should be extracted to your c:\clipsal\cgate\ directory.

you may need to tailor the service.conf file if you have the cgate software installed in an alternative location or you have a different version of java installed.

steve

[Richo]

i have a solution for the service problem!
it is based on this Program (http://wrapper.tanukisoftware.org/doc/english/introduction.html).

you can download a tailored version for c-gate Here (https://mail.domesticsecurity.com.au/C-Gate.zip)


Thanks for the link Steve. I'll check it out.

[MikeS]

Thanks for that steve_mcneill. I've installed it - is it any better than NTs srvany service wrapper? The problem with that one was when any user logs off, the c-gate app detects it closes (but the service stays running). This means we can't run the app or service on a server that users term service (remote desktop) into. I'll re-test the log off issue with this service later today.

The specific product I'm involved with requires just one server for cost reasons, so this limitation, and the problem with it not reconnecting, are major design and support issues.

[MikeS]

:confused: How do we get issue numbers so we know these problems are logged, we can track them and then check version/service pack release notes for resolutinons?

[Duncan]

:confused: How do we get issue numbers so we know these problems are logged, we can track them and then check version/service pack release notes for resolutinons?

I hear you Mike. We DO have an internal change management system. The number for the defect wont be much use to you.. We're looking at changing to a web based change management system.. at that point we may start publicising defect numbers and referring to them in release notes.

It wont happen overnight.. but it will happen

[MikeS]

:p
The patch to bring our c-Gate up to v1.5.3 build 1103 has fixed our log off and disconnection issues. We discovered this by browsing the release notes - but shouldn't a clipsal rep have pointed us to this patch earlier? :(

Note we've only tested these in a very limited way so far, but things have certainly improved! :D

Lights out from me.

[rhamer]

i have a solution for the service problem!
it is based on this Program.

you can download a tailored version for c-gate Here

read the service.txt file for installaion instructions. the files should be extracted to your c:\clipsal\cgate\ directory.

you may need to tailor the service.conf file if you have the cgate software installed in an alternative location or you have a different version of java installed.

steve



I'm interested in anybodys experience with Steves wrapper to make C-Gate run as a service.

Anybody doing it this way?

Rohan

[NickLocke]

I'm interested in anybodys experience with Steves wrapper to make C-Gate run as a service.

Anybody doing it this way?

Rohan

Yes, I now have a service happily humming away in the garage. It's running on W2003 Server Web Edition and, so far, seems happy.

I can connect to it from Toolkit on a different PC with no problem. On that, one tip - if you are using DHCP, then perhaps better to have:

Remote NickStudy Program

rather than

Remote 10.0.0.25 Program

in the access.txt file. It;s one less thing to worry about when the DHCP lease expires.

Nick