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Synergy/DE 9.1.5b Now Available
The Synergy/DE 9.1.5b patch is now available on all supported platforms. It includes new versions of Synergy/DE, xfODBC Client, and xfNetLink .NET. This version includes improved interoperability with 3rd-party WPF and WinForm controls, improved performance on OpenVMS Integrity, support for SQLNCLI10 access to SQL Server 2008, and other quality improvements in response to customer feedback.
Customers with ALM and Developer Support can visit the Synergy/DE Resource Center to download the latest version. If you do not have ALM or Developer Support, please contact your account manager. |
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Fortune 1000 Company to Present How It Leverages Synergy/DE for In-House Application Needs at SPC 2009
Learn how United Natural Foods, Inc., is using today’s Synergy/DE to develop more productively and connect its OpenVMS-based system to the outside world
At last year’s SPC, you saw how Jackson Lumber’s lead developer singlehandedly took a traditional cell-based Synergy/DE application and converted it to Windows with an Outlook 2007 look and feel. This year, United Natural Foods (NASDAQ: UNFI), the largest publicly traded wholesale distributor to the natural and organic foods industry, will present how it is using the latest Synergy/DE features to solve business problems in a distributed computing environment.
UNFI’s Sr. Systems Integration Architect will demonstrate how UNFI is
- developing applications using Synergy/DE Workbench and its top productivity features, with source code housed and executed on OpenVMS.
- using Web services, such as credit card processing, to extend its applications.
- connecting its OpenVMS application to external SQL Server databases to access the UPS World Ship system and print shipping labels.
- using Synergy objects to encapsulate code and make it extensible.
Click here to see a brief overview of the workflow.
Considering taking advantage of any of these technologies? Come learn firsthand how UNFI is leveraging today’s Synergy/DE. Bring your questions, as there will be plenty of time to speak to the presenter after the session or later at the conference.
Be sure to register before April 17 to take advantage of special early bird pricing and to be entered to win a Flip Mino!*
*Wondering what a Flip Mino is? It’s “a sleek, hip-looking gadget... [that] changes the way people capture and share videos.” – The Wall Street Journal. Check it out at www.theflip.com.
Why does Synergy/DE VP William Mooney think you should attend the SPC? Read his blog to find out. |
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Where In The World Is Synergy/DE?
In space!
The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionized astronomy by providing unprecedented deep and clear views of the universe from our own solar system to remote galaxies. Hubble, which is about the size of a larger tractor-trailer truck, completes one orbit around the earth every 97 minutes at approximately 8 km per second (5 miles per second). Certain electronics within the Hubble space telescope are assembled using connectors from Synergy/DE customer Positronic Industries. Positronic is a manufacturer of high performance, high reliability connectors that are utilized worldwide in telecommunications equipment, mainframe and peripheral computers, medical equipment, avionics, aerospace and navigational systems, and instrumentation and process control applications.
Positronic uses Synergy/DE-based applications to manage almost every phase of their business—from accounting and inventory to manufacturing. They will soon be releasing a new version of their Synergy/DE-based “PosiMan” manufacturing application, which, in addition to a modern UI Toolkit-based user interface, will incorporate Synergy/DE’s SQL Connection to access data stored in SQL Server databases, and xfServerPlus to distribute their logic across their computing resources.
Positronic connectors can be found elsewhere in space—on the international space station, for one—as well as in a variety of “earth-based” locations such as vending machines, Lasik surgery equipment, city buses, and traffic signs. |
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Support Tech Tip
xfNetLink Connectivity issues? Check your settings...
Question
We’ve been running xfServerPlus for years and have recently upgraded to Synergy/DE 9.1.x. We’ve noticed that client applications are experiencing intermittent 10060 errors while connecting to the service. What’s the problem?
Answer
It’s likely that your client application is using the deprecated MINPORT/MAXPORT settings dating back to a pre-Synergy/DE 8.3 implementation. If you remove these settings, the errors should go away. Here’s why:
When xfServerPlus was still in its infancy, it quickly became apparent to Synergex developers that firewalls were going to cause some issues. Though xfServerPlus listened on only one port, it would actually call back to the client on an entirely different port. By default, this port was chosen at random by the client. Unfortunately, since xfServerPlus was initiating the call to the client on the new port, firewalls might not allow the traffic. The result was a client that would wait forever (or at least until the port timed out) for a response that was never coming.
To get around the problem, two optional keys were added to the configuration of xfNetLink clients: MINPORT and MAXPORT. This allowed network administrators to configure their firewalls in such a way that a certain range of ports on the client would always be granted access from the outside interface. xfNetLink clients would then automatically choose from these ports for communications with xfServerPlus.
This worked fairly well, but had some obvious drawbacks—punching holes in firewalls being one of them. Another difficulty occurred when spotty network connections were introduced. When the network went down—either at the client site, the server site, or somewhere in between—suddenly 10060 errors began springing up.
The problem was with the MINPORT / MAXPORT setting. xfNetLink doesn’t use a random port in the specified range; it starts at the first port and increments one port at a time. If a connection had already been established and the network suddenly failed, it was likely that the port used during the initial session was locked by the operating system in a “Timed Wait” status and pending shutdown. xfNetLink would have no idea that the port wasn’t really available, and would re-select it. Unfortunately, no communications could occur on the port for up to several minutes, and the result was often a 10060 error.
As of Synergy/DE 8.3, the behavior of xfNetLink / xfServerPlus communication has been radically improved. Now, clients always call on the same port—2356 by default—and always receive replies on it as well. That’s because xfServerPlus now clones the port rather than attempting to re-establish communications on an entirely different set of ports. To the client, it appears that all communication is occurring on the default port and therefore the firewall issue is completely avoided.
This is great news for everyone; but those of you using pre-8.3 Synergy/DE may not be taking advantage of it. If you’ve left MINPORT / MAXPORT settings in force on your client, then the old behavior is used. Introduce network outages between the client and the server, and those 10060 errors are going to start popping up.
The solution, of course, is to remove the deprecated MINPORT and MAXPORT settings on all clients running version 8.3 or greater. If communication between the server and the client is temporarily dropped, xfNetLink won’t try to reuse a port that’s under “OS lockdown” and will therefore have far fewer problems re-establishing a connection. |
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Quiz
Synergy/DE pros, see if you can answer this question!
What is the output of the following program?
function what_type_am_i, ^val
in req value, n
proc
freturn ^argtype(value)
end
main
proc
open(1,o,"TT:")
writes(1,%string(%what_type_am_i(1)))
end
a. 1 (D_TYPE_A)
b. 2 (D_TYPE_D)
c. 4 (D_TYPE_ID)
d. 8 (D_TYPE_I)
Click here for the answer and explanation.
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Platform News
Read a selection of recent articles
Google uncloaks once-secret server
April 1, 2009
Windows
WINS servers on a network send multicast packets too frequently, and this generates excessive CPU usage and network broadcast storms in a Windows Server 2003 environment
April 3, 2009
Microsoft releases Windows Server 2008 foundation
April 1, 2009
Windows users brace for Conficker's wiggle
April 1, 2009
FIX: You experience very slow performance on an initial request to an ASP.NET Web site after you change the App_Code folder, the bin folder, or the Global.asax file
April 1, 2009
FIX: The pop-out menus are not displayed when you use Internet Explorer 8.0 in Standards mode to view an ASP.NET Web page that has dynamic menus
March 31, 2009
Windows 7 release candidate coming in May
March 26, 2009
Windows Server is out of sync with Windows 7
March 26, 2009
FIX: Error message when you compile an ASP.NET project that contains many application resource files: "A first chance exception of type 'System.ArgumentException' occurred in mscorlib.dll"
March 17, 2009
Unix
Fedora 11 beta released
March 31, 2009
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Synergex Events and Education
SPC 2009 Boston
May 19-21
Learn more and register
SPC 2009 London
June 9-11
Learn more and register
On-Demand Seminars (view at your desk)
MDU Enhancements in Synergy/DE 9
6 minutes
From UI Toolkit to .NET: Updating a Legacy Application (A Customer's Perspective)
75 minutes
Synergy/DE 9.1 Highlights
70 minutes
UI Toolkit Composite Windows
30 minutes
Synergy Objects Parts 1
65 minutes
Synergy Objects Parts 2
25 minutes
Synergy Objects Parts 3
30 minutes
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Announcing the Q1 Developer Support Survey Contest Winner
Glynis Lyttle, from ICS Computing, Ltd., is the winner of the Q1 Developer Support Survey contest and the recipient of a $100 American Express gift card! ICS is one of the UK's leading computer software and services organizations and provides a range of IT solutions in areas such as payroll and human resources, outsourced software development, and accounting.
Want a chance to win? Let us know what you think!
Customer satisfaction with our Developer Support* is monitored and enhanced through the distribution of satisfaction surveys upon the closing of each support case. Each quarter, we choose a winner by randomly selecting the name of a customer who completed a survey after working with Developer Support. So, next time you call on us for support, let us know how we did and you could win $100 just for sharing your opinion. Not too shabby, eh?
Thanks to everyone who completed a Developer Support survey in Q1, and we look forward to hearing from you again.
*If you do not currently have Developer Support, contact your Synergy/DE account manager for more information.
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Modified Synergy/DE Developer Support, Sales, and Customer Service Hours on April 24
Learn more
The Synergy/DE Developer Support, Sales, and Customer Service departments will be attending an off-site event on Friday, April 24, and their availability will be limited after 11:00 AM PDT. However, all critical issues will be addressed as usual. If you anticipate needing assistance after 11:00 on this day, please contact synergy@synergex.com to make arrangements.
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Trademarks: Synergex, Synergy, Synergy Development Environment, Synergy/DE, Jodah Veloper, Manny Jurr, Mark Etting, Bigbah Smann, and all other Synergy/DE product names are trademarks of Synergex. All other product and company names in this newsletter are trademarks of their respective holders.
Copyright © 2009 Synergex International Corporation. All rights reserved.
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