Windows OS Client GUI

This message was edited 23 times. Last update was at 06/03/2011 03:17:39

Pre-Reqs
1) Windows OS (Xp +SP3 +Latest MS Updates and greater)
2) .Net 2 + SP2
3) If you have trouble with the installer then use the following and send (PM) the log back (It will be created in %TEMP% and be called "Windows Client Installer####.msi"[/i] whre the #'s are some numbers

Can some of you please do an install and see what issues you may have.

Things to be tested in this release:-

V 1.0.6
1.0.6
- Redo the creation of the template files View
- Allow Connect view to be triggered from the Create
- Remove confusing menu items.
- Remove static text from the Service state pane
+ Add in Formatable area (Colour banding)
+ Start to reflect the selected node
- Status Data class refactored
- Prevent "Connection refused" exception from filling the Client Log (Single line only)
- Default version command to state "Prior to 1.3 RTM" if it is not supported.

Fixed:
# 4 Detect and attempt silent upgrade
# 8 Done button positioning is a pain (Not consistent in different pages or different OS's !)
# 9 Add Changelog to be launch able from the GUI

Known Issues
# 10 When Clicking save on the text page and then clicking Connect, A Save box still appears.
# 11 Clicking Cancel on the above box then Closes the connected window.
# 12 New Message Command values need to be added
# 13 2010-02-21 Using the IP address of the targets when they are allocated dynamically is not good!

Not using the service

)

As always:- Feedback welcome.

I'll start the request list.

- Pretty and intuitive GUI for doing the configuration (nice drag and drops / simple wizards)
- OS integrated scheduling
- System monitoring info (memory/CPU/ I/O operations infos / Disk statuses / any other useful info me might get from the running OS) [Ps. we can work together to get this info for the client to display]
- Log browsing

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 10/01/2010 09:54:01

As per the request from Brahim

Brahim wrote:@Smurf-IV
As far as the UI client, you can start a thread for your work log and questions you might have for me.
The WebUI is useful, but some people have expressed interest in a more lightweight client.

So I have started a new thread to allow the readers of this forum to add requests and comments as to what would be nice
1) to see
2) Features
3) Installer requirements
4) Other stuff

I'll leave it alone until the new year to allow the holiday season to pass, and for the comments to accumulate and then start to correlate into a sensible requirement.
I will then start to see what can be done while "I'm not at work" doing software stuff

In anticipation of your requirements
Smurf-IV

Still Building a new VPC in Windows 7 - Not as clean as I thought it would be due to the new USB interaction feature not being as reliable as it would first seem !
Anyway.. Here is a snapshot of the requirements layout so far:-

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 13/01/2010 14:05:14

See first post..

V 1.0.1

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Feedback welcome.

Awesome Smurf!

Installed and everything went smoothly.
I love the client log feature.
I hope you are thinking of having it tail the log file.

There were a few crashes and lack of response here and there, but those are not issues to be concerned with for this early demonstration.
Great job and I also love your design plan (non convoluted and very easy to follow)!

Brahim wrote:Awesome Smurf!

Cheers.. Good to have some feedback

Brahim wrote:
Installed and everything went smoothly.
I love the client log feature.
I hope you are thinking of having it tail the log file.

I wasn't, as the status pane on the Server view will be telling the user important step information. The log is more for what went on to get to those UI status updates.
There are plenty of Tail style apps out there.. (I've even written a few !) I will have to look at what the overhead's would be if this is targeted at a remote windows server installation, as the Service log would be there and not on the local machine.

Brahim wrote:
There were a few crashes and lack of response here and there, but those are not issues to be concerned with for this early demonstration.

I am interested in the crash and non-response parts.. (I'm doing the development on XP SP3 and testing on Win 7 Pro. Both have the .Net 3.5 on so will have more updates than the minimum Pre-Reqs I'm aiming at)
Also This is just the MSI and does not contain the paired Setup.exe, which would determine the status of the windows installer service etc.
If you could delete the client log and just do one thing and send that over.. That would be great..

Brahim wrote:
Great job and I also love your design plan (non convoluted and very easy to follow)!

Here is the log.

2010-01-09 14:50:15,015[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: =====================================================================
2010-01-09 14:50:15,093[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: File Re-opened: 1/9/2010 8:50:15 PM
2010-01-09 14:50:16,187[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the NewConnection child window
2010-01-09 14:50:25,015[1] DEBUG FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection: Initialise the callback stuff for the background worker
2010-01-09 14:50:25,046[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the NewConnection child window
2010-01-09 14:50:32,593[5] INFO  NetworkInformation.Ping: Create .Net Ping classes
2010-01-09 14:50:32,593[5] DEBUG NetworkInformation.Ping: Use the default Ttl value which is 128, but change the fragmentation behavior.
2010-01-09 14:50:32,593[5] DEBUG NetworkInformation.Ping: Create a buffer of 32 bytes of data to be transmitted.
2010-01-09 14:50:32,593[5] INFO  NetworkInformation.Ping: Fire the ping "Not async !" with 12 sec as a timeout
2010-01-09 14:50:32,703[5] WARN  FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection: System.InvalidOperationException: Service FlexRAID Host Service was not found on computer '.'. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The specified service does not exist as an installed service
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateNames()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_ServiceName()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateStatus()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_Status()
   at FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection.bw_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
2010-01-09 14:50:32,890[5] WARN  FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection: System.InvalidOperationException: Service FRWinService was not found on computer '.'. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: The specified service does not exist as an installed service
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateNames()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_ServiceName()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateStatus()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_Status()
   at FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection.bw_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
2010-01-09 14:51:10,781[5] INFO  NetworkInformation.Ping: Create .Net Ping classes
2010-01-09 14:51:10,781[5] DEBUG NetworkInformation.Ping: Use the default Ttl value which is 128, but change the fragmentation behavior.
2010-01-09 14:51:10,781[5] DEBUG NetworkInformation.Ping: Create a buffer of 32 bytes of data to be transmitted.
2010-01-09 14:51:10,781[5] INFO  NetworkInformation.Ping: Fire the ping "Not async !" with 12 sec as a timeout
2010-01-09 14:51:11,218[5] WARN  FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection: System.InvalidOperationException: Cannot open Service Control Manager on computer 'host'. This operation might require other privileges. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: Access is denied
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithAccess(String machineName, Int32 serviceControlManaqerAccess)
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithConnectAccess()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateNames()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_ServiceName()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateStatus()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_Status()
   at FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection.bw_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
2010-01-09 14:51:11,328[5] WARN  FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection: System.InvalidOperationException: Cannot open Service Control Manager on computer 'host'. This operation might require other privileges. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: Access is denied
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithAccess(String machineName, Int32 serviceControlManaqerAccess)
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithConnectAccess()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateNames()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_ServiceName()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateStatus()
   at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_Status()
   at FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection.bw_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)
2010-01-09 14:51:34,062[1] INFO  FRWSInterface.TargetDetailsStateWrapper: Read Started
2010-01-09 14:52:56,015[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: =====================================================================
2010-01-09 14:52:56,031[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: File Re-opened: 1/9/2010 8:52:56 PM
2010-01-09 14:52:56,109[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the NewConnection child window
2010-01-09 14:52:59,718[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the OpenConnection child window
2010-01-09 14:54:22,703[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: =====================================================================
2010-01-09 14:54:22,718[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: File Re-opened: 1/9/2010 8:54:22 PM
2010-01-09 14:54:22,796[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the NewConnection child window
2010-01-09 14:54:25,968[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the OpenConnection child window
2010-01-09 14:54:26,046[1] INFO  FRWSInterface.TargetDetailsStateWrapper: Read Started
2010-01-09 14:54:28,234[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.OpenConnection: buttonTest_Click has an exception: 
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at FlexRaid_WinGUI.OpenConnection.openConnection_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)
2010-01-09 14:57:09,453[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: =====================================================================
2010-01-09 14:57:09,468[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: File Re-opened: 1/9/2010 8:57:09 PM
2010-01-09 14:57:09,546[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the NewConnection child window
2010-01-10 13:19:36,421[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: =====================================================================
2010-01-10 13:19:36,453[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: File Re-opened: 1/10/2010 7:19:36 PM
2010-01-10 13:19:36,593[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the NewConnection child window
2010-01-10 13:19:53,515[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the OpenConnection child window
2010-01-10 13:19:53,546[1] INFO  FRWSInterface.TargetDetailsStateWrapper: Read Started
2010-01-10 13:19:56,859[1] ERROR FlexRaid_WinGUI.OpenConnection: buttonTest_Click has an exception: 
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at FlexRaid_WinGUI.OpenConnection.openConnection_Load(Object sender, EventArgs e)
2010-01-10 13:19:56,890[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.OpenConnection: +_+_ Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
2010-01-10 13:20:39,000[1] INFO  FlexRaid_WinGUI.WinGUIMDIForm: Display the OpenConnection child window

Note that closing the log to return to the main screen is not working.

Brahim wrote:Here is the log.

2010-01-09 14:51:11,328[5] WARN FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection: System.InvalidOperationException: Cannot open Service Control Manager on computer 'host'. This operation might require other privileges. ---> System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: Access is denied --- End of inner exception stack trace --- at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithAccess(String machineName, Int32 serviceControlManaqerAccess) at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GetDataBaseHandleWithConnectAccess() at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateNames() at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_ServiceName() at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.GenerateStatus() at System.ServiceProcess.ServiceController.get_Status() at FlexRaid_WinGUI.NewConnection.bw_DoWork(Object sender, DoWorkEventArgs e)

Should be solved

by adding privileges to the SCM access and handling when start is not allowed !
Also more useful logging in this area has been added, and I have removed the annoying Win32 Enbedded IPEdit control.. (It kept screwing forms over - Which leads nicely tote following)

Note that closing the log to return to the main screen is not working.

D'oh, and now the size it locked to the form size, and the Font should not wander off due to the Win32Ctrl screwing the fonts !
The above will be in 1.0.3

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 13/01/2010 14:53:58

V 1.0.2

See below for previous versions

V 1.03 won't install on XP SP3.

See attached image for error.

Brahim wrote:V 1.03 won't install on XP SP3.

See attached image for error.

Thanks for the install test.

That means you do not have the latest updates for the OS.. It needs to have installer 4.x installed.
I could drop the default down to 3.01 (??) but then I cannot test that.
I suppose the default message can be overridden to give a better message (i.e. version number and possibly a URL)

Can you tell me what version of the Windows Installer service you have please ?

Cheers

Hi! Just wanted to chime in to say that I much appreciate what you are doing.

I'm a little scared to test stuff on my RAID, to be honest, but I'll join when things will seem a little les... alpha?

Smurf-IV wrote:

Brahim wrote:V 1.03 won't install on XP SP3.

See attached image for error.

Thanks for the install test.

That means you do not have the latest updates for the OS.. It needs to have installer 4.x installed.
I could drop the default down to 3.01 (??) but then I cannot test that.
I suppose the default message can be overridden to give a better message (i.e. version number and possibly a URL)

Can you tell me what version of the Windows Installer service you have please ?

Cheers

Version 3.1.4001.5512.

gorman wrote:Hi! Just wanted to chime in to say that I much appreciate what you are doing.

I'm a little scared to test stuff on my RAID, to be honest, but I'll join when things will seem a little les... alpha?

There is no risk to your RAID in the client he is developing.
It is just a client and now would be a good time to try it and make suggestions.

No risk is relative. I'm using the WebGUI to schedule nightly rsynch. If I use this client and it crashes before or when launching rsynch, I could think it happened and it didn't. Leaving the RAID unsyched for longer than I like.

gorman wrote:No risk is relative. I'm using the WebGUI to schedule nightly rsynch. If I use this client and it crashes before or when launching rsynch, I could think it happened and it didn't. Leaving the RAID unsyched for longer than I like.

I agree but..

In these "Alpha's", there is no communication with the "Raid installed Service" yet..

I am taking small steps, and allowing you, to install and find the niggly things first..

Things like what versions of OS you are using, Does it install, does the layout meet "Any" expectations, Does it uninstall.
Does it detect *Nix installations,

All of these things can be done on (Or in a VPC) a separate machine.

But, again I agree, when this comes closer to actually modifying the state of the Raid installation (By sending commands etc) then things, may become a little tense for some.
But then this will be down to how the client handles informing you the users, on how well it is doing, etc. All these things need to be made as requests and suggestions on how it could (When it gets that far) be made better..

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 20/01/2010 11:38:08

Brahim wrote:

Brahim wrote:V 1.03 won't install on XP SP3.

Smurf-IV wrote:
<cut />
Can you tell me what version of the Windows Installer service you have please ?
Cheers

Version 3.1.4001.5512.

Thanks.
Client development has gone quiet for this week, as I think (So far) that the motherboard of my Vault has a problem (Keeps locking up the OS) and has lost me some WAF points

Smurf-IV wrote:

Brahim wrote:

Brahim wrote:V 1.03 won't install on XP SP3.

Smurf-IV wrote:
<cut />
Can you tell me what version of the Windows Installer service you have please ?
Cheers

Version 3.1.4001.5512.

Thanks.
Client development has gone quiet for this week, as I think (So far) that the motherboard of my Vault has a problem (Keeps locking up the OS) and has lost me some WAF points

Well, join the club.

I tried upgrading my server last weekend and it turned into nightmare and some major WAF point lost.
My whole network was down, no movie access, 2 VOIP lines down, DNS was down so no internet... phew!
I guess I have too many eggs in one basket.

Brahim wrote:I guess I have too many eggs in one basket.

you have a thing for eggs eh?

I've been banging my head on this, And found out that I need to allow for the firewall(s) .. D'oh..
So another issue - is to add that to the installer.. I'll leave that for later !