Strataframe 1.6.6 installation failure

VS 2008 – SQL Express 2005 – Windows XP sp2

I downloaded SF Ver. 1.6.6. to be able to view the StrataFlix sample and found myself with an installation failure that I can’t seem to resolve. Everything seems to go fine until I realized that the SF install had hung up in step 2 of 2 with a barely noticeable error:

”An error occurred while deploying the data to the server”.

The SF install detects the SQL server in the connection step and it continues until the process hangs up in step 2 of 2 and your only option is to click on “Cancel Update and Close Dialog” which results in an abrupt closing of the modal SF step 2 of 2 window bringing up the Windows send error popup, but once you clear the OS popup the foreground SF window continues like nothing is wrong and completes the obviously failed installation.

I can connect to the SQL server using management studio without a problem and I’m able to connect through VS so all seems to be OK but SF does not seem to be able to complete the “Deploy Data” step.

Anyone has any idea what the problem could be or how to manually complete the process?

Also to the SF dev team you might want to look into that hang up issue when it encounters the error along with the abrupt shutdown of the process with no resolution option when you click on “Cancel Update…”

Thanks in advance…JC

Hi JC,

I would do the following:

1. Uninstall SF completed.
2. Check the following folders and delete all files if any exist:
• C:\Program Files\Common Files\MicroFour
• C:\Program Files\MicroFour
• C:\Windows\Assembly\MicroFour*.*
• Detach and delete the SF sample database files from SQL.
3. Re-install StrataFrame.

Make sure you make a backup or everything you care about, specially the SF database which has metadata for many SF features like BOM. 

Keep in mind that the above procedure is what I would do, in your case.

Edhy Rijo

Hi Edhy,

Thanks for you suggestion but that did not work either…

I forgot to say on my initial post that when trying to uninstall SF it also hangs up on phase 2 of 2 “Un-register strataframe assemblies” and had to click on “Cancel Update…” which has the same effect as stated before…abrupt shutdown of modal SF window.

Also in the gac there was only one assembly “microfor license base”. I did check after running the uninstall that fails on step 2 of 2 so I guess this could be why there are no more MicroFor  assemblies…

I have also repaired VS 2008, Un-installed and re-installed SQL Express….

Anymore suggestion besides re-installing windows…

This is getting frustrating to say the least

Thanks again…JC

Hiya.

Are you using SQL Express? If so, once installing SF and asked for the SQL Server name, try typing in YourSQLName\SQLEXPRESS. If you don't get the "\SQLEXPRESS" explicity there, it looks like the Server was found, but it doesn't work properly.

Hope it helps.

Hi,

please pardon me for jumping in:

I guess it should better work with "YourComputerName\SQLEXPRESS"...

Don't forget the dot at front: ".\SQLEXPRESS", this saves you from typing in the computer name. At least for me on my machine. A short "localhost" (no dot at front) would work with SQL-Server, but not with SQLExpress-Server.

If the automatic search for servers failed, typing in ".\SQLEXPRESS" did the trick for me most of the time.

HTH,

Ralph

Hi Ivan and Ralph,

I already tried the “.\sqlexpress” name quirk with no result. Connecting does not seem to be the problem since the SF install seems to successfully connect in the initial steps plus you can open VS and open the SF connection wizard and open the “StrataFrame Data Store” and build a successful SQL connection string.

Hopefully someone from SF has a solution since I’m dead in the water here. It would help if the error message was more detailed but all I get is the “An error occurred while deploying the data to the server” and then an abrupt close of the SF configuration windows with no resolution option when you click on the “Cancel Update…’.

JC

Well, the dot and localhost may not work unless you have TCP/IP turned on for that instance of SQL Server.  The localhost is defined within the hosts file on the machine and it is the same as providing the loopback IP (127.0.0.1).  The dot should more than likely resolve the machine name, but again, is not 100%. Also, the browser service can become a factor under certain conditions as well.

A couple of things here.  First, look at the log file to make sure that this is your problem to being with.  A log file is created for each unique deployment of the databases and you can find this here:

The X above will be replaced with a number for any install past the first one.  Also, you can adjust the path to match your machine and install (languages, OS versions, etc.)  But a unique log file is created for each deployment.  Open it up and look at the error.

Secondly, if you want to verify your SQL connection and reference, just open up SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and attempt to connect to your server...whatever credentials that you can use there will also work within the SF install.

That should give you plenty to help diagnose where your SQL issues are coming into play.  Let me know if you don't find your answer.

Hi Trent,

The log file was the key…Thanks

I knew that connecting to the SQL server was not the issue since I covered all my bases including protocol issues and connecting using SSMS, VS, and SSCM.

Unfortunately the install just hangs in that step with that ambiguous error message that does little to help resolve the issue and kills when you click on “Cancel Update..” since it’s the only way to exit from the hang-up so you might want to look into that.

I’m not sure how the MDF was not deleted during the uninstall and it was also not attached to the server and I did not think of looking in the directory for it. Maybe it was part of the other hang-up during the uninstall as mentioned before during phase 2 of 2 “Un-register strataframe assemblies”.

In any case I’m now on 1.6.6…

Thanks everyone for the help…

The uninstall doesn't touch the databases.  So you may have uninstalled SQL Server, then reloaded it.  So the database was not mounted but the MDF existed, thus producing the error.  Glad you got it going!