Digital Workshop

I am doing some experimenting with Plexus using a company server to determine its viability for our distributed training apps. Just started today, but already have a perplexing issue.

If I publish as a single file, it works fine. However, having the "first called, first loaded" function is a very good thing when you are dealing with a 50mb file. So I tried the single data file and file for each page options. These appear to publish fine, but they do not do anything whether via the "Test" button or executing the exe file.

What up with this?

Dave

Am I to assume that:

A. I am doing something so dumb it does not bear comment.
B. Nobody has ever had this problem.
C. Nobody knows the answer.
D. This function does not work.

As I stated in the original post, much rides on these experiments. I would very much appreciated some staff input here.

Kind regards,
Dave

Since it's a web publication, I believe you would have to test it on a webserver. I did what you were trying to do and hit Test and it did nothing. I then tested it on Simple Server (small webserver) and it worked fine.

I could be wrong, but this is how it worked for me today.

Hi Dave,

Don't know if this will help. However, I had a similar problem to this on our corporate server. I discovered that the servers OS was very fussy about naming - I had been using theCamelCase convention to name pages, variables, publications, etc. as I always did. The server software was changing everything to upper case. So I was calling my publication something like theMainProgram and on upload this was being changed to THEMAINPROGRAM so it was never going to work. Changing the name of the pub solved it for me.

Sincere thanks for the responses! However, neither appears to apply. I am testing on an intranet server accessed via http. My file (standalone executable) RAMSNWO.exe works fine. My file /paged/RAMSNWO.exe which differs only be being published as one data file per page, does nothing.

It is a critical issue. If I cannot demonstrate that Opus is viable I cannot standardize the company on it. There is nothing here I know to change what I am doing as the only difference in these two exe's is the option to create data files. The exe fails to execute if anything other than standalone executable is selected. At the moment, it appears to be an Opus error, much as I hate to say it...

Say it ain't so, DW!

Regards, and thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave,

I have just tried publishing a collection of test files to our servers as a Plexus publication and I get the same results as you! Makes me think that it is just not possible. However, publishing as a Web Publication is fine. Any problems with running your application in a web browser?
Your other option would be to have it as a download.

I assumed this would disable many features. Am I wrong? I'll give it a try.

Makes me wonder why something that does not work would be there.

I am torn between relief that it is not just me, and wishing it was.

Regards,
Dave

Alrighty, then. It is never the obvious...

Publish for the Web DOES work. However, not (at least as I understand it) as advertised and not completely.

It ran through "Test" no problem.

Uploaded to the server and it ran from the mapped network drive, but quite slowly. This was what I meant by "not as advertised" as I expected it to be a little slow on first show, but to speed up as the components where downloaded in advance in the background. This did not happen. It seemed to have to go out and get each page no matter how long I dawdled.

Then, when I tried to run it from the web, I got there just fine but all that came up was a "Plexus streaming web plugin" banner message with an exclamation point and the path to the first ilm file. Nothing to explain just what that meant. Certainly not a problem with the file as I went back to the server and it ran fine.

First thought was that perhaps our firewall was blocking Plexus. However, the message did not reflect that and the firewall does not block any plugins I've needed in the past.

So... While I've made progress there are still serious issues as to Opus ability to reliably work from the web.

Any help will be appreciated.

Regards,
Dave

Over the years of using Opus plugins on our company servers I have found that the main problems that I get in this area are due to software that is already on the client machines.
I too have had the "Plexus streaming web plugin" banner message and the path to the first ilm file error appear on the client and my first advice to the user is 'find another computer to use', however this does not solve your problem.
The only piece of software that I know causes this problem and is 'external' to our company is the software update program that is installed in the background when LearnDirect access is installed...this blocks the upload of the web streaming plugins and gives the above error.
In theory if the plugins cannot be loaded from your own server the coding in the HTML page should then look at DG's own server for the plugins but behind a company firewall this does'nt always work.
Hope this is in some way helpful.

Sounds like a thing to look at. However, I'll need DW's help to determine if it is the issue.

IF it is lack access to the Plexus program then the message should reflect that. I really get frustrated with error messages that don't provide a clue as to what the issue is. Logically, about all one could assume from this one is that either the first ilm file is corrupt or can't be found.

Anyway, I hope I can track this down. My target group has absolutely 0 patience with things that do not work flawlessly.

Regards,
Dave

Downloaded and manually installed the Plexus plugin, went to the web server and called the program. Got the same message.

Very frustrating. DW? You out there? This is a significant issue.

Regards,
Dave

With Andy's clues, I tried another computer.

First message I got was a message from Der Fuehrer informing me that Windows was blocking the download because the publisher couldn't be verified and I should go fish. Not good.

Then, I was making headway as the "Download Plexus Plugin" message appeared.

Nothing happened and nothing appeared to tell me that nothing was happening. Waited a while, then hit the "Manual" download option. Once installed, I navigated to the test URL.

Got the same message telling me nothing as before. Path to the the first ilm file (which is there and working) with an exclamation point.

I REALLY need some guidance here...

Regards,
Dave

To DW,
Dave has justifiable concerns and is asking well phrased, quite reasonable specific questions, as he always does.

I am suprised and disappointed that someone from DW has nothing to say on this subject, but I'll assume that you have missed seeing this thread.
Your input would be appreciated.

Paul

Thanks, Paul. I appreciate that.

I would also say knowing guys like the DW gurus as I do they are possibly assuming this is an intranet issue. It may be, but before I can go to corporate IT with it I have to have a clue what is happening. They will just tell me "We obviously aren't blocking your plug-in and we are certainly not blocking the test webserver hpappdev3."

I don't mind doing the legwork, but I have to have some guidance.

At this point, I am going to back off on this and hope for some response. If I do not get any, then Opus goes back to its role as rapid prototypeing software but the glory will go to something that can be deployed and won't get me fired.

Regards,
Dave

Sorry - we're somewhat busy at the moment working on 6 and various other projects. We are trying our best to keep on top of support issues.

Anyway, to address your problem. What (if any) MIME type are you serving the ILM files with? They should be served as application/octet-stream (i.e. a binary file).