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Appendix 3
Error Handling
Start-up and Connection Issues
Understanding the timing of any diagnostic messages displayed, before or after the Splash Screen, on start-up of Historion helps in resolving setup issues. The Historion Splash Screen is displayed;
After preliminary network connections and server security permissions have been verified;
After the software Licence key file has been checked;
Prior to loading the Main Historion tab
If any of the preliminary checks fail, then the Splash Screen will not display. If the Splash Screen does not display then Historion should provide an indication as to the problem, error or Licence expiry or conflict that is stopping connection to the Historion Server or the Historion Database.
Historion Diagnostic Messages
Software faults can be caused by a range of unexpected scenarios most typically encountered during initial setup and installation. Server and network outages, over-active anti-virus utilities and un-handled data conditions or scenarios can result in a diagnostic message being displayed. The diagnostic message results when Historion cannot complete what it is trying to do.
Depending on the nature of the fault some conditions will require the software to close whilst in other cases the software can continue but has failed to perform part of its task for some reason. As much information as can be known about the reason is displayed in the diagnostic window, to assist with troubleshooting.
.png) At any time that a diagnostic message occurs it is important to note what you were trying to do at the time, with which record or records you were working and the sequence of events. It is always a good idea to restart Historion and to log any faults with Historion Support.
The example diagnostic message below was induced with a deliberately incorrect .ini file setting;
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Reporting Diagnostic Messages
Depending on the type and context of a software fault Historion will try to provide additional assistance through documentation links and will always display the link to the Historion contact page for further support assistance.
For errors that are of an unexpected nature the diagnostic window may display quite cryptic detail. If Historion can interpret the issue and it is of a known type (as in the example below) then more helpful text and contextual information is deliberately provided. Sometimes the only information available to Historion is reported back from SQL Server, or a local proxy server, network interface or the remote service in the case of online data transfers.
These messages are used by local IT Support and Historion support staff to troubleshoot a problem.
Different interfaces and products use a range of codes and error logging messages for diagnostic purposes which will make sense to support staff or programmers. In the event that a diagnostic message is displayed it is important to capture at least the message itself.
Resolving software faults depends heavily on collecting whatever minimal evidence and clues are available at the start of the troubleshooting process. Support staff have little to work with when a report comes in along the lines of “it gave me an error message…”
A right-mouse click menu is available in the text box of the diagnostic message. CTL-C can also be used to copy selected text to the clipboard for emailing to support.
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Copy to Clipboard
Note that if an error happens and the detail is not captured at the time then there is usually a backup copy of the error message retained and available in the Windows Event Viewer as described below under Windows Event Viewer.
The Windows Event Viewer
The Windows Event Viewer is a utility that is installed as part of Windows. The Event Viewer service starts when Windows is started and is constantly recording application, security, hardware and noteworthy software events and errors detected in these areas if they occur.
The Event Viewer can be accessed in multiple ways;
Windows XP Select Start, Run and in the run box type eventvwr then press <enter>
Windows 7 Select Start, Run and in the run box type eventvwr then press <enter>
To access the Event Viewer in Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2012:
1.Right click on the Start button and select Control Panel > System & Security and double-click Administrative tools.
2.Double-click Event Viewer.
3.Select the type of logs that you wish to review (ex: Application, System)
The Event Viewer can also be access from the MS-DOS prompt by typing eventvwr and <enter>, it is available as a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in and it also usually available through the Control Panel.
Event Viewer allows you to monitor events in your system. It maintains logs about program, security, and system events on your computer. You can use Event Viewer to view and manage the event logs, gather information about hardware and software problems, and monitor Windows security events. The Event Log service starts automatically when you start Windows.
All users can usually view application and system logs. It is possible that an IT Department may have restricted access to the Event Viewer on workstations for non-support staff, which will mean their assistance is required to access the Event Viewer.
.png) More detail is available regarding the event viewer form Microsoft at: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457163.aspx
Locating Historion Diagnostic Messages in the Event Viewer
Diagnostic messages or errors that Historion encounters are typically logged in the Windows Logs, Application Logs area of the Event Viewer. After starting the Windows Event Viewer using one of the methods outline above, look for a Source in the source column called “HISTORION”.
The Event Viewer columns can be sorted by clicking on the required column heading, such as the Source column heading, then the list can be scrolled alphabetically by source.
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To open the details of the Diagnostic Message or Windows Application Event as it is known in the Event Viewer double-click the event in the list.
The Event Properties Window is displayed as described below.
Event Properties Window
The Event Properties Window includes a General tab with a summary of the Diagnostic Message and a Details tab where extensive diagnostic information about the event is usually available. Selecting the [Copy] button copies the full detail of the event to the clipboard where it can be pasted into Notepad or sent via email to local IT support or Historion support. This is shown in Figure 20 below.
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Instances where Diagnostic Detail is not available
Some fault circumstances do not allow software an opportunity to log a Diagnostic Message or error cause. An example is a local power outage or pulling the power cable out of the back of a workstation without cleanly shutting the computer down. There may be System logs from Windows in the Event Viewer indicating that Windows was shut down in an unexpected manner, logged by Windows itself, but if Historion is running at the time this occurs it will have no opportunity to record a diagnostic message of any type.
There are some other types of errors that can cause an unhandled fault where the software cannot issue a Diagnostic Message for Windows to record in the Event Viewer. Hardware (in particular memory) faults on the workstation are another example of this. Typically, Historion Diagnostic Messages, especially for known event types will be recorded in the Event Viewer.
The Event Viewer is a good place to look (sort by the Source column) to see a collection of messages in the event where there is a repeated fault or suspected theme to logged events over a time period.
Error Handling Planned Development
System (SQL database) tracked and retained list of error logs trapped from client processes where possible. This will allow the system administrator to see a list of past error events, failed connection attempts etc. Outside of and separate to windows event log.
Optional local CSV log file logging for errors, outside of and separate to windows event log. Location to be definable by the system admin for each user as Historion.exe location is not necessarily always suitable for this (may be read only in shared or Citrix implementations).
Send error reports to Cybermynd for review, option to be added to as an admin setting where SMTP emailing is enabled.
Collect and send system statistics and diagnostic information to Cybermynd; setting option
Online customer participation in reviewing and reporting on new features to be facilitated
Historion user group and forum to be established
Historion knowledge base to be authored in addition to documentation repository
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