Windows Home Server -- Issues with Cumulus

[Master668]

I've recently set up Cumulus on my new WHS machine, as a service. Took me a bit to make it all go, but managed to work my way through with the help of the various suggestions in here. It is a La Cross 2315, connected using a serial to USB adapter, direct to the server machine.

Anyway, now I'm seeing a few wee glitches in terms of integration and how it works on the machine.

1) I had WHS set (using LightsOut) to go into suspend mode when there were no clients connected (after a delay period). This was clearly not a good idea, and I've now disabled the suspend. However, what happened when it did go into suspend, and resumed in the morning to perform backups, looks like a glitch.

On resume, Cumulus restarted. What didn't happen, though, was reading the sensors - it "flat lined" with the same data points that it had from when it went into suspend. Is Cumulus not able to recover from a Windows suspend operation?

2) I'm seeing a WHS status of Network at Risk, "File Conflict Error", on the file cumulus.009. The server is telling me the "file is open", whatever that might mean! Is anyone else seeing this behaviour on their WHS? I resolved it the first time it happened by stopping cumulus for a period of time, and then restarted it, but it has happened again today.

The Cumulus install is in the directory D:\\Data\Shares\Public\Cumulus and the file in question is ..\Diags\cumulus.009. That folder straucture has data duplication enabled, if that's of any impact, as well.

[Master668]

Further info - I deleted all the files in the ..\diags\ directory with Cumulus stopped, and the error has cleared again.

I'll see now if the symptom changes/recurs over the next few days.

It would be really nice to be able to either interact with the service instance via the WHS desktop to see current data/make config changes, or perhaps to be able to start up a second copy to make config changes etc.

When I do try and start a desktop visible copy via the console/terminal services on the WHS desktop I get a 'port in use' message on the configured virtual COM3/USB port, which makes it less than ideal.

In passing, I also have noticed a couple of occasions where when Cumulus was started, it popped up a 'reading archive' or similar window over the top, and the window failed to close. I've not seen it recently, and don't have a screen capture of it either, but it does seem to be another wee buglet, and one that could potentially cause issues with startup up the service if whatever condition caused it when I was starting up interactively were to occur during service start.

[gwheelo]

I have experienced the same "file conflict error" using WHS. I believe it was do to running Cumulus as a service and starting Cumulus as a second instance - can happen too easily if you forget to remove Cumulus from auto startup and as a service. On power failures or reboots - Cumulus generates two cumulus.xxx files which causes WHS to report the error - usually after balancing storage. When I cleaned up the service and auto start conflicts to just one or the other the problem disappeared.

I have chalked it up to configuration error rather than a code bug. I believe Steve runs Cumulus on WHS without incident.

GW
http://www.wheelocknet.net/cumulus/wind.html?gb

[Master668]

Sounds a feasible cause, given I had tried running a desktop-available instance as well as having the service running, the day before the error manifested itself.

I'll avoid messing with it again, and see if the problem pops up again.

That still leaves the other issues unanswered/unresolved, though.

[steve]

On resume, Cumulus restarted. What didn't happen, though, was reading the sensors - it "flat lined" with the same data points that it had from when it went into suspend. Is Cumulus not able to recover from a Windows suspend operation?

No. I should add a FAQ, really.

The Cumulus install is in the directory D:\\Data\Shares\Public\Cumulus and the file in question is ..\Diags\cumulus.009. That folder straucture has data duplication enabled, if that's of any impact, as well.

If you want to run 'normal' software on WHS, you have to install it outside of the special shared area. That's my understanding, anyway; it's how I have it installed (in C:\Cumulus), and it runs flawlessly.

[ivestfold]

Hi Steve. I have made an new installation of Cumulus on my new WHS, installing to C:/Cumulus. But the software isn't able to detect the staion, I get "lost sensor contact" all the time. It seems that Cumulus is reading the pressure, but not the rest..I'm using a WH1080 with usb connection, and it works with "Easyweather"... Any ideas?
BR
Ingve

[steve]

Not being able to detect the station, and lost sensor contact are two different things, it has to detect the station to be able to detect lost sensor contact. Could you zip up and attach your diags folder, please?

[ivestfold]

Ehh..my mistake...it was no connection between the senors and the WH1080.. Sorry:-)
I thought the message meant no connection between the PC and the WH1080.. Now it works...-)..By the way, how can I run Cumulus as a service?
Ingve

[Master668]

I discovered the reason why it was giving errors when installed in the shared folders area. It's a result of the file being held open by Cumulus for more than 24 hours, which triggers an error message from the WHS storage management subsystem. To fix this, Cumulus should close the file handle when the file is not being written, and reopen it when it needs to append further information to the file.

When installed into the OS installation drive, C:, it works without error, but I lost the functionality of being able to directly publish the Cumulus\web working directory using WHS's IIS website tooling.

[steve]

To fix this, Cumulus should close the file handle when the file is not being written, and reopen it when it needs to append further information to the file.

I'm afraid Cumulus has no control over the file, it's all handled by the logging component.

[Master668]

Would it not be possible to use a different logging component?

[steve]

I'm sorry, that's a HUGE amount of work to fix something that's of no concern to most users. That's even assuming I could find another component that did what I need. I'm struggling to cope as it is. I don't even understand the (IIS) problem - are you sure that can't be worked around?

[Master668]

Hi Steve, the IIS related issue is a red herring here. It's not a problem with Cumulus, rather that side is more an issue with configuration of the stripped down IIS server inside WHS.

The Cumulus related issue is the logging holding the file open. I have a viable work around, but it makes installing Cumulus into the automatically managed/file duplicated part of WHS's file systems problematic, and means geeky users like myself with an "always on" WHS box and a weather station (a more common combination it seems than pure chance would dictate) have issues with the most natural installation location on a WHS box.

Keep up the good work, I really like the product and can understand the workload you're facing. It's not a show stopper and certainly doesn't need an urgent fix, maybe you could consider it as something that could go into the "nice to change sometime" basket?

[steve]

I have a viable work around, but it makes installing Cumulus into the automatically managed/file duplicated part of WHS's file systems problematic, and means geeky users like myself with an "always on" WHS box and a weather station (a more common combination it seems than pure chance would dictate) have issues with the most natural installation location on a WHS box.

I use WHS for Cumulus myself. As I understand it, you're not supposed to install 'normal' software (like Cumulus) in the shared folders:
http://mswhs.com/2007/10/17/installing- ... o-install/

[Super-T]

Master
My son had some land near you on Nth Eyre Rd. Was running rehab for horses but sold the land now.
Nice and flat with a stream running through in winter.
Only visited it once.