weird ASP.net issues

Seth Brundle

Weird issue here. Developed (what should have been) a simple app for a client. Its ASP.net (VB) running on MS ISA Server linking to MSSQL 2000. They have been using the MSSQL DB for some time now with other apps, but this is their first web app.
The site will just not work 100% when installed on the clients server.
The two current issues are as follows:
1. it randomly decides to go through the motions of inserting a record - but doesn't insert it yet it gives no error message.
2. there is a combo box which when changed does a postback and populates another combobox. Sometimes when a user presses tab to exit the 1st combo, the page goes back one (as if they pressed their back button). This has happened to a number of staff (but as usual - never us!).

The code looks fine, the session variables etc. all held and there doesn't seem to be anything that I can think of that would cause this. Its been checked by 2 developer colleagues and looks fine yet the client is understandably throwing a wobbler!

Are these ASP.net, MSSQL, IIS or browser issues? Any ideas before I pull the rest of my hair out?

sicruise

Could it be something simple like a firewall issue and your just catching the exception and not printing to the logs?

Was MSSQL on your localhost when you wrote the app... all settings etc are the same.

It must be something simple because it worked on your system. Its an environment issue... always blame the client

Seth Brundle

It was developed using SQL Express locally but the two tables we are using are structurally identical. Other than that, all settings seem the same.
However, the issues don't seem to arise when using our laptops, we access the system via the clients IP.

Evil Phil

What browser is the client using? Is it the same as the browser you developed with?

Seth Brundle

We and they are using IE7 on XP (haven't checked their service packs)

sicruise

I've been thinking about this for ages now and all I can think of if I understand the situation correctly is that it is a communications issue. Can you try point their app install to your DB and see if that works?

amen

have you looked at the IIS logs? These will tell what sort of file request are occuring?
Have you use SQL Profiler? this will let you see the data going to the database ? Using this you could then run the data in a query window and see if you are getting the same error?
Have you looked at the SQL Server Error Logs around the time of this behavior?

Have you put any code logging maybe something like 'Before DB call'
, 'During DB Call', 'After DB Call etc'

might help you narrow it down.

If you use the app from the hosting server down everything work?

sounds like a permission issue

Seth Brundle

I was on site on Tuesday and the logs (IIS & MSSQL) all looked fine - no recorded issues.
WHile I was there, the site worked as it was designed to and had no issues. I eventually left with instructions for them to continue testing it and as of 5pm yesterday it was working perfectly!
How do issues that were there on Monday (confirmed by a co-developer) suddently disappear? I don't know but I reckon my subtle hints about it being more to do with their server setups may have gotten their server admin to get the finger out and tweak something or other!