[OpenAFS] Windows Server Manager tab headings

David R Boldt dboldt@usgs.gov
Wed, 10 Nov 2004 16:54:52 -0500


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Jeffrey,

I received the following response in e-mail, which solved
the problem for me.

> This started on the IBM/Transarc version of Server Manager; where
> the contents of the window abruptly appeared to be collapsed and/or
> otherwise scrambled.

If I understand correctly, I think you are running into the following.

There were registry data changes in OpenAFS at some point in order
to fix a memory leak.  The data have to do with saving Server Manager
display customizations.  Blow away the saved customizations and you
will be back in business.

I forget where they are, but a quick look makes me think it's here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TransarcCorporation

There is some versioning code in the software to handle this stuff
but WindowsMan (Jeff Altman) has higher-priority things to work on and
I never took the time to figure it all out and submit a patch.
-- 
Joe Buehler








Jeffrey Altman <jaltman@columbia.edu>
11/05/2004 01:19 PM
 
        To:     David R Boldt <dboldt@usgs.gov>
        cc:     openafs-info@openafs.org
        Subject:        Re: [OpenAFS] Windows Server Manager tab headings


The Windows Server and associated tools are not currently
receiving a great deal of attention.  There is too much work that
needs to be done on the client.

The source of the problem is known.  IBM/Transarc devised an interesting
algorithm for loading resource strings from a locale specific DLL. 
Instead of simply reading the strings by ID number, the identifiers
must adhere to some additional rules which force resources to be
assigned according to a form of ID value alignment.  Unfortunately,
the original designers of this system must have left the project and
future developers working on the tools were unaware of the details.
As new resources were added they did not follow the alignment 
requirements.  The code which loads the resources started to leak memory
and return random data.  Unfortunately to make matters even worse,
the IDs of the loaded strings are stored into data files used to
initialize the UI at run-time.  This makes it difficult to fix the
problem and maintain backward compatibility.

At one point I spent a weekend cleaning up most of the resource files
but I did not get all of it done.  If the Windows Server and the
associated tools are important to your organization I would ask that
you seriously consider providing some resources to enable someone to
spend time to work on them.

Jeffrey Altman


David R Boldt wrote:

> 
> This started on the IBM/Transarc version of Server Manager; where
> the contents of the window abruptly appeared to be collapsed and/or
> otherwise scrambled.
> 
> At the terminus of my many attempts to resurrect use of this package,
> I did a full uninstall, including the configuration files, and did a 
fresh
> installation of the latest version of OpenAFS.
> 
> The result is a vast improvement, but for the fact that the text in the 
> tabs
> (column headings) for both the volumes and partitions is a quasi-random
> sampling of the ASCII character set.
> 
> If I attempt to edit which column headings are displayed, that interface
> shows a similar level of chaos.
> 
> 
>                                          -- David Boldt
>                                             <dboldt@usgs.gov>
> 


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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Jeffrey,</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">I received the following response in
e-mail, which solved</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">the problem for me.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>&gt; This started on the IBM/Transarc version of Server
Manager; where<br>
&gt; the contents of the window abruptly appeared to be collapsed and/or<br>
&gt; otherwise scrambled.<br>
<br>
If I understand correctly, I think you are running into the following.<br>
<br>
There were registry data changes in OpenAFS at some point in order<br>
to fix a memory leak. &nbsp;The data have to do with saving Server Manager<br>
display customizations. &nbsp;Blow away the saved customizations and you<br>
will be back in business.<br>
<br>
I forget where they are, but a quick look makes me think it's here:<br>
<br>
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TransarcCorporation<br>
<br>
There is some versioning code in the software to handle this stuff<br>
but WindowsMan (Jeff Altman) has higher-priority things to work on and<br>
I never took the time to figure it all out and submit a patch.<br>
-- <br>
Joe Buehler</tt></font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
<br>
<br>
</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<table width=100%>
<tr valign=top>
<td>
<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>Jeffrey Altman &lt;jaltman@columbia.edu&gt;</b></font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">11/05/2004 01:19 PM</font>
<td><font size=1 face="Arial">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; To:
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;David R Boldt &lt;dboldt@usgs.gov&gt;</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; cc:
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;openafs-info@openafs.org</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Subject:
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Re: [OpenAFS] Windows Server Manager
tab headings</font></table>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>The Windows Server and associated tools are not currently<br>
receiving a great deal of attention. &nbsp;There is too much work that<br>
needs to be done on the client.<br>
<br>
The source of the problem is known. &nbsp;IBM/Transarc devised an interesting<br>
algorithm for loading resource strings from a locale specific DLL. <br>
Instead of simply reading the strings by ID number, the identifiers<br>
must adhere to some additional rules which force resources to be<br>
assigned according to a form of ID value alignment. &nbsp;Unfortunately,<br>
the original designers of this system must have left the project and<br>
future developers working on the tools were unaware of the details.<br>
As new resources were added they did not follow the alignment <br>
requirements. &nbsp;The code which loads the resources started to leak
memory<br>
and return random data. &nbsp;Unfortunately to make matters even worse,<br>
the IDs of the loaded strings are stored into data files used to<br>
initialize the UI at run-time. &nbsp;This makes it difficult to fix the<br>
problem and maintain backward compatibility.<br>
<br>
At one point I spent a weekend cleaning up most of the resource files<br>
but I did not get all of it done. &nbsp;If the Windows Server and the<br>
associated tools are important to your organization I would ask that<br>
you seriously consider providing some resources to enable someone to<br>
spend time to work on them.<br>
<br>
Jeffrey Altman<br>
<br>
<br>
David R Boldt wrote:<br>
<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; This started on the IBM/Transarc version of Server Manager; where<br>
&gt; the contents of the window abruptly appeared to be collapsed and/or<br>
&gt; otherwise scrambled.<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; At the terminus of my many attempts to resurrect use of this package,<br>
&gt; I did a full uninstall, including the configuration files, and did
a fresh<br>
&gt; installation of the latest version of OpenAFS.<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; The result is a vast improvement, but for the fact that the text in
the <br>
&gt; tabs<br>
&gt; (column headings) for both the volumes and partitions is a quasi-random<br>
&gt; sampling of the ASCII character set.<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; If I attempt to edit which column headings are displayed, that interface<br>
&gt; shows a similar level of chaos.<br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; <br>
&gt; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;--
David Boldt<br>
&gt; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
&nbsp; &lt;dboldt@usgs.gov&gt;<br>
&gt; <br>
</tt></font>
<br>
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