Keeping a VPN connection open with Server...

Classic Servoy
1

Hi,

On a solution that I just finished and I’m moving over to Server I seem to have a problem. One of my datasources is only accessible via VPN. While developing, it hasn’t been a problem as I’ve just had a chron method that periodically sends out a query to the datasource so that the VPN sees it as being used. However when I just run the solution using the Servoy Server and there are no clients using the solution then the VPN connection itself shuts down and there is no way for the clients to start up. I have to manually go and start up the VPN on the server (Windows XP). Does anyone know a way to keep this going using just the Server connection? I don’t think it is a question of using the ‘validate by query’ option as in this case it is the VPN access itself that shuts down and those queries only run before a client request. I have to have some way of keeping traffic going! My only other option is going through the bureaucracy to try to get them to set the VPN up differently which I’m quite sure will be a long drawn out process. I suppose I could have developer running with my chron method to keep the VPN connection up. But perhaps there is a downside to that? Anyone have another idea?

John

2

Hi John,

Could you initiate a headless client for this and have it run the cron job ?

Cheers
Harry

3

Yes, a batch processor with a job running using the scheduler plugin would perfect for this.

4

Thanks, guys. No idea how to do that but hopefully I can figure it out :) (I’ve never really bothered with the headless client stuff as I do everything with smart client anyway and hadn’t understood any other use for it. But I guess there is!)

John

5

Just to let you know so far it is working like a charm! Normally the VPN shuts down after half an hour or so but it ran perfectly overnight. Got a little intimidated reading about the headless client thinking I needed to know how to do JSP pages, etc. Went and looked at the Servoy Admin page for batch processes and thought it can’t be that easy… But then spoke here to Adrian and he confirmed that for what I needed all I had to do was make a little ‘empty’ solution, create one form, plug in my global ‘OnOpening’ methods for that solution and then add that solution as a batch process in the server admin pages and, as the English say, “Easy, peasy. Bob’s your uncle”! Thanks guys! :D

6

You’re welcome!
Sometimes it’s easier to do it than to explain it :)