Web Access Stability

[aeiou]

Somehow we are having some issues with users having difficulty logging in via
the web. We've heard there's some stability issue with web access - has that
been your experience?

Thanks for any feedback.

[Rob]

I've not had any trouble with it and haven't heard of any stability issues.
What have you specifically experienced with users having trouble logging in?

The issues I've seen have always been due to configuration on the web server
(missing protocols, disabled security options, etc.). From a login
perspective, i've never experienced it being an issue with Forecaster Web
Access itself.

--
Rob Diaz
MSX Group
www.msxgroup.com

[aeiou]

Thakns Rob for your feedback.

Somehow we are having multiple remote users having issues logging in to the
point we may have to resort to installing a desk top version for each of the
remote users.

[Rob]

Well, you might benefit from reviewing this post:

http://boards.msxgroup.com/post?id=4809111

Without seeing exactly how you're configured, or what message you're getting
or knowing if these users can connect on other workstations using the full
client, it's hard to troubleshoot. You may want to consider getting some
consulting services to assist you.

Good luck.

[Margaret R]

I recently had similar issues and it apprears that ther is a bug! Here is a
workaround:

Here are the answers to the follow up items on the Forecaster 7.0 Web Access
issue:

1. Ways to eliminate the Certificate Error that is being seen.
a. To avoid the certification error – Either turn off the SSL Settings
or use SSL with the Accept or Ignore options
2. Other workarounds or resolutions to this issue
a. Use Host Headers to use a different name to reference the server.
- The best set of steps I saw was in the help. It does require some
work done at the DNS server so this may not be an option.
b. Modify the hosts file on each machine to point to the server with a
different name.
- Your IT staff would probably need to push this out to all
clients. The hosts file should be located: C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\

Also do not use underscores in the web address .

Hope this helps

[Rob]

I'm not sure which bug you'd be refering to here, nor where the workarounds
you listed came from.

I am curious about more details from you regarding the specific issues
you've experienced, as the few issues I have experienced have been minor
and/or completely related to the configuration of the server. That's not to
say there are not bugs in Forecaster Web Access, it's just to say that
connectivity issues have not been something I have experienced outside of
what I mentioned.

I must say, though, that turning off SSL Settings for the Forecaster Web
Access website is NOT recommended. The Certificate Error, if you are getting
it, means that the server is using a self-hosted certificate; in other words,
it is not validated by a reliable third party. You can simply continue to
the site and add the certificate to the client (using the links provided in
the error report) or you can get a real SSL certificate from a valid
certificate authority. Turning off the SSL settings may avoid the
certificate error, but it also makes the application less secure. You may
also be able to avoid it by adding the Forecaster Web Access URL to the "Safe
Sites" zone in Internet Explorer, though I'm not sure if that will always
work or not.

Regarding the use of underscores, this is NOT a Forecaster Web Access issue.
Underscore ("_") is not a valid character for URLs according to the RFCs
(this is why you cannot register a domain name with an underscore).

When you use Internet Explorer against a web site that uses session cookies
(such as Forecaster Web Access), a valid session cannot be established due to
a security feature in Internet Explorer cookie handler if the server URL
contains underscore characters.

--
Rob Diaz
MSX Group
www.msxgroup.com