Formativ API – testing for Formativ being present and active

[RPP]

Hi

I am using the Formativ API to test that my user has got a fully active version of Formativ running (I have had some issues with new profiles on a machine not detecting the Formativ install correctly)

The code I run ib VB6 is as follows …

Dim fmv As Formativ.FormativAPI
Dim sResult As String

bFormativIsAlive = False

Set fmv = New Formativ.FormativAPI

sResult = fmv.Execute(“<?xml version=””1.0″”?><api-request key=””<***my key goes here***>””><applet-available>CommsLog – MultiView_Flexalock</applet-available></api-request>”)

If InStr(LCase(sResult), “<request-return-value>ok</request-return-value>”) <> 0 Then
bFormativIsAlive = True
End If

Set fmv = Nothing

---

The code has an error handler around it but this is not being triggered. I have a reference defined to the Formativ API.

When the app is running a timer checks that Groupwise is running and that Formativ is “alive” using the code above. These two aspects are prerequisites for my application, which is scanning for updates in Groupwise.

Whenever Groupwise or Formativ are not detected the user is informed and a fail log is updated for that machine/user on our network

Most of the time this works fine. The applet has the required comment line in it and Formativ responds as expected.

However sometimes, for random users, the alive test fails. Mostly it fails just once or twice, other times it will fail relentlessly. The log will show a fail every couple of minutes (the interval of my timer).

Restarting Groupwise will generally clear the problem.

Clearly Formativ is installed OK on the machine as the error doesn’t happen all the time or for a particular user. The same user may be fine one day and reporting errors the next.

Any suggestions? Bit perplexed as how to test for Formativ if the API isn’t always going to return a valid value.

I have changed my coding to report what the API call did return. I’ll update this topic with that information as soon as someone fails.

Thanks

Simon

Topic

[RPP]

The string returned when Formativ fails to find the applet is …

<?xml version=”1.0″?>
<api-response><request-processed>false</request-processed><request-return-value>Missing Key.</request-return-value></api-response>

Not sure how the key could be missing? The code is the same for all machines.

Thanks

Simon

[Support 2]

Unfortunately we don’t have any suggestions at this point. As this has not been seen (yet?) by Advansys nor other customers using the API, we will probably need to be able to replicate the problem before we can understand what may be happening.

The intermittent nature of the problem suggests an issue which is sensitive to the environmental state, which may make it difficult to replicate, particularly as there are multiple applications involved.

We will get back to you when we have had an opportunity to consider the best plan of action.

Regards,

Advansys Support

[Author]

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