transfer project to DBMS

[DavidM]

Hi,
I am not sure if this is a bug or not, I have contacted Sparx support and not received anything back and it's quite critical.

I have just persuaded my company to buy Sparx as an EA modeling tool having used it before.
i had to set it up however (first time!) on SQL Server.

When I transfer my project it seems to work.
When I come to use it however, it comes up with a problem "locked by another user", even though I am the only on that currently has access. This  happens every time I change an object.

On top of that notes I had embedded in diagrams have gone blank after the transfer, and I cannot re-set them as I get the error, but for those it won't save.

Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong?

I transferred the right project to the right destination, the objects are physically in the DBMS, but I get this annoying error all the time.
People are waiting to use it, Sparx is not getting back and it's very embarrassing

[Helmut Ortmann]

Hi David,

can you provide some more information like:
- Which DBMS + Release
- EA Release
- What means "When I come to use it.."

I haven't seen such behavior and I hope you will soon get a helpful answer.

Kind reagrds,

Helmut

[smendonc]

To add to the questions that might help narrow the issue.


- Do you have all rights on the database or was it set up by someone else who granted you permissions on it?
- Is EA security turned on?
- Is the RDMS server set up to allow multiple users for this database?

What is being described appears to indicate that something (you or another process) has write locks on the tables which are preventing updates.

[DavidM]

Hi Thanks for your quick responses.

To answer your questions.
Sparx version is 12.1.
It is using a SQL Server 2008 database instance, I have full access I created the schema using the same account as I am accessing via ODBC and Sparx.

EA security is turned off (at least it gives me the choice only to enable it, so I am assuming it is switched off).
I have tried with other projects, including empty ones, and it successfully deletes the existing data, and replaces the new ones, so I don't think permissions are the problem.

The same issue occurs on all transfers however. It is telling me the diagram is locked on every one I use, including transferred and new ones. Notes for some reason are stripped of text, and only the notes object remains, and I cannot update these in the DBMS version.

I checked in SQL and it is only be using the database, no other users (the DB was just created yesterday - I am the only user). I restarted my desktop as an option. No success.

The exact error is "Warning : Diagram has possibly been modified by another user.

Press OK to continue an overwrite the existing diagram, or cancel to reload the last version of the diagram".

And the other one about the locked element every time I try and update the notes.


 Thanks

[Geert Bellekens]

David,

It looks like there's something wrong with the database settings on the server having to do with transaction or locking or isolation level etc...
Or  maybe a problem with the driver you are using: which one are you using?  Im using Microsoft OLE DB for SQL Server again with all defaults settings.

My experience is that if you create a database in SQL Server using the default settings it works just fine.

Geert

PS. Sparx is located in Australia, so they are sleeping right now. Usually the respond the next business day for support issues like this.

[VKN]

Your source project (not SQL Server) could be in a bad state.
Project Transfer copies everything (good and bad) as is.
You may want to run a Project Integrity Check on that source project (just to rule out any possibilities on that front).

[DavidM]

Hi Geert,
I am in New Zealand so I am slightly ahead of them, I have been waiting since lunchtime (10.00 am Australian time) - not to worry.

I am using OLE DB. The default settings should be applied, I will check in the morning (18:43 here).
I ran a project integrity - everything came up fine, I ran a project comparison, and there were a couple of mismatches on objects (-4 or so), but constant re-runs didn't solve it.

It is an interesting point about the database settings.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

If you don't want security (for now), use SQL Server Management Studio to check the t_secxxxxx tables.  If there is anything weird in them, delete the weird rows.

We have found a lot of issues with with badly secured objects and diagrams recently, but we haven't tracked down what's causing it (other then EA crashing - due to network connectivity issues).

If you like, you can report any t_secxxxxx anomalies here for advice on what they might be and what could /should be done about them.

HTH,
Paolo

[DavidM]

Hi - Have checked al lthe t_sec tables - all are empty.
I have also checked the database settings, and seem ok. I noticed in the documentation the only one they stipulate is correlation being Case insensitive, and it is.

Further interesting research.

I add a note to a diagram. I exit, I come back in, the note object is there, but the text is blank.
I look in the database and the note I entered is in the database (at least until I enter new text in Sparx  and that is replaced by the new text).

Is it at all possible - I had a trial period of Sparx on my desktop (12.1) and replaced it by a licenced copy (12.1), is there any way they could be corrupted because of that?

[qwerty]

Try running a consistency check on your source DB before transferring it.

q.

[RoyC]

Is it at all possible - I had a trial period of Sparx on my desktop (12.1) and replaced it by a licenced copy (12.1), is there any way they could be corrupted because of that?

Did you delete the Trial version before you installed the Licenced version? I believe that you have to do that. However, I don't know if it would have anything to do with the problems you are facing.

[DavidM]

Again thanks for the feedback...

I have the problem whether it is a brand new empty project, or a complete project I am transferring. But I did run an integrity check earlier and nothing came up, as did again just now still nothing.

I did uninstall the previous version (At least I believe I have, I am going to check on another desktop with a new install).

[RoyC]

I have checked with Support and they have actually been working on your issue for much of today. They received your first email yesterday at 2:00 pm, the second at 3:00 pm (suggesting the problem had gone away) and the third at around mid-day today (saying the problem hadn't gone away!). The Support team are investigating as I write.

Please ignore my PM - I did not use your proper name in making my enquiries.