I'm not a developer, just a website manager - http://mvlivemusic.com . Lunar Pages is my host, and they use Sun ONE ASP version 4.0. I maintain my site with MS FrontPage 2002, and my database is an MS Access file.

I made a minor change to a page - /oneband.asp - locally (I simply added a line break), and uploaded the file. Since then my page has displayed "Database Results Error The operation failed. If this continues, please contact your server administrator." I removed the <br> and uploaded, and still got the error. I have since run the FP Database Results Wizard, both locally and on the page on the server, to no avail. I have other database results pages and they continue to work as usual. I have checked the code between the broken page and working pages and everything is correct. Please note that oneband.asp was working as expected up until this occurrence, except for the same problem several months ago, shortly after I moved my site to Lunar Pages (I don't remember how it was resolved at the time). I'm waiting for a response from Lunar Pages tech support, but I wanted to submit to this board in case anyone has knowledge about my problem. I'm sure it has something to do with the Sun ASP, maybe permissions changed for the page when I uploaded the revised file? I would like to know what is causing the problem and if I or Lunar Pages can cure it permanently, because I don't want this problem to keep reoccurring randomly when I make changes to an .asp page.

 

 

I guess I should mention one recent change ... I formatted and reinstalled the OS and apps on my computer. I suppose there's a chance my problem could be from the new Front Page 2002 install, but I checked web settings, page properties, and other FP menu options, both local and on the server, and can't find anything wrong. I'm not an expert, far from it, but I still suspect Sun's ASP on the server.

 

 

Well for what its worth and based on many years of asp experience I'd doubt its simply your edit that has caused the problem, nor a permissions problem.

If it were a permissions problem the code would not run at all. You'd probably get a 404 or a 507, the fact that you get a database error means the code has run.

Clearly the error isn't handled very well as it gives you no idea what the actual error is. Any code that simply says 'an error occurred' is in my mind bad code, it should tell you what is wrong. Then you can start to fix the problem.

My guesses are you inadvertently made some change to the database query or your editor (frontpage) changed something and the reformatting is causing the error.

Do you have a cope of the page (a backup) as was before you changed it?

I generally create a dated backup directory on my web server and copy away any pages I am changing before I upload the new ones, that way I can always go back if things break.

Did you make any changes to your database at the same time?

Did you check the page was working before you did your upload?

Perhaps you could upload your code so I can take a look and see if I can spot whats wrong, if you could upload a working page as well that would help.

Pity you don't remember how the problem was resolved last time.

Duncan

 

 

I had previous (working) versions of the page locally, which I uploaded and they failed also. Unfortunately I didn't save anything on the server, which is a great idea and I will do that from now on.

Yes, I was in the process of amending the database when I decided I "needed" a line break in the page. In fact, I was previously accessing the page in my browser as I was working on the database - I view the page and click on links (database fields of musician's websites) to collect data (musician's gigs) to add to the database, locally. Then at occasional points I upload the revised database. I perform this procedure many, many hours and days every month without any problems until now. My database is still working fine in all other pages. The defective /oneband.asp page is opened from links from other pages and is passed a "PERFORMER" parameter. A /musicians.asp page lists all PERFORMERs from the database (with links to /oneband.asp), and it is still showing database results from the same table with no problems. Other pages display other tables from the database, also with no problems. So, I don't believe the database is corrupt.

In fact, the current /oneband.asp page has a database search form which displays the passed PERFORMER. The page fails to return records with the search form with either the passed parameter or a manual entry. (the form is required by the FP Database Results Wizard for coding a linked parameter to the page, but the form can be deleted after the wizard is completed. I don't normally display the form but it is currently helpful to prove a point)

Rather than past code, could you or any other helpful person view it from my site - http://mvlivemusic.com ? The defective page can be accessed from any musician's name on the home page, or from the Musicians button (/musicians.asp) near the top of the home page. You can also see how the same database still works well in a /onevenue.asp page, from any venue name or the Venues (/venues.asp) button, and in the /schedule.asp page (Shows button). I greatly appreciate your time and effort.

 

 

Since my last reply I have used Access "compact and repair database" tool, created a new "oneband.asp" page from scratch (with most of my desired features), tried a backup db file, and used both Access and FrontPage "detect and repair" tools, all without results. Then I used MS Office Update, and published the database and results page again, and the page still didn't function correctly.

Finally, I created ANOTHER new page, this time with only the primary db results section, no bells and whistles, AND IT WORKED! One by one I added other features to the page and modified the results section, continuously publishing and testing, until the new page was complete the way I wanted it, and it still works!

So the question now is - what exactly was the solution? Was it because the new page was created in a "Windows Office Updated" FrontPage? Or did my host's tech solve a problem on the server and hasn't gotten around to letting me know yet? Or, did it "just start working right" after a day of frustration? Come to think of it, when I had the same problem several months ago, I think it "just started working right" by the time the tech got around to checking my ticket. Of course, nothing really fixes itself, so that leaves me with the worry that it will happen again somewhere in the future. I still believe it has something to do with the server, and possibly with my host's Sun One ASP installation. I'm still hoping someone who has knowledge of the problem will read this post and provide an explanation and a solution.

 

 

Hi,

I'm pretty good at trouble shooting problems without seeing the code but realistically its generally not possible to find the issue without seeing it. I had already visited your site and checked it out but simply seeing the output (especially with such a generic error message) does not help me troubleshoot the problem. Its a bit like saying your car isn't working and not allowing me to lift the bonnet to investigate and fix.

It sounds like someone else resolved the problem, probably by restarting asp or the server.

Have you tried uploading your old saved copy of the page (broken or prior to breaking) and see if it works.

If you have changed NOTHING else and it now works then the problem was resolved by an outside action such as restarting the server or ASP. Your hosting company SHOULD be able to tell you what they did.

If you have changed anything else at the same time (such as modifying the database again) then its hard to say what's fixed it as your environment is not controlled. Its generally better to change/test one thing at a time to determine the cause.

One last question - Did you amend the database on the server, or locally and then upload it?

PS. Sun one asp is retired, has not been developed for many years and is no longer supported. I'm about the only one who still responds on the forum.

Duncan

 

 

Duncan, I really appreciate your time and effort. Sorry about the code. I just thought it would be convenient for you to "View source" rather than read it pasted here in a post.

Tech support finally answered my ticket, and, of course, it was working by that time. Your "restarting asp or the server" was an excellent thought - I'll bet that's what happened, and I responded to the tech and asked if that occurred last night. It will be interesting to read their response. I also mentioned that their ASP is an eol product and asked what they were going to do about it.

For the most part I attempted one thing at a time and then tested. I don't believe I thought of messing with the remote db, only local. I finally thought to start documenting my efforts, but that was just before it started working. And I wish I had thought to test a previous page at that point. That would have confirmed or eliminated a source of the problem. But, it's too late now. For some reason I was in a "cleaning" mode afterward and deleted all my experiment versions of the page. Anyway, I'm convinced it was nothing on my end, and, again, I'm banking on your "restart" thought. Thanks again so much for all your help.

 

 

Problem is what can be seen on the website is not the 'code' but the output ie. the web page that the 'code' creates, thus it is not possible to diagnose anything from it other than see the error you have already told us about. A view source is no help either again as (if you check) you will see it is only the output of the 'code'.

Thus why I asked you to upload your code here.

If you changed the db on your local pc and then uploaded it to the server I would not be suprised if it then caused a problem. I am not sure how access is cached or connected too but it is very likely that the database you have uploaded is not available until the cache or connections have expired. That could be the cause of the problem. As I say I have little experience with access so I don't know exactly what happens when you dump a new version of your database on the server. There may be some way to force the new database to be used. It would certainly explain the problem you have seen and it is possible over time the problem resolved itself once the connections/cache timed out and the new database started being used.

I guess you could test adding a new field to your database, copy your web page to say test.asp, add the new field to the test page and then upload them and see if that causes this problem. That shouldn't break any of the existing pages but might throw light on why this happens to you now and then.

Perhaps you did a database change last time it happened too?

Duncan

 

 

Sorry again about the code. I forgot that "View source" displays code results, not original page code.

Lunar Pages support told me there were no reboots, and also said my server is running Windows 2008 with IIS7, which, I guess, means no Sun ASP? I had read they use Sun in their Knowledge Base, but it must be old info. In that case I shouldn't have bothered you people here, but I appreciate the help.

I guess I will have to go back to considering my database, as you suggest. The answers to most of your db questions is "I don't know or remember". I've already taken your advice about saving backup pages in a folder on the server. I will also have to make sure I publish the db and test it in a page right before I make any changes to that asp page, to confirm or eliminate that possibility if something goes wrong. Thanks again.