Number: 1388

Date: 11-Jun-84 13':42':05

Submitter: vanMelle

Source: vanMelle

Subject: Want smoother recovery from lost file server after logout

Lisp Version: 4-Jun-84 00':43':25

Description: '
Date':  8 Jun 84 08':03 PDT'
From': Stefik.pa'
Subject': Lafite': On File server error . . .'
Lafite-System-Date': 28-Feb-84 13':10':33'
Lisp-System-Date':  4-Jun-84 00':43':25'
Machine-Type': Dorado'
'
This morning I could not reach IVY from my workstation.  '
I resumed a session that I had logged out from last nite.  The black Lisp Prompt window reported failure of attempt to connect to IVY, but Lafite reported   '
'
*** Warning': the file {IVY}<stefik>lisp>active.mail;1'
was prefviously opened but has disappeared!'
'
It then went into a break on a bad file name.'
'
When I buttoned "GetMail" to try again, the promptwindow again reported failure to connect, but Lafite volunteered to create a new ActiveMail (If I would mouseConfirm it).'
'
	It seems that Lafite does not correctly interpret signals from the network when file servers are down. Mark'
'
-------'
Date':  8 Jun 84 21':44 PDT'
From': vanMelle.pa'
'
Yes, file server problems are nasty for lots of software.  In your particular case, here''s some commentary...'
'
The message "*** Warning': the file {IVY}<stefik>lisp>active.mail;1 was previously opened but has disappeared!" came not from Lafite, but from the Lisp file system, doing its best to reopen a file you had open before logout.  There is no easy way for it to distinguish file disappearing from file becoming inaccessible, although the message in the prompt window about Ivy gives the user a clue.'
'
For the remainder of your report I was unable to provide a scenario exactly matching the symptoms.'
'
"It then went into a break on a bad file name" -- this I do not understand.  Do you recall who the break was under?'
'
I would next expect Lafite to close the Active.mail browser on the grounds that the underlying file had vanished.  You may have bugged GetMail before it had a chance to do so, but even so I would expect the browser to have closed itself.'
'
The offer to create a new Active.mail would come if you bugged Browse and selected Active.mail and INFILEP returned NIL for it.  Again, it is hard to distinguish nonexistent file from inaccessible file.'


Workaround: 

Test Case: 

Edit-By: 

Edit-Date: 11-Jun-84 13':42':05

Attn: vanMelle

Assigned To: 

In/By: 

Disposition: 

System: Text

Subsystem: Lafite

Machine: 1132

Disk: 

Microcode Version: 

Memory Size: 

File Server: 

Server Software Version: 

Difficulty: Hard

Frequency: 

Impact: Moderate

Priority: Unlikely

Status: Open

Problem Type: Design - UI

Source Files: