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| Spotlight on Synergy/DE 9.3: Controlling the User Installation Experience for Synergy/DE Products By Henry Steinbeck, Synergy/DE Windows Installation Engineer Synergy/DE Tech Tip Why is the .NET assembly loading so slowly? Quiz Synergy/DE pros, see if you can answer this question! Platform News Read a selection of recent articles Announcing the Q4 Developer Support Survey Contest Winner Are you the lucky recipient? Synergex Holiday Reminder We will be closed Monday, February 15, for President’s Day |
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By Henry Steinbeck, Synergy/DE Windows Installation Engineer
By default, the installation of a Synergy/DE product requires the user to interact with a number of dialogs before actually proceeding to the installation of the software. You may have a situation, such as deploying a Synergy application to a large number of systems or distributing Synergy/DE bundled with another application, where it would be advantageous to diminish or entirely remove end user interaction.
The Microsoft Installer has a facility that enables you to use the same installation package and yet control end user experience by defining the User Interface (UI) level at runtime. You can use this facility with Synergy/DE 9.3, as it has been validated to support installations and upgrades at any UI level. For uninstallations, the default (basic) and “no UI” modes have been tested.
Keep in mind, all installation conditions for things such as Service Packs and elevation still apply and will halt an installation if they are not met, regardless of the UI level defined.
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Synergy/DE Tech Tip
Why is the .NET assembly loading so slowly?
.NET assemblies can load very slowly due to a Microsoft limitation and a configuration setting. The problem is related to the fact that Synergex uses Microsoft Logo Compliance and best practices to sign all of the software that we ship. Depending on the system settings (enabled by default), the .NET CLR checks for certificate revocation on every signed assembly load. If the current system certificate revocation list (or CRL, which is updated every few days) is out of date, .NET goes out to the Internet to refresh it. This takes a certain amount of time, and if there is no Internet access, the process times out after 15 seconds. Hence, a loading delay is experienced.
To resolve this problem, you must first determine if this system will ever have Internet access. If not, remove the certificate revocation checking. If it will have Internet access, add the Microsoft CRL Internet site (CRL.microsoft.com) to the list of known validated sites in Internet Explorer's Security options to ensure that the CRL can be downloaded when required.
Why does the Microsoft Framework not exhibit this problem directly? Microsoft does not follow its own Logo and WHQL guidelines and does not sign the core DLLs of the .NET Framework AD, because the core DLLs are in the GAC. Once they are in the GAC, they don’t require signing checks again, because they were checked when they were added to the GAC.
For more information, refer to the following article: http://www.msexperts.org/blogs/mark/archive/2008/09/14/anything-loading-net-slow.aspx
Quiz
Synergy/DE pros, see if you can answer this question!
In a UI Toolkit input window, how can you apply a background color to each field as it receives focus and remove the color when the field is no longer focused?
a. Put a field arrive and leave method on each field and change the color using I_FLDMOD.
b. Put an IEDTFMT_METHOD and an IDISPLAY_METHOD on each field and return the a_color parameter in each one.
c. Set the color in the Input Processing Rendition.
d. Any of the above
Click here for the answer and explanation.
Platform News
Windows
Microsoft SQL Server Release Services
SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 support ends next week January 12, 2010. You should upgrade to SQL 2005 SP3 or SQL 2008 SP1 immediately.
SQL Server 2008 RTM support ends on April 13, 2010. You should make plans to upgrade to SQL Server 2008 SP1 soon.
Microsoft Support Lifecycle
Microsoft Fixes 8 IE Holes, Including One Used in Attacks
OpenVMS
Announcing TUDs in Americas, April 2010
Oracle
Oracle's Sun Strategy: What to Expect
Oracle Buys Sun, Becomes Hardware Company
Announcing the Developer Support Survey Winner
Congratulations to Gerry Smith of ASA International Tire!
In an effort to continually improve the Synergy/DE Developer Support services you receive, we distribute a customer satisfaction survey whenever a Developer Support case is closed. Thanks to those who have provided feedback! Randomly selected from the fourth quarter 2009 respondents, Gerry is the latest winner in our continuing survey drawing, winning a $100 American Express gift certificate. The drawing of first quarter 2010 respondents will take place in April 2010.
For more information about Synergy/DE Developer Support, go to our Web site or contact your Synergy/DE Account Manager.
Synergex Holiday Reminder
We will be closed Monday, February 15, for President’s Day. If you anticipate needing our assistance on this day, please contact us at synergy@synergex.com to make arrangements.