PI service freezes

Good day again
We have win 2008 x64 server with PI installed (7.0.3)
For our purposes, we reading PI database by ODBC source aimed to its database
As I understand, when PI writing to db info about new printjobs and in the same time db reading by odbc, we have next application log:

1. Unexpected exception occurred in the application. Error message: HP LaserJet 3050 PCL 6 (CE001591P_IT) error: TCoreDB: The database file is locked: database is locked

and then next message

2. Unexpected exception occurred in the application. Error message: Monitoring thread abnormally terminated

DB locating at fileshare for read-only access. Why db is locked? How can I have read-only access for this db and have no locks on it?

Thanx!

By default the SQLite concurrency model locks the database file even for reading.

I however have updated Print Inspector so that it now waits for up to 10 seconds for locks to be released.

Please try the latest build from here and let me know if it's helped.

Thanx! I'll try it

Andrew, how can I see from PI concole the build of PI?
Before and after update it still 7.0.3
Do I have to check it in installation file property?

thanx again

and one more thing: after your post about updated build, I try "Check for updates" from console and it found no updates for PI
Why?
Thanx again, Andrew

You can check PrintInspectorService.exe modification date. If it's today, then it's updated correctly.

It does not see any updates because the version number has not changed. I gave you a link to version 7.0.3 with the only difference from the official release is waiting for locks to be released.

And one more:

What this log means?

'Unexpected exception occurred in the application. Error message: HP LaserJet 3005 PCL 6 TicketShop error: Closing printer failed: 6 The handle is invalid"

thanx

It's a non-critical error means Print Inspector was unable to correctly finish monitoring the printer. Does it happen repeatedly? If so, when?

"unable to correctly finish monitoring the printer"
Hm... Does it means that counting of printed pages is not correct?

How can I track "If so, when?" It happend today about 30 times during 50 minutes. Now everything is ok

How can I catch the event which leads to error?

thanx

Normally printers access handles are closed on stopping monitor or Print Inspector termination. It should not occur by itself. If possible, please post here a complete log.

Where can I find comlete log? U mean Windows App Log?

I mean Print Inspector log. See File - Event Log Viewer in the main menu.

log here
[sendfile.su]

I have published an updated build of Print Inspector where these errors should no longer occur.

You can download it here.

Thanx! I've renew build

Now I see in PrintInspectorService.exe properties:
date modified - 16.02.2012 22:54

Is it right?

After installation i canceled restart of Windows Server

Not really, it should be dated the 22nd of Feb. Perhaps the PrintInspectorService.exe file was locked, and it would not be replaced until restart.

Ok. I'll restart server later and post here the result of property checking

thanx

Good day again!
We have one more event in Application Log:
1. Unexpected exception occurred in the application. Error message: HP LaserJet 2300 PCL6_LAWYER error: TCoreDB: The database file is locked: database is locked
2. Unexpected exception occurred in the application. Error message: Monitoring thread abnormally terminated

I thought U resolve problem with locked database. Am I right? WHy this event occurs? Thanx

It occurs because Print Inspector could not acquire a lock on the database file within 10 seconds.

It's okay that you access the database file from your own application or script, but you need to make sure your transaction does not run longer than 10 seconds. If it does, Print Inspector doesn't have much choice: it needs to update the database and write job information, but it's opened by another application. So it waits for this period of time and then reports an error if the database does not become available.

Hope this helps.

Andrew, can U writi some tweak in PI or ini-file, which can change this setting, i mean "wait for db unlock" for example?
We doing our private reports using PI db and implementing information in our format. Is it possible?

thanx

Well, yes it's possible.

However, if you have long-running reports, a better solution would be to switch the database journalling mode to WAL.

Provided your ODBC SQLite provider supports it, you can turn the database into WAL mode. To do so, download a SQLite management tool, and run the following query:

PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL

Print Inspector service must be stopped beforehand. If it succeeds and your ODBC provider supports WAL databases, you can read the database as long as you want, it does not block writing.

Let me know if you need any help.