Panorama X server b26 won't start

JeffK · June 14, 2022, 8:25pm

I have a little problem. I turned on Apache in the Apache window of the preferences to set up a configuration where it would work with Panorama shared databases. During testing an associate could log onto the server with a link, but he couldn’t see my server or my shared files. When I looked at the server tab, the server had stopped running. Now it won’t start. Pressing the start button results in a spinning icon, then it responds with “panorama X server is stopped”. I searched the forum, but I can’t find an answer as to how to start it. Do I have to throw away the server in the Panorama X folder in Application Support?

Also, when I made the link that I sent to my associate to see if he could connect to my server, I checked “include password” and typed in the admin password. When I made the link I received a message to be careful with the link because anybody could log onto the server as an admin without a password. Luckily, I trusted him well enough to give it a go. When the link was received, he was able to connect to my server with the credentials I sent, including the password. It seems that that message is incorrect. He tried making a link with a password and received the same message.

admin · June 14, 2022, 9:52pm

What does this mean?

Perhaps it means that you created an Add Remote Server link?

If so, what do you mean he could “log on to your server”? How could he “log on” but then “couldn’t see my server”?

Ok, now I know what you did. You did not create an Add Remote Server link. You did not give access to your server. You created a link that allows someone to log into your Panorama account on their computer. Since you typed in your Administrator password, that person now has complete access to your account, including the Payment, Credential and History panels of the Site License window. If that’s not what you wanted to do, you should probably immediately kick them off your account. You should also probably change your password, since otherwise they could log right back in with the link you sent them. You should do this right away – right now this person has the power to kick you off your account and change the password. No wait, they can’t do that, they would still need to know the password to do that. But they could go into the Site License wizard, view the history, make payments, etc.

I just realized I know exactly who your “associate” is, and it’s someone that I actually would trust also. So you probably don’t need to change your password.

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None of the above has anything to do with the server starting or stopping. You shouldn’t need to do anything to start the server other than to press the Start button. Turning Apache on or off has nothing to do with starting the server either - Apache is completely separate from Panorama X Server and can be turned on and off totally independently from Panorama X Server.

That’s probably because as far as I can recall this question has never come up before. I have never heard of anyone having a problem with starting the server. You don not have to throw away the server, on the other hand doing so is fine, Panorama will just re-install it. Before trying that, perhaps I would try quitting and reopening Panorama.

Hmm, now that I know who your associate is, did they by any chance recently give you a link to an experimental version of Panorama X b26? Because that version won’t work as a server. I told that to your associate when I gave them the link, but perhaps that tidbit didn’t get passed on.

RAmeeti · June 14, 2022, 10:11pm

Hey Jeff, I see that you have an associate that can log in to your account and make payments for you. Can you send him my link? I could use some payments nefariously done behind my back. But like Jim said, I know who it is and I’m not thinking he’d do it for me.

JeffK · June 14, 2022, 10:30pm

So do you work for the FBI part time? : )

He did not give me a link to the experimental version as we both know he wouldn’t if he was asked not to.

I followed the instructions to make a remote link from the server class by clicking on the little icon in the upper right hand corner of the prefs file. I included the Client info. He logged on and could see the remote servers I am connected to in the Available Servers tab, but my server was not there. After messing around for a bit with different links, I realized that the server wasn’t running. I quit and restarted several times. Finally, after about an hour, I tried again and it started. So, I haven’t been able to have Apache “protect” my server yet. Guess I’ll try another day.

btw: I have used Apache with Enterprise and Pan 6 for web serving for years.

admin · June 14, 2022, 10:58pm

Here is the documentation for making a remote link to a server. It’s not done from preferences, it’s done from Server Administration. It will not ask you for a password when creating the link.

The icon you are referring to in the Preferences window is for sharing general Panorama preferences and logon information. This is designed for onboarding a new user in an organization, you can automatically configure all of their Panorama settings with just one click.

If you click the Client box in this dialog, it will share the remote server specifications as part of this link. But if you just want to share a link to add a remote server, I would use the first technique, using the Server Administration wizard. This cleanly shares only the remote server link, without any of your other preferences. There’s usually no reason why you would want to share your preferences with someone in another organization. You almost certainly don’t want to share your account id and password for someone in another organization. This Sharing Preferences dialog is designed for use within an organization, to help IT staff configure new users quickly and accurately.