We currently have a home-grown Visual Basic application that moves files and executes importer scripts for Visual SPC. I am trying to replace it with Visual Cron (the home-grown app is a bit clunky). I have run into an issue. Inside the importer file itself (which imports text files into a remote sql server database) it uses a drive letter to tell it where to take the data files from. This works fine today, it has no problem with referencing H:\ as a source folder. When I try and use Visual Cron to kick off the importer, Visual SPC throws an error that says H:\ is an invalid path. Am I missing something here, because Visual Cron shouldn't cause Proficy to not recognize a network share, correct?

NOTE: All paths and folders in the Visual Cron task are UNC paths, H:\ is only referenced inside the Visual SPC importer definition file (name.vid) which is an argument to the file Visual Cron is executing (VIrun32.exe - Proficy Importer). GEFANUC does not support using a UNC path in the Importer definitions as far as I can tell, it cannot see whats in shared folders.

I did find something that may be partially helpful. Under the manage tab, you can manage network drives. I am trying to use this to map the network drives I need within Visual Cron, but it is telling me "A specified logon session does not exist. It may already have been terminated" This is a confusing message, I am unsure what this means exactly.

The error message indicates some error with login - for adding the actual logical drive.

Could you try using Run managed in the Task settings and run it again?

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I did try flipping the credentials to "Run with managed code" from API. This did not change anything. Using the network credentials only setting made no difference either. We manage all the network shares here, any idea exactly where that error message indicates the problem is.

Just wanted to confirm. There are some alternatives to get it working - because the problem is that logical drives are not shared between users.

1. Use UNC paths
2. Use the drive mapper
3. Use a foreground task instead
4. Change the username of the service

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I did just fix the problem with the drive mapper. I had not set the Visual Cron service to run as the domain user. So that is working now, I can map drives with Visual Cron.

The task itself uses UNC paths for everything that is not the local drive (C:)
The Drive mapper now has the 2 drives I need mapped (H: and L:)
I cannot use a UNC path inside the VSPC importer definition itself, only drive letters. So I have to get the exe to run in a session that knows what H: and L: are.

Foreground execution settings:
--If I use "Run on any desktop session" - I get the invalid path error
--If I try and set a session, the only option it gives me is SYSTEM on session 0 - which also gets an invalid path error. If I chage the user to CMEPMFG\fbfvspc I get an error that says it cannot find the specified connection.

I found something: Even after switching the service to run as the domain user, and mapping the drives using the domain user's credentials, the system still seems to be using the NT Authority\System user?!?!

I found this out by going into a task and clicking on the browse button when you type in the working directory or executable path. No drives show up, either from the drive mapper or the local logon session, when you use the little browse window to map a drive, and click on the Log on as. . button, it shows NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM as the default user. Somehow I need to get that changed to my domain user.

Are you talking about foreground or background task now? If you have not restarted the VisualCron Tray Client since install it may run as system. Try exit it and restart it.

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I restarted the Tray client, and it seems to be running as the domain user. The current status of the job is:

Run as a background task: error "Impersonation failed on job: CMMOp10"
Run as a foreground task (any setting): still gives the invalid path error.

Which user does the VCTray.exe run as?

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the vctray.exe is running as the domain user as I can see from the task manager.

We would really like to see that in action. Perhaps you can demonstrate it through logmein.com or yuuguu.com.

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Version 4.8.8 changes things:

Background execution is unchanged, it acts the same way
Foreground execution throws a Visual C++ Runtime Library Error: It says "This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unususal way. Please contact the applications suppport team for more information" - THe visual Cron job fails with a description of: "Aritmetic operation resulted in an overflow"

As far as logmein or yuuguu. . .
Not sure if I'm going to be able to get that kind of thing to work, our corporate firewall will most likely not allow it to happen. I could take a bunch of screenshots?

What about just launching notepad.exe? Does that generate an error? What user is VCTray running as?

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Running notepad generates the same errors. It seems the new problems occur when I try to run anything, not just VSPC. VCTray is still running as the domain user, that has not changed. I am sending you an email with a large error box that is appearing sometime with the install happens and sometimes when I try and start the tray client.

Good News I have fixed the large box errors and impersonation problems. You had given me a file (Engine.dll) to put in the system32 folder. Once I deleted this file and re-installed the 4.8.8 version, the tray client behaves normally again. Alright, so I can execute things again, just having problems getting Visual Cron to run the task in a session that knows what H:\ is.

If VCTray.exe runs as the same user that has access to H: it will see that.

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VCtray.exe is running as the domain user (has access to shares, and shares are mapped on the console session - which is always logged in)

Task is set as foreground execution with the session pointing to session 0 as the domain user. (Background execution give an impersonation failed error)
Wether I tell it to log on with profile or network credentials only seems to make no difference
Wether I tell it to use API code or managed code seems to make no difference
I still get the error that H:\ is an invalid path.


I might have a setting or the encoding set wrong, what set of settings should I be using to accomplish my goals?

You are not using any Credential when using the foreground execution - correct?

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We did have credentials in the task with foreground execution. Removing them seems to have fixed the problem, the importer now runs and does not complain of missing drives! I believe that puts me in good shape. I'll have to run through all the importers to be sure, but it looks good. Thanks a whole lot!