HOW TO: Troubleshoot Site Deployment Issues in Microsoft Content Management Server 2002 (814774)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes the most common symptoms, causes, and troubleshooting procedures related to Microsoft Content Management Server (MCMS) 2002 site deployment problems.

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How Site Deployment Works

In MCMS 2002, site deployment is the transfer of Web content from a source MCMS server to one or more destination servers through export and import operations. The site assets are transferred as packages of Extensible Markup Language (XML) files and resource files (for example, images). Resource files are files with an .sdo extension. Site deployment functionality preserves the dynamic behavior of the content when it is deployed to the target server or servers.

Typically an import process is much simpler than an export process, and export problems are the most common. During export, the Microsoft .NET Web application (MCMS, installed under the root of the MCMS site) is started. The site deployment export routines process some ASPX files to start grabbing the contents from MCMS, and then export the contents into a temporary folder in <MCMS_ROOT>\Server\Temp. The temporary folder is compressed to a temporary .sdo file in the RdOnlyRes folder, and then site deployment reads the temporary .sdo file and copies (or downloads) it to the destination location that is specified as the final .sdo file. An XML report file is also created in the RdOnlyRes folder. If any of these operations is unsuccessful (including the report generation), the site deployment export is unsuccessful.

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Most Common Symptoms

The following are the most common symptoms associated with site deployment problems:

• XML Parser Error
  Error: 1002 Description: The XML parser could not parse the tag it was given. Severity: 5 Source: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Content Management Server\Shared Files\GrammarParserC.dll P:\NR\Shared\GrammarParserC\AEGrammarParser.cpp 313Debug info: An exception occurred Extra info:Client Source: CImProgress::DoReportRecommended Action:
  This XML parser error is typically accompanied by a more detailed description below the error message. This description typically helps you to determine the troubleshooting path. For more information about determining the troubleshooting path, see the Troubleshooting Tools and Aids section.
• Microsoft SQL Server Timeout Error
  MCMS Site Deployment - Error occurred. System.Data.SqlClient.SqlError: Timeout expired. The timeout period elapsed prior to completion of the operation or the server is not responding.
  The SQL Server timeout issue typically occurs when Shared Memory Protocol is enabled if MCMS 2002 and SQL Server are installed on the same computer or if the package is large and resources are low. For more information, see the Most Common Causes section.

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Most Common Causes

The following are the most common causes of site deployment problems:

• Invalid .sdo Files
  
  The .sdo file that you want to import is not valid. You can check this with WinZip. If WinZip can open the .sdo file, the .sdo file is typically valid. An .sdo file that is not valid may generate an error message when you try to open it. The file may contain 0 KB files, or it may contain a file that has more information about problems that occurred when you exported the file (you can typically open this file in Notepad). If possible, check the .sdo file on a computer that does not contain WinZip but that uses Windows Compression Technology. To view this file, rename it with the .cab file name extension. Note that you may see differences with Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP, so check both environments if possible. If the .sdo file is not valid, check the exporting computer to verify that the /NR virtual directory has anonymous access enabled and that the physical files behind the /NR directory have Everyone Read Access Control List (ACL) rights. Also, try to import this package on another server in the environment.
  
  Typically, export issues are more common than import issues. Although you may see problems with an import, problems with exports are more likely, so make sure you also troubleshoot the export computer.
• Memory Problems
  
  Site deployment requires sufficient physical and virtual memory. If you have large .sdo files and you see memory-related system events such as SQL Server timeout errors and "Out of memory" error messages in the event logs at or around the time when you performed any import and or export functions, you may have to increase the physical or virtual memory of the MCMS server. Ideally, the server must have at least 1GB of physical memory. For more information about the minimum system requirements, see the MCMS 2002 Help file.
• Permission Problems
  
  The permissions on the <MCMS_ROOT>\Server\Temp directory and on the physical files behind the /NR virtual directory on the importing server may not be correct. Make sure that anonymous access is enabled on the /NR virtual directory. If you suspect permission-related issues, obtain a FileMon log. For more information about obtaining a FileMon log, see the Troubleshooting Tools and Aids section.
• Microsoft Internet Explorer Cache Issues
  
  You may have to clear your Internet Explorer cache (specifically, the Content.IE5 hidden directory). You can find Internet Explorer caching problems by using the tools listed in the Troubleshooting Tools and Aids section. Most notably, you may see a sharing violation on the Progress.htm file in your Internet Explorer cache folder if you obtain a FileMon log.
  
  To clear the Internet Explorer cache:
  1. Open Internet Explorer.
  2. On the Tools, click Internet Options, and then click the General tab.
  3. In the Temporary Internet Files section, click Delete Files.
  4. Click to select the Delete all offline content check box, and then click OK.
  After you clear your Internet Explorer cache, close all your Internet Explorer sessions and Site Deployment Manager, and then try the site deployment operation again. If it still does not work, you may have to delete the Index.dat file found in the \Documents and Settings\<UserName>\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\ hidden directory. For more information, see the References section.
• IIS 6.0 Connection Timeout Error
  
  When you try to import an SDO package on the MCMS server that is running on the Microsoft Windows 2003 Server computer, you may receive the following error message:
  An underlying connection was closed. An unexpected error occurred.
  This error may occur when you are doing large SDO imports because IIS 6.0 times out. To can increase the timeout connection in IIS 6.0:
  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services Manager.
  2. Expand Web Sites, right-click Default Web Site (or the site where your MCMS Web application is installed), and then click Properties.
  3. Select the Web Site tab.
  4. In the Connections section, in the Connection timeout field, increase the seconds to a value large enough to allow for the length of the import.
  5. Click OK.
• ASP upload limit set on IIS 6.0
  
  IIS 6.0 sets the AspMaxRequestEntityAllowed metabase key. The AspMaxRequestEntityAllowed property specifies the maximum number of bytes that are allowed in the entity body of an ASP request. If a Content-Length header is present, and the Content-Length header specifies an amount of data that is larger than the value of the AspMaxRequestEntityAllowed property, IIS returns a 403 error response. The default value is set to 200 kilobytes (KB). MCMS sets a limit of approximately 50 megabytes (MB) for MCMS resources. For more information about how to change this limit, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  824471 Site Deployment May Fail on IIS 6.0 if a SDO file is larger than 200 KB

• MIME type setting under the Rdonlyres virtual directory
  
  To make sure that MCMS site deployment works, verify that a MIME type key is set under the Rdonlyres virtual directory:
  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services Manager.
  2. Expand Web Sites, and then expand the Web site that is set as an MCMS Web entry point. Select the NR virtual directory.
  3. Expand the NR virtual directory. Under the NR virtual directory, right-click the Rdonlyres virtual directory, and then click Properties.
  4. Click the HTTP Headers tab, and then click MIME Types in the MIME Type section.
  5. Make sure that the Registered MIME Type (file extensions) box has the following MIME mapping:

     .sdo application/x-mcmscontentpackage

• ASP and SSI settings on IIS 6.0
  
  When MCMS is running on the Windows 2003 server, make sure that Active Server Pages and Server-Side Includes are enabled on IIS 6.0:
  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, click Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services Manager.
  2. Expand Local Computer, and then click Web Service Extensions.
  3. In the right pane, right-click Active Server Pages, and then click Enable. Right-click Server Side Includes, and then select Enable. To reinstall and enable these settings, open Control Panel, and then click Add/Remove Programs. Click Add/Remove Windows Components, and then select Application Server. To enable the extensions, follow the steps in the wizard.
• ASPNET Account Permission Issue
  
  When you deploy a site in Windows Server 2003, you may receive the following error message:
  The remote server returned an error: (404) Not Found.
  This occurs because the ASP.NET account does not have permission to access the site deployment directory on Windows Server 2003. To grant the ASP.NET account access to the site deployment directory:
  1. Right-click Start, click Explore, and then locate installation directory\inetpub\.
  2. Right-click the Wwwroot folder, and then click Properties.
  3. In the Wwwroot Properties dialog box, click the Security tab, and then click Add.
  4. In the Select Users or Groups dialog box, click Locations, select the local computer, and then click OK.
  5. In the text box, type aspnet, and then click Check Names. This changes the text to computername\ASPNET.
  6. Click OK.
  7. In the Permissions for ASPNET Account box, make sure that the ASPNET account has the following permissions:
     • Read & Execute
     • List Folder Contents
     • Read
• IIS 6.0 "Server Application Unavailable" Error Message
  
  There is a known issue when MCMS runs on a Windows 2003 server computer that has multi-processors. When you try to import or export an SDO package, you receive the following error message in Site Manager:
  The remote server returned an error: (500) internal server error.
  If you check IIS log file, you see that the error always occurs on the Cmsxmlstub.aspx ASPX page. Site deployment uses the Cmsxmlstub.aspx ASPX page. For more information about how to resolve this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  821157 "Server Application Unavailable" error message if a DLL is loaded in the 0x33A20000 address space and you request an ASP.NET page.

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Other Troubleshooting Steps

• If MCMS 2002 and SQL Server are installed on the same computer, make sure that the shared memory protocol is disabled in the SQL Server Client Network Utility. Also, move Named Pipes communication to the top of the stack to make sure that the computer that is running MCMS and SQL Server communicates with named pipes (this will improve performance). After you do this, Microsoft recommends that you restart Internet Information Services (IIS) and SQL Server.
• Make sure that the user doing the import is an MCMS administrator.
• Make sure that the user listed in the ProcessModel section of the Machine.Config file has sufficient rights.
• Make sure that the IIS mappings for Microsoft ASP.NET are configured correctly. These mappings may be configured incorrectly if IIS has been removed and reinstalled IIS or if IIS was not installed before the Microsoft .NET Framework. To work around this, run the Aspnet_regiis.exe utility to repair the IIS mappings so that the file name extensions for ASP.NET are correctly associated. For additional information about how to do this, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  325093 PRB: ASP.NET Pages Exhibit Unexpected Behavior Because the Server-Side Code Is Not Processed

• Clear the memory cache in the Server Configuration Application (SCA).
• Make sure that the Internet Explorer Web controls are installed correctly and that the correct version of the Web controls is installed. You must use the version that is included with MCMS 2002. If you do not have this version, remove the Web controls, and then install the version that is included on the MCMS 2002 CD.
• If you are performing the export or import through Terminal Services, try to run the operations from the console.
• Determine if you can import or export a very small .sdo package. Try to export or import a single channel, template, or resource.
• Determine if you have exceeded the SQL Server 2000 per seat licenses, and increase this value if you have to.

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Troubleshooting Tools and Aids

During an import or export problem, the following system and third-party tools can help you to troubleshoot your site deployment issue:

• The Details section of the Import/Export Error dialog box typically contains the error raised by MCMS and the HTML error message that IIS returns. It typically (but does not always) returns HTML information. If the HTML is difficult to read, paste the HTML in Notepad, name the file with an .htm extension, and then view the file in Internet Explorer. You may receive an error message that will help you decide what to look at next (for example, you may receive a 401, 404, 405, or 500 error message). Compare this result code with the event logs and IIS logs.
• The Site Deployment Report XML file in <MCMS_ROOT>\Server\RdOnlyRes is the report that is generated when you perform an export or import operation. The report that the Site Deployment Manager displays is also based on this XML. The file name is in the "SD Report-{GUID}-xxxx.xml" format.
• The application, system, and security event logs contain information about MCMS 2002 events. However, not all site deployment operations log to the event logs. View these logs if a problem occurs. Generally, you should monitor these logs on a daily basis to view potential problems.
• The IIS logs may contain information that you can use for troubleshooting because a lot of the interaction with site deployment occurs through IIS. Your IIS log files are located in the %windir%\LogFiles\W3SVCx directory, where x is the number of your IIS Web site instance in the metabase. W3SVC1 is the default Web site. The default Web site is the entry point for a typical installation of MCMS 2002. Yours may vary according to your environment.
• The FileMon and RegMon utilities are third-party utilities that monitor and log the file system and registry while performing an action on the system. To download these utilities, visit the following Web site:

  Sysinternals
  http://www.sysinternals.com

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Best Practices For Site Deployment

The following is a list of best practices. Some of these practices are described in the MCMS 2002 product documentation and the Readme file that is included with MCMS:

• Perform large import processes during periods of low user activity on your site to avoid slow MCMS response time and system errors.
• To make sure that the export and import objects are correctly sent and received, print and compare the Export Preview report and the Import Preview report. For more information about the reports, see the "Import and Export Reports" topic in the product documentation.
• Save the export profile for multiple exports. An export profile is a file that contains the objects and options to be exported. You can use the saved export profile again if you have to export the same objects and options.
• You can export MCMS 2002 rights groups with or without the members of the rights groups. If the destination server and the source server use a common domain, you can export both the rights groups and the rights group members that have been assigned to the object file being exported. If the domains are different, you should not export members because the user information provides no information in the destination environment.
• Before you import objects, back up he SQL Server database to back up the destination server. This helps to prevent data loss.
• Instead of importing an .sdo that contains the whole site, perform a SQL Server backup and restore of the MCMS 2002 database.
• Use the server-side APIs. When you use server-side APIs, you are not subject to problems such as issues that are associated with going through a Web server, with client side time-outs, and with limits imposed by ASP.NET. The server-side API is a COM API that directly talks to the MCMS server COM object. For more information about server-side APIs, see the product documentation.
• You cannot use the client-side API in a Web application because of limitations caused by the Wininet.dll file that this version of the API uses. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  238425 INFO: WinInet Not Supported for Use in Services

• When you import large .sdo files through the Win32 client (Site Manager) or the client-side API, the ASP.NET process may time out before the process is complete. To extend the timeout parameters:
  • On the MCMS server, open the Machine.config file located in %windir%\Microsoft.Net\Framework\v1.0.3705\CONFIG. In the <processModel> tag, change responseDeadlockInterval from "00:03:00" to "12:00:00" (12 hours timeout for any aspnet_wp process).
  • On the MCMS server, open the Web.config file located in <MCMS_ROOT>\Server\Mcms\Sitedeployment. In the <httpRuntime> tag, set executionTimeout to "43200" (12 hours timeout for this application).
  • If you plan to import a large .sdo file by using the Site Manager or the client-side API, configure the following on the MCMS computer. This Web.config setting controls upload size:
    
    In the <httpRuntime> tag, set maxRequestLength to the nearest multiple of 1024 that is greater than the size in KB of the .sdo file (1024 = 1 MB, 102400 = 100 MB). For example, if the .sdo is 3 MB, use 4096 as the value (4096 KB is greater than 3 MB, and 4096 = 4 x 1024).
  • By default, if the aspnet_wp process uses more than 60% of the system memory, aspnet stops the process. To change this default, edit the Machine.config file:
    
    In the <processModel> tag, set memoryLimit="maximum percentage of system memory that may be used by aspnet process". For example, if you want the aspnet process to use a maximum of 80% of the system memory, set memoryLimit="80".
  • The export initially produces a very large folder in the <MCMS_ROOT>\Server\Temp folder, and this is compressed into a smaller .sdo file. Make sure that the Temp directory has sufficient space to contain this folder and the two copies of the file that are produced.
    
    This is hard to estimate, but an MCMS database with 500,000 postings generates a 253 MB file. This file, when uncompressed, consumes about 2GB. After the file is produced in the Temp directory it is moved to the RdOnlyRes directory, where it is downloaded to the client that performed the export. Make sure that the server has sufficient room for the copy from Temp to RdOnlyRes to succeed and that the client has sufficient room to hold the downloaded .sdo file.
    
    A rule of thumb for exporting or importing a large .sdo file is: <free space> = 20 x <size of .sdo file> + 2 x <size of .sdo file> = 22 x <size of .sdo file>.

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