Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Nesstar Server
- What are the software/hardware installation requirements?
- Why cant I access the User Management Tool?
- Why do I get an error that I am not authorised to administer NT services?
- Why can’t I connect to the Nesstar Server through a proxy?
- Can I run a server from behind a firewall?
- Why do I get the message ‘Server cannot migrate from a mapped network drive?’
- How do I delete a study or a cube ?
- Where do I add additional documentation?
- How do I stop MySQL running as a service?
- Is it possible to run two Nesstar Servers at the same time?
- Can I change the name of my Nesstar Server?
- How do I configure and use an external database?
- Why has the Nesstar service become disabled? I am running the Nesstar Server under Windows 2000
Nesstar WebView
- What software do I need to use WebView?
- Why can’t I open my STATA download with my version of STATA?
- How do I add additional catalogues to WebView
- Why do I not get any results when I search for variables?
Nesstar Publisher
- What are the software/hardware installation requirements?
- Why do I get the error message ‘corrupt installation detected’?
- Why can I add a Nesstar Server but not publish to it?
- How do I publish to a secure server?
- Where is the File Description part of the DDI in the Publisher?
- How do I add documentation such as .pdf or .doc files in the Nesstar Publisher?
- Why does it occasionally take a long time to import a small file?
- Why is it that when I export to SPSS the variable names are reduced to 8 characters?
- Does the Publisher support non-English characters?
Nesstar Server
What are the software/hardware installation requirements?
The minimum software/hardware requirements that a machine must have are the following:
What can't I access the User Management Tool?
The User Mangement Tool requires taht you use Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x. If you continue to encounter difficulties please check the security, privacy and advanced settings in your browser.
Why do I get an error that I am not authorised to administer NT services?
If you receive this error message check that you have full administrative rights on the computer and the directories on which you will be working.
If you do not have administrative rights, contact an administrator to gain these rights.
If you do have administrative rights then this could be a problem with the error message itself. Try ignoring the message and click on 'apply settings' (in the Configuration Tool) until it allows you to proceed.
Why can’t I connect to the Nesstar Server through a proxy?
To connect to the Nesstar Server through a proxy you must specify your proxy settings in the ‘advanced mode’ of the Configuration Tool. To publish to a proxy server you need to enter your configuration details in the Nesstar Publisher – go to File | Preferences | Proxy Settings.
Can I run a Nesstar Server from behind a firewall?
If you are behind a firewall, this needs to be configured to allow access to ports that the Nesstar Server requires. Restrictions on access to these ports can affect normal usage. Please contact your network administrator if you encounter difficulties. Please contact nesstar-support@nesstar.com if you require further assistance.
Why do I get the message 'Server cannot migrate from a mapped network drive'?
This error message can appear when the Server directory name is changed from its original name. Change the server directory name back to what it was and try to migrate again. If you still encounter problems contact Nesstar Support.
How do I delete a study or a cube?
Either use the publisher to delete the object via Manage Server or delete the relevant xml file from the data directory of the Nesstar Server.
Where do I add additional documentation?
The directory structure of the Nesstar Server has been modified. You now need to place any additional documentation in the directory <nesstar-server> /jboss/server/default/deploy/root.war.
How do I stop MySQL running as a service?
There are two ways to shut down your MySql server:
- Go to the directory <Nesstar-Server>/mysql and execute shutdown.bat;
- Go to the directory <Nesstar-Server>/config and execute cleanup.bat to shut down both the Nesstar Server and the MySql database.
Please note that Start will only start an integrated MySQL Server. Restart and Stop do not control the selected database server at all. This is also true of short-cuts and server bin batch files.
Is it possible to run two Nesstar Servers at the same time?
Yes, it is possible to install more then one server on the same machine. To do so:
Install the initial server and then each additional server in a different directory. When you click Apply Settings in the Configuration Tool a message will appear stating that there is a conflict in the service names and/or in the ports used by the new server. The tool will propose different names/ports to solve the problem.
Note: If you install more then one server of the same version on the same machine, the start up folder which is accessed by clicking on Start | All Programs, will be overwritten by the most recent installation. Therefore, you can specify a different name, for the Start Menu link, during the server installation.n.
Can I change the name of my Nesstar Server?
The Nesstar Server name must be set during the installation process and cannot be changed later. You should be aware that the name of the server is used for the name of the default catalogue within WebView
How do I configure an external database to work with my Nesstar Server?
See the configuration Guide and look for the chapter Configuring with external Databases. [If your server is running you can find the documentation at: http://<nesstar-server>/nesstar/docs/config_guide.jsp]
Why has the Nesstar service become disabled? I am running the Nesstar Server under Windows 2000.
Under Windows 2000 sometimes the Nesstar service may be disabled if the service is selected in the services control panel and you either uninstall the service using the bin\uninstall.bat or you switch the server to 'debug mode' in the Configuration Tool.
To resolve this issue you need to go to the registry (run regedit) and delete the service named HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Nesstar-Server-3. Then start your Nesstar Server as normal.
Nesstar WebView
What software do I need to use WebView?
The latest stable versions of Internet Explorer and Mozilla are the preferred web browsers that should support all features of WebView.
Why can’t I open my STATA download with my version of STATA?
The STATA download from WebView is in Stata8 format - this is not compatible with previous versions of STATA. You need to ensure that you have the latest STATA package.
How do I add additional catalogues to WebView?
You can create multiple and nested catalogues by using the Nesstar Publisher. Open the Publisher and go to Publishing -> <server> -> Manage Server
Why do I not get any results when I search for variables?
You need to specify 'Search for variables' in the 'Return what?' section.
Nesstar Publisher
What are the software/hardware installation requirements?
A minimum of 1GB of hard disk space is recommended for installation and local data storage, and that you have 2 GB or more of free hard disk space on the disk where the TEMP directory is located. More space may be required for very large datasets.
1 GHz or faster processor, and 512 MB memory or more is recommended. Large datasets may require more memory.
Minimum 1024x768 resolution, 1280x1024 or higher recommended.
OS: Windows XP/2000 or NT4(with Service Pack 5).
Why do I get the error message ‘corrupt installation detected’ ?
Make sure you have administrative rights to the machine on which you are trying to install the Nesstar Publisher.
Why can I add a Nesstar Server but not publish to it?
Any user of the server can access the ‘Manage Server’ component. Only admin and publisher users (users with administrative rights) can publish.
How do I publish to a secure server?
Please consult the latest version of the general 'Getting Started Guide' and 'Publisher User Guide' for information on publishing to a secure server.
Where is the File Description part of the DDI in the Publisher?
Some of the fields from the File Description section of the DDI are not relevant for NSDstat format files, and cannot be found within Publisher. Others are automatically generated from the dataset itself and can therefore not be edited, but others can be added to a Publisher Template in the usual way. Please refer to the Publisher User Guide for further information.
How do I add documentation such as .pdf or .doc files in the Nesstar Publisher?
Documents can be added to a Nesstar Server and then linked to from Publisher by:
1. Copying the file into the directory \Nesstar-Server-xx\jboss\deploy\server\default\root.war\
2. Then adding a link to this file in within Publisher by using just the document name in the following format: /document_name.doc
Why does it occasionally take a long time to import a small file ?
The following are possible causes of this:
1. Lack of space on your hard drive. The data are best imported into Publisher from the hard disk of your PC or from a network drive to which you are allowed to save files.
2. Lack of temporary space or no permission to write to a drive. As soon as a file is being imported, Publisher will create a tempory copy of itself, and you will need space and permission to write to this area. To specify where temp files are stored see File | Preferences in Publisher.
3. Problems with your network connection. It is also possible that the problem occurred because of a temporary loss in connection to your network, if the file is on a network drive.
4. Your dataset contains a large number of alphanumeric variables. Importing a file that contains alphanumeric (string) variables longer than 8 characters may slow the import process.
Does the Publisher support non-English characters?
To avoid any problems the Nesstar Server and Publisher machines should use the same character set. When downloading the datasets the same character set that was used when the NSDstat file was created should also be used.
If no short string variables have been used in any datasets, or if the short string variables only contain ASCII characters, then the datasets can be used on all machines without regard to character set.