Problems in working with Structured FrameMaker using VPN

[neenah918]

Our writing team has moved offsite.  To access Structured FrameMaker and the database (Documentum), we are now required to connect through the VPN (Contivity).  We have recurring problems with checking documents out/in and backup files are not automatically created in the checkout folder.  In spite of frequent saves, we sometimes lose documents because the system slows down and ultimately fails to respond.  These errors do not seem to be related to the size of the checked out documents or the time of day we are accessing FM. 

My new email address is: mary.lyons@kone.com

Thank you.

[Arnis Gubins]

Mary,

From your description it's not clear if your problem is with FM, Documentum or the VPN. When you "lose documents" when the system slows down and fails to respond, what do you do to get back into the system? Do you have your FM preferences set to autosave? Are any of these autosaved files around after your system goes down - what exactly goes down anyway (the VPN, FM, Documentum)?

It sounds more like it might be an issue with your VPN/network communications. I routinely use FM on other machines scattered around North America via Remote Desktop (not exactly a VPN approach, but still conceptually similar) without any issues with FM.

[neenah918]

Thank you for your prompt reponse.  I waited to reply because the VPN client was reinstalled on our machines, and I was hoping that would resolve the issues.  Unfortunately, the problems continue.  Frame Maker stops responding, usually at the point where we attempt to Check In a document after editing.  By losing documents, I meant that backup files are not being created in our Documentum Checkout folders, so if the program crashes on check in, our edits are not saved anywhere.  We have to reboot and re-establish the VPN connection before we can access Framemaker and Documentum again.

Since three of the writers have moved offsite and connecting via the VPN, the writing team at company headquarters has begun to experience similar issues with losing the connection to Documentum and FrameMaker too.  Coincidental?  Probably not.

Our offsite and corporate IT teams are working on the problem.  However, because I found the forums to be an invaluable resource when I worked with RoboHelp., I thought I would post the earlier message in case it sounded familiar to any of the experts or users in the forum.

Thank you for your assistance

[Van Kurtz]

I worked for awhile at a site that used FrameMaker with Documentum; I think the Frame version was 7.2. Because FrameMaker did not have native Documentum access, scripts had to be created to do the job from within FrameMaker. It took the developers several months to get it right. I do not know whether FrameMaker 9 has built-in ability to access Documentum, but if third-party scripts were created to make the link, then I would check those and not FrameMaker.

To help isolate the problem, try saving and closing the documents in FrameMaker and then checking them in from Windows Explorer, rather than FrameMaker. If there is still a problem, then it would seem not to be due to FrameMaker.

[pedroc70568265]

Hi there.

I have the same problem using FM2020. With VPN it's just too slow to work with. And having the tool installed on another machine not requiring VPN access and using remote access (Amazon Workspace for instance) it is a whole different scenario, much better.

This is something that should be looked into, mainly due to the current restrictions we live in.

Regards