Slow down while using Zotero without server connection.

nealmibe@gmx.de
Hello,

We are experiencing a serious slow down while using zotero without server connection.

Several Versions of Zotero Standalone and Zotero Firefox are used on different mac computers while our internal sever with some external pdf files is on and off. When the pdf server is on, everything works fine. Everytime the server is offline (for example usage on notebook while traveling) zotero is gets very slow. The error 'While connection to server an error happend - maybe the server isn't present or disconnected...' (translation from german error message) appears around 3 times after each other. After changing a catalog, searching, etc. this error appears again and again. This behavior stays, even if I switch off auto-syncing and data-syncing. .

This issue started with one of the latest updates, Zotero Standalone Version 3 works fine, regardless of the avaibility of the pdf server. Now it makes the offline usage of zotero nearly impossible. Maybe there are some other suggestions? Thank you in advance.
  • dstillman
    Several Versions of Zotero Standalone and Zotero Firefox are used on different mac computers while our internal sever with some external pdf files is on and off.
    How is the server related to Zotero? What kind of server? Are you referring to WebDAV, or something else?
    The error 'While connection to server an error happend - maybe the server isn't present or disconnected...' (translation from german error message) appears around 3 times after each other.
    Where are you seeing this? Can you take a screenshot, upload it somewhere (e.g., Dropbox, imageshack.us), and provide a link here?
    After changing a catalog, searching, etc. this error appears again and again. This behavior stays, even if I switch off auto-syncing and data-syncing. .
    If this happens with auto-syncing off, it's pretty unlikely that this is a Zotero issue.
  • nealmibe@gmx.de
    edited August 4, 2013
    Hello Dan, thank you for your quick reply.

    a) The server is serving pdf files, which are attached to zotero-entries. It is a Mac File Server (10.4) in an closed internal network accessed via Apple File Protocol and an internal IP adress.

    b) to be more precise:

    - Clicking on an catalog causes a colored ball icon.
    - Then after a while the following message in a pop up window appears with the message: "Beim Verbinden mit dem Server "bg4" ist ein Fehler aufgetaucht. Möglicherweise ist der Server nicht vorhanden oder zurzeit nicht verfügbar. Überprüfen Sie den Servernamen oder die IP-Adresse sowie die Netzwerkverbindung, und versuchen Sie es dann erneut."

    Translation : "While connecting with the server "bg" an error appeared. Maybe the server isn't existing or currently not accessible. Check the servername or the IP-adress or the network connection and try again."

    - After accepting the message with an 'OK' the pop-up window disappears. Sometimes one can browse and access the entries directly after this message. Sometimes the colored ball and the pop-up window appear up to three times.
    - When clicking on another catalog section the same annoying sequence appears again.
    - The formerly offline usage of the program gets nearly impossible.

    c) I have tested it again with all syncing off. Everything stays the same. Before the update Zotero simply did understand, that currently no file server is avaiable. This didn't slow down or block the program. There are no similar issues with other programs.

    Maybe I could consider a downgrade to an older version.
  • nealmibe@gmx.de
    edited August 5, 2013
    The problem occurs in Zotero Standalone 4.x and in Firefox with Zotero Plugin 4.x. I have generated two different debug files (one with server access, the other without). In both cases all sync features were turned off. One difference I have found is:

    Being connected with the server, there is no delay. One can access the data immediately. In the debug file one 'file not found' can be found. it is prompted link this:

    (5)(+0000000): SELECT path FROM itemAttachments WHERE itemID=?

    (5)(+0000000): Binding parameter 1 of type int: 2570

    (2)(+0000000): Attachment file '/Volumes/BX1HD_DATEN/probepdf/Bernhard et al. - Geschichte der Planung des öffentlichen Raums.pdf' not found

    .................................

    Beeing disconnected from the server causes up to 3 times an error message. Meanwhile the Zotero is blocked. In the debug file five times 'file not found's are prompted. Interesting is, that four of them point to an local Zotero Profiles folder:

    (3)(+0004015): Invalid persistent descriptor -- trying relative

    (2)(+0000000): Attachment file '/Users/cmbp/Library/Application Support/Zotero/Profiles/zizcjze9.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' not found
  • dstillman
    Trying turning off the column in the middle pane with the blue dots, using the selector menu at the right of the column headers.
  • nealmibe@gmx.de
    Hello Dan,

    turning of the pane helps. Opening, browsing and searching works again very quick. Thank you for your great and fast help. :)
  • dstillman
    OK, so to explain this, first, Zotero doesn't know anything about file servers (except for Zotero and WebDAV servers for syncing, which is unrelated). As far as it's concerned a linked file is just a file on the disk. It's the system that's handling the AFP connection, and the error messages you're seeing are from the system, not from Zotero. It's possible that there's a way to get the system to just consider such files nonexistent instead of trying to connect to the inaccessible server, but that's something you'd have to play around with.

    The one thing that's changed in Zotero—in 4.0—is that Zotero now checks whether attached files exist in order to display the column with the blue dot (mainly to go along with the new on-demand download feature, but applicable to all attachments). We can (and should) make that not block the Zotero UI while it's checking, but we can't prevent the system from displaying the error messages. That's something you'd have to figure out if you can do.
  • nealmibe@gmx.de
    Thanks for your explanation. At the moment I can again work and I have not to downgrade. Both things which make me happy :)

    I'm a long time mac user, but wouldn't know, how to prevent the system displaying this pop-up messages. Maybe something can be done in Unix (which I'm not familiar with ;( ). But I can try to play around a little bit. In my experience MacOs X.6/8 handles the total oder sudden loss of a connection to afileserver calmly, compared to older versions.

    For me it is the bad habit of blocking/freezing, which takes some time, while one is waiting and waiting. If the app would stay useable during the lookup, the pop up wouldn't bother me. One could simply click it and continue working.

    Meanwhile two things look strange to me:

    a) Programs with linked files likes indesign simply accept noexisting files (on a server or local). They don't show any pop-window or block the use of the programm.
    b) If the server is connected, a missing file on the server is not producing the error. It's
    the noexisting server, which produces the error.

    Thanks again for your time.
  • dstillman
    Programs with linked files likes indesign simply accept noexisting files (on a server or local).
    I would guess that InDesign caches a copy of the file to display and then doesn't check the original file again until you try to make changes. Again, this really isn't something special that Zotero is doing. Any program that tried to access a file on that volume would likely trigger the same behavior from the system.
    If the server is connected, a missing file on the server is not producing the error. It's the noexisting server, which produces the error.
    Right, because it's not a missing file error. It's a connection error. Zotero is just checking whether the file exists at its normal path, /Volumes/[VolumeName], as it would any other file. /Volumes/[VolumeName] isn't a special path as far as Zotero is concerned. The fact that the system is trying to connect to the server when it accesses a file under that path isn't something within its control.

    If you actually unmounted the volume this might not happen, though I'm not sure. It's possible OS X remembers previous path<->IP address mappings even if the volume isn't mounted and tries to reconnect automatically. (If so, there might be a way to prevent that, but that might be more inconvenient in general.)
  • dstillman
    OK, I believe the latest 4.0 Branch dev XPI should avoid the UI freeze in cases like this, though only in Firefox 23 (which is currently in beta but due out this week) and later. The fix will be included in Zotero 4.0.10.
  • nealmibe@gmx.de
    I will give it a try after firefox 23 has been release and post the results here.
  • dstillman
    Zotero 4.0.10 is now out with this change, and Firefox 23 is also available.
  • nealmibe@gmx.de
    Hello Dan,

    today i've tested both versions (Standalone and Plugin for Firefox 23). With turned off 'blue dots'-column everything works fine, otherwise the blocking hsbit and pop-up windows appear up to theree times. After changing to another collection this happens again.
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