[Chapter-delegates] AMS - extremely slow and cumbersome - logs me out while waiting

Tue Apr 12 12:03:38 PDT 2011

Dear Alan Levin

On Mon, Apr 11, 2011 at 9:26 PM, Alan Levin <alan at isoc.org.za> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> Hope you're all well. Sorry for my quietness on this list, ISOC-ZA has been
> quiet as most users AND ISPs in SA are struggling to deal with Internet
> freedom in SA. Next month we will see a 1Gbps (fibre ring based) connection
> to businesses in the city for only $400 p.m, this is a reduction of ±98% on
> pricing only 3 years ago.
>
> Just a quick note to report that previous requests in this regard have not
> been resolved. I understand that some issues cannot be fixed at this point
> as they will cost too much. I believe that the 'new' AMS is more crippled
> than the previous and was wondering if there is the 'open-source' effort as
> previously suggested?.
>

I participated in the AMS working group that provided all the inputs
necessary for the committee that took its decision soon afterwards. While
the working group was in session, I sought external opinion, as from
http://www.linkedin.com/answers/technology/information-technology/databases/TCH_ITS_DBS/233725-17150723?browseIdx=17&sik=1302634093618&goback=.amq
which generated quite a few responses.  There are several open source
solutions, but probably it was decided not to opt for a open source only
solution due to perception of difficulties in migrating the earlier
proprietary system. I don't know.

Sabrina wrote:
> > I can re-assure you that my colleagues from the AMS team work very hard
> and try to fullfill all the requests that come in. However, one size never
> fits all and we need to balance the needs and requirements of the majority.
> Not an easy job and it can leave disappointment for some. You probably know
> this from your own projects.
>
> I think this is a poor response to the essential components and as
> suggested by Sivasubramanian:
> > In my communication to the ams support in the support thread I have also
> pointed out that these are basic features that a good software designer must
> have foreseen as required and must have built in as default features. From
> what I understand, the basic corrections are now expensive 'features' and a
> time consuming process.
>
> AND  Sivasubramanian wrote on: 26 July 2010 8:16:16 PM SAST:
> >  As I try to work on the list of members waiting for
> > approvals -there are 250 members in the isoc chennai list- I find it
> > extremely difficulty to compare the data in the ams portal with the
> > data available at the chapter (which includes info about the member's
> > affiliation etc).
> >
> > What is the reason why there are so many unwanted limitations on the
> > user interface? The members waiting for approval spreadsheet can not
> > be sorted in any desired order. By default it shows data sorted by the
> > date of application and the user can't sort the data in any other
> > order - name-wise, city-wise.
> >
> > The sheet does not generate any other summaries such as a sub-group of
> > the pending applicants belonging to a certain class ( a city, a
> > company, a date range )
> >
> > This data is also not downloadable, unlike the approved members data.
> > I had to send a special request to you to get the data emailed to me.
>

I am still making requests for export of the members waiting for approval
data, Lincoln McNey is very responsive, he exports it to a spreadsheet using
his privileges and posts in on a web-dav folder and sends me the link and
password. Good support, but is the situation necessary?

After responding to my recent request for data in a spreadsheet, Lincoln had
this to say:

*We do have some changes coming to the Review Applicants page soon
(hopefully this week), among them the ability to email Applicants directly
from the page.  I know you have been requesting this for some time.
For a variety of reasons, the direct export from the Applicants page will
not be coming anytime soon, but I will discuss it again with the developers
this week.  *

Perhaps some of the Chapter-delegates who are technical experts join this
discussion to help them understand the simple gaps in the system that they
have developed and offer them technical help and guidance on completing this
task ? How many do we have in Chapters with expertise in Web Technologies ?

Thank you
Sivasubramanian M

> >
> > The chennai list has 242 members waiting for approval, the page shows
> > about 20 names, without a next page button, without options to alter
> > the number of applicants shown per page. So if I have to see the
> > second page (for which there is no button), I will first have to
> > approve all names in page 1 and then move on to page 2?
>
>
> Veni wrote in another post how slow the system is. I find it's always
> timing out and I have to login again so it's effectively unworkable. Similar
> to the problem mentioned above some 9 months ago I get this error:
>
> > Server Error in '/EBusiness' Application.
> >
> > Exception of type 'System.OutOfMemoryException' was thrown.
> >
> > Description: An unhandled exception occurred during the execution of the
> current web request. Please review the stack trace for more information
> about the error and where it originated in the code.
> >
> > Exception Details: System.OutOfMemoryException: Exception of type
> 'System.OutOfMemoryException' was thrown.
> >
> > Source Error:
> >
> > An unhandled exception was generated during the execution of the current
> web request. Information regarding the origin and location of the exception
> can be identified using the exception stack trace below.
> >
> > Stack Trace:
> >
> > [OutOfMemoryException: Exception of type 'System.OutOfMemoryException'
> was thrown.]
> >    System.String.InternalCopy(String str) +28
> >    System.Text.StringBuilder.ToString() +76
> >    System.Text.RegularExpressions.RegexCharClass.ToStringClass() +400
> >    System.Text.RegularExpressions.RegexFC.GetFirstChars(CultureInfo
> culture) +31
> >    System.Text.RegularExpressions.RegexFCD.FirstChars(RegexTree t) +139
> >
>  System.Text.RegularExpressions.RegexWriter.RegexCodeFromRegexTree(RegexTree
> tree) +304
> >    System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex..ctor(String pattern,
> RegexOptions options, Boolean useCache) +352
> >    System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex.Replace(String input, String
> pattern, String replacement) +34
> >    Telerik.Web.UI.RadInputControl.FormatCssClass(String prefix, String
> userDefined) +114
> >    Telerik.Web.UI.DatePickingInput.SetStyleClasses() +146
> >    Telerik.Web.UI.RadInputControl.OnPreRender(EventArgs e) +32
> >    Telerik.Web.UI.RadDateInput.OnPreRender(EventArgs e) +286
> >    Telerik.Web.UI.DatePickingInput.OnPreRender(EventArgs e) +238
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +80
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Control.PreRenderRecursiveInternal() +171
> >    System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean
> includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +842
> >
> > Version Information: Microsoft .NET Framework Version:2.0.50727.3603;
> ASP.NET Version:2.0.50727.3601
>
> After 10 years of promises that ISOC will assist chapters I do feel this
> outcome is somewhat concerning.
>
> Sincerely
>
>
> Alan
>
>
> --
> Alan Levin
> Internet Society of South Africa
>
>
>
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>
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