We are using CKFinder 2.1.0 in a Cold Fusion 9.0.1 environment and are having an issue with the Flash File Upload component. So far this is only on Mac clients, and it is happening across Safari, Fire Fox, Chrome and Opera. The issue is a hang during multiple file uploads by remote users. Everything else on the page continues to work ok for them. Just the file transfer hangs.
Users on our local network have never seen this occur. There is nothing consistent that we can see related to the files (name, size, etc) when it occurs. Almost all files involved are less than 100kb and our application limits them to under 300kb. The files will upload many times in test just fine and then hang on another test. The symptom the users report is that they will see the progress bar moving along just fine and then it simply stops. There is no indication of any issue. Everything else outside of the flash component is still functioning. The only way to get it started again is to close the component or refresh the page. Then it will work again just fine.
The only way we have been able to replicate the problem so far is to introduce a network failure of more than a few seconds somewhere downstream of the client workstation. If we do that for less than 5 seconds or so, the file transfer picks back up and continues on. However if the interruption is more than 5-10 seconds then it will not recover. Since we can’t see the source to the fileloader.swf component, there’s no way for us to tell if this is a CKFinder or Flash issue with respect to communications recovery.
The majority of our users that are seeing this problem are at one company that is almost entirely Mac. Due to their business (magazine publishing), there is also the distinct possibility that their network is very heavily used to move extremely large files around. Do you know if the Flash component is susceptible to network communications issues?
We are going to upgrade our development environment to the 2.1.1 CKFinder code and repeat the tests when we have some time. However there's nothing in the features list that leads us to believe that there would be any benefit in this particular case.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Users on our local network have never seen this occur. There is nothing consistent that we can see related to the files (name, size, etc) when it occurs. Almost all files involved are less than 100kb and our application limits them to under 300kb. The files will upload many times in test just fine and then hang on another test. The symptom the users report is that they will see the progress bar moving along just fine and then it simply stops. There is no indication of any issue. Everything else outside of the flash component is still functioning. The only way to get it started again is to close the component or refresh the page. Then it will work again just fine.
The only way we have been able to replicate the problem so far is to introduce a network failure of more than a few seconds somewhere downstream of the client workstation. If we do that for less than 5 seconds or so, the file transfer picks back up and continues on. However if the interruption is more than 5-10 seconds then it will not recover. Since we can’t see the source to the fileloader.swf component, there’s no way for us to tell if this is a CKFinder or Flash issue with respect to communications recovery.
The majority of our users that are seeing this problem are at one company that is almost entirely Mac. Due to their business (magazine publishing), there is also the distinct possibility that their network is very heavily used to move extremely large files around. Do you know if the Flash component is susceptible to network communications issues?
We are going to upgrade our development environment to the 2.1.1 CKFinder code and repeat the tests when we have some time. However there's nothing in the features list that leads us to believe that there would be any benefit in this particular case.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Re: Flash File Up Loader Hang on Macs
We are planning a new release of CKFinder for tomorrow. CKFinder 2.2 will change the technology behind multiple file uploads from Adobe Flash to HTML5 for all compatible browsers, i.e. Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera 12 and Internet Explorer 10. This is why I would recommend waiting with further tests until this new version is released as chances are that if Flash is the culprit, then the issues should be gone.
Thank you for your patience!
Documentation Manager, CKSource
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Re: Flash File Up Loader Hang on Macs
HUGE improvement! You guys did a really great job with the HTML5 and new features. We especially like the adjustments you made to the progress indicators. That makes so much more sense than the way it was before.
We can still cause the uploads to hang by introducing the temporary downstream interruption. It does seem to be a little better at recovering though. I did a 15 second interruption and it recovered from that. Much longer though and it does not. Is there any way that the upload process can trap that and give the user some error indication?
Hitting the Cancel button once the upload hangs does work correctly and kills that specifc upload and picks up with the remaining ones. So that helps a lot.
Is there any possibility in some future release of adding a "Retry" button next to or below the Cancel button?
Re: Flash File Up Loader Hang on Macs
Wiktor Walc
CTO, CKSource - http://cksource.com
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