Posts

"The delivery extension for this subscription could not be loaded" when using SSRS

Image
OK, so we upgraded our server farm and put on the latest "stuff" (SSRS, SQL Server etc.) and the engineers gave me two servers to play with - SQL01 & SQL02. The idea being that we used high availability to help keep the factory running. We employed a contractor to load up and configure everything. At this point I wasn't involved. My involvement was to move all the reports and subscriptions from the old servers to the new ones once the servers had been configured. All went swimmingly, until I actually started to fire off the subscriptions to test them. Randomly (like 5 out of 10) I got the error in the title. I would edit the failing subscription and/or change the schedule time and it would work. I finally got around to moving 81 subscriptions for the same report (all slightly different parameters going to about 6 different engineers). I press the "go" button and every single one failed. Let's cut out the long story about how I went through about
Post a Comment
Read more

Spiralling cost of error fixing story

Ok, now this tale comes from a lecture I attended at Swansea University in about 1975. Truth is, I don't know if it was made up by the lecturer, whose name I forget, or whether it's a fact. Googling comes up with nothing. Anyhow, here it is. The subject was "How much does an error cost to fix?". The lecturer wrote a single line of FORTRAN code on the board: DO 10 I = 1,3 "Now when the programmer took this down to be punch-carded onto Hollerith cards the typist made a mistake. They entered: DO 10 I = 1.3 How much to fix the change from a full-stop to a comma?" A long discussion followed - nothing if the programmer had spotted the mistake by checking the card immediately, more if it was found during testing and finally a lot if the project had already been delivered. He gave us the answer: "$50,000,000. It was in the aerial alignment code of NASA's Pioneer spacecraft. It should loop 3 times to line " 10 CONTINUE " in an a
Post a Comment
Read more

Dacia Duster Mark 2 Roof Rails

Image
Well, after about 3 months of waiting, Dacia UK have finally got back to me about the roof rails on my Mark 2 Duster. I asked a simple question - "Are the ' holes ' at the front and back of the roof rails load-bearing?". Reason being is that the roof bars supplied with my Mark 1 (top pic) don't fit around the thicker rails of the Mark 2 (bottom pic):    (photo from DaciaForum.co.uk) The old bars do fit through the holes , so you are tempted to fit them at that position. However, the reply from Dacia is as follows: Initially, we thought that the holes at either end of the roof bars were load bearing, should you want to fit a roof rack to the bars, however, after having contacted the Product manager from Dacia, I have now been informed that they are not load bearing for you r Duster MK2. So, no, you can't safely use the holes. HTH 
Post a Comment
Read more

Dacia Duster 4x2 DCi (auto) Towing Mileage/MPG

We went to the Lake District from Kent last weekend towing a 1300kgs caravan. On cruise control at 60 mph it returned 25.6 mpg. At 55 mph it returned just short of 30mpg - and that figure was rising. A significant difference. Ok, it's only done 600 miles yet so the engine is still tight and I had to keep it under 2,500 rpm - interesting to do with an auto up some hills. "Towing with a new engine?!" I hear you cry? I confirmed with The Dacia Helpdesk that "keeping below 2,500 rpm and not racing a cold engine will be OK" They then followed that up with "...should be OK". "Should be"?  Thanks.
Post a Comment
Read more

Dacia Duster 4x2 DCi Auto Nose Weight

Just got off the virtual phone with an agent at Dacia who confirmed that the towing weight of a post-2013 (MkII/Facelift?) Dacia Duster DCi 110 Diesel Automatic 4x2 is 1500Kgs with a nose weight of 75Kgs. This is in conflict with a lot of info on the "net" that says it's only 50Kgs - not true. Posting this in the hope that it helps someone.  Update: I found that towing with a nose weight of about 80-85kgs towed better than 75-80kgs.
Post a Comment
Read more

Sittingbourne To Amsterdam - ii

Image
New Year's Eve 2015 was a lovely day, so I thought I'd go for a bike ride. Sad to say, a lorry, a speed camera and a wet kerb brought it swiftly to an end: It's OK, it's only my wrist How to ruin Lycra The Demelza 101 Sittingbourne To Amsterdam is at the end of April - I should be out of plaster by then...
Post a Comment
Read more

Closing the loop.

I guess I should "close the loop" so to speak regarding Mom. Sad to report that she passed away peacefully on 23rd June 2015, aged 99¾. She never got the telegram from the Queen she so wanted.
Post a Comment
Read more

Le Bois Du Chillou.

Image
OK, so I was asked to review my recent holiday at Le Bois Du Chillou, Marcay, by the infamous "TripAdvisor". Great! Except that you through all the hoops entering stuff in and only then do they ask you to register - b*st*rds. I don't think so. Good job I "copied-n-pasted" beforehand! Anyhow, here goes, this is what I was going to say:   " First of all, this was a superb holiday, but with two downsides - one is that the advertising implies that you stay in the Chateau, you don't, you stay in the excellent outbuildings that look over to the Chateau. This should be made more clear when you book. It's there when you check the advert with hindsight, but not obvious. The directions from the owners to find the place are lacking I'm afraid, but a quick  "Google Earth" for "Le Bois Du Chillou, Marcay" gets it spot on. The second is that the pump for the swimming pool seems to be bolted to the bedroom wall and as such there was a c
Post a Comment
Read more