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Hosting Problems (I am such a hacker)

posted under category: Servers on August 13, 2004 by Nathan

I recently switched web site hosts, following David Medlock's suggestion of going with his provider. I thought it would be great and fun --and darn cheap! Well it's great to have a ColdFusion server for my site, but working with these people is difficult.

It took a whole month to get my SQL database hooked up. Here's a shortened transcript of my little sql battle:


me: Please hook up my SQL Database in ColdFusion.

them: Ok, please give us the details.

me: Ok, here's the server, password, etc.

them: Ok, it works, please test it.

me: Doesn't work. I'm seeing the error: [Macromedia][SequeLink JDBC Driver][SequeLink Server]The specified data source is not defined. Why are using SequeLink instead of the SQL Server driver?

them: Please double-check your code.

me: Here is my code and a link to the page where you can see it for yourself

them: Ok, forwarded to admin.

me: I can see the database, but can't add tables. Please use my dba acct instead of the limited account.

them: Ok, forwarded to admin.

me: It's been 4 days, now it says "data source not found"

them: Ok, forwarded to admin.

me: It's been 11 days. What's happening?

them: Ok, let's start over. What is your database info again?

me: Here's how to add it. Go to cf administrator, click on data sources ... ...

them: Your username is lowercase now? Before it was mixed case.

me: Case doesn't matter in SQL server usernames. I can connect to my database on your server from here. What is wrong with you?

them: Ok, forwarded to admin.

them: Ok, it works, please test it.

me: It's not working. Please refer to the test page i sent you earlier.

them: Ok, it works, please test it.

me: It's still not working. It isn't done until my test page works. I think you have it pointing to the wrong server.

them (admin): Ok, please wait.

them: (2 days later) (issue closed)

me: Do not close this issue. It should have been fixed weeks ago.

them (admin): Ok, looks like you deleted your ODBC connection. I re-made it and everything is perfect.

me: It still doesn't work. Now there is a database connected, but it isn't mine. Please view the test page again. Can I log into your CF Administrator and fix it myself?

me: Nevermind, I noticed the CF Admin was not password protected. Thanks! I have added my database using the regular SQL Server driver. Your admin may copy my settings for future databases, but DO NOT change anything

Nathan is a software developer at The Boeing Company in Charleston, SC. He is essentially a big programming nerd. Really, you could say that makes him a nerd among nerds. Aside from making software for the web, he plays with tech toys and likes to think about programming's big picture while speaking at conferences and generally impressing people with massive nerdiness and straight-faced sarcastic humor. Nathan got his programming start writing batch files in DOS. It should go without saying, but these thought and opinions have nothing to do with Boeing in any way.
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