Performance problems: No data is transmitted when using KERMIT protocol (STN Express versions lower than V 8.01)

Performance problems: General slow performance WWW links (e.g. CAS Full Text Options, URLs) replace the "Session Manager" browser window

FAQ

Performance problems: No data is transmitted when using KERMIT protocol (STN Express versions lower than V 8.01)

Users of STN Express v 8.0: Download the Free Maintenance Upgrade v 8.01 which offers optimized performance for data transmission via KERMIT protocol.
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Depending on your PC, its configuration and network connection, you may encounter problems with data transmission through the SSL VPN tunnel, especially when trying to download/upload graphics or chemical structures via KERMIT protocol.

This is caused because STN Express is using plenty of Windows® resources. However, this problem can be easily solved by changing the priority of the tasks "STNTERM.EXE" and "EXPRESS.EXE" with the help of a simple Batch file (START.BAT).

Proceed as follows:

1. Download the zip-file START.ZIP
2. Unzip START.BAT into your installation location of STN Express (e.g. C:\program files\stnexp). This file contains only one line:
   start /low .\EXPRESS.EXE.
3. Establish a shortcut to START.BAT on your desktop and name it, e.g. "STN Express low" (see Figure 5)
4. Always open STN Express via this shortcut, click the "Logon" button from the main menu / toolbar and select the your logon profile, e.g. "STNK-secure ", as usual

Result: Using START.BAT in order to call STN Express (EXPRESS.EXE and subsequently STNTERM.EXE) will start STN Express with low task priority settings. As a result the SSL VPN tunnel may use more Windows resources and the session including the KERMIT protocol processes should now work properly.

If you still encounter any problems, please contact the STN Helpdesk or upgrade to STN Express v 8.01 which offers optimized performance for data transmission via KERMIT protocol !
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Figure 5

Performance problems: General slow performance

JAVA Plug-in - JAVA Performance Tuning

Due to performance issues, it is strongly recommended NOT to start the JAVA console

• Start > Settings > Control Panel > Java Plug-in
• Select option "Do not start Console"
• Unmark option "Show Java in System Tray" (JRE 1.4.X)
  Unmark option "Place Java icon in system tray" (JRE 1.5.X and 1.6.X)
  See fig.: 4a (JRE 1.4.X) or fig.: 4b (JRE 1.5.X and 1.6.X)

Figure 4a

Figure 4b

WWW links (e.g. CAS Full Text Options, URLs) replace the "Session Manager" browser window

If you click on the "Full Text" link (or any other WWW link) during your online session, the ChemPort browser window (or any other browser window) replaces the "Session Manager" window, which breaks the connection to STN.

Solution:

Ensure you have selected the preference "Launch a new browser window for each WWW link" in the "Links" tab in the "STN Online and Results" preferences of STN Express with Discover! (see Figure 6)

Figure 6

FAQ

Java environment

JRE (Java Runtime Environment) Proxy Configuration

Select Option: Use settings of Web browser

Firefox Web browser

• Problem: Web browser uses old JRE version although a newer version of JRE has been installed 
• Solution: Deinstall old JRE-Version or clean Web browser plugins directory from old java dll’s

CITRIX environment

SSL VPN is not supported in case STN Express is setup within a CITRIX environment.

Background information: Since the "Session Manager" behaves like a server process which is occupying a fixed TCP port (6000), you cannot run more than one copy of this process on a system. If different processes were occupying the same TCP port (6000), it wouldn't be able to route communication requests to the correct server process. Although CITRIX tries to establish virtual process environments for every user, it uses one common management of TCP ports for all "user environments". That means it is possible to start several "Session Manager" processes on a CITRIX System (i.e. green flashing lights indicating the establishment of SSL VPN tunnels), but only one of these processes is able to bind to TCP port 6000.

MS Windows configuration

The REGEDIT-Command must not be locked.

MS IE Internet Options / Security Settings

ACTIVE SCRIPTING must be enabled.

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