Unspecified error while zipping files
 

Every once in a while, we'll encounter an "Unspecified error" while running a Zip step in VBP 6.2.

The log file shows this:

3/18/2008 6:11:35 PM: Building project step 'Zip bin to 26'...
\\CORP-ALT-26\d$\Tracer2\Build_v2_260\bin -> \\CORP-ALT-26\d$\Tracer2\Build_v2_260\1750\bin_1750.zip
Configuration/actionconfig.xsl
Configuration/actionfields.xsl
Configuration/CEconfig.xml
Configuration/config.xml
Configuration/createcollection.xsl
Configuration/dbconfig.xml
Configuration/logconfig.xml
Configuration/lookup.xml
Configuration/nlstranslate.xsl
Configuration/pds.wsdl
Configuration/pds.wsdl_corp18
Configuration/ResetHTML.xsl
Configuration/RptLicense.xml
Configuration/TransformMCE.xml
Configuration/TransformMCE.xsl
DLL/ActionController.dll
DLL/AttachmentsAction.dll
DLL/AttachmentsBO.dll
DLL/AuthAction.dll
DLL/AuthEngine.dll
DLL/Authenticate.dll
DLL/CalendarBO.dll
DLL/CalendarsAction.dll
DLL/ChangeRequestAction.dll
DLL/ChangeRequestBO.dll
DLL/CodeAction.dll
DLL/CodeBO.dll
DLL/ConfigAction.dll
DLL/ConfigBO.dll
Unspecified error
3/18/2008 6:11:36 PM: Step 'Zip bin to 26' failed


Any ideas?

Not really, but since the problem is sporadic and both the source files and destination ZIP file are on a network share, I would guess that a network hiccup, or possibly a source or destination file getting locked by some other user or service, is a likely cause.

In case of a lock on a file or network connectivity issues, I put a loop around the step to keep trying if it failed. On the first attempt, it gave "Busy, can't enter now."


3/19/2008 6:12:09 PM: Building project step 'Zip Tracer to 26'...
\\CORP-ALT-26\d$\Tracer2\Build_v2_260\Tracer2 -> \\CORP-ALT-26\d$\Tracer2\Build_v2_260\1751\Tracer2_1751.zip
Busy, can't enter now
3/19/2008 6:12:09 PM: Step 'Zip Tracer to 26' failed
3/19/2008 6:12:09 PM: Building project step 'Do until zipping doesn't fail'...
Step 'Do until zipping doesn't fail' repeating build rule evaluates true: %LASTSTEP_STATUS% (expanded value = 1) is not equal to 0
3/19/2008 6:12:09 PM: Building project step 'Wait 10 seconds'...
Waiting 00:00:10...
Elapsed time has passed, continuing build
3/19/2008 6:12:19 PM: Building project step 'Zip Tracer'...
\\CORP-ALT-26\d$\Tracer2\Build_v2_260\Tracer2 -> \\CORP-ALT-26\d$\Tracer2\Build_v2_260\1751\Tracer2_1751.zip
Busy, can't enter now
3/19/2008 6:12:19 PM: Step 'Zip Tracer' failed
3/19/2008 6:12:19 PM: Building project step 'Do until zipping doesn't fail'...
Step 'Do until zipping doesn't fail' repeating build rule evaluates true: %LASTSTEP_STATUS% (expanded value = 1) is not equal to 0
3/19/2008 6:12:19 PM: Building project step 'Wait 10 seconds'...
Waiting 00:00:10...
Elapsed time has passed, continuing build
3/19/2008 6:12:30 PM: Building project step 'Zip Tracer'...
\\CORP-ALT-26\d$\Tracer2\Build_v2_260\Tracer2 -> \\CORP-ALT-26\d$\Tracer2\Build_v2_260\1751\Tracer2_1751.zip
Busy, can't enter now
3/19/2008 6:12:30 PM: Step 'Zip Tracer' failed
3/19/2008 6:12:30 PM: Building project step 'Do until zipping doesn't fail'...
Step 'Do until zipping doesn't fail' repeating build rule evaluates true: %LASTSTEP_STATUS% (expanded value = 1) is not equal to 0
3/19/2008 6:12:30 PM: Building project step 'Wait 10 seconds'...
Waiting 00:00:10...
Elapsed time has passed, continuing build



This went on for about an hour and a half before I logged onto the machine to take a look. Then, I stopped the build, and ran each ZIP step one at a time. The ZIP steps did not have any errors this time, and the rest of the build went as expected. I've never seen the "Busy, can't enter now" message, and was wondering what it is referring to -- VBP being busy, the folder being busy, the DynaZip DLL being busy, or something else.

We haven't seen that one before either. The error message is actually returned by the ZIP component, and the docs indicate this means that a zip action was initiated within the same thread of execution before the last operation completed, which doesn't make a lot of sense, since the build steps are run sequentially.