Ayanova: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
Some users have reported the periodic error "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" when trying to access the AyaNova scheduled users grid and possibly other areas of the software.
The Ayanova team had this to say: "A similar issue occurred with another company using AyaNova when they were viewing the Service Workorders grid. We obtained a copy of their database to determine what it was as unable to reproduce. Turned out the specific data in the grid exposed a strange bug in the Microsoft .net framework code related to some internal XML handling we do for grid sorting and filtering."
The latest Hotfix, AyaNova 7.0.4.0 Hotfix 7 may resolve this issue for you.
More information about this hotfix is here:
http://forum.ayanova.com/showthread.php?1509-AyaNova-7.x-Maintenance-Update-Fixes-amp-QuickFixes
Please note that if you are using a hosted AyaNova system with us, it is important that the version on the hosted server and clients are the same.
Our maintenance window is from 7-9 PM PST (GMT -8) during which such updates can be applied. If you are running 7.0.4.0 and would like this hotfix applied, here is the procedure:
- Contact Us to request an update be scheduled.
- We will apply the update during the maintenance window and email you to confirm it is complete.
- Anytime after this, apply the hotfix locally to all of your Windows Data Portal installations.
If you would prefer to apply the hotfix before the server is updated (i.e., so that it is ready for your staff the next morning without them having to do anything), that is OK, but it is recommended you apply the update then shut down the systems. The goal is to avoid ever executing a copy of AyaNova program that is not running the exact same version of as the hosted system, so any advance updates are OK as long as the program isn't executed prior to the server being updated.
If you did happen to execute a local copy of AyaNova that was slightly newer than the server, don't worry, it would not damage any data. One of two things would happen - the software would throw an error on startup indicating they do not match and immediately shut down, or it would go ahead and load normally. If it loads normally, it is most likely usable, but not recommended to use it in this mismatched state for any significant activities (read-only would be a good idea in that case.)
