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PDF Files from Web Server Inconsistent

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by sbanning

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We have IIS running on our web server, we have a proxy server. We have PDF files on our web for downloading by clients. Sometimes the PDF files go through with no problem; the client can view all data in the files. Sometimes the PDF files download as 0 (zero) byte files and the client views nothing but a blank browser window. This happens with IE and Netscape, latest versions. The PDF files are fine when we look at them through Windows Explorer, no problems. What can possibly be causing this erratic behavior? We thought that it might be a cache issue or memory in the web server, but we've looked at all that and the problems still continue... Any thoughts?

Thanks!
Sue

2 replies

by timwalsh

Have you been able to recreate the problem locally (i.e. through a web browser but through the network local to the Web server)?
Does it happen consistantly with the same clients, or with the same documents, or with the same types of connections (dial-up vs. DSL vs. ?), or through the same ISPs, or during periods of heavy usage (vs. light usage)?
What is the most common behavior, download successful, or download unuccessful?

If things work correctly most of the time, I would suspect eithera connection issue or a server workload issue. If things work incorrectly most of the time, I would suspect either server misconfiguration or website design issues.

by shanghai sam

Thanks for your thoughts on this, Tim. The connections are all different, the PDFs are, too. It is a very inconsistent occurance. We've recreated it locally, with the same files we've received the user feedback on. Things usually work correctly, as opposed to incorrectly. It has been an ongoing 'off and on' problem for a few years now. The files are just linked within straight HTML pages. I'm still hoping for more answers....

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