Solid Connection to Union Server

[echologic]

Hi Colin,

We've been testing union server for a couple of years as means to enhance our web service's collaborative experience.
However, we've consistently had issues with users losing their connection to union server and having to refresh their browsers, thereby losing the current state of their collaborative experience. This has prevented us from utilizing union with our commercial clients, thereby muting the need for us to purchase a license.

We would be happy to purchase a license if we could identify how to provide stability to users connection to union server and how we might implement a method that allows users to reestablish communication with the union server without having to refresh their browsers.

Thanks,
-Echologic

[toby]

After upgrading to Union 2.1 I encountered a similar issue:

Even after a normal logout/disconnection, if a client reconnected
some of the client state would be wrong - probably remnants of
the previous connection. Sorry, but I cannot be more specific than that.

So, as a workaround, I force a browser refresh as that circumvents the problem.

In my case, probably due to browser caching, that is pretty quick.

I also don't have much state to remember, and a few cookies
and a little bit of data on the server side allow a re-connecting
client to be "back in business" without any other disruption.

Disconnections will invariably happen ... a client's browser could crash,
or there could be a power failure, or a network issue ... so they must
be dealt with one way or another.

If there is application state, then the application has to keep that somehow.
But, yes, it would be better not to have to refresh to get Union back on
solid footing too.

Something similar happens with Union Admin.
If you simply log out and log back in, parts of it don't update any more.
You have to reload it.
That could well be fundamentally the same problem that plagues clients.

[echologic]

Thanks Toby,

"Disconnections will invariably happen ... a client's browser could crash,
or there could be a power failure, or a network issue ... so they must
be dealt with one way or another.

If there is application state, then the application has to keep that somehow.
But, yes, it would be better not to have to refresh to get Union back on
solid footing too."

Yes, its true that disconnections will invariably happen and a means to get union back without refreshing the browser would be extremely useful/desirable.
Please Colin, I know your busy...is this possible? Is there currently, or could there be in the very near future a means to reconnect union without having to refresh the browser?

Best,
Echo