Hi - Unfortunately, the behavior you see is endemic to the program. Replacing hardware is not going to fix it. The design of the program is poor in terms of Java coding, and the integration into the database behind the browser window is problematic. There are no magic fixes - we will have to wait (perhaps quite a long time) until BD resolves their design and coding issues. One action you might take which appears to minimize (but certainly not eliminate) the problems with crashing is to keep your database sparsely populated. You can use the Export command to create folders of experiments already run on a regular basis, say weekly or monthly. When doing this, choose the Delete option so they are removed from the database. If you need to, importing the experiments back into the DiVa database is quite rapid and easy. Best of luck. Marty >Marty, > > I have had all of the problems you have described. The last of >the screen freezing up has driven me crazy. My hard drive has been >replaced and the "software engineers" at BD are reviewing my log >file. They as of yet have not found the problem. Two things that >I have noticed, is that I need to take my time selecting NEXT. >Although it appears that the events have been processed, I believe >there are some processes still going on. As for using the task >manager. I've been doing the same thing. However, I was taking the >time to shutdown and reboot in the hope of getting rid of this >hang-up. What I came to realize is that I can use the task manager, >go back into Diva replay a tube of data, delete the empty tube that >was generated, select NEXT and then I good to go. > I've been very frustrated with all the problems you described >and a bit irritated that BD has not been more responsive. > > If you have any insights they would be greatly appreciated. > > >Colette Charland >Researcher/Analyst >University of Vermont >89 Beaumont Ave. >Flow Cytometry Center/Given C316 >Burlington, VT 05405 >1-802-656-8742 > > > > >From: Marty Bigos [mailto:mbigos@gladstone.ucsf.edu] >Sent: Friday, October 15, 2004 12:33 PM >To: Cytometry Mailing List >Subject: RE: Do your have any DIVA problems? > >Hi - > >As a DiVa software user since V1.0 I would like to say that BD has >improved the product tremendously. Any serious user of the first >version would probably end up with carpel tunnel syndrome if they >did not first succumb to stress and frustration. The current version >has moved beyond that to software that is basically functional as >long as one does things the "DiVa" way, but still has recurring bugs. > >The count bug (below) is one. We also experience two "loss of >context" bugs. The most frustrating one is that, for no apparent >reason, the global acquisition sheet will disappear, along with the >switch on the toolbar that allows one to choose it or an analysis >worksheet. This happens to us both in the middle of an experiment, >and when we duplicate an old experiment. The only solution we've >found is to create a new experiment. This is especially >time-consuming on the sorter if we have to re-create a complex >gating tree. > >The second bug occurs when creating a new experiment. Sometimes it >just won't see a data stream. Acquisition turns on, but no events >come through. We have to delete that experiment and start over. > >Lastly, to keep us honest, the program crashes about once per month, >for no apparent reason. Almost all of these crashes are a freezing >up of the program - it is probably lost in thought or communicating >with some higher being. We have to bring things back by using the >task manager to kill the program, and start over. > >Fortunately none of these problems have caused us to lose data, but >they have resulted in significant time losses, which, on a busy day, >causes a lot of operator anxiety, as well a lowering of opinion of >the Core's technical reliability in the eyes of our users. > >Marty > >Marty Bigos >Director, Flow Cytometry Core Laboratory >Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology > >Mail: >Box 419100 >San Francisco, CA 94141 > >Packages: >365 Vermont Street >San Francisco, CA 94103 > >Direct Delivery (FedEX, UPS): >Gladstone Institute >San Francisco General Hospital >Building 3 Rm 509 >1001 Potrero Avenue >San Francisco, CA 94110 > >(tel) 415-695-3832 >(fax) 415-695-1364 > >mbigos@gladstone.ucsf.edu >http://www.gladstone.ucsf.edu > > > >>Hi Akos: >> >> >> >>Yes...we have DIVA problems as well. The worst "Bug" is the >>overflow issue. If we go above 2.5 million events per experiment, >>DIVA crashes and we lose data. >> >>That is a real problem for a CORE facility. So far, BD has not >>addressed it. As well, DIVA 4.0 was supposed to have >>bi-exponential compensation. Not there. >> >> >> >>I usually don't complain on the Cytometry Mailing List, but I hope >>BD will take notice and become a little more proactive with their >>software before they release it. >> >> >> >>Akos - good point about upgrades. Word to the wise; buy a "fully >>loaded" instrument if you can. Upgrades are REALLY expensive! >> >> >> >>Best regards to all, >> >> >> >>-Rich >> >> >> >> >>Richard F. Konz, Jr. >>Research Assistant Professor >>Department of Medicine >>Graduate Faculty, Immunology and Virology Department >>Director, Flow Cytometry Core Facility >>UMass Medical School >>55 Lake Avenue North >>Room: S5-322 >>Worcester, MA 01655 >>Office: 508-856-1598 >>Lab: 508-856-3276 >>Fax: 508-856-5004 >>Email: Richard.Konz@umassmed.edu >>Web: <http://www.umassmed.edu/facslab>http://www.umassmed.edu/facslab >> >> >> >> >> >>From: Akos Szilvasi [mailto:Akos.Szilvasi@biogenidec.com] >>Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 10:51 AM >>To: Cytometry Mailing List >>Subject: Do your have any DIVA problems? >> >> >>We are experiencing serious - and so far not fixable - problems >>with DIVA 4. Most of the issues are Java related. In addition error >>and overflow messages combined with couple of other issues. We are >>planning to buy a second LSR II and an ARIA but this Java based >>software is rather scary. >> >>I would like to see how many of you are experiencing some sort of >>difficulties with Diva. We especially want to know about the Java >>errors and stability issues. >> >>Thanks, Akos >> >>[An other note: before you buy a new cytometer consider future >>upgrades and ask how much they cost. You may be surprised.] >> >> >>......................................... >>Akos Szilvasi >>Biogen Idec Flow Cytometry >>12 Cambridge Center, >>Cambridge, MA 02142 >>tel 617 679 2160 >>fax 617 679 2304 >>akos.szilvasi@biogenidec.com >> > > >--Received on Mon Oct 18 15:58:00 2004
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