Landwrap February 2015 - Issue 115

Issue 115

This month it is all about Landonline - from letting you know about software requirements and how to go about contacting us for support if you need it, to how to avoid delays when Generated Plans are created. Also, we explain why some of you have been having difficulties logging onto Landonline during the last few months and what we're doing to resolve those issues.

Landonline software requirements and support

Update to information on Landonline software requirements and support; new version of Uniprint available.

LINZ has tested a range of operating systems so you can be confident you’re using the right tools to access Landonline. You’ll find information on the operating systems and browsers we recommend on the software requirements page of the website [Link no longer active - www.linz.govt.nz/node/11057].

We’ve also updated our webpages about system support policies [Link no longer active - www.linz.govt.nz/node/11055] and system requirements [Link no longer active - www.linz.govt.nz/land/landonline/system-support-and-software- downloads/it-and-system-requirements-for-using-landonline] to better reflect the support we offer to users.

Key points from these pages:

• If you are still using XP we recommend you upgrade to Windows 7 or 8.1.
• If you have already upgraded, we recommend you use the latest Citrix Receiver for your operating system (NB XP users will not be able to use the latest Citrix Receiver and should continue to use the Online Plugin).
• A new version of DC Loader is available, and we recommend you use this instead of the previous version, especially if you are an IE 11 user.
• Uniprint 5.2 has now been tested, and is available for download from the LINZ website [Link no longer active - www.linz.govt.nz/land/landonline/system-support-and-software-downloads/software- downloads]. Users do not need to upgrade from the previous version, but may do so if they wish or if they have had issues with previous versions.

Avoiding delays in the Plan Generation batch process

Ensuring Generated Plans are received in a timely manner.

The Plan Generation batch process operates at a fixed speed, processing one request at a time, however the support team frequently observes delays caused by customers repeatedly clicking on the ‘Complete’ button.

Every time the ‘Complete’ button is clicked a new plan compilation process is added to the queue. To avoid overloading the queue and inconveniencing others using the same function, please do not re- click the ‘Complete’ button unless you have made further amendments to your plan.

The plan compilation process, including time in queue, normally takes from five to ten minutes, but may take longer on a busy day. A plan compilation completion message is sent to the surveyor or primary contact once done.

If you have not received a completion message within 15 minutes, and have confirmed that you are registered as the surveyor or primary contact for the plan, please contact Customer Support on 0800 665 463.

Update on Landonline performance

An update on the cause of recent issues with Landonline performance, as well as the steps LINZ took to resolve them and our efforts to prevent these problems occurring again.

Landonline Performance

LINZ experienced problems with the performance of Landonline including periods on 19 and 21 November, and 19 December when there were problems with the availability of the site. This also occurred for two hours on 14 January 2015. LINZ can provide an update on the cause of these issues, the steps we took to resolve them and our efforts to prevent these problems occurring again.

Cause of problems and immediate resolutions

The periods when Landonline was unavailable to users in 2014 were due to a number of reasons. The problems on 19 and 21 November, as well as issues with slow performance, were caused by problems with the indexes and tables which help to manage data within Landonline databases. Additional problems were caused by the servers which link customers to the Landonline database. On 19 December these failed to register customers who disconnected from the service and as a result numbers grew beyond those that can be supported by the system.

None of these occasions posed any risk to Title or Survey information. The Landonline database has internal protection in place so that when an adverse event is triggered it stops automatically.

The immediate resolution to these problems involved repairing database tables and indexes. The problem affecting servers which link customers to the database was resolved by rebooting them. For this and other issues further repairs and maintenance have been carried out to prevent them occurring again.

The issue on 14 January 2015 was due to a failed connection between our network provider and our North America-based Digital Certificate management service. We are now investigating options for making this connection stronger.

Further work

While these problems have been resolved, LINZ remains concerned about the disruption they caused to Landonline customers and their work. We continue to look at further steps for ensuring problems like these do not occur again. Our service provider has carried out work on this too, and has sought advice from international specialists. We are also continually reviewing the way we communicate with our customers to ensure we are giving you the information you need when problems like these occur.

We will keep you updated on any changes for improving the reliability of Landonline and our processes and communications.