RTC Error “The server <address> is currently not available”

Last week I was struggling with an annoying error from the RoleTailored Client. Whatever I tried, the RTC persisted in showing me the next error:

The weird thing was that at the same time the Web Services were running fine. And since the Web Services service was running the same executable, I couldn’t think of a configuration error.

Another thing I noticed was that this error immediately popped up after filling in the server address. We know that the RTC has a connection timeout that is by default 10 seconds. (Did you know that this setting can be modified in the ClientUserSettings.config?)

To test if there was any difference between a not running service and my problem, I stopped the server. And now, after 10 seconds, I got the next error, which is different from the first one.

Then I started the service again and yes, you already guessed it, the first error was back. And not after a 10 seconds wait, but immediately. And that lead me to the conclusion that the RTC was able to connect to the service, but not able to communicate with it.

When searching on the internet I found many forum threads about this last error, but it was hard to found anyone that saw the first error.

Ok, to make a long story short: after visiting a lot of websites, checking logfiles , etc, it came to me to compare the build version of the RTC and the server. Et voilà! The build numbers were different.

Properties of Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.Server.exe

Properties of Microsoft.Dynamics.Nav.Client.exe. Notice the higher product version.

And now I remembered: the RTC was updated with the hotfix for Full Screen mode. (http://blogs.msdn.com/b/cabeln/archive/2010/08/11/hotfix-released-for-full-screen-mode-with-the-roletailored-client.aspx)

But wait… that hotfix also contained updated server files. See also: https://mbs2.microsoft.com/Knowledgebase/KBDisplay.aspx?scid=kb$EN-US$2312984&wa=wsignin1.0

And yes, after updating the server files the error was gone!