Yes, there are serious issues with DNN 4.4.1
Very spotty. When it works, it's great. But way too many problems.
- Twice I have edited the filesystem synch schedule, and instead of updating the filesystem synch item, it created a new item in the schedule table with no name. And then insulted me by producing an error about having more than one schedule item selected at the same time. I tried to use the schedule interface to delete the item, and it told me it was deleted, but it wasn't. Had to go to the database and delete manually.
- The file manager regularly goes wacko and doesn't allow transversal through subfolders. "Object reference not set to an instance of an object..." error. The hallmark of DNN 4.4.1. Same for recursive file synch ... sometimes it works, and equally as often "Object reference not set to an instance of an object"
- The log viewer - try to go to the second page, or to set the default number of events listed on a page, and about 60% of the time, it's "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" or sometimes a more specific xml/logviewer error.
- admin site settings - "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" happens roughly as often as a proper update.
- host settings - ditto. Easy enough to clear cache, update compression, and restart application. But if you want to update other settings - any that use the 'update' control at the bottom of the page - then it's a crapshoot whether it will work or whether you will get the old "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" error. I changed my compression settings more often directly in the HostSettings table than via the host settings interface. Because one way worked, and the other didn't.
- create a new portal, or try, and you might not be able to find a template when you switch from 'parent' to 'child' ... of course, that might have to do with the messed up file system, so go back to file manager and resynch recursively - if you can - and maybe this will correct itself.
- Not just the core DNN is affected by this, but updating in other modules as well. I am using Enterprise Forms - or trying to - in this particular portal, and often it works as it should. Nearly as often, "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" - and I bugged their support folk to death before I finally decided it is NOT an Enterprise Forms problem - it is a DNN framework issue.
There have been a multitude of posts regarding this, but no clear identification of what causes it all. There's plenty of advice about compression and whitespace but I've had it set with and without both, and the problems happen regardless.
Personally, I have a suspicion that at the root of it all is a file system issue, which affects everything else, but that could be way wrong.
I have had loads of experience installing and upgrading DNN, and have installed DNN 4.4.1 probably 12 times in the last three weeks, working at this. I'm not doing anything wrong that would cause this, believe me. Just when I get a nice stretch and know why DNN 4.4.1 is so great with its new performance, and think I'm out of the woods ... "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" jumps up to prove me wrong. Sometimes I can clear out of it with a cache clear and application restart and maybe log out and back in ... but more often I just have nothing to do for an hour or so.
There have been a multitude of postings related to this issue, and I have read all the various bits of advice that are offered, and have given most of them a try, to no ultimate avail. It is apparent that there is indeed a serious problem in DNN 4.4.1. I know that many folks seem to use it with no problems, or so it is reported, but there is apparently no small number of folks who do experience these kinds of difficulty, regularly and often.
Think I'm gonna back up and see how 4.3.7 does.