Clients losing NDS policy during Server down or reboot

[Pauzotah]

Hi all,

Whenever i take my 6.5 server down if any workstations are left on (which is often the case) then some of them suddenly lose the NDS tab from the client. The only quick way i have found to cure this is associate the affected workstation with another policy, reboot and then associate it with the original policy to get the NDS tab back again.

This is a huge problem as without the NDS tab, the WS cant authenticate to the Novell Server which means they cant access server resources etc.

Any ideas?

 

[LawnBoy]

Correct me if I'm wrong but it sounds as though you have only a single server and no SLP configured.

Get a second server going, even if it's just a desktop pc. Then configure SLP and this problem will go away.

 

[terry712]

also why are you taking server down?

 

[Pauzotah]

I take the server down if i have to update it or change hardware etc, not very often i do it. SLP is working fine, the SLP service on the Novell box shows as being fully operational and my IP clients connect fine.

This problem happens if i down the server and some workstations are on at the client login. Then when the server comes back up the NDS tab vanishes if they are rebooted or the next day.

 

[LawnBoy]

If you only have 1 server, SLP goes down with it. Thus the need for a second box, plus it replicates NDS if something should happen to the primary.

With 6.5 you can run as many servers as you want free of charge. You pay for client licenses.

 

[marvhuffaker]

I'm confused as hell about your configuration with the policies and tabs and everything. That is very odd.. However..

Novell services rely heavily on eDirectory. Regardless of what you're doing, if you break your connection to eDirectory, how can you expect things to continue as if nothing happened?

Since you only have one server, you have no redundancy whatsoever. When server goes down, it's a hard break for your workstations and they are going to fail.

The way to fix it is add a couple other eDirectory servers (as Lawnboy mentioned twice).. Doing so, the workstations will not lose their edirectory connections since one server going down won't take the entire tree down.

BTW, SLP only works when the server is up.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[Pauzotah]

Thanks all for your input and sorry if you have had to repeat yourself!

Chill Marv!

 

[LawnBoy]

Don't mind Marv, he's just passionate about Netware. As I am myself.

Really though, slap a basic pattern install of 6.5 on some pc with 512Mb ram. It'll take a hour of your time and you'll have replication of the entire eDirectory structure. Which is priceless if something should happen to your primary server.

It's time very well spent.

 

[Pauzotah]

I will be in the process of doing that tomorrow, i appreciate what it must be like reading some of these forums, but sometimes the obvious solution escapes people.

I had written off an SLP problem mainly because the Server is IPX and IP capable, but from what you guys have said , it makes good practice to get a replica server going. I assume this new server would be integrated into the current tree using the deployment manager on the CD?

 

[LawnBoy]

Yeah, it'll ask you if you want to join the current tree or create a new. Join the current.

And there's no reason to run IPX unless you have some really ancient application that requires it.

 

[Pauzotah]

The Server was originally a 4.11 Server running on IPX alone so this is why IPX is still rattling along inside and it remained after i upgraded it to 6.5.

 

[marvhuffaker]

Sorry I didn't realize that my post was over the top.. People read the Novell docs' and then get misconceptions about how things should work. I'm just trying to set the record straight.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[terry712]

i would try to get it ip only
much easier than troubleshooting two protocols