Delayed login (problem with user profiles)!!! 1

[GlobalBrain]

Hi. I’ve got a very strange problem and desperate to solve it, so please any help is appreciated.
I’ve got Novell 6.5 and ZENWorks for Desktop 4. I have installed new Novell 6.5 server and somehow it has messed up the timestamp on the licence (it went to year 2036). I have removed the server and reinstalled licence, so my main server reporting that licence is installed and in use and no errors. But after that it takes about 15 minutes for everybody to login and logout. As soon as I’ve removed “roaming profile” everybody logging in fine except that now they don’t keep desktops and shortcuts (every time is like first login) and some restrictions are missing. I have created new profile (with roaming profile enabled) and it’s back to 15 minute login.
Please any help is welcome.

 

[sstoppel]

Here are a few avenues I would suggest:

Is SLP configured and correct?

It sounds like you are using Dynamic Local User - in your DLU policy is Volatile User checked? This would cause users to be deleted on logout and the whole profile recreated on login each time.

 

[GlobalBrain]

Yes, that’s the idea (Volatile User is checked). I’ve got about 400 machines and 1300 users and they all move about, and if I don’t set to delete the profile on logout I would end up with masses of users on each workstation (and they are not synchronised). The profile is being stored in the userspaces for each user.
I know that there can be an issue with login out (I have downloaded “UPHClean” for cleaning resources on logoff) but login out is not concerns’ me as much as login in.
Thank you.

 

[sstoppel]

Somehow I would try to isolate where the delay is - is it in the download of policies? the profile? locating the server? Is the workstation actually doing something during the delay or is it waiting for something?

 

[GlobalBrain]

I was thinking the same way- it’s can see the tree and server fine, there some of hard drive and network activity but nothing major (seems that it’s waiting for something). That is why I switched roaming profile off and now no delays.

I know someone who had the same problem and in the end they had to get paid support. But if it fixable I rather do it myself than pay amount with two zeros per hour.

thank you.

 

[sstoppel]

If you are a NetWare 6 CNE I think you can get per-incident support for like $85.

 

[GlobalBrain]

I'm afraid I'a NetWare NOTHING ;-(. In my organisation there is no money for things like that. Anyway, thank you, I'll keep diggin.

 

[marvhuffaker]

Have you verified that the time on the server is correct? And is synching properly?

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[GlobalBrain]

Yep, after the timestamp on the license went “bananas”, I have “repaired timestamps and declared new epoch” and made sure that time is in sync across all servers (disrepair not giving any errors). Thank you.

 

[marvhuffaker]

I think you're missing out on a key factor here..

You are attributing your problems to a time synch problem you had that is now fixed.. But now you are still having problems with Roaming Profiles... It seems to me that these are two completely different issues.. Yes you may have triggered something with your timestamp problems. But now you need to troubleshoot ZEN.

Assuming your Tree is in perfectly good health, you need to figure out exactly what you're tyring to do (or explain it better here to us) and then configure and troubleshoot.

One thing about Roaming profiles is that they typically delay the login process because it pulls down their profile from the network and has to do this before the login process can be completed. If you are still having NDS issues, I could see this contributing as well. THat's why I say make sure your tree is healthy. Do a full NDS health check.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[GlobalBrain]

Thank you Marvin.

I see your point (about two different problems) but there were no problems with roaming profile before the problem with timestamp.

Concerning NDS health- DSREPAIR not reporting any errors, there is no errors in server error log, server itself is not complaining about anything, no errors or warnings in Health Monitor (in iManager).

Just some explanation on what I’m trying to do: I’ve got about 400 computers and 1300 users that move around. I need users to see the same desktop and shortcuts on any computer that they log in. I’ve got different types of users, different rights; some of them have an administrator rights on local computer (so they can install software and change desktop preferences and keep preferences when they move to different computer). And all that without waiting for 15 minutes.

I do recognise that there is problem with NDS, but how do I trace it. And what is causing delay during loading of user profiles?

 

[GlobalBrain]

Hi. I think I'm onto something here. I'm just looking in iMonitor (iManager)-Agent Activity-Verb Statistics and getting few errors here (Resolve Name, Read, Finish Login and few more). Is this more helpful, can somebody point me at the right direction from here? Thank you.

 

[marvhuffaker]

Well... all of your zen policies are stored in NDS, so if NDS has gone psycho, it could impact your zen policies..

Unfortunately, when you said you did this: "Concerning NDS health- DSREPAIR not reporting any errors, there is no errors in server error log, server itself is not complaining about anything, no errors or warnings in Health Monitor (in iManager). "

That's very vague... NDS health problems won't necessarily show up an any of those places. Saying you ran DSREPAIR is also very vague (analogy: someone asks you what you ate for dinner, you say that you went to the supermarket).

You need to look on Novell's knowledgebase for the processes to run a thorough NDS health check. DSTRACE is the primary tool you will use, as well as a few OPTIONS in DSREPAIR.

Here is an article on my website that gives you an OVERVIEW of the different things you should be looking at.. It is basic stuff, not a complete check.

http://www.redjuju.com/resources/feature/dejavu.htm

Note that serious NDS issues should not be taken lightly. If you make the wrong move, you could cause further damage to your system.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[GlobalBrain]

Thank you Marvin. I'll have to look at it on Monday. But it increasingly likely that I'll have to go "ouside" for some help. Thank you again.