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System Administration Guide, Volume 3

Appendix A PCNFSpro Troubleshooting

The following series of troubleshooting techniques are specific to PCNFSpro running as the Windows client. The following topics are covered:

Troubleshooting

The following series of troubleshooting techniques are specific to PCNFSpro running as the Windows client. To get further information about PCNFSpro and the Windows client, consult the SolarNet PC-Admin Admininstrator's Guide. The following procedures are discussed.

Reboot the PC

This is a good first step if the PC is unable to connect to a server, or displays error messages as it contacts the server. Rebooting the machine resets network hardware and software. If the problem is caused by a temporary license that has expired, rebooting renews the license for 30 minutes.

For the Windows client, delete the file:

c:\pcnfspro\dhcp\interface.bin

Replace interface with the name of the actual interface in use, for example: c:\pcnfspro\dhcp\pk0.bin.

Running in Debug Mode

Running in DHCP debug mode reveals much of the ongoing dialog between the client and the server. This dialog provides useful clues for solving network problems.

To Run a Windows Client in Debug Mode

  1. Kill the DHCP server and restart it in debug mode.

  2. Enable the Network Event Log in the Services applet of the Configuration tool.

  3. Close the Configuration Tool.

  4. Start the Network Event Log directly from the program group.

  5. Select the Display menu and highlight all priority levels.

  6. Choose Save. After you do this, nfswdhcp.exe logs to the Network Event Log.

  7. Exit and restart Windows.

Client Fails to Connect With DHCP/BOOTP Server

If you have installed or added a new client, but the machine fails to connect to the server and displays an error message, check the machine's cable and adapter. If the adapter has a diagnostic program, run it to identify possible problems.

Start the Configuration application in the PCNFSpro directory. Choose Services and enable the Start Network Event Log. You can also start the Network Event Log directly from its icon. After it starts, choose Display and then Configure. Select all priority levels, down to Debug. Choose Save to save the configuration. Network Event Log entries similar to:

DHCP: Attempting to configure interface using DHCP

indicate that the machine has broadcast for a configuration. Server replies should follow.

Next, kill the in.dhcpd daemon on the server and run the server in diagnostic mode by typing in.dhcp -d.

After receiving output, check that there is a DHCP server or relay agent on the machine's subnet. While booting the client, run:

snoop udp port 67 or udp port 68

on a server on the same subnet as the machine. See if a system responds. Windows client snoop output looks like this:

OLD-BROADCAST -> BROADCAST UDP D=67 S=68 LEN=311

glrr -> BROADCAST UDP D=68 S=67 LEN=490

The client name is not shown for the Windows client. The DHCP activity is reflected by the presence of BROADCAST.

Applications Run Out of Conventional Memory

The CONFIG.SYS file (by default) does not try to load the Windows client adapter drivers (packet driver, NDIS, or ODI) into upper memory. This can lead to applications reporting "not enough conventional memory" or a similar message when they start.

If you are running DOS 5.x or greater, change CONFIG.SYS lines from:

DEVICE=C:\PCNFSPRO\filename

to

DEVICEHIGH=C:\PCNFSPRO\filename

and NFSWAUTO.BAT lines that load TSRs from

tsrname

to

LH tsrname

Mounting Home Directories

The software default of mounting home directories on Drive H conflicts with the use of H by the MS-DOS 6.2 DoubleSpace utility. To resolve this conflict, remap the drive used by the DoubleSpace utility (dblspace h: /host=new_drive) or change your site login script to mount home directories on a different drive. The site login script is /opt/SUNWpcnet/1.5/site/pcnfspro/login.snc.

If you change the site login script, you must also change the HOME environment variable to a new drive.

Use of Ping

If a machine cannot mount a remote file with the net use command, verify that the path name to the file system you want to access has been typed correctly. Then use the ping command.

If a user is copying files to or from a network drive and the process stops before it is completed, use the ping command.

If a machine has been receiving a license and cannot receive a license when it is turned on or rebooted, and instead receives error messages, use the ping command.

SNC Script

The software distributes access to applications and other network services when a machine starts or when a new user logs on. This interprets the directives in the store\login.snc file. %SNDRIVE% expands to /opt/SUNWpcnet/1.5/site/pcnfspro, the site SNC script directory for the Windows client. This script is not accessible to users because it is protected by UNIX permissions.

The directory /opt/SUNWpcnet/1.5/site/pcnfspro contains the default client scripts (SNC scripts) used at boot, login and logout time to control resources on the machines. The directories are mounted temporarily and then dismounted after the scripts are run. On the Windows client, SNC commands are responsible for establishing users' unique relationships to the network.

The Windows client's Configuration program processes the boot script (by default named boot.snc) in the SNC script directory /opt/SUNWpcnet/1.5/site/pcnfspro. The names of the script and the SNC script directory can be different for each network.

The Windows client's Configuration program is a comprehensive graphical tool used to view and change a wide variety of configuration parameters. The program enables you to change and customize any Windows client's default configuration, and to save the customized configuration. Among the parameters that you control by way of the Configuration program are TCP/IP, the Local Area Network (LAN) user name, the NFS system, the printer client, NetBIOS, and SNMP. You can also standardize and control the level of configuration that the Windows client's Configuration program makes available to users at your site. See the Configuration program's online help for details about using the program.

The site SNC script directory is expanded when you add an INCLUDE directive for a new group login.snc script. It is also expanded when you add an INCLUDE directive in the store\logout.snc file.

The script directory is used to create a directory with the UNIX login name for each user who has an individualized view of applications on the network. Then it is used to create and copy the user-specific login.snc and logout.snc scripts into each directory. The commands are:

cd/opt/SUNWpcnet/1.5/site/pcnfspro

mkdir user1user2 user3 user4 user5user6user7

In this example, all users except user8, user9, user10, and user11 use applications that they either do not share with other users or that they share with some, but not all users.

Three default SNC scripts are provided for each type of client in the SNC script directory /opt/SUNWpcnet/1.5/site/pcnfspro. They are:

The default site logout.snc script cleans up after the site login.snc script. You can copy the site logout.snc script, rename it, and modify it to correspond to your login scripts. You should name all logout scripts logout.snc in parallel with the login scripts. Place the logout scripts in user- and group-specific directories you create under the SNC script directory /opt/SUNWpcnet/1.5/site/pcnfspro.

DHCP Databases

Each NIS+ domain has one dhcptab table, which defines the configuration parameters to be returned to DHCP (or BOOTP) clients. The /opt/SUNWpcnet/1.5/site/pcnfspro script directory is one of the entries used in defining user views and distributing applications.

License Upgrade

Checking that license upgrade files were created requires certain procedures for the Windows clients. First run C:\pcnfspro\upgrade. After checking the license upgrade file and its contents, rerun the install program. Then:

  1. Rename C:\windows\pcnfswin.ini.

  2. Run the C:\pcnfspro\binnfswpupg program.

  3. Finally, restore the renamed pcnfswin.ini file to its original name of pcnfswin.ini.

After following the other steps to be sure the upgraded license file is present and is operating correctly, delete the old DHCP configuration files and reboot the machine. Delete the file in the directory C:\pcnfspro\dhcp corresponding to your interface.

Loss of Host name and IP Address

Similar procedures must be followed if the machine has lost its original host name and IP address. First start the Control Panel application and choose the Network icon. View the current host name and IP address, as well as other pertinent information. Perform the procedure that creates an entry to the dhcp_table. Then run C:\pcnfspro\dhcp and follow the previous steps.

Next, copy the upgrade file to the upgrade directory in the installation directory on the server. Check that the snaddpcs script was executed. Then delete old DHCP configuration files and reboot the screen. Do this by deleting the file in the directory C:\pcnfspro\dhcp corresponding to your interface.

Distributing Applications

The software distributes access to applications and other network services when a machine starts or when a new user logs on. For the Windows client, these applications and services are provided to each user by the Login application, which starts automatically when Windows is started.

The Windows-based DHCP application initiates DHCP, receives an IP address and related network information for the machine, configures the machine's stack and services, then begins processing client (SNC) scripts that mount file systems and set search paths for shared resources, groups, individual users, and individual machines.

Logging In and Out

For the Windows client, logging in to and out of the network is done by clicking the Login/Logout application icon and filling in the resulting Windows dialog box. When a user fills in the dialog box with the user name and password, and clicks OK or presses Enter, the Windows client's site logon.snc script is launched by the following INCLUDE directive in the client's site boot script:

INCLUDE %SNDRIVE%\PCNFSPRO\LOGIN.SNC

This script mounts directories, sets certain environment variables, and provides other services for the user who is already logged in regardless of which machine the person is using to log in. It establishes the login procedure that all users in the network follow.

When the Windows client uses the same Windows-based dialog box to log out, the client's site logout.snc script is processed. This script undoes what the login.snc script did. The Logout application unmounts file systems and printers, and resets the machine's environment variables to their original, pre-login values.

The Windows client's Login/Logout application provides detailed information about the user's network settings, and enables you to change the settings. Among the settings are version and license numbers; the user name and ID; the group ID; NIS and DNS domains; the subnet mask; MAC addresses (which identify an Ethernet communications adapter); the time zone; the last drive; and names and IP addresses of available servers.