Environment
NETDB.NLM
Novell NetWare 5.1
Novell BorderManager
Novell GroupWise
TSA500.NLM
ArcServe NWagent
Novell NFS 3.0
Novell NetWare 5.1
Novell BorderManager
Novell GroupWise
TSA500.NLM
ArcServe NWagent
Novell NFS 3.0
Situation
Loading NETDB from AUTOEXEC.NCF hangs when server reboots.
TSA500, started from AUTOEXEC.NCF, hangs while autoloading NETDB.
ArcServe NWagent, started from AUTOEXEC.NCF, hangs while autoloading NETDB.
Loading NETDB manually after the server comes up works fine (NETDB commented out of AUTOEXEC.NCF).
TSA500, started from AUTOEXEC.NCF, hangs while autoloading NETDB.
ArcServe NWagent, started from AUTOEXEC.NCF, hangs while autoloading NETDB.
Loading NETDB manually after the server comes up works fine (NETDB commented out of AUTOEXEC.NCF).
Resolution
Various fixes and troubleshooting steps to try are:
1. Temporarily rename SYS:ETC\RESOLV.CFG. This is a file that controls DNS access, and is read and used by NETDB. If NETDB can load without hanging after this, the RESOLV.CFG may have been corrupt or contain incorrect information. Create a new RESOLV.CFG with correct settings.
2. Rename the SYS:ETC\HOSTS file and create a new one with only one entry: The IP address of the server and the host name of the server. If NETDB can load without hanging after this, the HOSTS file may have been corrupt or contain incorrect information. Create a new HOSTS file with correct settings.
3. Before any application that would auto-load NETDB, try loading it explicitly in the AUTOEXEC.NCF. It should come after TCPIP is bound but before any other application that needs NETDB.
4. As an extension of #3, try having AUTOEXEC.NCF load NETDB with /N parameter (LOAD NETDB /N). This tells NETDB not to look for the UNIX Service Handler object. (Note: This parameter should not be used if NFS 2.x or UNIX Print Services 2.x are used on the server).
5. Set a 10 second delay before the load NETDB line. This can be done by placing a question mark at the beginning of the load command. When the AUTOEXEC.NCF executes the line, it will prompt the user as to whether to perform this. Left unattended, the system will default to executing it after 10 seconds. NOTE: To insure this will work as expected, check the server settings for COMMAND LINE PROMPT DEFAULT CHOICE=ON and COMMAND LINE PROMPT TIME OUT=10.
6. In one case, the following work-around was necessary: Comment out TSA500 & ArcServe NWagent so they do not load from AUTOEXEC.NCF. Start them from a subsequent .NCF file (nested in the AUTOEXEC.NCF). Place this NCF file in AUTOEXEC after the point where NETDB has been successfully auto-loaded by another service like GroupWise, Border Manager, or NFS 3.0.
1. Temporarily rename SYS:ETC\RESOLV.CFG. This is a file that controls DNS access, and is read and used by NETDB. If NETDB can load without hanging after this, the RESOLV.CFG may have been corrupt or contain incorrect information. Create a new RESOLV.CFG with correct settings.
2. Rename the SYS:ETC\HOSTS file and create a new one with only one entry: The IP address of the server and the host name of the server. If NETDB can load without hanging after this, the HOSTS file may have been corrupt or contain incorrect information. Create a new HOSTS file with correct settings.
3. Before any application that would auto-load NETDB, try loading it explicitly in the AUTOEXEC.NCF. It should come after TCPIP is bound but before any other application that needs NETDB.
4. As an extension of #3, try having AUTOEXEC.NCF load NETDB with /N parameter (LOAD NETDB /N). This tells NETDB not to look for the UNIX Service Handler object. (Note: This parameter should not be used if NFS 2.x or UNIX Print Services 2.x are used on the server).
5. Set a 10 second delay before the load NETDB line. This can be done by placing a question mark at the beginning of the load command. When the AUTOEXEC.NCF executes the line, it will prompt the user as to whether to perform this. Left unattended, the system will default to executing it after 10 seconds. NOTE: To insure this will work as expected, check the server settings for COMMAND LINE PROMPT DEFAULT CHOICE=ON and COMMAND LINE PROMPT TIME OUT=10.
6. In one case, the following work-around was necessary: Comment out TSA500 & ArcServe NWagent so they do not load from AUTOEXEC.NCF. Start them from a subsequent .NCF file (nested in the AUTOEXEC.NCF). Place this NCF file in AUTOEXEC after the point where NETDB has been successfully auto-loaded by another service like GroupWise, Border Manager, or NFS 3.0.
7. If none of the above help, it may be an NDS corruption of come sort. In some circumstances, NETDB will still try to log into DS even with the /N switch. Try a full, unattended DSRepair on the server, If no help, see the NDS Healthcheck TID at https://support.microfocus.com/kb/doc.php?id=3564075.
Additional Information
In some cases this is due to corruption or incorrect information in SYS:ETC\HOSTS or SYS:ETC\RESOLV.CFG.
In one user's situation, various products being loaded on this server all needed to load NETDB. When Border Manager or GroupWise were in AUTOEXEC.NCF and one of them was first to attempt to autoload NETDB, it did NOT hang. In that case it seemed to be specifically an auto-load by TSA500 & ARCserve NWagent that were associated with the problem.
Formerly known as TID# 10064492
In one user's situation, various products being loaded on this server all needed to load NETDB. When Border Manager or GroupWise were in AUTOEXEC.NCF and one of them was first to attempt to autoload NETDB, it did NOT hang. In that case it seemed to be specifically an auto-load by TSA500 & ARCserve NWagent that were associated with the problem.
Formerly known as TID# 10064492