ndsrepair reports error -1

- -603 or -608 errors reported on a user object in an eDirectory synchronization report with ndsrepair. Single object repair on the same user reports the following error.

ERROR: Operation not successful. Error: -1

- The same error is seen during a local database repair and an unattended full repair, but the object entry ID reporting the -1 error is not seen during these repair operations

One possible reason for this error is that the entry in question has an empty value on the Network Address attribute with the length of 0. Clearing this value with Novell iManager allows the single object repair and other repair operations to proceed without errors. Please engage Novell Technical Support if there are problems clearing this attribute with iManager or normal administrative tools.

Sometimes the error will not give a specific object ID, only the ERROR: Operation not successful. Error: -1, error.  This issue has also been resolved by removing the replicas, of  each server, re-backlinking and adding them back.  This has worked even if each server in the replica ring, including the master, is getting the error in the repair.  

Following snippets are taken from a local database repair log and a single object repair log demonstrating the problem.

/****************************************************************************/
Repair utility for Novell eDirectory 8.8 - 8.8 SP6 v20601.07, DS 20602.00.
Single Object Repair


Start:  Tuesday, February 01, 2011 15:14:00 Local Time


Repairing single object:


Object ID: 000080a8, CN=NFAUUser.O=riga.T=GEOTREE
ERROR: Operation not successful. Error: -1


Total Objects = 1, UNKNOWN class objects = 0, Total Values = 15

/****************************************************************************/
Repair utility for Novell eDirectory 8.8 - 8.8 SP6 v20601.07, DS 20602.00.
Repairing Local Database
Start:  Tuesday, February 01, 2011 16:58:33 Local Time


** All disk amounts are approximations **
Disk space currently available: 3194 MB
->DSRepair may need to use: 51 MB
->Disk space remaining after operation: 3194 MB


Current transaction ID is 8245199 (0x7dcfcf). Allowed limit of transaction is 4294959104 (0xffffe000)
Structure and Index Check


Repair Trees - Scan Values


Repair Trees - Sorting Values


Repair Trees - Scan Entries


Repair Trees - Sorting Entries


Repair Trees - Check Values


Total Objects in Database:       6061
Total Objects in Schema  :       3757
Total External References:         21
Total Objects in Replicas:       2280
Schema Check




Repairing objects in a replica
Start:  Tuesday, February 01, 2011 16:58:37 Local Time


Total objects in partition - T=GEOTREE :     21
Repairing objects - done(20)


Total Objects = 20, UNKNOWN class objects = 0, Total Values = 152


Total objects in partition - O=riga.T=GEOTREE :     722


ERROR: Operation not successful. Error: -1
Repairing objects - done(226)


Total Objects = 226, UNKNOWN class objects = 0, Total Values = 10909


Total objects in partition - CN=Configuration.O=riga.T=GEOTREE :     227


Repairing objects - done(227)


Total Objects = 227, UNKNOWN class objects = 0, Total Values = 2988


Total objects in partition - CN=Schema.CN=Configuration.O=riga.T=GEOTREE :     1331


Repairing objects - done(1000)
Repairing objects - done(1331)


Total Objects = 1331, UNKNOWN class objects = 0, Total Values = 28824
Repairing single object:


Object ID: 00008008, [Pseudo Server]


Total Objects = 1, UNKNOWN class objects = 0, Total Values = 163
Finish:  Tuesday, February 01, 2011 16:58:38 Local Time
Total repair time: 0:00:05
Checking stream syntax files
Repair process completed, total errors found = 0