DHCP server won't start - LDAP: cannot parse dhcpService entry 'cn=MYDHCPService,ou=MyOU,o=MyO'

  • 7009464
  • 30-Sep-2011
  • 21-Oct-2013

Environment

Novell DHCP

Situation

Situation #1
With a configured and working OES2 SP2 Novell DHCP server,
go into iManager > DHCP (OES Linux) > Pool > View Modify Pool > Select a Pool >
Configured Options > Add > select a string option and add a string.

For example you could choose Option 15, and add a domain name.

Click Ok > Click Apply > The Option disappears.

All string options can have this problem when using iManager.
String options where this issue has been seen are: 12,14,15,17,18,40,47,60,62,64,66,67,86,87.


Load the DHCP server... it now fails to load.

The following errors can be seen in the /var/log/messages file:

Sep 21 16:10:16 MYSRV dhcpd: LDAPS session successfully enabled to 192.168.1.254:636
Sep 21 16:10:16 MYSRV dhcpd: LDAP line 16: expecting identifier after option keyword.
Sep 21 16:10:16 MYSRV dhcpd: option 15
Sep 21 16:10:16 MYSRV dhcpd: ^
Sep 21 16:10:16 MYSRV dhcpd: LDAP line 19: expecting identifier after option keyword.
Sep 21 16:10:16 MYSRV dhcpd: LDAP: cannot parse dhcpService entry 'cn=MYDHCPService,ou=MyOU,o=MyO'
Sep 21 16:10:16 MYSRV dhcpd: Configuration file errors encountered -- exiting


Situation #2
Migrate a working DHCP server with DHCP options that are of type "Text" to an OES server.
Load the DHCP server service... it fails to load and gives similar errors to the ones listed above.

Resolution

Once you have encountered this you will either need to delete and recreate the DHCP Service without adding these options (the DHCP server will load again) or manually edit any DHCP options of type Text that are defined, using ConsoleOne or iManager. If you choose to edit the options directly in eDir, make sure that the text strings have quotes around them.

This is an omission in the migration process and/or on the creation of text options with iManager.

You can add the same DHCP options with the Java based DNS/DHCP Management Console and they will add properly.

It may be possible to add the string options at the subnet level (rather than the service level) with iManager.