SunLink Server troubleshooting involves using a systematic approach to isolate the problem and then gathering detailed data in order to identify the specific module causing the problem. The following sections provide simple procedures that you can use to isolate a server problem. It then offers some suggestions on how to gather additional information on the problem.
The SunLink Server program runs on a Solaris system computer. The server depends upon a fully-functional NetBIOS network to perform its file- and print-serving functions.
A "NetBIOS network" typically includes the following components: an application that provides a NetBIOS protocol interface; an application that provides a network transport protocol interface, such as TCP/IP (although some transport implementations include NetBIOS within a common module); and an application that provides drivers for the network adapter interface (which also may be part of the transport module).
Every NetBIOS network component must be configured and operational in order for SunLink Server to function in a network environment. Additionally, similar modules must be functioning on the machine which is attempting to use the file and print services of SunLink Server, such as a Windows NT Workstation computer or Windows client computer.
When a NetBIOS network is not available, the system typically displays the following message when you start the server:
unable to post servername on any network
Reviewing all of the modules involved in the end-to-end connection between a client and SunLink Server, it is easy to see that isolating a problem is the first step for problem solving in a client-server networking environment.
Before assuming that the problem is with the server, you must ensure that other networking software is functioning properly. This is particularly true with new installations in which the opportunity for a transport or physical network problem is the greatest.
It is fruitless to perform an exhaustive check of every layer of software for a problem which affects only a single client or user. Experience will help you to determine when to use a comprehensive problem isolation procedure or a server-specific problem isolation procedure. The following sections offer guidelines on how to perform both procedures. Use the one that best fits your current problem description.
Before assuming that the server is the cause of all network problems, it is worthwhile to perform checks to verify the sanity of the network. This is particularly important when all or a very large portion of server users are reporting a problem at the same time.
Use the following steps to verify the sanity of the network.
The first item to check is the physical network. The majority of today's networking hardware provides status indicators that can be used to assess the state of the various network links (for example, 10-Base-T Hubs use LEDs). Always check these links for any signs of problems with the physical network such as excessive re-transmissions, Link Integrity mismatches, and jabber conditions.
Even in cases in which only a single client is affected, never assume that is it not a bad cable connection. For a single client it is easy to check to determine whether the problem occurs regardless of which server the client tries to use.
If a client cannot "see" anything on a network that is otherwise functioning without incident, then it is safe to assume that the problem is related to that client's network configuration. If however, that same client can see other nodes on the network but cannot connect to a particular server, then the network path to that server, the server itself, or the account being used by that client are likely candidates for trouble.
There are several third-party products available that can be used to monitor the health of the physical network. It is worthwhile to check network traffic periodically with one of these devices to see whether there are problems occurring with the physical network.
If the physical network appears to be functioning properly, the next step is to determine whether the various computers on the network can "see" each other from the perspective of a transport protocol. Most transport protocol applications include a connectivity test tool that can be used to verify connectivity at the transport level between a client and the server over the network.
If you cannot reach a server machine from a particular client with the ping command, then neither will that client computer be able to connect to the server. If you cannot ping a server from several client computers, then one of the following conditions may be present: the server is not running, the transport protocol is not running, or there is a configuration problem that is disrupting network connectivity.
Review the recommendations in your transport protocol software documentation. If appropriate, continue with the procedures described later in this section on assessing the status of the NetBIOS protocol and SunLink Server.
Check the NetBIOS protocol layer. Most NetBIOS modules provide test tools that test the connectivity between NetBIOS names over the network.
Connectivity between nodes using TCP/IP may be available but if connectivity between NetBIOS names is not working then SunLink Server software will not work. All SunLink Server communications are based on NetBIOS name sessions. Use the test tools provided with your protocol software to verify NetBIOS level connectivity. If you find a problem, isolate it according to the information provided with the NetBIOS protocol documentation.
If all of the network connectivity modules check out properly, the next item to verify is the Solaris operating system on the computer hosting the SunLink Server program. The operating system provides a variety of log files and system checks that can be performed to verify proper operation. For information on these checks, see your Solaris system administrator documentation.
SunLink Server software is particularly sensitive to the following system problems:
Operating system problems usually will affect all or most client computers connected to the server. Do not spend much time on this step if you are troubleshooting an individual client problem.
If you determine that all of the underlying software is functioning properly, then you should check SunLink Server system for problems. Problem isolation on the server often is dependent on the type of problem reported by the user community.
If only a single user is experiencing a problem, then you can narrow your focus quickly to the operations that this user is attempting to perform.
If a group of users is experiencing problems but many other users are not, then you should look for a common thread among the users with problems. For example:
If all users of a server are experiencing a problem, then you should start with more basic assessments of the state of the server. These are described in the following sections.
It is worthwhile to verify that the server is actually running. You can do this easily by entering the following command at the system command prompt:
The system display should include the following (at a minimum):
root 3554 3452 Feb28 19:39 lmx.srv -s 1
root 3452 1 0 Feb28 5:03 lmx.ctrl
root 3568 1 0 Feb28 2:16 lmx.dmn
This display indicates that the three required server processes are in fact running, the daemon (lmx.dmn), the control process (lmx.ctrl ) and at least one worker process (lmx.srv ). You also may see other processes, such as lmx.browser and lmx.alerter .
Additional multiple worker processes, each with a unique number displayed at the end of the line, may be displayed. The server spawns new worker processes based on the number of clients supported by the server. As more client sessions are started, more lmx.srv processes may be started, each with a unique process ID and number. This is normal.
If the server is not running, use the net start server command at the command prompt.
If one of the required server processes is not running, determine whether all of the server services started properly. A situation can occur when several server processes are running but you still cannot use the server because a particular service did not start. This is especially true for the Net Logon service. To check which services are running, enter the following command at the command prompt:
The system displays a list of the services that currently are active on the server.
It is critical that the Net Logon and Server services are displayed. If they are not shown, then the server has a problem. Often the Net Logon service will not start because of a problem with the server name, domain name, or domain configuration.
Check the error logs for problems as described later in this chapter.
Always check the error logs used by the server. You can view the system, security, and application logs from a client computer using Event Viewer, from the SunLink Server system using SunLink Server Manager, or at the system console using the
elfread command. You also can view the logs in the PRINTLOG share area if there is a printing-related problem. For problems related to server startup, you can check the lmxstart.log located in the /var/opt/lanman/logs directory.If there are entries in any of these logs, save them for future reference. Never discard or overwrite error messages since they may indicate the cause of the problem. These logs may have to be supplied to support personnel at a later date.
The following message is particularly indicative of a server problem:
A server process has unexpectedly terminated
This message indicates that a server process has encountered an unexpected error. Depending on how your server is configured, there may be a core file located on your system.
If the value of the CoreOk keyword is set to 1 (yes) in the SunLink Server Registry, then a core file is located somewhere on the system. The CoreOk value is in the following key:
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SunLink Server\ProcessParameters
Go to the root directory, and execute the following command to search the file system for core files:
Save any files that you may find. If the coreok parameter is set to no, then core files will not be created. You may want to set the CoreOk keyword to yes in order to capture core files which are useful for debugging purposes.
Some server resources are shared automatically every time the server is started. These resources are used in the background by clients while performing other server activities.
The list of resources shared by default are as follows:
The resources followed by a dollar sign ($) are special resources required for server administration and communication. (An additional special resource -- REPL$ -- is available when the Directory Replicator service is running.)
Never attempt to delete or re-share these resources. If any of these resources are absent, the server will not function properly. If you detect that one of these resources is missing, stop and restart the server to determine whether they are shared at server startup. If they are not displayed, contact your service representative.
The remaining resources are default resources typically used by clients during logon (NETLOGON), to connect to home directories (USERS), and to access utilities or error logs (DOSUTIL, OS2UTIL, PRINTLOG). These items may be deliberately absent from your server. However, if you did not unshare them, then a problem with the server caused them to be removed.
A simple test can be conducted to determine whether the server is communicating over the network. Issue the following command at the system console.
The system displays the name of the server and other servers operating in the same domain. If your server name is displayed, execute the same command, adding the server name:
The system displays a list of shared resources similar to the following:
Shared resources at \\asutrial
Sharename Type Used as Comment
-------------------------------------------------------------------
NETLOGON Disk Logon Scripts Directory
PRINTLOG Disk LP Printer Messages
Other entries may be displayed if you added shared resources to your server.
If either of these commands fails consistently, then there is a problem with broadcast communications over the network. If these commands succeed, you can use the tests in the next section.
When a connectivity problem occurs, ensure that your server has not exceeded the maximum number of clients that it is configured to support. This number is indicated by the maxclients parameter in the server lanman.ini file. It can be displayed using the srvconfig - g maxclients command.
Execute the regcheck -C command to determine whether the internal format of the registry file has been corrupted. If this command detects corruption, execute the
regcheck -R command to repair the registry file.If invalid values have been entered in the SunLink Server Registry, the you can use the regload command to reinitialize all registry values to their defaults.
Attempt to log on to the server from a client computer. If the logon is successful, link a virtual drive ID to a shared resource. Then, view the contents of the linked drive.
If you have problems with these steps, isolate each problem using the following procedure.
If you can communicate with the server but cannot access a shared resource, check the following items:
Verify that the resource can be used using either group membership or on a per-account basis for that particular user. Also, verify that the access permissions on the resource allow the desired action to be performed (for example, the user has read-only permission but is attempting to edit a file). Also verify that the maximum user limit for a particular shared resource is not being exceeded.