medici@elbereth.rutgers.edu (Mark Medici) (09/13/90)
A while back there was a discussion about problems running NetWare/386 on IBM PS/2 Model 80's. At the time I was very busy, and I was under the impression that the problem was with the new 25MHz versions with IBM SCSI controllers. However, now I am having some serious problems, and wonder if the scope of this problem isn't broader than that. Here are my problems: I've got a NW386 environment, version 3.1, running on 100% IBM PS/2 iron. When the 24th connection becomes active, things start acting up. Logins die in the middle of execution, requiring power off reset to clear, and program loads die in midstream. Things go wrong even with less than 24 connections. Saber Meter locks up, it seems that one or two users lock the .DBF and .NDX files and exclude all others then die, denying access to all others. Users with expired passwords lock up after entering their new password, then neither their old nor new password will work. Print capture doesn't work right. Queues die regardless of how many users are logged in. Word Perfect 5.0 Network won't print, though version 5.1 works fine. I'm at my wit's end. Has anyone else experienced these problems? Is there a solution? Should I boot NW386 and go back to IBM PC LAN Program? (and shortly thereafter seek other employment)? Here's the specifics: SERVER: IBM PS/2 Model 80, #8580-311, 20MHz 80386, 20MHz 80387 (it was in there when I got it), 16MB RAM, IBM PS/2 ESDI adapter, Core HC310 300MB ESDI drive 0, IBM 70MB ESDI drive 1, IBM Token Ring Network Adapter II/A, 2x Boca MCA Parallel adapters (1 parallel port each). Drive 0 has a 2MB DOS boot partition, and the rest is a NetWare partition for volume SYS: as 4kB blocks. 70% of SYS: is unused, directories are at most only 6 levels deep. Drive 1 is a single NetWare partition as volume USER:, also in 4kB blocks. 70% of USER: is unused, directories are at most only 5 deep. All drives were low-level formatted and compsurf'd at the time of NW386-3.1 installation. There are 48 PS/2's as clients, all in the same room. These are mostly 50's and 60's, but a few 30-286's and 25's are here too. All but the 25's (which are not yet in use) are identically configured with 1MB RAM, hard disks, and IBM Token Ring Adapter II/A's. I am using IBM DOS 3.3, Microsoft HIMEM.SYS, version 3.01A of IPX and XMSNET3. I also load the Clarkson/BYU IBMTOKEN packet driver for TCP/IP support. I've got about 200 registered users. Once the semester gets into full swing, I expect over 1000 registered users. We also make extensive use of guest accounts. I expect to have as many as 150 users attached to this server, some from remote LAN's. Right now, I can't reliably get 24 connections from the same room to work. If you have experienced any of these problems, regardless of whether or not you resolved them, please let me know. If nothing else, knowing that this is not a unique problem will be of consolation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Medici/SysProg3 * Rutgers University/CCIS * medici@elbereth.rutgers.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Medici/SysProg3 * Rutgers University/CCIS * medici@elbereth.rutgers.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------------