[comp.sys.novell] Directory Subtree problem in NW386.3.1A

Ullrich_Fischer@mindlink.UUCP (Ullrich Fischer) (03/20/91)

The Directory Tree problem has reared its ugly head again.  The original
problem was that given the following subdirectory tree structure on a
Novell 386 3.1 A server...

   VOL32:---P--1234
         |  |
         |  +--7832---..... fairly extensive subtree
         |  |
         |  +--- ... etc
         |
         +--MATL---AAA---BBB---CCC---
         |      |     |     |     |
         |      |     |     |     +---... very deep (13+ levels)
         |      |     |     |               subtree
         |      |     |     +---
         |
         +--... additional root level subtrees

Some commands (including Norton Utilities NCD versions 5.0 and 4.5 and Novell's
NCOPY) would only 'see' the MATL subtree and behave as if the other
subdirectory trees on this volume did not exist.  Other commands (including DOS
3.0 and 4.01 DIR and Novell's NDIR) behaved normally and 'saw' the entire
volume's subdirectory tree.

The problem went away when I moved the offending subdirectory tree to another
volume and zipped it into a single large zip file there.

It came back on VOL31: when I installed another subtree of similar complexity
there.  This time the subtree had far fewer files than the first offender
(639 files vs 2600+ for the original) but it went as many or more levels deep.

At one point the problem went away for a day or so, only to re-appear when the
user who owns the MATL subtree actually rationalized the tree to eliminate a
couple of levels.  (In the process he may have actually increased the total
number of subdirectories under MATL).

I am using the latest NET3.COM (about 48K bytes... from WIND.ZIP from NETWIRE).

The server is an EVEREX 20 Mhz 386 with a Novell DCB SCSI controller.  The
volume in question is a CDC WREN VI 650 Mb configured as a single non-mirrored
volume.  The same controller also controls two other 650 Mb WREN VI's and two
mirrored 40 Mb Conner SCSI drives.

In a separate posting, I describe another more serious problem on this drive
(VOL31:).  The two problems may be related although it seems unlikely on the
face of it that they are.

Are there any obscure limits in NETWARE 386 3.1 A that might be triggering this
strange behaviour?  Has anyone else had a similar experience?   Any comments
will be greatly appreciated.


--

---    Ullrich Fischer  phone (604) 684 9371  Vancouver, BC, Canada --- 
                 Ullrich_Fischer@mindlink.uucp

jsdph@acad3.alaska.edu (HARRIS DENNIS P) (03/24/91)

In article <5207@mindlink.UUCP>, Ullrich_Fischer@mindlink.UUCP (Ullrich Fischer) writes...
>The Directory Tree problem has reared its ugly head again.  The original
>problem was that given the following subdirectory tree structure on a
>Novell 386 3.1 A server...
> [example deleted]
>--
i understand that there is some kind of direcotry tree bug in 3.1 
that is fixed in 3.11 --- it didin't affect creation and use of 
directories, but many utility programs using the DOS FINDFIRST 
function to walk the directory structure wouldn't work right 
(skipped directories)...

================================================================================
dennis p. harris					bitnet: jsdph@alaska.edu

  "The nation that controls magnetism controls the Universe." --- Diet Smith
================================================================================