david@slc9.INS.CWRU.Edu (David Nerenberg) (12/11/90)
Here's post on comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc that explains the Novell disconnections we've all been hitting. Any other ideas are welcome, aside from switching to version 7 packet drivers and un-econfigging all the servers. :-( Article 3722 of comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc: >From: nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc Subject: Re: Intermittent Novell+BYU+PD+CUTCP hangups Date: 8 Dec 90 19:20:12 GMT Organization: Clarkson University, Potsdam NY In-Reply-To: trier@cwlim.INS.CWRU.Edu's message of 8 Dec 90 06:13:21 GMT In article <1990Dec8.061321.11400@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> trier@cwlim.INS.CWRU.Edu (Stephen C. Trier) writes: In article <660597854@lear.cs.duke.edu> djc@duke.cs.duke.edu (David J. Cherveny) writes: >Intermittently, a workstation will loose touch with the server and give >the good ole IGNORE, RETRY, ABORT message. Retrying does not help. I know that bug!!! We're having exactly the same problems here. They started happening in August, about the time we started widespread use of the packet drivers. Kelly McDonald, the author of the BYU Packet driver shell says: The problem: Idle workstations logged into Novell servers periodically come up with an error message stating that they have lost a connection to their logged in file server and their connection is no longer valid. The cause: other stations (besides the idle one) that is running the packet driver shell sometimes incorrectly respond to the "watchdog" packet sent out to the idle station from the server to see if it is still alive. The incorrect response causes the server to close the connection to the idle station. When the user of the idle station tries to access the server again, the error message is generated. (As far as we can tell, this only occurs with Netware 286 or earlier servers.) There would seem to be several solutions: o License the 3.0 Packet driver shell from Kelly McDonald. He has licensed it back from Atlantix for use by degree-granting American universities only. He wants several thousand dollars, which I'm sure merely reflect *his* cost from Atlantix. o Re-implement the packet driver shell and copyleft it. This requires the use of Novell's device driver kit, which costs $7,500. Now, that's a heap of money. Perhaps we could convince a manufacturer who's already bought it to let someone use theirs. That might be difficult, as Novell requires a nondisclosure agreement. Perhaps we should form an ad-hoc consortium to write a freely copyable packet driver shell? o Wait until Novell writes their ODI-over-packet-driver interface. o Switch to another LAN operating system that supports the packet drivers, you know, ???????. Hmmm... That would seem to be a problem. Perhaps we could convince Artisoft or whomever to include packet driver support? -- --russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu]) FAX 315-268-7600 It's better to get mugged than to live a life of fear -- Freeman Dyson I joined the League for Programming Freedom, and I hope you'll join too. -- david@po.cwru.edu * Eagle * David Nerenberg 73107,177 Compuserve * Computers * Information Network Services NY: H-516-751-6344 * Electronics * Case Western Reserve University W-516-751-8111 * Sound & Stage * W-216-368-2982 H-216-754-2063