We are using a couple of DEC Alphas running DU 4.0b as home directory servers
for most of our users. These directories are accessed from a number of
different systems. Other Unix boxes, DOS/Win 3.1 PCs running PC-NFS and Windows
NT PCs running Hummingbird NFS Maestro. We have had this situation for a while
now with no problems, but in the last couple of weeks we have been getting
severe problems. When an NT machine attempts to mount a directory from one of
the Alphas the mount request hangs. Nothing obviously appears wrong on the
Alpha server and it responds to other mount requests (e.g. from Unix boxes)
with no problems. Rebooting the Alpha clears the problem and all the NT boxes
connect fine, for a while. So far the second Alpha has not shown this problem,
although it is serving a smaller number of users, so it may be load related.
Attempts to fix the problem by killing and restarting various daemons does not
help, and in fact one daemon (nfsd) just will not die, so we can't even do a
clean shutdown and have to end up hitting the reset switch. We have downloaded
the latest patch kit and installed all the patches but it hasn't helped.
I am aware that this could be an NT or NFS Maestro problem and will be in touch
with the appropriate people about that. However I wondered if anyone else has
come across something similar and could make any suggestions, especially about
the unkillable nfsd.
--
Hugh M. Conner
Computing & Electrical Eng.
Heriot-Watt University
hmc_at_cee.hw.ac.uk
Received on Mon Oct 19 1998 - 12:15:52 NZDT