Novell server error "SetFileSize failed with newsize=-########## (Networking Products)
At 29 MAR 2000 01:57:56PM Peter Dunlap wrote:
I am getting a Novell server error (several times a week) that reads "SetFileSize failed with newsize=-##########". There is a message posted here, by Gay Cakora 12/29/99, indicating the same error, but no resolution. Whenever this message is displayed, one of my AREV clients (diffrent workstations, diffrent users) crashes, sometimes reporting inability to write to a file. My Servers are Netware 5, AREV is 3.12, NW Clients are 3.1. The message is comming from the LH.NLM. I have several very large LH files. One is about 2.5 gb. I have better than 6gb of available disk, with 2gb RAM. Can anyone help with this?
At 29 MAR 2000 05:03PM Steve Smith wrote:
Ensure that at account level no AREV user sees more than 2 mB free disk space on the AREV volume. Also, look for turbodis.nlm or zerobfix.nlm patches and look for references here in this forum for your Novell version - I think there are some patches you need to get from Novell, and some you MUSTN'T load. I am not using Novell right now so am unaware of the correct ones.
Steve
At 29 MAR 2000 05:56PM Peter Dunlap wrote:
Thank you for your response.
I am not sure what you mean by "account level" and 2mb (less than 2 floppies) sounds kind of restrictive, but I am using the NLM's ability to provide user access to files the user does not have access to. That is, my users do not have access to the LH file volumes. The turbodis.nlm applies to Netware 4.x, I am using 5.x, and fixes GFEs. I am not getting GFEs. In fact, the very next user to request data from the problem file, will have no difficulty at all. The zerobfix.nlm applies to Netware 3.12. Any more ideas?
At 30 MAR 2000 06:12AM Steve Smith wrote:
Sorry, Peter, I meant 2 gB. Serves me right for replying to posts at some ungodly hour of the morning! In any case, DOS resizes files by moving a file pointer, which is a 32 bit value. The same goes for Netware (any version). So I was looking for factors to check which pertained (historically) to file sizing under Novell.
The 2GB limit is obviously the extent of a signed 32 bit value. I have had weird effects with larger amounts of space than 2 gB owing to free space calculations inside AREV. This presumably would include the LH engine in the NLM.
Also virus checkers come to mind, as they would open an OV file (maybe) which may also confuse the file pointer.
This is, of course, presuming there are no obscure bugs in Novell.
Keep the backups happening frequently until you establish the cause.
Steve
At 30 MAR 2000 12:58PM Peter Dunlap wrote:
Thank you again for your response.
Judging from your site, I suspect you know more about DOS and Netware than I. However, according to Novell the maximum file size for versions 3.x and 4.x is 4gb, without suballocation (2gb with). I am using version 5.x with my LH files on a NSS volume. Novell states the maximum file size in this case as 8 terabytes.
Only my Netware Admin and REVELATION accounts have rights to the LH files, so I do not have any anti-virus software operating there. I do full backups nightly, however I am not experiencing file corruption, just occational (several times a week) client crashes.
At 30 MAR 2000 04:08PM Steve Smith wrote:
The file size constraints I mentioned are determined more by AREV than by Novell.
Also, under a "DOS" session you are constrained by DOS's file sizes, not Novell's contraints.
Also do not assume that my site makes me a Novell expert. The Novell API changes frequently, confirmed by the number of patches on the Novell website. You buy a reference book on Novell's API, code it in assembler for AREV, and test it. No big deal. Novell 5 is still stabilizing, and my experience with it is limited.
An aside - TCP/IP and Windows 32 support by Novell has not been painless. Stable Novell Win 32 clients under Windows have always been a precious thing.
Steve