We have a client who after performing some maintenance on the server (including installing GroupWise) started getting the problems including:

- Inability to log a second user into the application

- "Maximum LH database users exceeded" messages after logging in successfully.

- RList reports will print headings but no data. This problem does not occur if logging into the application with a username that is different to the Network login name!?

Thier configuration is a two-user system on NW 5, Win 95 clients, All Networks Driver, Client32 v3.1 . All workstations have different computer names (ie, the station IDs are unique).

Now, all of these problems seemed to have been fixed just by changing the network driver from "All Networks" to the "IPX/Netware" driver, even though there is no NLM involved.

So my question: is the IPX driver a valid alternative to the All Networks driver on a Novell network using IPX protocol without the NLM, or must it ONLY be used with the NLM?

Thanks for any advice,

Matt.

Matt,

Neither drivers are "supported" with that configuration but the preferable alternative would be to use the All Networks driver since that does help prevent the problems with agressive caching caused by Win32 OS.

I am relatively certain that the IPX driver without the NLM is a bad idea. Do you even get locking to work?

dbakke@srpcs.com

SRP Computer Solutions

Don,

Neither drivers are "supported" with that configuration but the preferable alternative would be to use the All Networks driver since that does help prevent the problems with agressive caching caused by Win32 OS.

Yeah, changing the network driver was the last thing we tried - just to see if it was specific to Novell. We've exhausted just about every other feasible combination we can think of. Could the caching problem be avoided by switching off Windows write-behind caching and turning On the True Commit in Client32?

I am relatively certain that the IPX driver without the NLM is a bad idea. Do you even get locking to work?

We're on a Novell 4.2 network here in the office and locking does work with this driver without the NLM. We don't want to use the IPX driver, but if it's the only thing that works…! If we can't get a definative answer here then we may have to just use it and monitor regularly to see if any GFEs appear.

Cheers, M@

Matt,

I understand that the "all networks" driver is for MS style bytewise locking. So If Novell 5.0 was config for IP or compatability mode might work BUT performance would be down. Rather use IPX and get the performance.

Regards Richard

There is nothing wrong with the IPX driver without NLM provided you can effectively disable workstation caching.

With respect to "too many users" it would appear that there is some device on your network masquerading as a server but not accepting locks - this used to happen with CD towers in earlier versions of Novell. So look for a server (SLIST.EXE ?) which is unusual - if AREV doesn't need it, detach it prior to the AREV session from your startup batch file and log in again after.

Steve

Thanks Steve, for your assurance, and Richard. Seems we have a choice! I think we'd try using the All Networks driver with IP protocols to see if that works and what performance is like. If it turns out there's not much in it then go with that - simply to keep with the NP support matrix.

Cheers, M@

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