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    StorageExpress(TM) system: General Symptoms/Solutions for Networks

    Contents:

    • STORAGEEXPRESS DOES NOT SHOW UP ON THE NETWORK DURING INITIAL SETUP
    • TARGET SERVER LOCKS UP DURING BACKUP
    • BACKING UP IS SLOW. TARGET SERVER HAS MANY SMALL FILES OR LARGE AMOUNT OF FILES IN ONE SUBDIRECTORY.
    
    

    STORAGEEXPRESS DOES NOT SHOW UP ON THE NETWORK DURING INITIAL SETUP

    
       Symptom:
    
       During initial installation, the StorageExpress system does not appear
    
       on the network.  It does not  show in NLIST or SLIST.
    
    
    
       Descriptions:
    
    
    
         *  StorageExpress network adapter option is not set correctly.
    
            Adapter Type
    
            Frame Type 
    
            IPX Network Number
    
            Cable Type
    
            Token Ring Speed
    
    
    
         *  Source Routing is not set correctly for Token Ring network.
    
    
    
         *  Routers between the Central Console and StorageExpress.
    
    
    
       Solutions:
    
    
    
         *  Issue the RESET ROUTERS command on Novell file servers.  Wait
    
            several minutes for routers to update.
    
    
    
         *  Check the StorageExpress Token Ring Adapter settings.  Document
    
            6724 contains instructions.
    
    
    
         *  Check the source routing setup.  It needs to be set up exactly like
    
            the rest of the network.  If other Novell file servers on the same
    
            network ring load ROUTE.NLM then you need to have source routing
    
            enabled.
    
    
    
         *  Load Central Console on a workstation that is on the same segment
    
            or ring as the StorageExpress system. 
    
    
    
         *  Do a display servers from a file server on the same ring/segment as
    
            the StorageExpress unit to see if it is broadcasting and being
    
            received. 
    
    
    
         *  Connect a keyboard and monitor to the StorageExpress unit and do a
    
            display servers to see what the unit can find.  Type CONFIG at the
    
            colon prompt on the StorageExpress unit to verify the environment
    
            configuration.  Load the MONITOR NLM at the ":" prompt, check LAN
    
            Information to verify packets sent and received.
    
    
    
         *  Reinitialize the StorageExpress system.
    
    
    
         *  Check Router and/or Bridge configurations for filtering.
    
    
    
         *  Update file server LAN drivers along with Router and Bridge
    
            microcode to current versions. 
    
    
    
    

    TARGET SERVER LOCKS UP DURING BACKUP

    
       Symptom:
    
    
    
       Target server locks up during backup
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       Some server drivers may not work correctly.  We know that earlier
    
       versions of drivers for the NE3200, 3C507 and TOKENDMA by IBM and
    
       similar cards will cause the target server to lock up.  The send part of
    
       the driver stops working (running TRACK ON will show the card receiving
    
       packets but never sending any out).  
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       Update your target server network drivers to a current version.
    
    
    
       On Token Ring networks, using the IBM Token Ring Network 16/4 Busmaster
    
       Server Adapter/A will also cause the target server to lock up.  If the
    
       Maximum Physical Receive Packet size is set to 4202 in the STARTUP.NCF,
    
       this card will work properly.
    
    
    
       Using Madge's Smart ODI drivers will also cause problems.  Use the
    
       standard Madge Novell ODI drivers instead. 
    
    
    
    

    BACKING UP IS SLOW. TARGET SERVER HAS MANY SMALL FILES OR LARGE AMOUNT OF FILES IN ONE SUBDIRECTORY.

    
       Symptom:
    
       * StorageExpress backup job is slow.
    
    
    
       * Target server has many small files or a large amount of files in one
    
       subdirectory.
    
    
    
       Description:
    
       The backup performance of the StorageExpress system will decrease if
    
       there are many small files or a large amount of file in one
    
       subdirectory.
    
    
    
       Solution:
    
       There are some changes that can be made to the target file server to
    
       help increase the performance of the backup.  These changes are:
    
    
    
         *  Increase the maximum number of directory cache buffers: 
    
            Default is 500
    
            Increase to 3000
    
    
    
         *  Increase the minimum number of directory cache buffers:
    
            Default is 20
    
            Increase to 1500
    
    
    
       Note:     Be sure to check the memory changes that occur as these
    
       changes are made. 
    
    

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