Re: Netserver no start when internet down -- MIDRANGE-L

That's it!  The reason it was an issue this time and not other times is the
internet outage started during the restricted state backup at 3am.

On Fri, May 15, 2015 at 9:00 AM, Charles Wilt <charles.wilt@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

> Once it's started, it doesn't matter so much.
>
> IMO, you should have at least primary and backup internal DNS servers.
> Those DNS servers are the only ones that should be contacting internet
> based DNS servers.
>
> Charles
>
>
> On Fri, May 15, 2015 at 8:47 AM, Jeff Crosby <jlcrosby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
> > It all makes sense to me.  But I'm kind of amazed we never noticed it
> > during other internet outages.  We very seldom experience an outage but
> > over a 10+ year period you'd think we would have noticed it before.
> >
> >
> > On Fri, May 15, 2015 at 7:18 AM, Jim Oberholtzer <
> > midrangel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > > I agree with putting the system name/IP entry in the local host table,
> > > that's critical for several things not just the Netserver.  There is a
> > > reasonable alternative.  IBM i has a DNS server built in to it.  Most
> > folks
> > > chose not to use it but it's there.   You could simply configure that
> as
> > a
> > > backup to the main DNS and now your back to only one place to change
> it.
> > > You would only put the addresses/domains that are internal to your shop
> > in
> > > it but then as long as either the M$ DNS is running  --or-- your IBM i
> > > server is running you'll get DNS resolution.
> > >
> > > Now some will immediately spring up and claim that auditors will never
> > > accept an IBM i running DNS for whatever reasons Microsoft has managed
> to
> > > convince them about using anything but AD as your DNS server, but
> that's
> > > really all FUD.  If you keep up with the security PTFs and the other
> > > updates
> > > IBM puts out, there is really no issue with it.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Jim Oberholtzer
> > > Chief Technical Architect
> > > Agile Technology Architects
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: MIDRANGE-L [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> > > Scott
> > > Klement
> > > Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2015 11:23 PM
> > > To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
> > > Subject: Re: Netserver no start when internet down
> > >
> > >
> > > Jeff,
> > >
> > > NetServer needs to know it's host and IP address.  The problem with IP
> > > address is that the system can have many of them, so how does it know
> > which
> > > one is the "main" IP address?
> > >
> > > So what it does is take your hostname (QDILGARD in your case) and try
> to
> > > perform a DNS lookup to get the IP address.  It will then use that as
> the
> > > main IP address for NetServer.
> > >
> > > Apparently your DNS was set up to contact Internet DNS servers -- so
> the
> > > lookup would fail (or time out) before getting a result for QDILGARD.
> > > Therefore it could not start the NetServer.
> > >
> > > Putting QDILGARD in the host table means that it'll always be able to
> > find
> > > it's own IP address, even if the network is down.  So this is
> considered
> > a
> > > "best practice" to always have the IP address that's connected to the
> > > system
> > > name be in the host table.  Granted, this does mean that there's one
> more
> > > place to change it if the IP address changes...  but as long as this
> (and
> > > the DNS server) are the only places, that shouldn't be too
> cumbersome.  A
> > > lot better than being down when the Internet is offline!
> > >
> > > -SK
> > >
> > >
> > > On 5/14/2015 1:47 PM, Jeff Crosby wrote:
> > > > I learned something this morning and thought I would pass it along in
> > > > case it helps someone else.
> > > >
> > > > The day started with the internet being down.  In doing backup checks
> > > > I noticed the BRMS recovery reports had not been copied to a Windows
> > > > file server within the domain.  Reason is because Netserver was not
> > > started.
> > > > Tried to reset and start Netserver and got this in QSYSOPR (I
> stripped
> > > > out some portions):
> > > >
> > > > Message ID . . . . . . :   CPIB683
> > > >
> > > > Date sent  . . . . . . :   05/14/15      Time sent  . . . . . . :
> > > > 07:16:51
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Message . . . . :   IBM i Support for Windows Network Neighborhood
> > (IBM i
> > > >
> > > >    NetServer) was unable to start.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Cause . . . . . :   The required IBM i NetServer job QZLSSERVER was
> > > unable
> > > > to
> > > >    start because of reason code 13.  See the following reason codes
> > > > and their
> > > >    meanings:
> > > >
> > > >      13 - The retrieved host IP address of 6.0.0.7 is invalid.
> > > >
> > > > Recovery  . . . :   Complete recovery for the specified reason code.
> > > >    13 - Correct the name configured for IBM i NetServer which
> > > > conflicts with an existing name on the network, and try the request
> > > again.
> > > >
> > > > The Netserver name has not changed since day one so I opened a PMR
> (by
> > > > phone since no internet either!).  No idea what the 6.0.0.7 IP
> address
> > is
> > > .
> > > > . .
> > > >
> > > > After the internet came back up just for fun I tried starting
> > > > Netserver again and it worked.  Huh?  What does the internet have to
> do
> > > with it?
> > > >
> > > > Rochester called in response to the PMR and she said she could fix
> > that.
> > > > In CHGTCPDMN we have 3 DNS servers listed, 1 internal Windows and 2
> > > > Comcast.  The 2 external have something to do with it.  So she had me
> > > > add the Netserver name "QDILGARD" to the host table entries on the
> IBM
> > > > i so it would find the IP address for the i there.  With or without
> > > > internet.  She was aware of this behavior but could not answer why.
> > > > She was curious herself, said she would ask the developer when he
> > > > arrived, and report back to me via the PMR.
> > > >
> > > > I waited until now hoping the PMR would have something of an
> > > > explanation, but it still does not.  If I get something I will pass
> it
> > > along.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
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> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Jeff Crosby
> > VP Information Systems
> > UniPro FoodService/Dilgard
> > P.O. Box 13369
> > Ft. Wayne, IN 46868-3369
> > 260-422-7531
> > www.dilgardfoods.com
> >
> > The opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily the opinion of my
> > company.  Unless I say so.
> > --
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> >
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