RE: Netserver no start when internet down

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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