http://www.sgi.com/tech/relnotes/6_0rel/nfs.html (Silicon Surf Promotional CD, 01/1995)5 Known Problems and Workarounds
- 1 - 1. Introduction This document describes the features of software release 6.0 of the Network File System (NFSr) option for IRIX. The NFS option includes the network information service (NIS) and Diskless Workstation software. Note: Packaged with your software is a separate sheet that contains the Software License Agreement. This software is provided to you solely under the terms and conditions of the Software License Agreement. Please take a few moments to review the Agreement. This document contains the following chapters: 1. Introduction 2. Installation Information 3. Changes and Additions 4. Bug Fixes 5. Known Bugs and Workarounds 6. Documentation Errors - 2 - 1.1 Release_Identification_Information Following is the release identification information for NFS: Software Option Product NFS Version 6.0 Product Code SC4-NFS-6.0 System Software Requirements IRIX 6.0 or later 1.2 On-Line_Release_Notes After you install the on-line documentation for a product (the relnotes subsystem), you can view the release notes on your screen. If you have a graphics system, select ``Release Notes'' from the Tools submenu of the Toolchest. This displays the grelnotes(1) graphical browser for the on-line release notes. Refer to the grelnotes(1) man page for information on options to this command. If you do not have a graphics system, you can use the relnotes command. Refer to the relnotes(1) man page for accessing the on-line release notes. 1.3 Product_Support Silicon Graphics, Inc., provides a comprehensive product support maintenance program for its products. If you are in North America and would like support for your Silicon Graphics-supported products, contact the Technical Assistance Center at 1-800-800-4SGI. If you are outside North America, contact the Silicon Graphics subsidiary or authorized distributor in your country. - 1 - 2. Installation_Information This chapter lists supplemental information to the IRISr Software Installation Guide. The information listed here is product-specific; use it with the installation guide to install this product. 2.1 NFS_Subsystems Following is a description of the NFS subsystems: nfs.sw.nfs NFS client and server software nfs.sw.nis NIS (formerly YP) distributed information software nfs.sw.dskless_client Software that implements diskless client services. Do NOT install this subsystem on diskfull systems nfs.sw.dskless_server Software that implements diskless server services nfs.books.NFS_AG The NFS Administration Guide nfs.books.NIS_AG The NIS Administration Guide nfs.man.nfs Manual pages for NFS and NIS software nfs.man.relnotes Release notes (this document) 2.2 NFS_Subsystem_Disk_Use This section lists the NFS option subsystems and their sizes. Those subsystems marked ``default'' are selected for installation in the distribution software. If you are installing NFS software for the first time, these subsystems are installed if you use the ``go'' menu item from inst. To select a different set of subsystems for installation, use inst's ``install,'' ``remove,'' ``keep,'' and ``step'' commands to customize the selection list. Then, use the ``go'' menu item to install the selected subsystems. Note: The listed subsystem sizes are approximate. Refer to the IRIS Software Installation Guide for information on finding exact sizes. Subsystem Name Subsystem Size (512-byte blocks) - 2 - nfs.sw.nfs (default) 1708 nfs.sw.nis (default) 982 nfs.sw.dskless_client 2864 nfs.sw.dskless_server 252 nfs.books.NFS_AG (default) 1248 nfs.books.NIS_AG (default) 1308 nfs.man.nfs (default) 270 nfs.man.relnotes (default) 36 2.3 Installation_Method This section lists the installation method for the NFS subsystems. Refer to the IRIS Software Installation Guide for complete installation instructions. Subsystem Name Method of Installation nfs.sw.nfs miniroot nfs.sw.nis miniroot nfs.sw.dskless_client IRIX nfs.sw.dskless_server IRIX nfs.books.NFS_AG miniroot or IRIX nfs.books.NIS_AG miniroot or IRIX nfs.man.nfs miniroot or IRIX nfs.man.relnotes miniroot or IRIX 2.4 Prerequisites Your workstation must be running at least release IRIX 6.0 to use NFS release 6.0. The IRIX 6.0 nfs.sw.nfs and nfs.sw.nis subsystems are prerequisites for running IRIX 5.2 versions of the nfs.sw.dskless_client, and nfs.sw.dskless_server subsystems. The IRIX 6.0 nfs.sw.dskless_client, and nfs.sw.dskless_server images do not properly support IRIX 5.2 clients. You must use the IRIX 5.2 images (ie. nfs.sw.dskless_client, and nfs.sw.dskless_server) to properly support 5.2 diskless clients. - 3 - 2.5 Compatibility_for_Diskless_Systems A server must be running IRIX 6.0 (or higher) to support IRIX 5.2 clients. A server running IRIX 5.2 can support IRIX 4.0.x clients, but an IRIX 5.2 server cannot support IRIX 3.2.x or IRIX 3.3.x clients. At this time IRIX 4.0.X diskless clients have not been tested on a server running IRIX 6.0. IRIX 5.2 diskless clients have been tested on servers running IRIX 6.0. 2.6 Installing_Galileo_Boards A Galileo board functions as a separate hardware option in a client workstation rather than as an integral component of the workstation's graphics subsystem. For this reason, you do not need to set an architectural variable for clients containing a Galileo board. 2.7 Configuration_Files This section lists installed files that can be edited to contain site-specific changes. Please see the NFS and NIS Administration Guide and Man Pages for details. The following configuration files determine if a daemon is started during system initialization. A daemon or subsystem is enabled if its configuration flag in the /etc/config directory is in the ``on'' state. Use the chkconfig(1M) command to turn a flag on or off. /etc/config/automount Start automount(1M). /etc/config/lockd Start lockd(1M) and statd(1M). /etc/config/nfs Start the NFS daemons, export file systems listed in /etc/exports, and mount the NFS file systems listed in /etc/fstab. /etc/config/yp Start the NIS daemon(s). /etc/config/ypmaster Become the NIS master server. /etc/config/ypserv Become an NIS slave server. Change the following files to reflect your site's setup. - 4 - /etc/config/automount.options Site-specific options. Contains a default configuration. /etc/bootparams Database for bootparamd(1M). /etc/ethers The ethernet and FDDI address- to-name database. /etc/exports List of file systems to be exported. /etc/netgroup List of NIS network groups. The following files are used by the NIS software. /var/yp/make.script Makefile used by ypmake to create NIS databases on the master server. /var/yp/ypmake Shell script that uses make.script to create NIS databases on the master. /var/yp/ypxfr_1pd Shell script to transfer NIS maps once per day (slave servers only). /var/yp/ypxfr_1ph Shell script to transfer NIS maps once per hour (slave servers only). /var/yp/ypxfr_2pd Shell script to transfer NIS maps twice per day (slave servers only). The following files are used by Diskless Workstation software: /var/boot/share.dat Configuration file used by share_inst to install a share tree. /var/boot/client.dat Configuration file used by client_inst to install client and swap trees. - 1 - 3. Changes_and_Additions The following changes were made to the IRIX NFS 4D1-6.0 product. o No change since IRIX 5.2. The following changes were made to Diskless Workstation software: o Use the IRIX 5.2 images (ie. nfs.sw.dskless_server, and nfs.sw.dskless_server) for diskless clients on IRIX 6.0. Currently nfs.sw.dskless_server_405 IRIX 5.2 images have not been tested on a IRIX 6.0 server. o Diskless software is no longer installed by default on inst subsystem listings. Diskless software comprises three subsystems, which must be deliberately selected for installation: - nfs.sw.dskless_server implements server functions. IRIX 5.2 images of nfs.sw.dskless_server must be installed on a IRIX 6.0 hosts that will serve as diskless servers for IRIX 5.2 clients. - nfs.sw.dskless_client implements client functions. IRIX 5.2 images of nfs.sw.dskless_client must be installed in an IRIX 5.2 share tree and all IRIX 5.2 client trees. It should NOT be installed on the diskless server. o Client trees can now be cloned: that is, a single client tree can be replicated for additional clients without using the inst utility to install the additional client trees. o The file system is reorganized so that the hardware- specific files for a particular client workstation are installed in its client tree. This reorganization reduces the number of links to the share tree and improves client performance. o The clinst script was partitioned into two scripts: - share_inst installs the share tree. - client_inst installs the client and swap trees. o The clinst.dat file was partitioned into two files: - 2 - - share.dat contains generic configuration information for a share tree. The share_inst and client_inst scripts read a working copy of share.dat, created by the diskless administrator, to install the share and client trees. - client.dat contains generic configuration information for a client tree. The client_inst script reads a working copy of client.dat, created by the diskless administrator, to install the client and swap trees. o Variables previously contained in clinst.dat were distributed between share.dat and client.dat. In addition, these changes were made to the variables: - Two new variables were added to specify client architecture: CPUARCH specifies the client's CPU chip, and VIDEO specifies the video chip (on Indy workstations). - The DLMAJOR and LOCALDISK variables were dropped from the variables list - NIS is now SERVER_NIS o In the IRIX 5.2 images used on a IRIX 6.0 sever diskless implementation, a diskless workstation's client tree can be located on a different file system from its share tree. - 1 - 4. Bug_Fixes This chapter lists the bug fixes in NFS since the last release (4D1-4.0.5). Some descriptions are preceded by a Silicon Graphics bug report number in the form XXXX or XXXXXX. o NFS now returns the correct statistics for nohide- exported file systems. This allows client programs, such as df(1), to report the correct statistics for underlying file systems, not just parent file systems. o NFS clients now time-out and back-off according to the specification. The previous schemes were a bit over- zealous. o Performance improvements were made to NFS server interaction with FDDI and Ethernet drivers. o mkalias(1M) now checks for corrupt database entries. o A SIGHUP during an unmount no longer corrupts the automounter's mount table. o Job control has been disabled during RPC's to the local lock manager, to avoid possible system hangs. o The unix file for a diskless client was not being created when root had a non-default umask. This problem is corrected so that the unix file is created regardless of the umask on root. o Some error messages generated by the share and client installation scripts were printing to the console rather than to the window from which the scripts were executing. These error messages are now displayed in the window where the diskless installation scripts are executing. o The diskless installation script occasionally installed a client whose host name was similar to (but not exactly) the host name of the client specified on the command line. The scipt is corrected to do an exact match on the host name string entered on the command line, so the correct host is always located in the look-up and installed in the client tree. o These bugs are corrected in the Diskless Workstation Administration Guide: - 2 - 9148 Two tables are included in the troubleshooting information in Chapter 7 that list common error messages and recommend corrective action. 9162 A procedure is included to explain how to add local swap and a local file system to a client containing a local disk. 127315 The pathname to the ypdomain file is corrected to read /var/yp/ypdomain instead of /usr/etc/up/ypdomain. 149512 The explanation for handling a GET_BOOTP:WHOAMI failed error is clarified. It now directs users to enter the domainname command to verify that a domain name is set on the server. - 1 - 5. Known_Problems_and_Workarounds This chapter describes the known problems in release 6.0 of NFS. o NFS clients may see incorrect numbers for the available bytes/blocks reported by df(1) for file systems on NFS servers running Solaris. o The automounter cannot unmount a file system if its file handle is stale. The workaround is to unmount the file system using umount(1M) then send the automount process a SIGHUP, so that it will update its tables. Below is a list of known problems or potential problem areas with the diskless product. o A diskless server must be assigned an NIS domain name, even when the server is not using NIS. This means that nfs.sw.nis must be installed on a diskless server. (If the domain name appears in the /var/yp/ypdomain file, the network startup script sets the domain name when the server reboots, even if NIS is not enabled on the server.) o If the diskless client doesn't boot properly and gives the message, Kernel mount failed, check server, bootparams, make sure the client's entry in the server's /etc/bootparams file has a fully qualified domain name (for example, foobar.sgi.com is correct, but foobar is not a correct entry). o Line printing from diskless clients occasionally generates a warning message; otherwise, printing functions as expected. o Occasionally, share_inst or client_inst exit instead of resuming after inst exits. If this happens, correct the problem in this way: 1. Start the share_inst or client_inst script again. 2. Immediately after the inst menu is displayed, select 11. quit and wait for the exit sequence to complete. o The /usr/local directory has not changed. This implies that clients cannot write their own binaries to this directory since /usr is read-only. System administrators should determine how they want to handle the notion of /usr/local. To maintain the typical - 2 - model where each host gets their own /usr/local, make /usr/local a symlink to ../var/local. Leaving shareable objects under /usr/local will allow them to be seen by all diskless clients using a particular share tree. o Likewise, /usr/people is on a read-only partition by default. If home directories can be tied to specific machines, the /usr/people directory can be replaced with a symlink to /home. However, if home directories need to be location transparent, then /usr/people could be a large exported partition on the diskless server that each client mounts. Alternatively, home directory symlinks can point to automounted directories on the diskless server. In order to use the standard system tools to create new users with home directories not in /usr/people, the file /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/Cpeople needs to be modified. The line *intl.label_HOMEDIR: /usr/people/ can be replaced with something like *intl.label_HOMEDIR: /home/ The guest home directory should move as needed. o Diskless IRIX 5.2 desktop software cannot be installed on servers that do not have the desktop software installed themselves. Before installing any diskless software onto an NFS server, IRIX 6.0 desktop_eoe.sw.FileTypingRules images must be installed on the server. - 1 - 6. Documentation_Errors In the Diskless Workstation Administration Guide, Page 54, the setenv SystemPartition command contains a syntax error (an added space): bootp()sandy: /var/boot/starlite should read bootp()sandy:/var/boot/starlite Notice that no space appears between the server name (sandy) and the pathname of the unix file (bootp()sandy:/var/boot/starlite).