5 Known Problems and Workarounds
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1. Introduction
NetLS (Network License System) controls the execution of
licensed software. A program licensed with NetLS requests a
license before running; if none is available, the program
does not execute.
NETLS_EOE is the execution-only portion of the NetLS
software. These release notes list the files included in
NETLS_EOE, give installation information, describe changes
to NETLS_EOE since its last release, and list known bugs.
For information about how to use the software provided in
NETLS_EOE and install licenses for licensed software
products, see the Network License System Administration
Guide. Part number 007-2115-002 of the guide documents this
version of NETLS_EOE and older versions.
NETLS_EOE consists of:
o netlsd(1M), the network license server daemon
o ls_admin(1M), the license server administration tool
o ls_nodelock(1M), the GUI tool for entering node-locked
licenses.
o ls_stat(1M), the license server status tool
o ls_rpt(1M), the license server report generator
o llbd(1M), the local location broker daemon
o glbd(1M), the global location broker daemon
o lb_admin(1M), the location broker administration tool
o drm_admin(1M), the data replication management tool
o uuid_gen(1M), the universal unique identifier
generation tool
o stcode(1M), the status code translation tool
o /usr/lib/stcode.db, the status code database
o These release notes
o Network License System Administration Guide
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Note: Packaged with this 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 Problems and Workarounds
1.1 Release_Identification_Information
Following is the release identification information for
NETLS_EOE:
Software Product NETLS_EOE
Version 1.2.1
Product Code SC4-W4D-5.2
System Software Requirements IRIX 5.2
1.2 Online_Release_Notes
After you install the netls_eoe.man.relnotes subsystem, you
can view these 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 online release notes.
Select ``netls_eoe'' from the Products menu to view these
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 online release notes.
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For example, to view the online version of this chapter of
these release notes, type:
relnotes netls_eoe 1
1.3 Online_Manual_Pages
The manual pages for this product are not included in
printed form. They are accessible online via the man(1)
command. The following manual pages are included with
NETLS_EOE:
drm_admin(1M) ls_rpt(1M)
glb_obj(4) ls_stat(1M)
glb_site(4) ls_targetid(1M)
glbd(1M) ls_tv(1M)
lb_admin(1M) netlsd(1M)
llbd(1M) stcode(1M)
ls_admin(1M) uuid_gen(1M)
ls_nodelock(1M) uuid_name(4)
For example, to view the online man page for netlsd(1M), use
the command:
man netlsd
1.4 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.
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2. Installation_Information
This chapter lists supplemental information to the IRIS
Software Installation Guide. The information listed here is
product-specific; use it with the Installation Guide to
install this product.
2.1 NETLS_EOE_Subsystems
NETLS_EOE include these subsystems:
netls_eoe.sw.netls_eoe The NETLS_EOE software,
including netlsd, ls_admin,
ls_stat, ls_rpt, llbd, glbd,
lb_admin, and drm_admin.
netls_eoe.man.netls_eoe Online manual pages for
NETLS_EOE software.
netls_eoe.man.relnotes Online release notes for
NETLS_EOE software.
netls_eoe.books.NetLS_AG Online version of the Network
License System Administration
Guide; view with insight(1).
2.2 NETLS_EOE_Subsystem_Disk_Use
This section lists the subsystems (and their sizes) of the
NETLS_EOE software.
If you are installing this option for the first time, the
subsystems marked ``default'' are installed if you use the
``go'' menu item. To install a different set of subsystems,
use the ``install,'' ``remove,'' ``keep,'' and ``step''
commands in inst to customize the list of subsystems to be
installed, then select the ``go'' menu item.
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)
netls_eoe.books.NetLS_AG (default) 1860
netls_eoe.sw.netls_eoe (default) 11135
netls_eoe.man.netls_eoe (default) 140
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netls_eoe.man.relnotes (default) 28
2.3 Installation_Method
All of the subsystems NETLS_EOE can be installed using IRIX.
You do not need to use the miniroot. Refer to the IRIS
Software Installation Guide for complete installation
instructions.
2.4 Prerequisites
Your workstation must be running at least IRIX release 5.2
in order to use this product.
2.5 Configuration_Files
This section lists installed files that can be edited to
contain site-specific changes. Please see the Network
License System Administration Guide and the online man pages
for details.
The following configuration files specify whether a daemon
is to be started during system initialization. A daemon is
started if the contents of its file in the /etc/config
directory is ``on.'' Use the chkconfig(1M) command to check
and change the contents of these files.
/etc/config/netls Configuration file for
netlsd(1M). Defaults to ``off.''
/etc/config/llb Configuration file for llbd(1M).
Defaults to ``off.''
/etc/config/glb Configuration file for glbd(1M).
Defaults to ``off.''
Change the following files to reflect your system's setup.
/etc/config/netlsd.options System-specific options for
netlsd. Default contents are -no
c.
/etc/config/llbd.options System-specific options for llbd.
By default, this file does not
exist.
/etc/config/glbd.options System-specific options for glbd.
By default, this file does not
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exist.
/var/ncs/glb_site.txt List of sites running glbd. By
default, this file does not
exist. See the online manual
page glb_site(4) for information
on creating this file.
/var/ncs/glb_obj.txt Alternate object identifier for
glbd(1M). By default, this file
does not exist. See the online
manual page glb_obj(4) for
information on creating this
file.
/var/netls/nodelock Node-locked licenses. This file
is installed with NETLS_EOE and
initially contains no licenses.
2.6 Files_Not_Listed_by_versions
The network license server daemon (netlsd) creates the
following files:
o /var/netls/lic_db
o /var/netls/lic_db.bak
o /var/netls/cur_db
o /var/netls/cur_dbe
o /var/netls/log_file
The global location broker daemon (glbd) creates the
following files:
o /var/ncs/glb.p
o /var/ncs/glb.e
o /var/ncs/glb_log
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3. Changes_and_Additions
3.1 ls_nodelock
A new GUI application, ls_nodelock(1M), is now included with
NETLS_EOE. Use this application to enter node-locked
licenses into the node-locked license file.
If you do not have access to graphical applications, you can
still enter node-locked licenses directly into the file
using an editor. See the Network License System
Administration Guide for more information.
3.2 Reorganization_of_Subsystems_and_New_Product_Names
NetLS now consists of two products, NETLS_EOE and NETLS_DEV.
In versions of NetLS before IRIX 5.0.1, NetLS consisted of
three products, LSSERVER, NCK, and LSLOCK. The subsystems
in LSSERVER and NCK are now part of NETLS_EOE, and the
subsystems in LSLOCK are now part of NETLS_DEV.
3.3 -sgiauto_Daemon_Startup
A new option, -sgiauto, has been added to netlsd(1M). It
specifies that the netls daemon automatically start up the
llbd and glbd daemons if they are required. This option is
intended for use on networks where all hosts can contact one
another by broadcast. Please refer to the Network License
System Administration Guide and the netlsd(1M) manual page
for information on its use.
3.4 File_Reorganization
To support the IRIX 5.1 file reorganization, system-specific
NetLS data files have been moved from directories under /usr
to directories under /var. Data files that can be shared
across different systems remain in their old locations.
Note that not all systems have all of the following files.
Files that have been moved from /usr/netls to /var/netls:
cur_db log_file
cur_dbe nodelock
lic_db odometer
lic_db.bak user_file
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Files that have been moved from /usr/etc/ncs to /var/ncs:
glb.e uuidname.txt
glb.p glb_obj.txt
glb_log glb_site.txt
glb_log.bak gldbase.dat
Installing NETLS_EOE automatically moves the files above to
their new locations and installs symbolic links to them at
their old locations only if these files existed before
installation.
To ensure compatibility with licensed software built with a
NetLS library before the IRIX 5.0.1 release, three symbolic
links are installed on system even if the files do not
exist.
/usr/etc/ncs/glb_site.txt
/usr/etc/ncs/glb_obj.txt
/usr/netls/nodelock
The first two symbolic links might be dangling symbolic
links if these files are not on the system before installing
version 1.2.1 of NETLS_EOE. If the system administrator is
aware of the use of these files and is certain that they
will not be used in the future, it is safe to remove these
links. Please refer to the glb_site(4) and glb_obj(4) manual
pages for more information about their use.
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4. Bug_Fixes
o NetLS is now installed turned off. The config files
/var/config/netls, /var/config/glb, /var/config/llb are
now installed to contain the value ``off.''
o The X errors in ls_admin and ls_stat have been
eliminated.
o The license information sheets distributed with
licensed software products have a new format that makes
them easier to to understand.
o netlsd has been made more robust to avoid file
corruption problems.
o The ls_admin message now properly says Could not add
this product when a product could not be added.
o The ls_admin man page has been fixed to correctly show
all of the ls_admin options.
o glbd no longer dumps core if it is invoked with no
arguments and the glbd database does not exist.
o The files /etc/config/netls and
/etc/config/netlsd.options are configuration files that
are not installed if they already exist so that
existing files on the system are not overwritten.
o The help command in lb_admin now correctly reflects the
use of the application.
o The man page for the glb_site(4) file now correctly
states that if the file exists, no broadcast is done by
applications seeking a global location broker.
o When the killall -TERM netlsd is executed, netlsd
attempts to unregister its entries from the global
location broker. If one cannot be found, netlsd now
exits after the first entry to avoid waiting a timeout
period for each of the entries before exiting.
o Error messages from NetLS now are now prepended with
``NetLS:'' and ``netlsd:''.
o The script /etc/init.d/netls now checks to see that the
``network'' chkconfig(1M) flag is ``on'' before
starting netlsd.
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o The global location broker log file, /var/ncs/log_file,
is now trimmed as glbd executes.
o The data files created by netlsd now have mode 664.
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5. Known_Problems_and_Workarounds
o Licensed application takes a long time to find a
license
If the global location broker database has stale
entries, licensed applications might take a long time
to acquire a license.
Stale entries result when a netlsd server registers
itself with the global location broker but becomes
unavailable due to network partitioning or host failure
and is unable to unregister itself.
An application acquires a license by retrieving netlsd
entries registered with the global location broker and
attempting to contact the netlsd. If the netlsd server
is unavailable, the application waits until the end of
the timeout period before attempting to contact another
server.
The best solution for eliminating this delay is to make
the netlsd available again by resolving the networking
problem or bringing the host or server back online.
If that cannot be accomplished, removing the stale
entries from the global location broker database is
another solution. To eliminate this delay, run the
lb_admin(1M) utility and select the clean command to
clean out the stale entries. For more information on
using this utility, please refer to the Network License
System Administration Guide.
o ls_admin
The ls_admin application might take a long time to
start if the stale entry problem mentioned in the
previous item exists. Follow the same procedure as
above to resolve this problem.
o drm_admin performance problem
The drm_admin utility might require a long time after
you execute the command set -o glb -h hostname. When
you execute this command, drm_admin attempts to contact
all of the global location broker replicas to check the
clock skew.
If the global location broker has many replicas that
are no longer running, it must wait a timeout period
for each replica that does not respond.
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To resolve this problem, wait until the command
completes to determine which replicas are no longer
running. They will have the message *** clock
unavailable *** next to them. Determine whether a glbd
is running on those hosts and restart the daemon if it
is not. See the drm_admin(1M) manual page and the
Network License System Administration Guide for more
information.