5 Known Problems and Workarounds
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1. Introduction
This document describes the features of Release 5.2 of the
Network File System (NFSr) software 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
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1.1 Release_Identification_Information
Following is the release identification information for NFS:
Software Option Product NFS
Version 5.2
Product Code SC4-NFS-5.2
System Software Requirements IRIX 5.2 or later
1.2 On-Line_Release_Notes
After you install the online 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 online 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.
Note: You can read the online release notes for most
products before installing the software. Refer to
the booklet in your CD-ROM case for more information.
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.
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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.sw.dskless_server_405 Software that supports an IRIX
4.0.x diskless implementation on
an IRIX 5.2 server
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
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on finding exact sizes.
Subsystem Name Subsystem Size
(512-byte blocks)
nfs.sw.nfs (default) 1708
nfs.sw.nis (default) 982
nfs.sw.dskless_client 2864
nfs.sw.dskless_server 252
nfs.sw.dskless_server_405 859
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.sw.dskless_server_405 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 5.2
to use NFS release 5.2. The nfs.sw.nfs and nfs.sw.nfs
subsystems are prerequisites for running the
nfs.sw.dskless_client, nfs.sw.dskless_server, and
nfs.sw.dskless_server_405 subsystems.
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2.5 Compatibility_for_Diskless_Systems
A server must be running IRIX 5.2 (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. Since IRIX 5.2 supports all
platforms, it does not support installing new IRIX 5.1
clients. If this type of installation is required, save
copies of /var/boot/client_inst and /var/boot/share_inst
before installing new 5.2 software. Execute the copies to
install IRIX 5.1 clients.
If you plan to maintain IRIX 4.0.x diskless clients on a
server after the server is upgraded to IRIX 5.2, you must
modify the pathname to each client's boot file. Use these
instructions to modify boot files:
1. For all workstation models except Indigo R4000's,
reset the bootfile NVRAM variable. You must reset
NVRAM variables from the PROM monitor:
>> setenv bootfile bootp()server:/var/boot/4.X/client/unix
For Indigo R4000 models, reset the SystemPartition and
OSLoader variables:
>> setenv SystemPartition bootp()server:/var/boot/4.X/client
>> setenv OSLoader /unix
2. Reboot the client to reset its NVRAM variables.
If you want to install new IRIX 4.0.x share or client trees
on a server after upgrading the server to IRIX 5.2, complete
these steps:
1. Install the nfs.sw.dskless_server_405 subsystem on the
server.
2. Use the installation tools in /var/boot/4.X to install
the share tree, client tree, and swap trees on the
server. Refer to the Diskless Workstation
Administration Guide that accompanied your version
4.0.x software for instructions (document number 007-
0855-020).
3. Set the boot file variables on each client (see the
previous instructions for setting NVRAM bootfile
variables).
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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
Administration Guide and the NIS Administration Guide 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.
/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.
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/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.
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3. Changes_and_Additions
The following changes were made to the IRIX NFS 4D1-4.0.5
product.
o The ability to export and NFS-mount DOS and ISO9660
file systems has been added.
o The automounter now recognizes nohide-exported file
systems, when invoked with the -hosts map. Automount
does not request a separate mount for a nohide file
system if the client has access via the parent file
system.
o The -p option has been added to allow users to set the
(non-degrading) priority for the automount process.
o The NFS server duplicate request cache has been
increased from 400 to 1024 entries, by default.
Statistics have been added to nfsstat(1M) to monitor
cache activity.
o Though it is not recommended and can seriously degrade
system performance, users can now set kernel lock
manager timeouts. See stune(4).
o The number of NFS client processes that may obtain
locks via the lock manager has been increased from 200
to 1000 on the server.
o The network information service (NIS) was formerly
known as Sun Yellow Pages (YP). The functionality of
the two remains the same; only the name has changed.
The name Yellow Pages is a registered trademark in the
United Kingdom of British Telecommunications Plc, and
may not be used without permission.
The following changes were made to Diskless Workstation
software:
o Diskless software is no longer marked for installation
by default. Diskless software comprises three
subsystems, which must be deliberately selected for
installation:
- nfs.sw.dskless_server implements server functions.
It must be installed on hosts that will serve as
diskless servers for IRIX 5.2 clients.
- nfs.sw.dskless_client implements client functions.
It must be installed in an IRIX 5.2 share tree and
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all IRIX 5.2 client trees. It should NOT be
installed on the diskless server.
- nfs.sw.dskless_server_405 provides the software
needed to install IRIX 4.0.x share and client
trees on servers running IRIX 5.2.
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:
- 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.
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- NIS is now SERVER_NIS.
o In the 5.2 diskless implementation, a diskless
workstation's client tree can be located on a different
file system from its share tree.
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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 script 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:
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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.
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5. Known_Problems_and_Workarounds
This chapter describes the known problems in release 5.2 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,
type 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
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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,
desktop_eoe.sw.FileTypingRules
must be installed on the server.
o The R4400 cpu architecture was not documented in the
diskless client.dat file. For diskless IRIX 5.2, go
ahead and use R4000 as the string for CPUARCH.
o See chapter 2's section on diskless compatibilities for
information on installing new IRIX 5.1 diskless clients
on IRIX 5.2 NFS servers.
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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).