Kbase 808: Answers to Have When Diagnosing LAN/WAN Problems
| Autor |
Progress Software Corporation - Progress |
| Acesso |
Público |
| Publicação |
16/10/2008 |
|
Status: Unverified
GOAL:
What information does Progress Technical Support require to diagnose Local and Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN) issues?
FIX:
Progress Technical Support requires certain information to diagnose Local and Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN) issues such as:
** Cannot understand WHILE phrase. (237)
** Unable to contact server. (734)
The information you provide for the following questions is often extremely helpful so Progress can help you solve your Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) difficulties.
Most LAN/WAN questions Progress receives are not simple environments to debug. There are many variables, such as machine type, operating system, and memory. In short, no two LANs are ever the same.
The information you provide for the following questions helps narrow down exactly what your situation is and determine the next steps to take. Having this information ready, speeds up the handling of the call by reducing the situation to contain the least number of variables.
The easier you make the problem to understand and/or reproduce, the easier it will be for Technical Support to provide a resolution.
Answers to the following questions are important:
1) What is the Progress and Patch Version?
For example, 9.0b37. This information is found in the
Version file in the DLC directory, on the startup screen, or
on the installation CD.
2) What is Network Operating System Software and Version?
Novell, NT, UNIX, HP, SCO, SUN, COMPAQ etc.
3) What errors did you receive?
- Where and when did you see them?
- Do you get errors on the client or the server?
- Are the errors OS-, database, connection, or client
errors?
- Check the screens of the database engine, server, and
clients. Also look in database log (.lg) file.
- Find out what the clients were doing at the time (for
example: large reports, updates, deletions, etc.).
4) What are the details of problem?
- Is it reproducible or random?
- Does it occur on all clients?
- Does it occur with all users? (rights!)
- Does it occur in a particular part of the application?
- How many clients use the application?
- How large is your database?
- What do you think the problem is?
5) How does this problem effect your system?
- Do your clients hang?
- Does your application crash?
- Does your server crash? (Abend, GPF, DrWatson, Core Dump?)
6) Is this a new installation, an upgrade or established site?
7) Has the application ever worked in this environment before and
if 'Yes' for how long?
If it has worked elsewhere we need to look for differences.
8) Has anything changed since the application worked last
(nothing is too trivial)?
9) Can Progress be run in single user mode?
(This will prove the database is undamaged, and the server
software is installed correctly.)
10) Is Progress the primary application on the network?
- What else is the network being used for?
- Does the problem still exist with only Progress running on
the network (no other software such as word processing,
spreadsheets, etc.)?
11) Has anyone attempted anything to solve the issue?
(All previous troubleshooting on this problem is of interest.
This way certain causes can be ruled out and trying
solutions that have already been tried can be avoided.)
* * * ADVANCED SECTION * * *
The answers to the following questions depend on the problem and are sometimes very specific. You might need to check with the network administrator or company that installed your network.
12) What is the topology of the network (Ethernet, Token-Ring)?
a) Include combinations of each, bridges, routers, etc.,
detailing their location, along with where the various
servers and database engines are located.
b) A diagram is the easiest and best way to explain a
complicated network and is usually clearer than a verbal
description.
13) What are the d.etails of the client and/or server machine?
- Brand name and model/type of PC.
- CPU type and manufacturer.
- Single CPU or multiple CPUs.
- CPU speed.
- Memory and hard disk size.
- Brand and resolution of Graphics Card/Video Adapter.
- Network card.
14) What are the database engine's startup options?
15) What are the client startup options?
(Verify that these are the same for all clients, and if not,
include all the differences.)
16) What are the Protocol driver and version (TCP, Netbios, SPX)?
a) With Novell, you can use the "nver" command or "ipx i" to
display this information.
b) Keep up with the latest releases of drivers
(see your network dealer about obtaining the latest
versions).
c) Keep the protocol driver version consistent throughout
the network.
d) Make sure to get this information not only for the client
machines but also for the database engine and/or the
network server.
17) Have you run testsv and testcl?
a) Between the Database engine and client?
Passed? Failed? Messages?
b) Between clients? Passed? Failed? Messages?
(This quickly tests network connectivity.)
18) Are there any timeout settings for NetBIOS or SPX?
(Make sure the timeout settings are recognized:
on Novell, they should appear on screen as you load NetBIOS
or IPX, and the settings are contained in the shell.cfg or
the net.cfg file.
19) Has any contact been made with any other hardware, software,
and network vendors?
(Who were they and did they make any suggestions?).