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From: GEustace@massey.ac.nz (Glen Eustace)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.nfs
Subject: IO Errors with Sun PC-NFS
Keywords: PC-NFS, SAS/PC
Message-ID: <309@massey.ac.nz>
Date: 25 Sep 89 22:23:01 GMT
Organization: Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Lines: 61
X-Reader: NETNEWS/PC Version 2.1

We have a network comprising mainly of PCs and MacIntoshs. These machines
are currently being served from a Pyramid 9815 via NFS and AUFS(CAP).
Firstly let me detail our environment, and then ask my questions.

1.	Pyramid 9815 OSx4.4c - Quotas enabled on most disk partitions.
	Sun386i/150 SunOS4.0.1.

2.	Various PC-AT, and Turbo-XT clones. PC-DOS 3.1 and MS-DOS 3.3.
	PC-NFS 3.0.0, I have got 3.0.1 but these problems exist with both.
	Config.sys => files=70, buffers=30, pcnfs.sys /m /f127 /s /i0
	Western Digital 8003E Ethernet cards.

3.	Networks is mainly thin ethernet off Multiport repeaters, these in
	turn being connected via fibre and thick coax trunks. To the best
	of our knowledge all of this hardware is running well within spec.

4.	Network load is typically 8-10% measured with a Tektronics TDR and
	the 'traffic' program on the Sun.

Problems:

1.	PC-NFS Telnet. Using the telnet program that is supplied as part of
	the PC-NFS product is becoming increasingly difficult as it tends to
	pause in the middle of output quite frequently. Sometimes the
	pause can be as long as 30 sec but typically is about 5 secs.

2.	General IO Problems. Many PC applications complain about File IO
	problems, these often go away when the appropriate operation is
	retried. i.e. Editors complain that the directory is full when
	one tries to save a file, yet a second attempt works fine.
	e.g. I tried copying a large portion of my hard disk using XCOPY
	to an area on the Sun. It failed 3 times in a row, each time on a
	different file but always with the same error 'Access denied'.
	I tried putting /t0 on the pcnfs.sys line in config.sys, all that
	did was hang the machine.

3.	SAS/PC 6.03. When ever SAS is run in batch mode,
	i.e. H:> SAS T.SAS, it always quits with the following error
	Error: Undetermined IO failure. Investigations to date indicated
	it is probably when SAS tries to write the first line in its log.
	As the log file is created yet never written to.

	If the log file is redirected to a 'NON-Network' drive everything
	is fine i.e. H:> SAS -LOG C: T.SAS. All the easy things like access
	and disk space available are Ok.

	When running SAS in Display Manager mode, it is not possible to
	'file' the contents of any window in to a file on a network
	drive. SAS just reports, Unable to create file ..... yet other
	applications e.g. SPSS/PC and MINITAB don't have any trouble.

Can anyone tell me what could be causing any of the above problems. We
are running out of things to try, look at, change! It is probably
something very trivial in how we have things set up, but we can't see it.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Glen Eustace, Software Manager, Computer Centre, Massey University,
   Palmerston North, New Zealand. Phone: +64 63 69099 x7440 GMT+12
             E-Mail via Internet: G.Eustace@massey.ac.nz
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