Jabbering FAD W2K QUE Server

[Cwizard]

Can anyone shed light on why a W2K que server would be constantly blathering?

Running the server on w98se doesn't do this.

Tried to get a server on NT4 and it gave me the error message:

The procedure entry point InternetAutodial could not be located in the DLL Wininet.dll.

I tried this on 3 different NT4 machines with the same results.

So have been moving things around but it is real inefficient.

Cwizard

[PresterJohn]

wish i could help but i don't run acentral queue server...all my inidividual machines run their own fad queues.

might want to post this in the find-a-drug forums...you should get a quick reply there.

http://forum.find-a-drug.com/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=e5f199d7b667957a1de1a56682475fbc

[mickwish]

No idea, CWiz. I run FAD as a queue server on NT4 Server with all SP's in place. No real probs, except the occasional glitch due to it only having 128MB RAM.

Pretty sure mondo runs at least one of his queue servers on win2k. Maybe he could help.

[mondobyte]

Yep, mick,

I've run it on NT4.0 SP4+, Win2K SP3+, Windows XP SP0+, Windows 2003 (no SP yet).

What is Blathering ... that is a technical description that I have not yet come to understand either qualitatively or quantitatively. I searched the Microsoft Databases and could find no reference to "Blathering".

I have current queue servers on Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2003 Server Standard.

Thanks

[mickwish]

Just a thought - what else does the server serve? Do you have the THINK_PRIORITY=IDLE:IDLE in think.env??

[Cwizard]

Hehe. The technical term is in the Subject, jabbering.
In an Ethernet network, occassionally a network interface card (NIC) will become faulty/go bad. When this occurs the NIC may begin to "jabber" or constantly transmit packets which may or may not actually have been initiated by the client and it's LAN adapter driver. These packets usually do not contain valid data, and may or may not have a complete IP or IPX header.

I was being facetious calling it blathering. :D

It was putting so much traffic on my net that I was losing my internet connection. At first I thought the card had gone bad but replacing it produced the same results.

So, I'd like to downgrade the server to NT4. However, with the base install, it produces that error message in my original post when it tries to run like it is looking for a modem. So what do you have to add to the install so that FAD will run?

Thanks,
Cwizard

[Cwizard]

Hi Mick:

The server was put together just to do the FAD. It doesn't do anything else. I did set the idle thingy in the *.env that I'd read on the forum was the best setting.

I had orignally loaded it up with NT4 but then, FAD refused to initialize giving me the error InternetAutodial could not be located in dynamic link library Wininet.dll. so I upgraded it to w2k.

It seemed to run fine but then I noticed my e-mail was timing out and it couldn't find the DNS. Yet, the cable was up. So, I looked at the switch and noticed the switch between the server connection and the router connection was blinking like the SOS from the Titanic. :eek:

There is no reason why the FAD server should be going through the router as the machines connected to it are all on the local switch. It just has to access the internet throught the router.

So, what's the key to a NT4 install that will run FAD? Install a modem to fake it out? :D

Thanks,

Cwizard

[mondobyte]

I've heard a bunch of "slang" but never jabbering or blathering. My appologies. :D

Here's what I think I know.

When operating a queue server, since the may release, all the clients make lots of broadcasts ... "looking for the queue server". I've had to turn off WINS resolution in DNS and set all my clients (via DHCP) to not broadcast blindly ... to use a WINS server and ONLY the WINS server. (DHCP Option 46=0x2) I've also elected to set NETBIOS to DHCP controlled.

When I start up FaD on my network, even with this configuration, the switches on my network (all switched) go from being fairly quiescent to "lighting up". Looks like a corporation of 75 employees hammering away at 2 pm in the afternoon on Tuesday on my switches. I've been meaning to discuss this with Keith (THINK). Should really. All these broadcasts are not entirely necessary and the results could be cached with a ttl parameter to keep them from becoming too stale. Would slow down the network traffic immensely.

I do know that pre SP4, there are significant problems with FaD and NT.

Same is true of W2K pre SP3.

I'd highly recommend staying with the most current service for no ther reason than security.

How can I help more ...

What kind of NICS, what kind of video ... did you install RAS or ROUTING services would be helpful... thanks

[mickwish]

No idea what the prob is, Cwiz. My NT4 queue server is on the switch like all the other PC's, nothing different. Conncets to the web via IPCop router. And no jabbering or blathering or any naughty things of that nature happening. :p

Sounds like it's trying to send stuff it doesn't need to for some reason. Try sending all finished jobs, uninstalling FAD and reinstalling it (make sure all clients have shut down THINK first - you can save the FAD folder somewhere to restart commenced jobs again later). Maybe it's trying to upgrade or something. See if it runs smooth just by itself with a new fresh install.

How did you install it? Copied an existing install, or d/loaded it fresh? Sometinmes copying an existing install can do weird stuff, so try a fresh download and install.

No other ideas yet - did you post at FAD forums?

[Cwizard]

Hi Mondobyte:

I don't think I put in sp3 on that machine, I think it is only sp2.

It is definitely the FAD that is causing the show. It only starts after FAD starts. The bouncing between the FAD que machine and the router connection look like a high speed ping pong match, LOL :D

It would be great if they could reduce unnecessary broadcasts. Probably doesn't matter much for a couple of machines but it adds up when there are 10 or so.

If I could get it running on NT4, maybe it wouldn't be producing such a clog. Is there anything special in a clean install of NT4 that needs to be added so I don't get that error message?

Thanks,
Cwizard

[mondobyte]

Cwizard,

On NT4, you need SP4 or higher.

On W2K, you need SP3 or higher ... W2k sp2 was a nightmare.

Do not install ROUTING & RAS Service.

Manually disable NETBIOS on all the machines and, if you are running WINS, set NETBIOS to mode 2 (ox2) ... client respond ... and send all request to WINS.

Best I can share at this time ... damn it's late ...

[Cwizard]

Hi Mick:

I did post in the FAD forum and supplied the requested info for NT4. Still waiting for an update.

The install of FAD was a clean one. The only thing that may have glitched it was I originally installed it when the machine was NT4. But then, it wouldn't run. Got the InternetAutodial error message.

So, I upgraded to w2k but I don't think I bumped up the sp from #2.

Even having it on it's own leg doesn't help as it is frantically calling the router for whatever reason.

Had a D-Link 10/100 card in it. Thought it was bad so put in an SMC 10/100, a known good card but same problems.

IT doesn't start going wild until FAD is loaded in.

I have it on right now but it's clogging my NW. I had to shut down the dual 800 because it was doing the same thing and between the two of them, it shut down my network, lol. :eek:

Mondobyte, the video is an ATI xpert card. Nothing fancy as the machine was just thrown together for FAD.

Thanks,
Cwizard

[Cwizard]

Thanks Mondobyte:

I will make those changes tomorrow.

Cwizard

[mondobyte]

My think.env looks like this ...

THINK_TIMER=1/i
THINK_NODE=xxxxxx
THINK_FTP=0
THINK_QFONTSIZE=0.70
THINK_PRIORITY=IDLE:IDLE

Cwiz ... and anybody else ... if you have two servers on the network with identical
THINK_NODE=xxxxxx

whoooooaaaaaa baby. You will see your network light up like a christmas tree then go for fourth of july fireworks.

Do not do this ... it isn't pretty here ... probably worse if you have a faster / larger network.

Of course, I must run WINS and enable Netbios (Ox2) here.

[mickwish]

THINK replied at FAD. He seems to think it's a dll problem. Might need to upgrade IE or something. Check your IE version, CWiz. :)

[Cwizard]

Hi Mondobyte:

All the node numbers are unique. Am going to try the service pack today.

Thanks for the headsup Mick. I'm probably going to wipe that machine down and restart it if the service pack doesn't solve the problem. It has killed performance on it in addition to clogging up the network.

Cwizard

PS. Well sp3 didn't solve the problem. Sigh :(

[mondobyte]

try loading IE6 on it ... I've never run FaD with anything less than IE6. That dll is part of IE6!