NetWare LANs : performance and troubleshooting
Ian Theakston · Medical Entomology and Zoology · 1995
Preface 1. PC and LAN Procedures and Usage Introduction * Personal computers and standards * Developments in the PC industry * IEEE standards * The ISO OSI seven-layer reference model for networking * Implementation of standards * Summary 2. Performance Monitoring as the Basis for Maintenance and Enhancement The need for performance measurement * The measurements required * Making the operational performance measurements * Making the housekeeping measurements * Using the monitored information * The final aim of monitoring 3. Ethernet Networking and Performance Monitoring Introduction * The mechanisms of Ethernet * Bandwidth and throughput * Ethernet frame structure * The effects of packet size on performance * Ethernet cabling options * Bandwidth usage on Ethernet * The workstation interface to the network * Performance measuring tools * Checklist of facilities for performance measuring tools * Performance measurements * Example tools * Summary 4. Improving Ethernet Performance Introduction * Partitioning the network * Connecting remote LANs * Using the monitor statistics * Minimizing the effect of slow speed links * Network management * Internal routing with NetWare * Network interface cards and performance * Summary 5. Token Ring Networking and Performance Monitoring Review of the Token Ring system * Token Ring basics * Frame types for Token Ring * Source routing * The information field in MAC frames * Information fields in LLC frames * Active and standby monitors * Errors on the ring * Procedures for connecting to the ring * Monitoring the network * Summary 6. Improving Token Ring Performance General network performance considerations * Token Ring network design * Jitter * Token Ring performance * Summary 7. Analysing Higher Level Network Protocols Introduction * Review of protocol analyser features * Analysing the protocols * Connection-oriented and connectionless services * Addressing considerations * Detecting addressing errors * Application program development and debugging * Summary 8. Review of Network Operating Systems Structure of a network operating system * Operating system types * The server aspects of a network operating system * Network operating system services for the client * Performance measurement of LAN systems * Scheduling network usage * Measuring the performance of the network operating system 9. Monitoring NetWare Performance A review of NetWare operating systems * NetWare/286 and NetWare version 3.x * Principles of monitoring NetWare performance * Monitoring NetWare/286 file servers * Monitoring NetWare v3.x * Monitoring with Monitrix from Cheyenne Software * Monitoring with the Frye Utilities * Customized statistical gathering * Network inventory * Network security 10. Improving NetWare/286 Performance Review of elements of operating system performance * NetWare/286 file servers * Memory allocation in NetWare/286 * Memory usage in NetWare/286 * File server processes * Using internal bridging to improve performance * Summary 11. Improving NetWare v3.1x Performance Review of NetWare version 3 architecture * Memory allocation in NetWare v3.1x * File caching and performance * Communications and performance * Other tuning mechanisms * Summary 12. Planning for NetWare version 4 Introduction * Comparison of version 3 and version 4 features * Network Directory Services (NDS) * Partitions and replicas * Designing the network tree * Planning to upgrade from earlier versions of NetWare * Summary 13. Using Microsoft Windows in the NetWare Environment Review of Microsoft Windows and networking * Installing Windows version 3.1 for NetWare * NetWare configurations for Windows users * Installing Windows 3.1 for NetWare * Configuration options for NetWare * Printing under NetWare with Windows * Common problems with Windows 3.1 on network workstations * Developments in Windows and NetWare interaction * Summary 14. Printing in the NetWare Environment Development of printing under NetWare * Print Server * Common problems with NetWare printing * Remote Printing * Summary 15. Applications in the LAN Environment Review of the development of networking applications * Selecting applications for networking * Integrated and non-integrated applications * 'Network aware' applications * Network integrated applications * Problems with multi-server working * Monitoring application performance * Defining the performance bottleneck * Tuning applications performance * Summary 16. Backup and Archiving Introduction * Physical backup considerations * Managing the storage media * Software for controlling backup and archiving * Backup schedules * Suggested backup and archive products * Summary 17. Workstation Performance The role of the workstation * The components of a workstation * The PC processor * Workstation memory * Local disk storage * Video graphics processing * Workstation interface to the network * Diagnostics at the workstation * Summary 18. Network Management Introduction * Centralized control of networking devices * Network management standards * Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) * NetView from IBM * Summary 19. Troubleshooting Techniques Introduction * Information gathering for troubleshooting * Accessing manufacturers' information * Other sources of technical support information * Summary of preparation for troubleshooting 20. Fault Logging and Documentation The need for fault reporting procedures * Documentation of the existing system * Documentation of the fault logging procedures * The fault logging database * Analysing the fault records * Summary 21. Structured Troubleshooting Introduction * First level troubleshooting * First level diagnosis of the workstation * First level diagnosis of the file server * First server diagnostics in NetWare/286 * File server diagnostics in NetWare version 3 * Completing the file server diagnosis * First level diagnosis of multiple workstation faults * Summary 22. Troubleshooting Ethernet Introduction * Review of the elements of an Ethernet network * First level troubleshooting for Ethernet * Analysing network protocols * Summary 23. Troubleshooting Token Ring Elements of Token ring networks * First level diagnosis of Token Ring faults * Intermittent errors on Token Ring networks * Source routing considerations * Mixed network types * Summary 24. Troubleshooting NetWare Problems Introduction * Components of a network * NetWare security and access rights * Trustee and access rights in NetWare * Access rights in NetWare/286 * Access rights in NetWare version 3 * Sharing print resources in the NetWare environment * Defining print servers * Defining print queues * Diagnosing print server problems * Summary 25. Troubleshooting Applications Selecting applications for network use * First level troubleshooting for applications * Reporting applications program faults * Considerations for multi-server working * Summary Appendix A. Forms for systems documentation Appendix B. Application program interfaces and third-party software Appendix C. Bulletin boards Appendix D. Bibliography Appendix E. First level troubleshooting Appendix F. First level troubleshooting for NetWare problems Appendix G. Fault recording database schema Appendix H. Fault recording codes Index