Login over WAN can not see Tree?

[Jontmke]

This one is a little beyond my knowledge, could use some help. We are opening up a site in another state. They have workstations which need to login to the tree AND servers here in our state. They do not have a Novell server, only WIN2K.

The only way to get it to work is to put the IP address of the main server in the "Server" list box. You can not see the tree or servers when clicking on the button for choosing.

Could this be because IPX is not going across the WAN? I think I need to set up an SLPDA, but know very little about it. Maybe it is a DNS naming Issue?

Any Router\WAN gurus out here? It does work, but contextless login does not, and you know how users are. They have no idea about what context or what tree for that matter.

JON

 

[spi200]

Hi

I had a similar problem......
The first thing the client does to find the TREE is to do a DNS lookup. DNS Services must be working or the result will be "Tree Not Found". You mentioned that if you put in the IP Address that it works as a work around, the tree can be an IP Adress to if you wish - but it is better to have it by name.
Once the TREE is found then the server will be visible and then the SLPDA's will advertise its services available.
So just make sure that the remote PC can resolve you server name\Tree Name etc.

Regards

David CNE

 

[Jontmke]

Thanks David.
Question: How do you make a DNS entry for a TREE? Since it is not a physical thing, it does not have an IP.
Should I just put in the Servers in the TREE and leave it at that?

JON

 

[TheLad]

Putting the IP Address into the server box is not uncommon. If you configure Option 85 on your DNS server to look at a server with replicas, this will also populate the server field with the IP address of the server specified. Here's a segment from Novell's website about DHCP Options:
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DHCP Options for NDS
Novell has defined three DHCP options for NDS. Using these options eliminates the need for users to provide this information each time they log in.

Option 85 provides the IP address of one or more NDS servers for the client to contact for access to the NDS database. Option 86 provides the name of the NDS tree the client will be contacting. Option 87 provides the NDS context the client should use.

Refer to Internet RFC 2241, DHCP Options for Novell Directory Services, for more detailed information about using these options in NetWare 5.
_________________________________________________
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"It's true, its damn true!"
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[Jontmke]

Thanks TheLad, I am forwarding this to my Router\WAN guy. Like I said this is a little beyond me.

JON

 

[TheLad]

By the way, I meant to say "If you configure Option 85 on your DHCP server".

Sorry about that! -----------------------------------------------------
"It's true, its damn true!"
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[Jontmke]

OK, the guy got back to me. He thinks this is for a Novell DHCP server. Is he correct? Or is this a generic DHCP setting?

JON

 

[spi200]

Hi

We just have an entry for the Tree just like the server, they happen to be the same address as we have the small network. Add an " A" record for your tree name ie. 192.168.1.xx xyztree A
This IP address runs the SLPDA.
It may not be perfect, but it works !


Regards

David

 

[Jontmke]

UPDATE:

We had to put an additional entry into the remote site's DNS. It already had an entry like this:
server.ourdomain.com We had to add:
server.thatdomain.com
With both pointing to the same IP address.

It seems the client doesn't search past it's local domain?
It now works fine.

Thanks,
JON