Novell 3.12 -> Windows 2000 Server

[ltcckid]

Let me first start off by saying I know very little about Novell Netware and this has been a traumatic experience to say the least. We are in the process of getting rid of our old server (running Netware 3.12) in favor of a newer Windows 2000 Server based machine. Everything was working fine until this afternoon. The server was shut down using the DOWN command, then we exited to DOS, and shut the system down. It was "off" for about an hour and when we fired it back up everything seemed AOK. The problem is not matter what we try it won't connect to any of the other systems. I checked all the RG-58 cabling and that is all EXACTLY as it was before the server was shut down. None of the cables were touched. We tried shutting the server down again and that didn't help. Thinking we might have a bad connection in the loop we disconnected all of the systems and ran the cable from the server directly to the nearest system, about 10' feet away. Still no LAN activity or connections could be detected. We tried two other systems and a few different cables, all with the same results. My idea now is to pull one of the IDE drives (mirrored) and then see if Partition Magic will convert the existing partition over to something that Windows XP or Windows 2000 Server can view. If I knew more about how Netware operates I'd be willing to attempt to fix the current situation so that we could just transfer the necessary data across the network. Unless I can do that (easily I hope) I'd like to know how we can access the Netware partition from a Windows based box? Any help at all would be appreciated. I've got all the Netware manuals and I spent a few hours looking for something that might help with no luck.

Thanks in advance!

LTCCKID

 

[JockMullin]

Hi, LTCCKID

No that will definitely not work.

Novell disks are not DOS or windows compatible, it is an operating system and file structure unto itself. If you look at a Novell disk under a MS operating system all you will see is a disk partition of unknown type.

Assuming nothing was changed on the Novell server I suspect the changes happened on the workstations. Specifically I think you no longer have novell client support installed, or if you do it is not using IPX/SPX as a protocol.

I need to know what you did to the workstations.

I just realized you said RG-58 - coax, right?

Well, you can't just run a cable - you have to put a t-connector on both network cards, run the cable between one side of the T and on the other side of the T on each end you need a terminating resistor. Otherwise it will not work.
That way you can set up a little mini network between the server and one machine.

Co-ax is very problematic - it is easy to render it non-fuctional, but 1 good cable and 2 T-connectors and 2 terminators should do the trick.

Jock

 

[ltcckid]

Well I solved the problem. It wasn't even network related. The SYS volume wouldn't mount and it turned out it had a few munched files that must have not been properly deleted when the DOWN command was issued before the power gave out. I know all about the old COAX and made darn sure that wasn't the problem. I even grounded one end with a paperclip to the case to make 100% sure the cabling was not at fault. A simple vrepair to the SYS volume showed me that the volume had errors. It (vrepair) was able to repair them, and as soon as the SYS volume was mounted the connections immediately started operating as usual. Had I known more about Novell and how it worked I probably could've saved HOURS. It was a learning experience and I now appreciate Netware more. Thanks for the help!