SMS: Novell NetWare Client 4.7 Redirector May Cause Errors or GP Faults with Windows (260203)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0 SP2
This article was previously published under Q260203

SYMPTOMS

When you install the Novell NetWare Client version 4.7 for Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or Microsoft Windows 2000 on a computer that is running Windows NT or Windows 2000, NetWare Client is set as the first default file services redirector. In this state, the NetWare Client software may interfere with programs that make connections to servers running Windows. This interference may cause connection errors or general protection (GP) faults.

CAUSE

You may encounter the following problems with Systems Management Server (SMS) operation on computers running Windows NT or Windows 2000:

Issue 1

NetWare Client causes a GP fault on SMS clients because the account that starts the SMS client processes does not have access to all drives mapped (logical disks) on that workstation. This issue can occur in clients running the Hardware Inventory Agent when Win32_LogicalDisk is specified for Hardware Inventory through SMS_Def.mof. To prevent this issue from occurring, the alternative class, SMS_LogicalDisk, is enabled by default in SMS 2.0 Service Pack 2 (SP2).

This issue can also occur if other processes attempt to list all logical disks, or when the account that lists the logical disks does not have access to the mapped drives.

Issue 2

NetWare Client opens handles but does not close them properly when SMS makes connections to NetWare servers configured as site systems.

Issue 3

NetWare Client may cause SMS server components to not authenticate to other computers running Windows NT or Windows 2000.

For example, communication can be disrupted between the site server and the site database servers if they are different computers and the SMS Provider is installed on the site database server. Alternately, Standard Sender may not be able to communicate to a parent or child site. When this occurs, you receive the following error message:
Attempt to access Invalid Address

WORKAROUND

To work around these Windows communication issues, change the redirector order.

NOTE: Issues that occur while connecting to NetWare servers remain.

Issue 1

In SMS_Def.mof, the entry for WIN32_Logical_Disk should be disabled, and the entry for SMS_LogicalDisk should be enabled. (This selection is now the default for SMS_Def.mof in SMS 2.0 SP2 and later releases.) This workaround prevents Hardware Inventory from causing a GP fault, but it does not prevent other processes from causing the same GP fault.

Issues 2 and 3

Windows NT 4.0

  1. In Control Panel, double-click Networks.
  2. Click Services, and then click Network Access Order.
  3. Click Novell NetWare if that entry is listed first, and then click Move Down. (Ensure that Microsoft Windows NT is listed as the first provider in the Network Providers list.)

Windows 2000

  1. On the desktop, right-click My Network Places, and then click Properties.
  2. Click the connection you want to modify.
  3. On the Advanced menu, click Advanced Settings, and then click the Provider Order tab.
  4. In Network Providers, click the NetWare Services network provider, and then click the Down Arrow button. (Ensure that Microsoft Windows Network is listed as the first provider in the Network Providers list.)

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

The third-party products that are discussed in this article are manufactured by companies that are independent of Microsoft. Microsoft makes no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding the performance or reliability of these products.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Novell redirector support for SMS 2.0 SP2, see the section, "Known Issues Regarding Novell NetWare Client v4.7 for Windows NT/2000" in the Systems Management Server 2.0 SP2 Release Notes.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/14/2006
Keywords:kbBug kbnofix kbsms200preSP3 KB260203
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