Viewing the Client 32 Modules Through the NIOS.LOG File
Articles and Tips: article
Novell Systems Research
01 May 1996
When NIOS.EXE is loaded in the STARTNET.BAT file, you can add a "/L" parameter to enable the logging feature. When logging is enabled, NIOS will write configuration information into the C:\NOVELL\CLIENT32\ NIOS.LOG file each time the workstation loads NIOS and Client 32's subsequent modules and drivers. If no NIOS.LOG file exists, it will be created. Subsequent loadings of NIOS with the /L parameter append information to the end of the previous log. (You can set the size of the log file through the Maximum Log File Size In Bytes setting under the Trouble Shooting section of the Advanced page in the NWSETUP.EXE Client 32 Configuration utility.)
Sample NIOS.LOG File
The information written to the NIOS.LOG file depends on which LAN drivers you are loading, what NetWare servers that you are attaching to, and the number of NET.CFG parameters that you have changed from their defaults. The example file shown below will give you a general idea of the type of information you'll usually see. We have included some notes along the way to help you interpret the log file.
The log file entries show the different modules within Client 32.NLM as they load, as well as any parameter changes that are specified in the NET.CFG. The module information shows the time at which the module began loading and when the module initialization finished. If you are having problems loading a particular module, you would probably see the module initialize, but not finish initialization. In this way, you can use NIOS.LOG as a means to troubleshoot connection and other initialization problems.
The System configuration entry shows you the path to the NET.CFG file that NIOS is using.
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CONFIG: read 'BIND CNE2000 #1 ETHERNET_II LAN_NET'CONFIG: read 'Bind NCOMX #1 PPP PPP_NET'CONFIG: read 'IP_ADDRESS nnn.nn.nn.nn LAN_NET'CONFIG: read 'ip_address n.n.n.n PPP_NET'CONFIG: read 'IP_NETMASK nnn.nnn.nnn.n'CONFIG: read 'IP_ROUTER nnn.nn.nn.nnn' [03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing POLYPROC...[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]module init finished. |
NIOS first reads the configuration information from the STARTNET.BAT to load the .LAN drivers. It also looks at the NET.CFG file to see how TCP/IP should be set up. If the workstation is not loading TCP/IP, you won't see this initial configuration information. NIOS reads the NLM and .LAN driver information from the configuration lines in the STARTNET.BAT file, not from the Link Driver heading found in the NET.CFG. However, TCP/IP configuration information is taken from the Link Support and Protocol TCPIP headings in NET.CFG file as you see above. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing NSMUX... |
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CONFIG: read 'NETWARE PROTOCOL = NDS, BIND'[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]NETWARE PROTOCOL =[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]NDS[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm] |
The Name Services Multiplexor (NSMUX) reads the configuration information on which connection type to initialize first. This example is making a NetWare Directory Services connection first by loading the NDS child module, followed by the BIND (Bindery) child module. This follows the order specified in the NET.CFG through the NetWare Protocol parameter. |
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BIND[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]module init finished.[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing SESSMUX...[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]module init finished.[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing CONNMAN...[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]module init finished. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing NCP...[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]READ ONLY COMPATIBILITY OFF |
As the NCP (NetWare Core Protocol) module loads, it displays the session protocol used for communicating with NetWare servers. In this instance, you also see the default file locking configuration set up in the NCP module of CLIENT32.NLM. |
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[3-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]LOCK RETRIES 5[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]LOCK DELAY 1[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]OPPORTUNISTIC LOCKING ON[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]module init finished.03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing TASKMAN...[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]module init finished. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing NDS...CONFIG: read 'Preferred Tree = NOVELL_INC'[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]PREFERRED TREE = NOVELL_INCCONFIG: read 'NAME CONTEXT = "NR.ESD.SALES.NOVELL"' |
The NDS (NetWare Directory Services) module is a child module to the Name Service Multiplexor module. In this instance, the NDS module is reading information about the Preferred Tree and the user's name context, which is stored for future reference. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]NAME CONTEXT = NR.ESD.SALES.NOVELL[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]module init finished. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing BINDERY...CONFIG: read 'Preferred Server = NRD'[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]PREFERRED SERVER = NRD[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]module init finished. |
The BINDERY (Bindery Services handler) module is also a child module to the Name Service Multiplexor (NSMUX). In this case, BINDERY is reading the Preferred Server of server NRD for its target connection. Because the NSMUX is set to NDS first, the first communications information will be for an NDS connection rather than a bindery connection. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:35 pm]Initializing MOCKNW...[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]module init finished. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]Initializing FILEDIR...CONFIG: read 'MAX CACHE SIZE 2048'CONFIG: read 'File Cache Level = 2'CONFIG: read 'Close Behind Ticks = 5'CACHE SIZE 2016 K[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm] |
In this example, FILEDIR reads three configuration parameters set in the NET.CFG. Since the maximum cache size was set to 2048, NIOS was able to abide that number and set the cache size to 2016 Kbytes. The File Cache Level was set to 2, which is set to caching short-lived, or open files only (the default is 3, which also caches closed files as far as your cache size permits).The NET.CFG also sets the number of ticks before closing a file to 5, but the rest of the settings work from the default settings that come in the FILEDIR module. |
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FILE CACHE LEVEL 2[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]AUTO RECONNECT LEVEL 3[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]REDUNDANT WRITE REMOVAL ON[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]CACHE WRITES ON[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]TRUE COMMIT OFF[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]CLOSE BEHIND TICKS 5[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]DELAY WRITES OFF[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]OVERRIDE CACHE WRITES OFF[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]OVERRIDE CACHE READS OFF[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm][03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]module init finished. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]Initializing PRINT...[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]module init finished. |
Finally, the NIOS.LOG file shows the printing, the NETX, and VLMMAP modules loading. |
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[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]Initializing NETX...CONFIG: read 'First Network Drive = F'CONFIG: read 'PRINT HEADER = 100'CONFIG: read 'PRINT TAIL = 100'[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]NCP: Connected to server NRDVersion = 4.10, Timeout = 55ms, MaxIOSize = 1440 bytes, ConnNum = 10[03-14-1996, 08:19:36 pm]First network drive = F:[03-14-1996, 08:14:45 pm]module init finished.[03-14-1996, 08:14:46 pm]Initializing VLMMAP...[03-14-1996, 08:14:46 pm]module init finished. |
Remember, each new NIOS initialization appends new log information to previous entry, so the latest information will be at the bottom of the file.
The NIOS.LOG file can be quite useful for a number of things. For instance, in one configuration which had dual Bernoulli boxes and a CD-ROM drive attached, the workstation could attach to the network fine, but the user couldn't use the Bernoulli boxes. By taking out the First Network Drive = parameter in the NET.CFG and then logging the initialization procedure, we discovered under the NETX module that Client 32 saw the first network drive as D. Upon closer examination, we could see that the SCSI software wasn't loading properly because someone had moved the box and had inadvertently reset both Bernoulli drives to the same logical chain number. As a result, the driver software would not load, or it would hang when it did load.
In another instance, we looked under the NETX module information to discover what the proper setting was for the Force First Network Drive parameter (= YES). This was helpful, since the DOS Requester had the setting as ON/OFF, not YES/NO. Take time to become acquainted with the information in the NIOS.LOG file, as it can potentially save you some headaches down the road.
* Originally published in Novell AppNotes
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The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.