Console Commands in NetWare 5.1: Remirror Partition, Remove Storage Adapter, Reset Router, Reset Environment, Reset Server, and the Restart Server Commands

Articles and Tips: article

Kevin Burnett
DeveloperNet University

01 Aug 2001

This section is one in a series that intends to describe each of the NetWare 5.1 console commands (both normal and hidden) in alphabetical order and to tell when, why, and how to use them properly. To see a list of the commands that you can perform at the server console, type HELP <Enter> at the server console prompt. To use the commands described here, simply type the command at the server console prompt followed by the <Enter> key.

REMIRROR PARTITION

Starting with NetWare 2.x, Novell introduced the capability of writing data to two physical hard drives simultaneously. This functionality is called mirroring.

Under normal circumstances, a NetWare 2.x or greater server will remirror partitions automatically if for some reason one partition becomes out of sync with the other. As a result, you should only use the REMIRROR PARTITION console command if you have intentionally stopped mirroring on the partition, or if something bad has caused your server to stop mirroring the partition.

REMIRROR PARTITION is used to start the remirroring of a logical partition on a NetWare server. The syntax is as follows:

REMIRROR PARTITION <logical_partition_ number>

where <logical_partition_number> is the number of the logical partition you want to start remirroring. An example would be:

REMIRROR PARTITION 2

This would start remirroring for logical partition 2 on the NetWare server.

REMOVE STORAGE ADAPTER

The conventional way to replace a NetWare disk driver is to unload the driver, thus dismounting all the volumes, then load the new driver and remount the volumes.This approach has the downside of having to make the volume or volumes unavailable during the change. If you have loaded multiple instances of the same disk driver, you can replace one instance of the driver by using REMOVE STORAGE ADAPTER.

The syntax is as follows:

REMOVE STORAGE ADAPTER Ax

where x is the driver instance you want to remove. You can find out what x is by executing the LIST STORAGE ADAPTERS command at the server console. When you do this, you will see output such as:

[V025-A0] Novell ATA/IDE Host Adapter Module
	[V025-A0-D1:0] Maxtor 91000DB
[V025-A1] Novell ATA/IDE Host Adapter Module
	[V025-A1-D2:0] Toshiba CD-ROM XM-6402B 1015
[V312-A2] ADAPTEC PCI HOST Adapter Module
[V312-A2-D0:0] SEAGATE ST32550N rev:0019

Since Novell's IDE disk driver is being used for the first two disk driver instances, the REMOVE STORAGE ADAPTER command can be used. An example would be:

REMOVE STORAGE ADAPTER A0

If only one instance of the disk driver is currently loaded, the entire driver will be unloaded. If multiple instances of the driver are loaded, only the selected instance will be unloaded.

RESET ROUTER

Every NetWare server has an IPX/SPX routing table that contains information discovered from the network, including IPX internal and external network numbers, the twelve-digit address number of the network interface boards installed in the servers, time stamps of when the router receives the information, and how many hops/ticks away the service being advertised is from this server.This information can be used by services to find the quickest network route to send information from one point to another on your network.

You can use the TRACK ON/OFF command to view this information in detail, providing you are running IPX/SPX on your NetWare servers. When you enter the TRACK ON command, you will see a RIP (Routing Information Protocol) Tracking Screen and a SAP (Service Advertising Protocol) Tracking Screen on your server console. You can toggle to these screens by pressing the Alt+Tab keys. If you are not running IPX/SPX, these screens still appear, but they will show no routing information.

The RESET ROUTER command is used to reset the routing table if it becomes inaccurate or corrupted. If you are unable to access a server that you know is up and running, you may have a routing problem. If several servers or bridges go down, packets sent to or through their routers can become lost or can temporarily show inaccurate information when a router or bridge does come back up (until the router information synchronizes itself over time).

Using the RESET ROUTER command will update the server's routing table on currently active servers. Normally, the router functionality of the NetWare server updates the routing tables every minute. Using RESET ROUTER updates the routing table immediately. The syntax for using this command is simply:

RESET ROUTER

Once the command has been completed, the server replies:

Router has been reset

RESET ENVIRONMENT

Every NetWare server has an environment where several parameters can be set and modified to affect the way the server operates. This environment is much like the DOS environment, and works very similarly. The RESET ENVIRONMENT command changes SET parameters that you have modified back to their original, default values. (When you change SET parameters in NetWare 5.x and above, the changes are saved to a database through the NetWare Configuration Database Engine, or CDBE.)

Through this command, you have the option to reset all of the environment parameters, or you can confirm only those you want to reset. The command lists the first server parameter with the option of resetting the current value to the default value or retaining the modified value. You can also reset all parameters that have modified values back to their default values. You also have the option to quit the utility.

The syntax is:

RESET ENVIRONMENT

When you execute this command, you will see a prompt similar to the following:

Reset variable REPLY TO GET NEAREST SERVER (Y)es, (N)o, (A)ll, (Q)uit ?

Selecting Yes will reset the displayed parameter back to the default and bring up the next environment change. Selecting No will leave the parameter at its current value and bring up the next environment change. Selecting All will reset all of the server parameters back to their default values. Selecting Quit will exit the command process.

To list all of the server parameters and their current settings, use the DISPLAY ENVIRONMENT command. To display only the parameters that have been modified from their original state, use the DISPLAY MODIFIED ENVIRONMENT command.

RESET SERVER

This command causes the NetWare server to "gracefully" shut down by dismounting all volumes, followed by a machine warm boot and reloading of the server. However, for the server to reload automatically, you must have a command in the DOS AUTOEXEC.BAT file that will run the SERVER.EXE program, such as:

C:\NWSERVER\SERVER.EXE

The syntax for running this command is:

RESET SERVER

RESTART SERVER

The RESTART SERVER command is almost identical to RESET SERVER, except that it supports a few command-line parameters. RESTART SERVER is used to bring the NetWare server gracefully down by dismounting the volumes, followed by a machine warm boot and a reloading of the SERVER.EXE program without looking in the DOS AUTOEXEC.BAT file for the command.

The syntax is as follows:

RESTART SERVER <optional parameters...>

Valid command parameters are listed in the chart below:

Parameter	Use
(no paramters)	Restart the SERVER.EXE and invoke all .NCF files
-ns	Restart the SERVER.EXE without invoking the STARTUP.NCF file
-na	Restart the SERVER.EXE without invoking the AUTOEXEC.NCF file
-d	Break into the NetWare internal debugger

For example, typing "RESTART SERVER -ns -na" at the console prompt will shut down and restart the server without running the STARTUP.NCF and AUTOEXEC.NCF files.

Console Command	Function	Example
REMIRROR PARTITION	Attempts to start the remirror of the specified partition	REMIRROR PARTITION 4
REMOVE STORAGE ADAPTER	Removes an instance of a storage adapter	REMOVE STORAGE ADAPTER A0
RESET ROUTER	Resets the internal router tables	RESET ROUTER
RESET ENVIRONMENT	Changes modified set parameters from their current values back to their default values	RESET ENVIRONMENT
RESET SERVER	Causes the server to go down, followed by a machine warm boot (you must have the SERVER.EXE command in the DOS AUTOEXEC.BAT file in order for the server to come up again)	RESET SERVER
RESTART SERVER	Restarts server execution after downing the server; options include: -ns Do not run the STARTUP.NCF file -na Do not run the AUTOEXEC.NCF file -d Break into the internal debugger	RESTART SERVER -ns

* Originally published in Novell AppNotes

Disclaimer

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.