Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!ucbvax!COLGATEU.BITNET!PJORGENS From: PJORGENS@COLGATEU.BITNET (Peter Jorgensen) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk Subject: Catching network "crashes" quickly. Message-ID: Date: 14 Feb 91 13:09:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Distribution: world Organization: The Internet Lines: 45 Greetings, I am the manager of a growing AppleShare network which includes 25 Macs, three LaserWriters, five AppleTalk ImageWriters, two FastPaths, localtalk and EtherNet. The primary purpose of the network is to provide access to applications on a server and access to printers. The problem we have is that every now and then "something" will happen that causes some subset of the Macs to lose their connection to the server. MSWord 4.0 crashes when this happens, as do some other programs. Other applications can recover if the problem is cleared up before the user clicks "OK" in the alert box informing them of the broken connection. The "something" that causes the problem can be a loose or suddenly disconnected localtalk wire (we're 50/50 phonenet/localtalk, switching to 100% phoneNet soon), an AppleTalk ImageWriter which "flakes out" (its error light comes on) and possibly others. Of course, changing to 100% phoneNet will help, and replacing the LocalTalk options in the offending ImageWriters will help, but I suspect there will still be times when the network gets clogged and users lose connection with the server. I have found that the connection must be actually broken or whatever for a good ten to twenty seconds before the Mac times out. This gives us a small window during which, if we can resolve the problem, the impact on users will be minimal or none. So, my question is: is there network monitoring software that I could run in the background under MultiFinder that would constantly listen to the network and send up flares when things "seem amiss"? I'm not sure what "seeming amiss" even means, whether it's undecipherable packets, no response from a monitor Mac, or what. I hesitate to think of a program that is constantly broadcasting enquiry packets either to all Macs (ala Interpoll) or even to one Mac. Any thoughts, solutions, advice, etc. will be greatly appreciated. I'll summarize responses sent directly to me, but you may want to respond to the list if you think this is of general enough interest. Thanks in advance. Peter Jorgensen Microcomputer specialist, VAX consultant Colgate University - Hamilton, NY 13346 BITNET - PJORGENSEN@COLGATEU tel - 315-824-7742 AppleLink - U0523