occasion
asked on
NT4 Server Manager
Hello,
I am a little confused about this problem, and would really appreciate some help PLEASE
I admin a small network of 30 clients mostly win2k and a couple of win98 machines, the network includes 3 NT4 servers one PDC, one BDC and a Member server, I have setup a wins server on the PDC and on the BDC and setup replication which seems to be working OK, I have pointed both the PDC and BDC at them selves for wins resolutions as per Microsofts knowledge base. All the clients are setup to use a primary and secondary wins servers through DHCP I have confirmed this by the ipconfig /all command on the client machines. OK heres the problem
When I go to the "server manager" on both the PDC or BDC it is diplaying all client machines part of the domain, greyed out or being offline, but double clicking on the machine/s in question they are clearly online and display current shares etc. what is going on??? also when browsing the network from clients or server computers, displays only a small number of computers on the network. But the really weird thing thankfully is that everybody can logon and access server shares printers etc.
I have searched the internet for answers and fished around in the Microsoft Knowledge base but cannot find any real answers, I guess my fear is, how does the PDC or BDC handle domain members or computers that consided "offline" does it start to delete these machine accounts after a certain period of time, or is it a situation where if people are able to work "Just leave it alone"
I'm sorry for the length of this posting, but I am starting to concern about this problem, and would appreciate some help.
Thanks in advance
FP
I am a little confused about this problem, and would really appreciate some help PLEASE
I admin a small network of 30 clients mostly win2k and a couple of win98 machines, the network includes 3 NT4 servers one PDC, one BDC and a Member server, I have setup a wins server on the PDC and on the BDC and setup replication which seems to be working OK, I have pointed both the PDC and BDC at them selves for wins resolutions as per Microsofts knowledge base. All the clients are setup to use a primary and secondary wins servers through DHCP I have confirmed this by the ipconfig /all command on the client machines. OK heres the problem
When I go to the "server manager" on both the PDC or BDC it is diplaying all client machines part of the domain, greyed out or being offline, but double clicking on the machine/s in question they are clearly online and display current shares etc. what is going on??? also when browsing the network from clients or server computers, displays only a small number of computers on the network. But the really weird thing thankfully is that everybody can logon and access server shares printers etc.
I have searched the internet for answers and fished around in the Microsoft Knowledge base but cannot find any real answers, I guess my fear is, how does the PDC or BDC handle domain members or computers that consided "offline" does it start to delete these machine accounts after a certain period of time, or is it a situation where if people are able to work "Just leave it alone"
I'm sorry for the length of this posting, but I am starting to concern about this problem, and would appreciate some help.
Thanks in advance
FP
ASKER
Yes they are windows 2000 machines and 98,
on your windows 2000 clients, i hope the Netbios over tcp/ip option is enabled(its enabled by default but doubel check them). What about computer names, are they wintin allowed number characters?
ASKER
yes all machines have netbios over tcp/ip enabled, client machines have name formats of qwe_rt, I would like to confirm that the computers are visible on the network, and everything is functioning, but on the nt server, under "server manager" in administrator tools they are greyed out, (the server Knows they are part of the domian, but are currently not online.
do you have proper number of CALs in license manager?
ASKER
yes
ASKER
Does the wins server settings affect what shows up in the server manager ??, or do firewalls on the client machines affect communication back to the server to confirm whether they are online or offline??
well, if you can access them even if they are appearing as grayed out, then i dont know what ports or services are blocked by the client firewall. i have seen this in the past but normally on win9x machine, correcting the workgroup and logon domain and netbios things fix it, about windows 2000, never seen it with 2000 clients. you dont have any DNs server on the network? it could be one of the myestry of microsoft...!! but i hope someone will come up with a solution, although its not a problem bcoz you can manage the clients shares and sessions, as mentioned by you, but it is a valid question.
ASKER
I do have a dns server on the network, but only to act as a cache for outside addresses (Internet), I guess my main concern is, what does nt4 server do with offline clients, does it slowly remove them from the domain, or if I do a full syncro across the domain will they disapear completely and not be able to connect??
>what does nt4 server do with offline clients, does it slowly remove them from the domain
> or if I do a full syncro across the domain will they disapear completely and not be able to connect??
NO and NO
could you please post the NBTSTAT results for NT4 server itself and one of the alive but grayed computers? invoke the command at the server side. with the /? parameter, you may see how to use the command.
regards,
bbao
> or if I do a full syncro across the domain will they disapear completely and not be able to connect??
NO and NO
could you please post the NBTSTAT results for NT4 server itself and one of the alive but grayed computers? invoke the command at the server side. with the /? parameter, you may see how to use the command.
regards,
bbao
ASKER
there seem to be a lot of options for that command, what am I tring to find?, as this will determine the right option to use, sorry if that is a stupid question
hehe, it is common, never mind.
assume the NT4 server name is NTSVR, the client name is NTCLNT, then invoke the following commands in NTSVR's command prompt window, and let us know the result.
NBTSTAT -a NTSVR
NBTSTAT -a NTCLNT
assume the NT4 server name is NTSVR, the client name is NTCLNT, then invoke the following commands in NTSVR's command prompt window, and let us know the result.
NBTSTAT -a NTSVR
NBTSTAT -a NTCLNT
ASKER
Below is the client machine
NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table
Name Type Status
--------------------------
Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered
MAC Address = 00-40-F4-34-59-A7
ACC_LW <00> UNIQUE
WORKGROUP <00> GROUP
ACC_LW <20> UNIQUE
WORKGROUP <1E> GROUP
ACC_LW <03> UNIQUE
ACC_LW$ <03> UNIQUE
LWATSON <03> UNIQUE
Server to follow
NetBIOS Remote Machine Name Table
Name Type Status
--------------------------
Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered Registered
MAC Address = 00-60-08-96-B0-FD
FILE_SERVER <00> UNIQUE
WORKGROUP <00> GROUP
FILE_SERVER <20> UNIQUE
WORKGROUP <1C> GROUP
WORKGROUP <1B> UNIQUE
WORKGROUP <1E> GROUP
WORKGROUP <1D> UNIQUE
FILE_SERVER <03> UNIQUE
..__MSBROWSE__.<01> GROUP
INet~Services <1C> GROUP
IS~FILE_SERVER.<00> UNIQUE
your domain name is WORKGROUP? at same time, there is a normal group's name is WORKGROUP too, right? if so, it is NOT a good naming convention for your internal NETBIOS based network. and, although i am not sure, but it might be the reason at here.
is the computer ACC_LW a active but grayed computer listed in server FIEL_SERVER's server manager?
please clarify, thanks.
is the computer ACC_LW a active but grayed computer listed in server FIEL_SERVER's server manager?
please clarify, thanks.
ASKER
Yes the domain is WORKGROUP, not my idea.
and the computer ACC_LW is greyed out when the option in server manager is NOT to show domain members. Oh, all computers are shown as being members of the domain and NOT members of the domain, when you tick that option. It is just that some are active an others are not. In fact none are indicated as being active under the following
Option "Show domain members only" none are active
Option "Show all members" 4-5 computers are shown as active.
and the computer ACC_LW is greyed out when the option in server manager is NOT to show domain members. Oh, all computers are shown as being members of the domain and NOT members of the domain, when you tick that option. It is just that some are active an others are not. In fact none are indicated as being active under the following
Option "Show domain members only" none are active
Option "Show all members" 4-5 computers are shown as active.
is there a workgroup on the network named 'WORKGROUP' along side the Domain WORKGROUP? Is there any machines on the network which not logging in to the domain but they are part of workgroup named 'WORKGROUP'?
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i think he has mostly windows 2000 machines, is the machine is question a win98 or win2k?
SOLUTION
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hi TheLearnedOne, personally, it think what we have found should be the reason or at least on a right direction although the author has not verified it. i would recommend to keep this question open for a bit longer time for author's confimation, or split the points between nazirahmed and me. :) regards, bbao
on windows 98 machines, make sure their Workgroup memebership is same as your domain memebership, i know you are able to logon to domain from win98 but if you see there is an option on network properties where you can specify workgroup membership, even if you logon to domain and your workgroup name is different from domain, it wont show in the network in your domain,but if you goto entire network and select the workgroups from their, you may find it there.
The machines which are grayed out, are they windows 2000 or 98 as well?