DS Versions and Support Packs in the NCSUNDS Tree

DS versions and support packs are tested in the NCSUTEST tree by the NDS Tech Group, which includes representatives from several campus organizations, including the groups responsible for the health of the NCSUNDS tree.

It is important that all servers in the NCSUNDS tree run the approved versions of DS.NLM and DSREPAIR.NLM. Even if a server is not involved in NDS replication, it may hold "obituaries" (records of certain changes to directory objects), and if it is running an different version of DS, whether older or newer than the approved version, it may create problems in the tree.

Approved Versions

Where To Get Files

Installation Notes

Approved/Recommended Versions
 

Netware Version	Netware Support Pack Version	eDirectory Version	eDirectory Support Pack Version	DS.NLM	DSREPAIR.NLM
6.5	6	8.7	3.8	10553.73	10553.73 included in eDirectory 8.7.3.9
6.0	5e	8.7	3.8	10553.73	10553.73 included in eDirectory 8.7.3.9
5.1	8	8.7	3.8	10553.73	10553.73 Included in eDirectory 8.7.3.9

How to check the DS.NLM version number on your server
At the server console, use the MODULES command followed by the name of the NLM you want to check:

MYSERVER: modules ds.nlm

DS.NLM (Address Space = OS)
Loaded from [SYS:SYSTEM\]
Novell eDirectory Version 8.7.3.9 SMP
Version 10553.73 October 9, 2006
Copyright 1993-2006 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved. Patents Pending.

Note that this only works for loaded modules; if DSREPAIR is not loaded, you will not get any information about it from the MODULES command.

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Where To Get Files

For eDirectory
eDirectory 8.7.3	\\fisbs1\web\nag\downloads\eDir_873_nw_full.exe
patch to update eDir 8.7.3 to version 8.7.3.9	\\fisbs1\web\nag\downloads\edir8739.exe
Security Update 6a for eDirectory	\\fisbs1\web\nag\downloads\SecurityUpdate\SecUpd6a.zip

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Installation Notes

[New Servers] [Service Packs] [eDir 8.7.3] [eDir 8.7.9]

New Netware Server Installation

If you are installing a new server, you should plan to install Netware 6.5 with the latest approved version of eDirectory.

You should NOT install Netware 5.0. The version of DS.NLM that ships with the old Netware 5.0 media is version 7.09, and this version is known to create problems with directory services.

When you install a new server, you should install approved versions of all of the following, in order:

1. Netware (choose NDS 7 if installing Netware 5.1)
2. Netware support pack
3. Novell JVM (info)
4. eDirectory 8.7
5. eDirectory support pack 8.7.3
6. eDirectory patch 8.7.3.9

Be careful! The version of NDS 8 that comes on the Netware 5.1 CD is NOT eDirectory 8.6, and it is not approved for installation into the NCSUNDS tree. You should choose "DS 7" and complete your install. Afterwards you should immediately install the support pack, and then the latest approved version of eDirectory.

Novell has created some version numbering confusion with the release of eDirectory. In fact, it's so confusing, you can go to http://support.novell.com/ and read TID 10026433 for an explanation of the difference between NDS 8, eDirectory, NDS Corporate Edition, eDirectory 8.5, and Account Management 2.1. To ensure that you get the correct version, we recommend that you get the files from the NAG archive on FISBS1 (see Where to get files , above).

If your server has a Pentium III processor and you are running Netware 5.1 with Service Pack 2a, you should read TID 2958591, "Updated Server.exe to resolve PIII Issue" and apply the update mentioned in that TID. You should also plan to update to Netware 5.1 with Service Pack 6 & eDirectory 8.7.3 as soon as possible. If you are running Netware 5.1 with Service Pack 3 or later, you do not need to apply this update.

If your server has a Pentium 4 processor, you should read TID 2958220, "Pentium 4 and Netware 5.1 install". You will need the update in order to successfully complete the install of Netware 5.1.

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Service Pack Installation

As a rule, NDSTech does not "require" a particular service pack release. eDirectory versions involve communication between servers, and so potentially impact other administrators on campus, and are regulated.

Service Packs just upgrade the OS on a particular server, and so the decision to upgrade or not is solely the responsibility of the adminstrator(s) involved.

NDSTech does provide on these pages service pack versions that have been tested here at NCSU and are known to work properly, along with any upgrade notes that members have provided. This is informational only, you do not have to upgrade to the latest SP, we just want you to know what is available.

Netware 6 Service Pack # 2 Caution (is best to update to Service Pack 5)

The Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet Driver that ships with SP2 seems to have difficulties. ITD has backrev'd to the Version 2.10 drivers dated August 24, 2001 that shipped with SP1.

Timesync over NTP (Network Time Protocol) seems to be broken in SP2. This should not impact most folks on campus, as only the REFERENCE time server normally used NTP to set it's clock.

It is assumed, but not yet demonstrated, that NDPS has the same issues on NW6Sp3 that it does on NW51sp6 (see below).

Netware 5.1 Service Pack # 5

Service Pack #5 for Netware 5.1 has some issues with NDPS servicing "legacy" queues. See Novell TID 10074424 for complete details.

After you install SP5, you will want to install the following two patches:

NDP3SP2A (from depricated TID 2963603)

HPGATE 2.10a (from HP's Support Site)

If you use the NDPS files included with SP5, your server may crash when users try to print.

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eDirectory 8.7.3 Installation

You may want to review Novell's "Tips for introducing an updated eDirectory product on NetWare (TID10070832)" before begining the 8.7 installation.

This version of eDirectory is a major upgrade and can prove to be tricky, particularly if you do not complete all the post processing steps.

Before you install 8.7, you should run a DSREPAIR -U (the -U is "full unattended repair") and then "report synconization status" with DSREPAIR to be sure that your replica is in a healthy state.

After you install 8.7, install the eDir 8.7.3 update, followed by the eDir 8.7.3.9 patch.

Under the orginal eDir 8.7, it was often necessary to run a dsrepair ->advanced options->repair local ds database ->defaults plus repair operational schema to get to a point that an unattended dsrepair can be run. However, it seems that this is not always sufficient. Sometimes it is necessary to start up using the server -ndb switch in order to be able to run that repair. You should not consider your upgrade complete until you can run dsrepair -u successfully. Components of this paragraph may not be necessary following the update to eDir 8.7.3.

In some cases, LDAP installation may fail during the edir install. Running UINSTALL EDIR and the re-running the edir87 install corrects the problem.

It may be necessary to manually load NLDAP on some servers.

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eDirectory 8.7.3.9 Installation

1. Obtain eDirectory 8.7.3.9 from the above URL.

2. Expand it on your NetWare server in a location, such as SYS:\Products\eDir8739.

3. Unload unneeded services, including exiting from Java (JAVA -exit).

4. From the Novell Console, start NWCONFIG.

5. Select "Product Options".

6. Select "Install Product Not Listed".

7. If available, highlight a "Previously Specified Path" that is close to the format of the directory where you extracted eDir8739 and press enter.

8. Press the F3 function key and adjust the path to match the location where eDir8739 is located. "Netware" will need to be the last directory of the path. For example: SYS:\Products\eDir8739\Netware

9. Enter "Yes" at the prompts.

10. Restart the server with the "RESET SERVER" command.

11. After the server restart, run the BACKLINKER dstrace command until you see "Finished reference check succeeded" on the Console's "Directory Services" screen.

12. The BACKLINKER process can be activated by entering at the Console:

• Set DSTRACE=On
• Set DSTRACE=+MIN
• Set DSTRACE=NODEBUG
• Set TTF=On
• Set DSTRACE=*R
• Set DSTRACE=+BLINK
• Set DSTRACE=*B

13. Exit the BACKLINKER process with:

• Set TTF=OFF
• Set DSTRACE=+MIN
• Set DSTRACE=NODEBUG
• Set DSTRACE=OFF

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Novell JVM* 1.3.1 for NetWare or Novell JVM* 1.4.2 for NetWare

Either Novell JVM 1.3.1 or Novell JVM 1.4.2 (or later) must be installed on to the NetWare server prior to installing eDir 8.7.3. but after installing the appropriate service pack for the NetWare OS you are running. You will need to run the installation from a Windows PC, attached to the target server. These versions are available from Novell.

Novell JVM* 1.3.1 for NetWare (NetWare 5.1 or 6.0)

Novell JVM* 1.4.2 for NetWare (min. 512 megs of RAM; NetWare 6.0 or 6.5)

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Version Confusion?

Novell has created some version numbering confusion with the release of eDirectory. In fact, it's so confusing, you can go to support.novell.com and read TID 10026433 for an explanation of the difference between NDS 8, eDirectory, NDS Corporate Edition, eDirectory 8.5, and Account Management 2.1. To ensure that you get the correct version, we recommend that you get the files from the NAG archive on FISBS1 (see Where to get files, above).

With the introduction of eDirectory 8.6, there is a new version numbering scheme for eDirectory NLMs. There is a "marketing string", which provides the product name and version, such as "Novell eDirectory Version 8.6.2 SMP" and a "version number", which provides the actual version number and build for the NLM, such as "Version 10320.04 February 27, 2002". The last approved DS.NLM for eDirectory 8.5.1 in NCSUNDS was 85.20c. Despite what version "10320.04" seems to imply, there have not been over nine thousand intervening versions :-)

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