slow client server connection when internet is down

[Franky Leeuwerck_1]

Hello there.

Each time when the internet line is down,
our client/server applications are slowing down a lot.
How can we solve this ?

This is the situation :
1. w2k clients are on the same subnet as the DBMS server (Ingres on HP-UX11)
2. nsswitch.conf :
hosts: files [NOTFOUND=continue] dns
3. dns server is on the internet
4. w2k clients connect via the dbms middleware using the dbms server's ip-address
5. both w2k clients and dbms server have the same default gateway
6. both w2k clients and dbms server have the same dns server

I am not deeply familiar with networking issues, but I am eager to learn.

Thanks in advance,
Franky

[Hai Nguyen_1]

Franky,

Make sure you have:

- the two w2k clients host info in the dbms server's /etc/hosts and
- the dbms server host info in the two w2k clients C:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

Hai

[Pete Randall]

Franky,

It sounds to me like the problem lies with your W2K clients and their reliance on dns. Despite the fact that you're giving them an IP address, they appear to be still going through DNS resolution. I don't know if there is a way to alter this behaviour or not. You might want to try asking on the Windoze forum.


Pete

[Steven E. Protter]

The answer is on item 2 in my opinion.

You try files first, if that doesn't work you try DNS.

If the dns server is pulling information from the Internet and its not there, connections are going to go slow.

The way we avoid this is to have a master DNS server inside the firewall that only services internal machines and domains.

Ours is a HP-UX D380 box.

SEP

[Hai Nguyen_1]

Franky,

In addition to what I mentioned above, on the w2k boxes, you should set the preferred DNS server as 127.0.0.1 (the w2k box itself) and the alternate DNS server as the IP of the DNS server on the internet.

Hai

[Umapathy S]

Franky,

Double check in /etc/hosts whether it contains all machines.

I dont think your internal requests are going to the outward dns (internet) and rerouted in. If I understand correctly then the application requests are slowing down rather than not responding.

It is better to have an internal DNS server as SEP has suggested.

HTH,
Umapathy

[Franky Leeuwerck_1]

Thanks for your quick responses.

DHCP is enabled so adding entries to the /etc/hosts file on the dbms server is not a solution I think.

Franky

[Franky Leeuwerck_1]

Anymore suggestions ?

Franky

[Steven E. Protter]

Franky,

An HP-UX server with a fixed IP address, and DNS for your servers will provide you fast resolution for your internal machines.

I understand the erasons why a workstation needs to be DHCP, but a server needs a fixed, known address.

If you tell me which version of BIND you are planning to use to follow this suggestion, I can dig you up a cookbook and you can be up and running in less than an hour.

SEP