rip updates

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From: Jeff Liebermann <jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us>
Subject: Re: Remote printer problems
Date: Sat, 21 Apr 2001 16:20:22 -0700
References: <3add8f27$0$25499$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au> 

On Wed, 18 Apr 2001 22:56:02 +1000, "Andrew Habgood"
<news@furball-it.com> wrote:

>I have had a OSR5.05 multihomed system running as a print server for months
>with no problem, but in the last few weeks, a few remote print queues have
>intermittently gone offline.

Let me guess.  You just deployed a new NT4 or W2K server that's providing
DHCP services to your network and is probably spewing RIP updates.
Perhaps a Netgear or Cisco 25xx router that arrives stock with RIP
broadcasts enabled.

> The error message in lpstat is as follows:
>
>lpd: Host name for your address (203.x.x.x) unknown
>
>203.x.x.x is obviously the external adapters IP address.  Normally this will
>happen towards the end of the day, and the next morning they are back, but
>sometimes a reboot is required.

Two possibilities:
1.  Something is belching RIP updates causing the route to the print
servers to be getting hosed.  The easiest fix is to maim, mutiliate, or
otherwise kill the routed daemon running on the OSR5 box.  Run:
        ps -ef | grep "routed"
to get the process ID and kill it.  Then, edit the file:
        /etc/tcp
and comment out the section of code that starts routed.  A wooden stake
through its heart would not be a bad idea, but is strictly optional.
Unless you're running RIP-1, your OSR5 box will never notice the
difference.

2.  Corrupted ARP table caused by duplicate IP's or some kind of load
balancing or dynamic router protocol scheme.  Run:
        arp -a
on the OSR5 box at various times to see if there are any IP's that are
changing MAC addresses.  Also run "arpwatch" on your Linux box.

>What is strange is that it is different print queues each day, and only on
>the local subnet that the servers internal network is attached to.  There
>are also remote print queues on three other subnets connected via a router
>on the inside, and these have not been affected.  The print queues are on
>Linux based thin client terminals.

The router will block RIP broadcasts going THRU the router.  So, you'll
only see it on the subnet and side of the router that is generating the
problem.  You might seem some evidence in the OSR5:
        /usr/adm/syslog
file that looks something like "mutilated or corrupted DHCP request" that
are really DHCP broadcasts that OSR5 is interpretting as RIP updates.
Killing routed should make that go away.

Also, check that you have oss497c installed as there were quite a few
LPR/LPD fixes included.

-- 
Jeff Liebermann   jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D  Santa Cruz CA  95060
831-421-6491 pager   831-429-1240 fax
http://www.cruzio.com/~jeffl/sco/   SCO stuff

Macworld Mobile Mac Superguide $9.99

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