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Q174654: Running GSNW without a Preferred Server Statement

Article: Q174654
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:3.5,3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbinfo kbArtTypeINF
Last Modified: 09-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

You have a computer running Windows NT Server and Gateway Services for NetWare
(GSNW). If no one has logged on to this server (the sign-on screen is showing on
this server), the Preferred Server statement will be ignored. Instead, a primary
server connection is established with the server that responds to
GetNearestServer, and will remain so until the connection is lost. There is no
way to specify a primary server.

MORE INFORMATION
================

A primary server is whichever server is currently answering to your Service
Advertising Protocol (SAP) request. The preferred server and primary server may
be the same server.

Whenever a Windows NT or NetWare client starts, the program issues the
GetNearestServer request. Whichever server answers first becomes your primary
server. All future SAP requests go to this Novell/File and Print Services for
NetWare (FPNW) server unless a preferred server is specified. In this case, your
preferred server becomes your primary server.

If a computer running Windows NT Server has a preferred server specified in the
GSNW icon, when the computer starts, it will send out a Routing Internet
Protocol (RIP) request for the external address of that preferred server.

If a preferred server is NOT specified, the server will send out a RIP request
for the mapped drives of specified Novell servers that were created in the
gateway enabled in GSNW. If the server that receives the RIP request does not
know about the specified Novell server in its SAP table, the server will respond
that it does not have that Novell server's information, and then the connection
will fail.

If there are external routers on the network, verify they are configured to
support GetNearestServer. If these routers ARE configured to support
GetNearestServer, then the Novell servers should have GetNearestServer turned
off. Otherwise, there will be a conflict between the routers' SAP table and the
servers' SAP table that may cause the computer running Windows NT Server to
attach to a Novell server that is not at the top of either the router or the
server's SAP table.

WORKAROUND
==========

When the computer running Windows NT server starts, GSNW connections are
established before the Server service starts. Consequently, establishing a
gateway to a Novell server can be an alternative way of establishing a primary
server.

STATUS
======

This is by design and will not be changed.

Additional query words:

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Keywords          : kbinfo kbArtTypeINF 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW350 kbWinNTW350search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search
Version           : winnt:3.5,3.51,4.0
Hardware          : ALPHA x86
Issue type        : kbinfo

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