Subject: Netware and SQL Server

From: HERB MARTIN <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 1991 22:16 EST

I had a really horid problem today.  Environment:  Novell 3.11
Ethernet Network, with an IBM OS/2 1.3/MS SQL Sequel Server, and
DOS 5.0 Windows 3.0 workstations running custom Visual Basic
programs using the MS SQL Client Control for VB.
 
We also have a medium-large WAN encompassing a 3 site campus,
several Metro installations, and several cities along the east
coast.  We are in the process of converting to Cisco routers
from a mix of bridges, SNA, and Translans.
 
First one of my client PCs refused to connect to the SQL server
every time the program was started even though it connected to
the Network server and all of the nearby PCs could connect.
This system had been running as is for a week and basically the
same for months.
 
Then another station across the road had the same problem (all
on the same 'ethernet', just bridges and repeaters).
 
Nothing seemed to make sense, until we switched the NON-working
machine's ethernet card for one in a working machine.  The
problem MOVED with the card, and was resolved with the working
card.  Ok, I believe that NICs go bad.
 
But, this same trick fixed the second PC also.  Some coincindence!
Then a third PC went bad.  We "reset the ARPs" on the CISCO
watching the ethernet (unfortunately I had changed some parameters
by this time) and the problem went away.  Since I made the other
changes I cannot prove that the problem was related to the ARP
tables.  But I restored those parameters and the problems did not
return (yet).
 
Any ideas???  The network seems fine, except for the SQL Server.
 
Herb Martin   [email-masked]