Very Computer

Amongst the several RS/6000 machines we operate are two Model 560's
which are used as compute servers. These machines are identical except
that one has a CD-drive and 256MB of memory, while the other has no CD
but has 512MB of memory. From the time that they were delivered (last
April), an attempt has been made to keep the two machines as near to
identical in their software configuration as possible. To this end,
AIX (3.2) was installed on one, and a MKSYSB copy transferred to the
other.  While there are the obvious differences (the size of swapping
space for example), the two machines have been kept quite similar.

A few weeks ago, this site had a re-allocation of IP addresses and the
change was made from a hosts file based system to one using centralised
name servers. The requisite changes were made to both machines with no
apparent ill effects, once again, every attempt being made to keep
them identical. Both machines can ping any other, the hosts command
works well on both, and the new addresses and name server appeared to
be working well. That was until we attempted to use the rcp (remote
copy) command. On one machine, no problems; we can copy to or from the
other server or to/from any other machine on the network that
permissions allow. On the other server however, attempts to use
rcp to copy to or from any of these machines produces the message

Couldn't look up address for your host<prompt

(this is EXACTLY as it appears) where <prompt is the normal ksh prompt
string expected at the beginning of each line.

The immediate assumption was that we had a name server problem! We have
checked every conceivable file and setting between the two machines
and found NO DIFFERENCES. Our local IBM people are equally puzzled.
(Their first reaction was that this could not be an error since it has
no error number associated with it!)

Does anybody out there have ANY idea where we should look to try to
fix this. It is very important in a server to be able to do rcp's, so
any assistance would be very greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Bruce

--
Bruce Fairlie,
Head Fluid Dynamics, Air Operations Division,    'phone:   +61 3 647 7467
DSTO, Aeronautical Research Laboratory              fax:   +61 3 646 6060
506 Lorimer St, Fishermens Bend, Vic. 3207,   AUSTRALIA.

It still sounds like a name server problem to me.  Check the reverse
address maps for entries for both machines.   You can use nslookup
to verify the problem

# nslookup

Quote:> set type=any
> ddd.ccc.bbb.aaa.in-addr.arpa

The ddd.ccc.bbb.aaa above represents the reversed IP address, ie
if the IP address is 132.133.134.135 you should use
135.134.133.132.in-addr.arpa.   If it doesn't find the hostname
for this address, there's your problem.

Quote:

>Thanks in advance.

>Bruce

>--
>Bruce Fairlie,
>Head Fluid Dynamics, Air Operations Division,    'phone:   +61 3 647 7467
>DSTO, Aeronautical Research Laboratory              fax:   +61 3 646 6060
>506 Lorimer St, Fishermens Bend, Vic. 3207,   AUSTRALIA.

--

Texas Instruments       TI MSG  : rfow
Dallas Tx               Phone   : (214)995-4001