Re: [Sheflug] NFS and fast machines

[Dave Mitchell <davem [at] xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Jan 23, 2004 at 01:39:47PM -0000, Morris, David (Allvac, UK) wrote:
> I'm just setting up our production LTSP server and have been testing it
> with a single client.
> 
> Talk about problems. Repeated hangs when the client tries to do a
> 'pivot_root' prior to running init.
> 
> There are no security problems - nfs works, tftp works, the machines are
> on their own little LAN. DHCP is fine.
> 
> Eventually, as a final measure of desparation, I started a 'tcpdump -I
> eth0' on the server.
> 
> <PCMODE>Blow me</PCMODE> if the whole lot didn't spring into life and
> fire up X on the client.

It might be something to do with tcpdump putting the interface into
promiscuous mode. Try it with -p and see if it stops having its magical
effect.

> 
> Stop tcpdump and reboot the client. Hang at pivot_root. Start tcpdump
> and reboot and it works.
> 
> It looks like having something on the server (AMD XP2800+, 1MB 400MHz
> memory dual-channel DDR on a Gigabyte MB, SuSE9.0, soft raid on a pair
> of 73Gig drives, embedded gigabit nic into a 100 meg netgear switch
> [testing only]) which slows the LAN down a bit has the effect of giving
> everything enough time to boot.
> 
> I know there are some issues with fragmentation of UDP packets on NFS,
> but I'm not sure how they would affect this installation, or even
> exactly what they are.

-- 
In England there is a special word which means the last sunshine
of the summer. That word is "spring".
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