Tips and techniques

The following tips and techniques help you to effectively use iSeries NetServer™ as a Logon Server.

Verifying which Logon Server actually validated your logon

Environment variables are available for Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, to query this type of information.

Eliminating extra message questions for roaming users logging on from Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.

You may see a message similar to one of the following during logon:

• Your locally stored profile is newer than the one stored on the server.
• A slow network connection to the Logon Server has been detected.

Then you are asked if the locally cached profile should be used instead. If you want to eliminate these types of questions and always download the roaming profile on the server for this particular PC, then perform the following to have the cached profile deleted after logoff:

1. Open the registry and go to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
2. Create a new REG_DWORD item called DeleteRoamingCache.
3. Give the new item a data value of 1.

Note that if the Logon Server is unavailable, this user will be reduced to logging on locally with the Default User profile, if at all.

Backup Logon Servers

iSeries NetServer does not currently offer the concept of a Backup Logon Server that can automatically take over in the unlikely event that the primary server goes down. However, planning a careful replication strategy ahead of time can make this process relatively painless.

1. Choose an iSeries server as a backup server that is not currently configured as the Logon Server for the domain.
2. Back up the critical logon directories that you use to this server: NETLOGON, home, users, etc.
3. Keep the user profiles in sync between the Logon Server and the Backup. Management Central can be used for this.
4. When the Logon Server is down or a switch-over needs to be made, select the Logon Server role option in the NetServer properties of the Backup and restart iSeries NetServer.
5. If not using WINS, update the centrally administered LMHOSTS file if necessary.

Use Browstat.exe to verify domain status

Besides nbtstat, Browstat is also a helpful Microsoft utility that comes with the NT Resource Kit, and Developer Studio subscriptions. It has several functions that iSeries NetServer can support including STATUS, ELECT, GETBLIST, GETMASTER, GETPDC, and VIEW.