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<DIV>On the Red Hat server you cannot login from the console, on the
Debian you can.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Jon L. Miller, MCNE, CNS, ASE<BR>Director/Sr Systems Consultant<BR>MMT
Networks Pty Ltd<BR><A
href="http://www.mmtnetworks.com.au">http://www.mmtnetworks.com.au</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure<BR> is trying
to please everybody." -Bill Cosby</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>>>> mark@musicalstoat.co.uk 11:30:28 am 25/03/2004
>>><BR>On Thu, 25 Mar 2004, Jon Miller wrote:<BR><BR>> Like to
get some input from the group on a problem that is a constant pain in the
rear. I have 2 sites that have a Linux gateway (one with Red Hat Linux 7.2
and the other with Debian (Linux version 2.4.18-bf2.4) . They mainly
perform gateway services in conjunction with mail services. They sit
behind Cisco routers that have firewall and VPN feature sets turned
on.<BR>> Sporadically, the servers go through periods where they freeze
up and have to be rebooted. For instance the Debian server normally have
to be rebooted every Monday, now it's everyday and sometimes twice a day.
The Red Hat server requires at least once a day. The servers are still
running just the services either drops out or goes into what appears to be in a
zombie state (loaded but not functioning).<BR>> I've searched through both
the /var/log/messages and /var/log/syslog looking for clues as to why they are
doing this, but nothing is listed other than when they are rebooted.<BR>> My
plans are to run the following:<BR>> memory tests<BR>> harddisk
test<BR>> CPU tests<BR>> In most cases after running these test normally
nothing shows up as failed or failing.<BR>><BR>> I'm looking for some sort
of application that can be installed and record events when there are changes.
The log must be sent to my server so that in the event there is a change I would
have at least the last state of the server prior to it freezing.<BR>><BR>>
Are there any online testing that can be performed while the server is up to get
any indication as to what is going on?<BR>><BR>> Specs on servers<BR>>
Server A<BR>> AMD 1.0 GHz CPU<BR>> 256MB SDRAM<BR>> WD 100EB ATA
HDD<BR>> 40x CD-ROM<BR>> NetGear FA310 TX NIC<BR>><BR>> Server
B<BR>> Intel Pentium III 500MHz CPU<BR>> WD136BA ATA HDD<BR>> 40x
CD-ROM<BR>> 256MB SDRAM<BR>> NetGear FA310 TX NIC<BR>><BR>> Will be
replacing both servers soon.<BR>><BR>> Thanks<BR>><BR><BR>When this
happens can you still log in from the console? If you can what<BR>happens
when you bring the nics down then back up again? Does it start to<BR>work
again?<BR><BR>If so then it may well be the NICs that are giving you woes.
These ones<BR>have been known to do that given randomly high (or not even that
high)<BR>traffic, and then work fine for ages and not give any of your
colleagues<BR>problems (I've got a couple that have never played up for
me). There may<BR>well be better drivers around. Donald Becker did
the 2.2 kernel tulip<BR>drivers but you can find 2.4 ones at <A
href="http://sourceforge.net/projects/tulip">http://sourceforge.net/projects/tulip</A><BR>Or
you could try changing the NICs for different manufacturers ones (try<BR>not to
go cheap).<BR><BR>If of course my first paragraph isn't what is happening then
disregard<BR>this ;)<BR><BR>Regards,<BR>-- <BR>Mark
O'Shea<BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>PLUG discussion
list: plug@plug.linux.org.au<BR><A
href="http://mail.plug.linux.org.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/plug">http://mail.plug.linux.org.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/plug</A><BR>Committee
e-mail: committee@plug.linux.org.au<BR><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>