Novell Clients are Denied Access Logging on to FPNW Servers

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.51
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51

SYMPTOMS

If a Novell Server is replaced with a Windows NT Server running Microsoft File and Print Services for NetWare, Novell clients may start receiving Access Denied messages when trying to connect. In addition, the domain controller that the FPNW server has a secure channel with may no longer be visible on the network.

CAUSE

When a printer is configured for NetWare, JetAdmin is run to give the printer a server name and a user name to logon with. The printer then tries to logon to the specified server. If the Novell server is removed and a Windows NT Server is put in its place with the FPNW server software configured with the same name as the old Novell server, the printers will contact the FPNW server to logon. Since the Windows NT computer is a resource server, it must pass the logon request to a domain controller (DC). The code through LSA that is run by FPNW requests contains a path where a security object is opened, but never closed. The printers exacerbate the leak Because they continually try to logon.

WORKAROUND

Correctly configuring the printers so they no longer attempt to logon will eliminate the handle leak as well as the extra RPC traffic on the network. Installing the fix for the LSA handle leak will eliminate the handle leak. However, unless the printers are configured correctly, you will still have the additional RPC traffic that is generated when trying to authenticate the printer logon requests.

RESOLUTION

This problem has been corrected in the latest Service Pack for Windows NT version 3.51.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 3.51. This problem was corrected in the latest Windows NT 3.51 U.S. Service Pack and Windows NT 4.0. For information on obtaining the Service Pack, query on the following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

   S E R V P A C K