FPNW: Invalid User Name Consumes a Seat License

• Microsoft File and Print Services for NetWare version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When a Novell NetWare client logs into File and Print Services for NetWare (FPNW) with a user name that is not known in the local user account database or in any trusted domain, the login fails.

Although the login failed, FPNW reports a license usage to the licensing server if it is set up in per seat licensing mode. Therefore, the License Manager list of per seat licenses for File and Print Services may become filled with invalid user names. If the license limit is reached, the administrator has to use License Manager and manually delete invalid user accounts.

CAUSE

FPNW registers the user with License Manager before it tries to logon the user. FPNW does not have the SID so it reports the user by name. Any misspelled user name or logon attack against FPNW uses one per seat license.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in File and Print Services for NetWare version 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.