From: Res res@ausics.net

I have a problem with a CentOS 4 and now updated to 4.1 server, every so often the other servers try to contact it and this not there a retry and it is, like it goes to sleep, I have no problem with the fedora1, RH9 and slackware machines they just never do this. its most annoying.. they all use IP's not names. all access lists are identical, all hosts files are identical, all exports and fstabs are same format. in fact one of the machines on another network altogether reponds instantly. if I reboot *shudder* the CentOS box it fixes it, temporarily, but thats a joke, the hardware is fine, it used to run slackware smoothly, I hope I dont have to go back to it :)

What are your export options? What are your mount options? Have you considered using the automounter (or are you already)?

From: Johnny Hughes mailing-lists@hughesjr.com

I haven't seen this issue ... but it might actually be sleeping. CentOS-4 uses a 2.6.9-x kernel that is much better at doing what your BIOS says for power saving mode than 2.4 kernels were. I would first check the sleep settings in the BIOS of the problem machine. If that doesn't work, you try turning off the apmd and acpid services. Also, to really search for fixes ... the exact hardware that is having problems might help.

I typically find NFS bliss if I stick with a client and server in the same series as follows: - 2.2.18+ (or early 2.2.x with Trond+Higgen, thank you SGI!) - 2.4.9 or earlier (VM #1) - 2.4.10-2.2.18 (VM #2) - 2.4.21 or later (much better NFS client IMHO) - 2.6.x or later (thank you Sun!)

I always have issues if I start using one series of Linux NFS clients with another series of Linux NFS servers, etc...

In your case, your server is 2.6.x, and your clients are 2.4.18, maybe 2.4.21+. Those 2.4.19 and 2.4.20 releases were "less than fun" when it came to the Linux NFS client, especially when not connecting to a NFS server of the same series.

-- Bryan J. Smith mailto:b.j.smith@ieee.org