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  • 1.  Pointing ghost client to server FQDN??

    Posted Jul 26, 2007 08:29 PM
    Is there a way to edit the ghost client, so it connects using the fully qualified domain name and not just the server name. Instead of connecting to "ghostserver", can it be modified to connect to "ghostserver.blahblah.com". New GSS 2.0.1 install is generating pubkey with server nameand not server fqdn.




  • 2.  RE: Pointing ghost client to server FQDN??

    Posted Aug 02, 2007 12:16 AM
    I was interested in the implications of your question and had a chat to Nigel about it today.

    Here is a summary as I understand it. At present, after installation and initial connection, the client uses two different methods to locate a server - Multicast or WINS. For the multicast method, the client sends out a multicast, with the next step being a response back from the server and connection based on the certificate. If there was no useful response from the multicast attempt, the client makes a request to the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) for the server.

    WINS (Windows Internet Name Service) does not provide domain hierachies like DNS does with FQDN's. This statement is a bit frankensteinian, but basically WINS and DNS are different animals. At present the client does not query DNS (directly) at all, so if we did use an fqdn here, it really would not help much.

    There is something else worth mentioning here as well. The human readable server name you see in the certificate, and also the server name displayed in the ghost client tray icon, may not actually be the current host name of the server which has the correct certificate, and which the client will eventually reach and successfully connect to.

    The WINS query is based on the server name supplied in the encrypted part of the certificate. Even if the server name has changed, because the server name is registered with WINS during server installation, WINS will locate the machine. Ideally, if multicast is working happily in your network, this will hopefully remain a detail.

    Don't consider my comments on this subject as authoritative though. Nigel Bree has a large number of posts which go into the detail of the discovery and communication process. If you are experiencing some problems or challenges in the area, I would urge you to examine those posts in detail.




    Message Edited by Xan Todd on 08-02-200705:26 PM



  • 3.  RE: Pointing ghost client to server FQDN??

    Posted Aug 04, 2007 09:55 PM
    I think this relates to my problem. The console job starts and the client reboots to the virtual partition (PC DOS,) we then get Unable to Connect to DHCP server, DOS mode client cannot procede.
     
    The client then procedes to poll for the server with a valid DHCP address, but the Server does not respond.
     
    Does this mean that the client is failing to resolve the server name through both the Multicast session and WINS? Why would this happen?
     
    Originally (When the console and client were installed) we were not running WINS.  We installed WINS to try to resolve this problem, but it did not work.
     
    What would cause the multicast name resolution to fail? The cients join the session; why wouldnt they be able to find the server?
     
    Also, when we join a Ghostcast session, we are unable to simply use the session name to connect.  We need to also provide the server IP address. This isn't consistent though.  Sometimes the session name works by itself.  Other times we need to provide the address.