How to run back-to-back NSDs on Windows systems to troubleshoot performance or hang issues

Question

You are encountering numerous hangs or periodic slowdowns on your Lotus Domino server running on a Windows system, and have been advised by IBM Support to run frequent NSDs, also referred to as "back-to-back" NSDs.

Is there a way to do this without having to continually close the NSD windows (which ultimately forces a restart of Domino)?

Answer

It is possible to run periodic NSDs while the Domino server is up and running. The steps to do so vary by Windows platform (as well as version of NSD) and are outlined below.

Windows 2003, 2008 & XP

Windows 2003, 2008 and Windows XP allows for a debugger to detach from the process without terminating that process.

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IMPORTANT NOTE: If still attached, you must issue the NSD command "detach" before exiting NSD.

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1. Open a DOS Prompt window and change directories to your Domino\data directory

2. Execute NSD. You will need specify the explicit path to nsd.exe, which is normally found in the Domino program directory.

3. NSD will run and write information to the console. When it finishes execution, depending on the version of NSD you are running, NSD will display its own command prompt "nsd>". Do NOT exit NSD (by either closing the command prompt window, or typing exit).

4. Periodically, at the time of the slowdown, or as directed by IBM Support, type the word "DUMP" in the NSD window. This will result in the collection of call stacks an additional time by NSD. Other sections of data may be gathered such as "memcheck" by issuing the appropriate command.

By leaving the original NSD window open, you have the opportunity to capture NSDs when the server is running efficiently and when it is not.

Versions of NSD

In versions of NSD prior to Notes/Domino 7.0.2, on Windows 2003, 2008 & XP, NSD will still remain attached to all processes, but you can detach from all processes using the "detach" command at the NSD prompt.

Beginning in Notes/Domino 7.0.2, NSD will automatically detach from all processes on Windows 2003, 2008 & XP. If you wish to remain attached, you may use the NSD -monitor switch, and issue the command "detach" when you are ready to quit NSD.

NSD Log Results

The output of each execution of NSD will be written to the IBM_Technical_Support directory, relative to your Domino\Data directory. In cases where you execute back-to-back dumps before exiting NSD, the data from each subsequent dump will be appended to the same NSD file. In cases where NSD automatically detaches from Notes/Domino on Windows 2003, 2008 & XP, multiple NSD files will be generated. You will need to provide each NSD to the Software Engineer you are working with.

NSD in windows

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=899&uid=swg21204263

Installing Domino Step by Step

http://www.techyv.com/article/step-step-installation-ibm-lotus-domino-85

Manual NSD in Windows ?

Detailed information for the notes.ini Keyword: NSD_LogDir

Short Description: Defines a directory where NDS files will be placed.

Description:

In Domino 6.x, the NSD output is generated in different locations, depending on how it is executed. If you create NSD output manually by executing the tool from the DOS prompt, the file will be generated in the Data directory. Administrators can change this default location, using the NSD_LOGDIR Windows environment variable. NSD output will be placed in the directory to which NSD_LOGDIR points.

If NSD is triggered by the panic handling code, in response to a crash, the output is put in the diagnostic directory. The diagnostic directory defaults to the IBM_TECHNICAL_SUPPORT directory under your Data directory, but can be modified by the Logfile_Dir INI parameter. Note that NSD will still be generated in the Data directory, if you manually run it.

An enhancement request was submitted to Lotus software Quality Engineering to have NSD logs by default be written to the IBM_TECHNICAL_SUPPORT directory; however, there are no plans to address this in the 6.x code stream.



Default value:
None

Syntax:
NSD_LogDir=drivename and folder

Example:
NSD_LogDir=D:\logs\NSD

Replication Types

Replication Type:

Four Different types of replication exist. The type you choose affects the direction of
replication as well as which of the servers performs the work of the replication.
Pull Pull: Replication is bidirectional, whereby the source server initiates replication and pulls
documents from the target server. The source server then signals the target server's Replica task to
pull documents in the opposite direction. Both servers are involved in the replication.
Pull Push (Default): Replication is bidirectional, whereby the source serves’s replica task performs all
of the work, pushing and pulling documents to and from the target server. The target server's Replica
task is never engaged.
Pull Only: Replication is one-way, whereby the source server pulls documents from the target.
Push Only: Replication is one-way, whereby the source server pushes documents to the target.

Router Tell commands

The table below describes other Tell commands you can use with the Router task.

Command	Result
Tell Router Delivery Stats	Shows Router delivery statistics.
Tell Router Compact	Compacts MAIL.BOX and cleans up open Router queues. You can use this command to compact MAIL.BOX at any time. If more than one MAIL.BOX is configured for the server, each MAIL.BOX database will be compacted in sequence. By default, MAIL.BOX is automatically compacted at 4 AM.
Tell Router Show Queues	Shows mail held in transfer queues to specific servers and mail held in the local delivery queue.
Tell Router Exit	Stops the Router task on a server.
Tell Router Update Config	Updates the server's routing tables to immediately modify how messages are routed. This removes the 5 minute delay before a Router configuration change takes effect. To determine the best route for delivering a message to its destination, the Router creates routing tables, which map a path to the destination. The routing table derives information from variables in the NOTES.INI file and from the Configuration Settings, Domain, Connection, and Server documents in the Domino Directory. The command does not update the routing tables with changes made to the Global Domain document. By default, mail the router automatically refreshes its configuration every 5 minutes to absorb changes made in its sources. In previous versions of Domino, you had to restart the router task to update the routing tables after making changes in the sources documents. The command is case insensitive. Caution If the Tell Router Update Config command is initiated on an R5 server, it loads shared mail. The Tell Router U portion of the command loads shared mail on R5 servers.
Tell Router Quit Load Router	Stops the Router task on a server. Start the Router task on a Server

SMTP Commands

1.                   Type open mail1.fabrikam.com 25 and then press ENTER.

2.                   Type EHLO contoso.com and then press ENTER.

3.                   Type MAIL FROM:chris@contoso.com and then press ENTER.

4.                   Type RCPT TO:kate@fabrikam.com NOTIFY=success,failure and then press ENTER. The optional NOTIFY command defines the particular delivery status notification (DSN) messages that the destination SMTP server must provide to the sender. DSN messages are defined in RFC 1891. In this case, you are requesting a DSN message for successful or failed message delivery.

5.                   Type DATA and then press ENTER. You will receive a response that resembles the following:

Copy Code

354 Start mail input; end with <CLRF>.<CLRF>

6.                   Type Subject: Test from Contoso and then press ENTER.

7.                   Press ENTER. RFC 2822 requires a blank line between the Subject: header field and the message body.

8.                   Type This is a test message and then press ENTER.

9.                   Press ENTER, type a period ( . ) and then press ENTER. You will receive a response that resembles the following:

Copy Code

250 2.6.0 <GUID> Queued mail for delivery

10.               To disconnect from the destination SMTP server, type QUIT and then press ENTER. You will receive a response that resembles the following:

Copy Code

221 2.0.0 Service closing transmission channel

11.               To close the Telnet session, type quit and then press ENTER.

Running NSD Manually - AIX

InBlrM107:[/applications]#cd lotus

InBlrM107:[/applications/lotus]#ls -l

total 8

drwxr-xr-x    3 root     system         4096 Jan 13 2009  bin

drwxr-xr-x    4 root     system          256 Jan 08 2009  domino

drwxr-xr-x    3 root     system          256 Jan 13 2009  notes

InBlrM107:[/applications/lotus]#cd bin

InBlrM107:[/applications/lotus/bin]#ls -l

total 0

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  beta3upd -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  catalog -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  cconsole -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  checkos -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/execbin

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  compact -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  convert -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  design -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  faultmon -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  fixup -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  http -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  java -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  jconsole -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  ldapsearch -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  notesjre -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           41 Jan 13 2009  nsd -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/diag/nsd.sh

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  nwar -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  object -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  replica -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  server -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  statlog -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  stats -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

drwxr-xr-x    3 root     system          256 Jan 13 2009  tools

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  updall -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     system           37 Jan 13 2009  update -> /applications/lotus/bin/tools/startup

InBlrM107:[/applications/lotus/bin]#cd /applications/lotus/bin/tools/diag

This should run in Notes login only

then run this command ./nsd.sh.

InBlrM107:[/applications/lotus/bin/tools/diag]# ./nsd.sh.

Installing Domino

Installing Domino

To install Lotus Domino on aWindows platform, follow these steps.

1. Run the install program (setup.exe), which is on the Domino server installation CD.
2. Read the Welcome screen, and click Next. Then read the License Agreement and click Yes.
3. Enter the administrator's name and the company name. Do not elect to install Lotus Domino on partitioned servers.
4. Choose the program and data directory in which to copy the software, and then click Next.
5. Select "Domino Enterprise Server" as the server type.
6. Click Next to accept all components.
7. Specify the program folder or accept Lotus Applications as the program folder that will contain the software.
8. Click Finish to complete the install program.
9. Choose Start - Programs - Lotus Applications - Lotus Domino Server to start the Server Setup program.

Ports used by Lotus Notes

The Lotus Notes Domino web server uses port 80 to distribute and receive http requests.

The Lotus Notes Client uses port 1352 by default to communicate with the Lotus Notes Server.

Lotus Notes servers use port 1352 by default to replicate with each other.

The Lotus Notes server uses port 25 when using SMTP to receive and send email.

Ports 63148 and 63149 are used to process CORBA requests.

Lotus Notes Domino server uses port 443 for https or SSL requests.

Lotus Notes uses port 8080 as the default for http proxy requests.

Duplicate Calendar Entries

Case: In my calendar I don’t see any entries for Monday and Tuesday between 1 to 5 PM Eastern Time, but when my colleague tries to send me an invite during that time he says I am unavailable in the scheduler. Ie., in lotus notes when you click new meeting and you say check availability it is all red that means the recipient is unavailable, what you need to do at first.

Just follow what IBM says.

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21141060

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?rs=899&uid=swg21086471

Mostly this would resolve, but this time it did not. Now what I did?

Right click on where it says unavailable, you will definitely be shown the one calendar entry which is causing the problem. We had to delete that particular entry and re create that through lotus notes.

Root cause : Mostly this is because the entry created through a handheld which creates joint synchronization issue. But we cannot advice any one not to create a calendar entry through Hand held. But even if created and we have this issue, now we know what to do..

Cannot accept and Decline meetings with repeat instances

I thought it is good to write on the rock some thing which I have learned recently, hence this endeavor.

When I try to accept a repeat instances of meetings in lotus notes I get an error message. "An Error occurred  while saving : Error creating repeat instances".

Another issue for the same user is shown below : This occurs when I try to decline the meetings with comments but this does not happen if just decline. Really crazy. Error message - " Error occurred while saving : Notes error: The Database cannot be read due to invalid disk structure "

Solution :

I ran maintenance

l compact -c mail\mailfile.nsf

l fixup -f mail\mailfile.nsf

l updall -r mail\mailfile.nsf

Guess what. Issue is fixed. Let's celebrate now.