multiple domain contr. not allowed?

[Charles Owens]

Hi,

Using samba 1.9.17alpha5 on all servers, I'd like to configure one of my
servers to be a failover domain controller in case my usual domain
controller dies.  Some verbage in BROWSE.TXT suggests that this is doable:

{
It is possible to configure two samba servers to attempt to become
the domain master browser for a domain.  The first server that comes
up will be the domain master browser.  All other samba servers will
attempt to become the domain master browser every 5 minutes.  They
will find that another samba server is already the domain master
browser and will fail.  This provides automatic redundancy, should
the current domain master browser fail.
}


Though this could be read slightly differently, my assumption was that the
server with the highest os level setting would actually become the active
domain controller.  What actually happens, though, is that nmbd on the
backup server _refuses_to_start_up_ if it detects that there is an active
domain control already running.  Here's a log.nmb snippet that
demonstrates this:

08/06/97 10:37:49 netbios nameserver version 1.9.17alpha5 started
Copyright Andrew Tridgell 1994-1997
Added interface ip=207.95.42.242 bcast=207.95.42.255 nmask=255.255.255.0
08/06/97 10:37:49 attempting to become logon server for SERVICES 207.95.42.255
08/06/97 10:37:49 attempting to become logon server for SERVICES 255.255.255.255
08/06/97 10:37:49 add_domain_names: attempting to become domain master  \
	browser on workgroup SERVICES 255.255.255.255
add_domain_names:querying WINS for domain master on workgroup SERVICES
response_name_query_domain: WINS server already has a domain master  \
	browser registered SERVICES(1b) at address 207.95.42.243
ERROR: nmbd configured as domain master and one already exitsts !!!


... and nmbd exits.  This is not the behavior that BROWSE.TXT suggests (at
least how I'm reading it).  Is this domain controller fail-over capability
not implemented or does what I'm seeing represent a bug?

Please send any response to me directly, as I'm not subscribed to the
samba lists.

Here's how I have the two servers set up:

PRIMARY (207.95.42.243)
   workgroup = services
   domain master = yes
   local master = yes
   preferred master = yes
   os level = 60
   wins support = yes

SECONDARY (207.95.42.242)
   workgroup = services
   domain master = yes
   local master = yes
   preferred master = yes
   os level = 59
   wins support = yes
; Note:  having "wins support" on for both servers is NOT the
; the problem.  I've tried it both ways. (on and off) 

Oh, and... BTW, the new 1.9.17alpha5 is impressive!  On my FreeBSD servers
the speed boost over the 1.9.16 version is very noticable!

Thanks very much,
---
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  Charles N. Owens                               Email:  owensc at enc.edu
                                             http://www.enc.edu/~owensc
  Network & Systems Administrator
  Information Technology Services  "Outside of a dog, a book is a man's
  Eastern Nazarene College         best friend.  Inside of a dog it's 
                                   too dark to read." - Groucho Marx
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