"unbecome lmb" oddity

[Herb Lewis]

Duncan wrote:
> 
> i'm using the samba server distributed with redhat linux
> version 6.2beta in late feb/early march of 2000.
> 
> the server is configured to compete for master browser
> using oslevel 33 and "preferred" but is NOT configured
> to become the domain master or to provide WINS.
> 
> an NT box on the LAN appears to force an election about
> once a day.  the samba server loses this election, as
> office politics dictate that it should, but then something
> breaks.  the LAN becomes unbrowseable.  samba's nmb log
> shows:
> 
> >[2000/03/26 17:47:38, 0] nmbd/nmbd_incomingdgrams.c:process_local_master_announc
> >e(309)
> >  process_local_master_announce: Server REPLICATION at IP 172.16.14.12 is announ
> >cing itself as a local master browser for workgroup SURVEYABLE and we think we a
> >re master. Forcing election.
> >[2000/03/26 17:47:38, 0] nmbd/nmbd_become_lmb.c:unbecome_local_master_success(15
> >6)
> >  *****
> >
> >  Samba name server BIT has stopped being a local master browser for workgroup S
> >URVEYABLE on subnet 172.16.15.185
> >
> >  *****
> >[2000/03/26 17:47:51, 0] nmbd/nmbd_nameregister.c:register_name_response(112)
> >  register_name_response: server at IP 172.16.14.12 rejected our name registrati
> >on of SURVEYABLE<1d> with error code 6.
> >[2000/03/26 17:47:51, 0] nmbd/nmbd_become_lmb.c:become_local_master_fail2(427)
> >  become_local_master_fail2: failed to register name SURVEYABLE<1d> on subnet 17
> >2.16.15.185. Failed to become a local master browser.
> >[2000/03/26 17:47:51, 0] nmbd/nmbd_namelistdb.c:standard_fail_register(295)
> >  standard_fail_register: Failed to register/refresh name SURVEYABLE<1d> on subn
> >et 172.16.15.185
> 
> first, after announcing that it has stopped being master browser,
> why does it immediately attempt to become master browser again?
> (BUG?)
> 
> second, from the docs i got the impression that SURVEYABLE#1b was
> for master browser while SURVEYABLE#1d was for domain controller
> on workgroup SURVEYABLE.
> 
> am i reading the docs wrong or is it attempting to register the
> wrong name? (BUG?)

You read the docs wrong. The 1d name is for local master browser and
the 1b name is for domain master browser.

If you have a microsoft machine on the same subnet that is a PDC for
this domain this is exactly the behaviour I would wxpect to see. MS
wants their machines to be everything. If it wins as domain master
browser it will want to be local master as well. The other case that
can cause this is a microsoft machine running multiple protocols 
(TCP/IP, netBEUI, IPX/SPX). Samba only listens on TCP/IP so it cannot
participate in elections on other stacks. Again the microsoft philosophy
of being everything comes into play again. It the machine wins on
one protocol it will announce itself as the master on all protocols.
Samba see this announcement and since it had previously won, it
demotes itself and forces another election (per the protocol).

-- 
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Herb Lewis                                   Silicon Graphics 
Networking Engineer                          2011 N Shoreline Blvd
Strategic Software Organization              Mountain View, CA  94043  
herb at sgi.com                                 Tel: 650-933-2177
http://www.sgi.com                           Fax: 650-932-2177          
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