Understanding and Deploying LDAP Directory Services > 19. Troubleshooting > Discovering Problems |
Discovering ProblemsHow do you discover directory problems in the first place? There are a number of ways that a problem might come to the attention of the directory administrator:
A failure may be detected and reported via all the above methods nearly simultaneously . For example, if a directory server becomes unavailable, you might be notified by your NMS software at the same time your help desk receives numerous calls from your end users. Those end users may report problems with any of the dependent applications, such as address books, email servers, and authenticated Web server access. Your operations staff might also be unable to run a regular data-updating procedure. This is typical of distributed systems in which the individual portions of the system are interdependent. Part of the problem resolution process, therefore, involves correlating the various problem reports and identifying the underlying problem. As soon as you know what the real problem is, you can then inform users of all the affected services. Ideally, you should strive to eliminate the possibility that your users will discover problems before you do. You can accomplish this through a well-designed, proactive monitoring system. This takes careful planning, but the payoffs are significant. More information on proactive monitoring can be found in Chapter 18, "Monitoring." When there is a problem, you should clearly communicate to your users and front-line staff the following information:
Plan well in advance how you will notify your users about directory problems. Common methods include publishing outage information to Web pages, posting outage information to Usenet newsgroups, and providing status information in a recorded telephone message. Whatever method you use, be certain that it does not depend on the directory itself. Providing good information to your end users and front-line support staff serves two important purposes. First, it allows your end users to remain productive because they know which applications are affected by the failure and how long the applications will be unavailable. Second, your front-line support staff can be more effective in helping your end users understand the implications of the outage. Your end users will also have a better overall impression of your directory service and dependent applications.
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Index terms contained in this sectioncommunicatingproblems to user and staff 2nd directories troubleshooting finding problems 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th finding problems 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th problems communicating to users and staff 2nd finding 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th troubleshooting finding problems 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th communicating to users and staff 2nd users communicating with problems 2nd |
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