samba - Aug 2008 - Mysterious new problem: nss_ldap: could not soft reconnect to LDAP server

Suddenly as of this morning, none of my users can authenticate to samba 
because nss_ldap is producing cryptic errors.  Nothing has changed on 
either the LDAP server or the Samba server.  Looks like this in 
/var/log/messages:

Aug 11 11:19:29 edgar smbd[8394]: nss_ldap: could not soft reconnect to 
LDAP server - Server is unavailable

Yet, the LDAP server IS available, and happily chirping away serving as 
an LDAP server for several other services.  Only Samba seems to be 
having the trouble.

Anyone else encounter this?  I believe the library staff is headed to my 
office at just this moment with pitchforks and torches.  Please help.

Wes

-- 

Wes Modes
Server Administrator & Programmer Analyst
McHenry Library
Computing & Network Services
Information and Technology Services
459-5208

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: John Drescher <drescherjm@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 3:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Samba] Mysterious new problem: nss_ldap: could not soft
reconnect to LDAP server
To: Wes Modes <wmodes@ucsc.edu>


On Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 2:20 PM, Wes Modes <wmodes@ucsc.edu>
wrote:
> Suddenly as of this morning, none of my users can authenticate to samba
> because nss_ldap is producing cryptic errors.  Nothing has changed on
either
> the LDAP server or the Samba server.  Looks like this in /var/log/messages:
>
> Aug 11 11:19:29 edgar smbd[8394]: nss_ldap: could not soft reconnect to
LDAP
> server - Server is unavailable
>
Have you made sure your ldap servers are working?


# slapcat

# getent group
# getent passwd

John



-- 
John M. Drescher

I didn't try that.  but if it happens again I shall.  I knew the LDAP 
servers were working, but that the Samba server (via nss) wasn't talking 
to it.

What I ended up doing, was turned off nss' use of TLS.  That fixed it.  
In RHEL, the command is authconfig.

Why it suddenly stopped talking to each other, I still don't know.

Obviously I need to come in during non-office hours and config and test 
and retest to get TLS working at both ends again.

Wes

John Drescher wrote:
> On Mon, Aug 11, 2008 at 2:20 PM, Wes Modes <wmodes@ucsc.edu> wrote:
>   
>> Suddenly as of this morning, none of my users can authenticate to samba
>> because nss_ldap is producing cryptic errors.  Nothing has changed on
either
>> the LDAP server or the Samba server.  Looks like this in
/var/log/messages:
>>
>> Aug 11 11:19:29 edgar smbd[8394]: nss_ldap: could not soft reconnect to
LDAP
>> server - Server is unavailable
>>
>>     
>
> Have you made sure your ldap servers are working?
>
>
> # slapcat
>
> # getent group
> # getent passwd
>
> John
>
>   
-- 

Wes Modes
Server Administrator & Programmer Analyst
McHenry Library
Computing & Network Services
Information and Technology Services
459-5208