Subject: child timed out: clients disconnected

From: Dejan Muhamedagic <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 02:50:43 +0200

Hello,

>From time to time the server disconnects clients, usually when
there's a longer period of inactivity.  The message logged says
"child timed out".  According to the code, this happens if no
"tickles" were received from the client in 2 minutes, i.e. 4 of
them.  This is more than just annoying because the user is not
able to save his work.  The volume where file resides is still on
the desktop, can't be removed and, effectively, all work done
after last save is lost.

The server is Linux/Alpha 2.2.14 running netatalk 2.1.4-37b which
was compiled with -DUSE_FLOCK_LOCKS.  Everybody's connected to a
10/100Mb switch (no errors on the network).  This is happening
only on clients running MacOS 8.5.1, Open Transport 2.0.2 and
Apple Share Client 3.8.1.  Clients are synchronized using NTP to
the server.  Or, at least they should be, but I found the NTP
setup on Mac a little bit awkward.

I don't know what is exactly the reason for AFP over DSI to treat
connections this way.  I find this behaviour arguably incorrect or
at least in contradiction to TCP.  Even so called keep-alive
packets (which, if without response, bring the TCP connection down
after two hours of inactivity) should be considered harmful.  I
would really like to hear why there are various timeouts
implemented within the DSI code.

Cheers.

Dejan