13.1 Performing Basic Repair Operations

The Basic Repair Wizard lets you perform an unattended full repair, local database repair, or single object repair. You can also check external references and delete unknown leaf objects.

13.1.1 Performing an Unattended Full Repair

An unattended full repair checks for and repairs most critical eDirectory errors in the eDirectory database files of a given server. It performs eight primary operations each time it is run, none of which require any intervention by the administrator. During some of these operations, the local database is locked. An unattended full repair builds a temporary set of local database files and runs the repair operation against those files. That way, if a serious problem develops, the original files are still intact.

Troubleshooting specific issues and resolving them is far superior to running an unattended repair. Running the Unattended Full Repair might require twice the amount of disk space currently used by the database files. See Performing a Local Database Repair for more information.

Rebuilding the operational indexes used by eDirectory is possible only when the local database is locked.

The following table lists the operations performed during an unattended full repair:

Operation

Database Locked?

Description

Database Structure and Index Checked

Yes

Reviews the structure and format of database records and indexes. This ensures that no structural corruption has been introduced into the eDirectory environment at the database level.

Rebuild the Entire Database

Yes

Resolves errors found during structure and index checks. It restores proper data structures and re-creates the eDirectory database and index files.

Perform Tree Structure Check

Yes

Examines the links between database records to make sure that each child record has a valid parent. This helps ensure database consistency. Invalid records are marked so that they can be restored from another partition replica during the eDirectory replica synchronization process.

Repair All Local Replicas

Yes

Resolves eDirectory database inconsistencies by checking each object and attribute against schema definitions. It also checks the format of all internal data structures.

This operation can also resolve inconsistencies found during the tree structure check by removing invalid records from the database. As a result, all child records linked through the invalid record are marked as orphans. These orphan records are not lost, but this process could potentially generate a large number of errors while the database is being rebuilt. This is normal, and the orphan objects will be automatically reorganized over the course of replica synchronization.

Repair Network Addresses

No

Checks server network addresses stored in eDirectory against the values maintained in local SAP, SLP, or DNS tables to make sure that eDirectory still has accurate information. If a discrepancy is found, eDirectory is updated with the correct information.

Validate Stream Syntax Files

Yes

Stream Syntax Files, such as login scripts, are stored in a special area of the eDirectory database. This operation checks to make sure that each stream syntax file is associated with a valid eDirectory object. If not, the stream syntax file is deleted and the attribute referencing it is purged.

To perform an unattended full repair:

  1. In NetIQ iManager, click the Roles and Tasks button Roles and Tasks button.

  2. Click eDirectory Maintenance > Repair eDirectory.

  3. Specify the server that will perform the operation, then click Next.

  4. Specify a user name, password, and context for the server where you will perform the operation, then click Next.

  5. Click Unattended Full Repair, then click Start.

  6. Follow the online instructions to complete the operation.

13.1.2 Performing a Local Database Repair

Use this repair operation to resolve inconsistencies in the local database so that it can be opened and accessed by eDirectory.

A local database repair can be performed on a temporary set of files if you specifically request it. Otherwise, the repair operation will take place on the live database.

Performing the repair operation on a temporary set of database files requires closing the database during this part of the operation. If you choose to work on a temporary set of files, you will be prompted to commit the repair modifications before they are made permanent. Otherwise, changes take place immediately.

Following a repair operation, you can view a log of the repair operations to determine if further operations are required to complete the repair. For more information, see Viewing and Configuring the Repair Log File.

  1. In NetIQ iManager, click the Roles and Tasks button Roles and Tasks button.

  2. Click eDirectory Maintenance > Repair eDirectory.

  3. Specify the server that will perform the operation, then click Next.

  4. Specify a user name, password, and context for the server where you will perform the operation, then click Next.

  5. Click Local Database Repair, then click Next.

  6. Specify the options you want for running the local repair, then click Start.

  7. Follow the online instructions to complete the operation.

13.1.3 Checking External References

This repair operation checks each external reference object to determine if a replica containing the object can be located. If all the servers containing a replica of the partition that the object is in are inaccessible, the object will not be found. If the object cannot be found, a warning is posted.

This operation also provides obituary information.

  1. In NetIQ iManager, click the Roles and Tasks button Roles and Tasks button.

  2. Click eDirectory Maintenance > Repair eDirectory.

  3. Specify the server that will perform the operation, then click Next.

  4. Specify a user name, password, and context for the server where you will perform the operation, then click Next.

  5. Click Check External References, then click Start.

  6. Follow the online instructions to complete the operation.

13.1.4 Repairing a Single Object

This repair operation will try to resolve any inconsistencies in an eDirectory object which might be preventing eDirectory from accessing such data. This operation works only on user-created partitions and on the external reference partition.

This operation is performed on the live database files. If the corruption is at the physical level, you might need to perform a Physical and Structure check before the Single Object Repair is run.

Make sure you always have a current backup copy of the eDirectory database.

  1. In NetIQ iManager, click the Roles and Tasks button Roles and Tasks button.

  2. Click eDirectory Maintenance > Repair eDirectory.

  3. Specify the server that will perform the operation, then click Next.

  4. Specify a user name, password, and context for the server where you will perform the operation, then click Next.

  5. Click Single Object Repair, then click Start.

  6. Specify the object you want to repair, then click Next.

  7. Follow the online instructions to complete the operation.

13.1.5 Deleting Unknown Leaf Objects

Repair changes inconsistent objects to Unknown objects when they do not have mandatory properties or are invalid in other respects (their properties don’t meet minimum requirements for an object type). Unknown objects are real objects and eDirectory knows about them. They are unknown because their object class cannot be fully validated. Unknown objects, represented by question mark icons, can be deleted but cannot easily be changed back to their original object type.

This repair operation deletes all objects in the local eDirectory database that have the Unknown object class and maintain no subordinate objects. The deletion is later synchronized to other replicas in the eDirectory tree.

IMPORTANT:This operation should not be run unless you understand the consequences or have been advised by NetIQ Support to run it.

  1. In NetIQ iManager, click the Roles and Tasks button Roles and Tasks button.

  2. Click eDirectory Maintenance > Repair eDirectory.

  3. Specify the server that will perform the operation, then click Next.

  4. Specify a user name, password, and context for the server where you will perform the operation, then click Next.

  5. Click Delete Unknown Leaf Objects, then click Start.

  6. Follow the online instructions to complete the operation.