NASLite Network Attached Storage

After power outage or normal Shutdown, NASLite 1.5 boots again from CD but apparently finds 'nothing' on the configuration-floppy and boots right into NASLite's status screen with License Verification as 'Unregistered' and previously mounted storage disks now 'Disabled'

During initial setup (and I've done this a dozen times), I can do a good administrator login and setup network and domain parms; do a Save Configuration -- to which it replies 'Configuration Saved -- and reboot. Comes back just fine -- finds disks ok, presents good status screen again, and disks are visible and usable to rest of network. So far..so good.

From telnet or http or keyboard, I can reboot fine. Even sometimes Shutdown and restart fine. But mostly, after powering down, the bootup fails. Makes me think I'm getting by only because there's some cache somewhere that's holding onto config info?

1. Have reburned Iso to new CD and used that -- no difference.
2. Have swapped out both floppy drive and it's cable with spares -- no difference.
3. Motherboard and all components are brand new.
4. Can boot DOS6.2 from the floppy drive ok.
5. Examining floppy disk in Win environment seems to show NO files on it, even after saving config files there.

Maybe kernel doesn't always recognize the floppy drive?

Any ideas about how to go about debugging this? As it is, I can't depend on this system staying available.

Boy, but when it's up and available, it's superb! Love it!

The configuration information is stored on the floppy in the directory/boot area, which is hidden to users. That's why it doesn't show up as a file. NASLite does a raw read/write of sector xx on the floppy which saves the kernel from having to know about the DOS file system.

I would try using a couple different floppies. Once you boot up, save the configuration on one floppy, switch to another one and save again, etc.

You may just have a marginal sector on your floppy.

You can also set the floppy write protect tab after saving the configuration to ensure it's not accidentally being overwritten.

Lastly, try taking the floppy out before doing a shutdown. Sometimes power going down can glitch things and maybe it's doing something funny to your floppy drive. You can put the floppy back in after the machine is powered off.

Well, I saved the config to several floppies, write-protected them, and removed them from the floppy drive before shutting down.

Have shut down twice using the admin utilities and brought things back up successfully both times.

I just simulated a power failure and am now bring it up once more. It's doing its check-disk thing after pausing on 'Disk-1 Found Partition' (with 300gig drive, it takes a bit); it attempted fix and mount and mounted successfully. Same for second disk.

Reboot also works smoothly.

So........... bottom line, the combo of two solutions (write protect and remove during shutdown) seems to resolve the problem. Not sure *which* of the two was the solution, but for now, I'll just keep my eye on 'em both.

Thanks a million for your timely response! Made my weekend!