[12722] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Weird Extranet problem
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Stacy Pober)
Mon Feb 8 20:16:22 1999
Date: Mon, 08 Feb 1999 18:21:28 -0600
From: Stacy Pober <Spober@manhattan.edu>
In-Reply-To: <0F5W00H8DBKBGG@Post-Office.UH.EDU>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: spober@manhattan.edu
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
We get several databases via an Extranet connection to our library. We
also have access to a campus Internet connection - MOST of the time.
However, we've been having frequent Internet outages, and now we find that
one of the vendors (UMI's ProQuest Direct service) we are supposed to
be getting via Extranet is apparently not coming through the Extranet
at all. I had assumed this was due to a lack of DNS when the campus
Internet connection was down. However, I was wrong.
I had the opportunity to do some testing this week when the campus
Internet connection went down again. Incidentally, UMI has oddly chosen to
block block ping and tracert -- but only from Extranet sites -- NOT for the
rest of the internet. This is one of the reasons that diagnosing this
problem is such a pain. The following pattern of error messages points to
an odd failure of the Extranet, in that we are able to get through to the
needed IP, but we are NOT able to get through to the needed subdirectory on
that server:
Using the URL: http://www.umi.com/pqdauto the error message is:
"Netscape is unable to locate the server www.umi.com. Please check the
server name and try again."
Using the numeric URL that is the equivalent of the above address
(http://192.195.245.135/pqdauto) the error message is:
"Netscape is unable to locate the server proquest.umi.com. Please check
the server name and try again."
Using the numeric IP: http://192.195.245.140 we can get to a generic UMI
page, but again, the links on that page do not work to allow our site
access to the ProQuest service, and trying them just gets the same server
errors saying that "Nestcape is unable to locate proquest.umi.com"
Using the numeric URL: http://192.195.245.135 (note - no file or
directory specified) we do get through to UMI, but it goes to UMI
homepage, not to ProQuest Direct. The user can access information about
UMI products and can click through some menu items, but if we try to get to
the IP recognition page for ProQuest Direct, the same message is displayed
- that Netscape cannot locate the server. This is despite the fact that
the link on the UMI server is a *numeric* link (the same one as above:
http://192.195.256.135/pqdauto).
As I understand it, this indicates that it is not a DNS problem, since a
numeric IP address should not need a Domain Name Server - the IP is
already "resolved".
This is puzzling. It seems as if our library can connect with UMI's
general information pages using the Extranet, but cannot connect
specifically to the ProQuest Direct service. Even when numeric URLs are
used, we cannot connect to the /pqdauto subdirectory.
Anyone have any ideas about this? I spoke to a UMI tech support person,
but have not heard back from UMI as yet regarding this problem. I think I
have them stumped...and since tracert is blocked, I don't know of any other
diagnostics I can try. We have no problem connecting to ProQuest when the
campus Internet connection is working, but there have been frequent network
outages lately, and I fear more are coming. BTW, the other databases we
get through the Extranet do work, even when the campus Internet connection
is down.
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\
Stacy Pober mailto: spober@manhattan.edu
Information Alchemist http://www.manhattan.edu/library/
Manhattan College Libraries Voice: 718-862-7166
Riverdale, NY 10471 Fax: 718-862-7995
//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\//\\
