Number:        A2TH081390U295
Subject:       Reducing Number of Directory Entries May Lose Data
Date:          September 12, 1990
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PROBLEM:       A customer downed a NetWare 286 v2.15 server to change 
               open files from 244 to 500. At the same time she decided 
               to reduce the directory entries on the volume from 10,000 
               to 7,000.  When she brought it back up she discovered that
               all the files in several subdirectories were gone.  7,000
               was still 3,000 more files than what she had.

SOLUTION:      The answer is found on page 20 of "NetWare Application 
               Notes - June 1990".  Basically, when directory entries 
               are filled they are filled sequentially.  When they are
               deleted it leaves holes in the table.  The problem 
               occurs if a volume has ever had more than the maximum
               directory entries defined in NETGEN (this includes files,
               directories and trustee privileges).  When you run NETGEN 
               to reduce directory entries, NETGEN will simply truncate 
               the directory blocks at the end of the table; it does not
               check if they are in use.  VREPAIR can generally restore 
               the files to the root with names like VF000000.000.

               This problem has been reported to Engineering.

               (X)    This information was verified by Engineering.