15.5 Cannot Re-Create a DFS Management Context on a Container

When attempting to create a DFS management context on a container that had previously been a management context, you might get the following error:

Error: Storage Error
servername.ou_context.o_context: Could not add the replica site to the new management context. -603 - eDirectory Error - Object attribute does not exist.

This error can occur if you previously deleted a DFS management context with multiple VLDB replicas. It is related to NetIQ eDirectory synchronization and occurs randomly.

When a DFS management context is created on an O or OU container object, two attributes are added to its container object in eDirectory:

  • DFS-VLDB-Hosts: Contains a list of the replica servers for the management context.

  • VLDB-Backend-ID: Contains the filename used for the VLDB, which is vdqad for this release.

When you delete the management context, if an eDirectory synchronization happens to be interrupted for any reason, the DFS-VLDB-Hosts attribute is deleted but the VLDB-BackEnd-ID is not. When you next try to create a management context again on the same container, the service finds the VLDB-BackEnd-ID attribute and assumes it is already a management context. Then it tries to add the replica servers to the DFS-VLDB-Hosts attribute, which it expects to be present. When it does not find the attribute, it returns a -603 eDirectory error.

To resolve this problem you should remove the old VLDB-Backend-ID attribute, then try again to create the DFS management context.

To remove the old VLDB-Backend ID attribute from the O or OU container:

  1. In iManager, select Directory Administration > Modify Object.

  2. Select the O or OU container that you chose for the DFS management context.

  3. Click General > Other to display the Attributes.

  4. From the Valued Attributes, select VLDB-Backend-ID, click Delete, then OK.

Now you should be able to create a DFS management context on the container.