[Casper] time stamp error message and server load balancing

[Thomas Larkin]

So, I ran across something very strange about 5 minutes ago.  I have a CS3 package built and ready to be tested before I deploy it.  So I a using Casper Remote to push out the package manually to see if it works, and well an error occurred and I was reading through the logs and saw this:

Looking up user: java.sql.SQLException: Value '0000-00-00' can not be represented as java.sql.Timestamp
Switching servers for load balacing...
Executing Policy 2008-08-19 at 1:36 PM | tlarkin | 1 Computer...
Mounting afp://casper106.kckps.org/CasperShare to /Volumes/CasperShare...
Error: The package (CS3.dmg) could not be found.

Then I saw that it switched to a different share point for load balancing and this is the bizzarre thing.  For one my main share point is a brand spanking new intel xserve running a RAID with 4gigs of RAM.  My back up for load balancing is a Core2Duo Mac mini.  Why in the heck is it load balancing?  Also, we haven't deployed my building yet so I have 1,357 Macbooks sitting on shelfs doing nothing right now in my office.  So, why would the server even be taxed at this point to even try to load balance?

I think I am going to turn load balancing off because that makes no sense.  Activity monitor shows my CPUs using like 0.1% of the quad xeon processors, and RAM is being threaded out and there is still like over 2gigs of RAM not even being used.

Of course I haven't synchronized my Mac Mini back up share points yet so when it load balanced it couldn't find CS3 and produced that error.  So, I know why it ultimately didn't work but I don't understand the load balance option in the JSS.  I think perhaps it just alternates transactions between servers, and well I want my Xserve doing the bulk of the work and only when it is being too taxed do I want the mini to help out.

Thoughts?

Thomas Larkin
TIS Department
KCKPS USD500
tlarki at kckps.org
cell:  913-449-7589
office:  913-627-0351