This article addresses a rare condition where there are two RBS Servers running at the same time on different public IP addresses, using the same serial number, and using the Server Locator for access.

The Server Locator is a dynamic DNS service operated by RBS to support RBS Servers. RBS Servers periodically connect to the Server Locator to update their IP addresses. The Server Locator maintains a Host Name for each RBS server, which looks like this:

12345678.ddns.rbsnet.net

where "12345678" is the serial number of the RBS Server.

You can get to your Server Console (Web Manager) in a browser using a URL like this:

http://12345678.ddns.rbsnet.net

(This works as long as your Maintenance Subscription is current, and stops working when your Maintenance lapses.)

Your RBackup endpoints can also reach your RBS Server using the same Host Name, and that's what the Server uses when you checkmark the box "Use Server Locator" instead of manually entering an IP address or URL.

There have been rare cases where two RBS Servers are installed on two different IP addresses, and run simultaneously. This usually happens when an Evaluation server is installed on one system, and then the live Server is installed on a different system after purchase, and someone forgets the first one is running.

This is VERY rare because the Server software contains a feature to prevent running two serial numbers, and this feature has to be overridden manually.

Both servers contact the Server Locator from different IP addresses, both of them updating the Host Name. This causes the Server Locator to toggle the IP addresses associated with the Host Name from one to the other, which in turn causes browsers and RBackup endpoints trying to contact the RBS Server to contact first one, and then the other, causing all kinds of wierd problems.

The fix is to turn off one of the RBS Servers and wait five minutes for the Server Locator to stabilize.