WHat is \"Stale NFS handle\"?

[Joe Garbarino]

jwp at larry.sal.wisc.edu writes
>I have a VAXstation 2000 running Ultrix 2.2, using NFS
>to use the /usr/local of a MicroVAX II, also running Ultrix.
>Yesterday, I could no longer access some files, and got the
>message "stale NFS handle".  What circumstances cause this?

I have seen this message when the directory on the remote machine
which was mounted has been removed then restored.  The NFS handle
which was retrieved when the directory does not match the newly
created directory, even though the names are the same.  A umount
followed by a mount fixed it for me.

					Joe Garbarino
					ERIM
					P.O. Box 8618
					Ann Arbor, Mi.  48107
					(313)994-1200 x2508
					jgarb at csd360b.erim.org