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PINGPONG.TXT
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1995-05-11
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DataEnter, Michael Kocum
Taborstrasse 27/23
A-1020 Vienna
AUSTRIA
CIS: 70143,1667
MHS: MICHAEL @ DEMK (via CSERVE)
Internet: michael@demk.co.at
Fax: +43/1/2143829
Introduction to PingPong
------------------------
PingPong is a addon for Microsoft Mail and Windows for Workgroups.
Its purpose is to check if a link between two postoffices is up and
running. PingPong generates messages to another PingPong or to a
nonexisting mailbox and if it gets no response after a user defined
time, it sends a message to the admin, indicating that the link may down.
Also it displays an information screen where the status of every
checked postoffice is listened.
System Requirements
-------------------
DOS 3.3 or higher
Microsoft Mail, version 3.0
Installation
------------
1) PingPong does in fact two things: In active mode it sends messages
to another postoffice and wait for the return. On return of the
message it will update the log files and mark the postoffice in
its status screen as up and running.
If no message returns in the user defined time, PingPong send a
message to the PingPong admin, indication the the link may be
down.
In passive mode it simply bounces back every message it get
without doing anything.
PingPong need also a person which is responsible for the correct
working of PingPong. Any time PingPong detects an error, it sends
a message to this person. The address of this person give at the
command lime with the -t switch
2) PingPong requires a single user mailbox on your Microsoft Mail
system in order to work with Microsoft Mail. You have to create
this mailbox before installing PingPong. On a Microsoft Mail
Postoffice this is done via ADMIN.EXE.
PingPong need this mailbox for communcation with other Pingpong's
or non existing user it sends its messages over this mailbox.
We suggest, that you use "PingPong" as the mailbox name and
"PingPong" as the alias.
Note: No other person should use this mailbox!!! Do not use the
real Admin's mailbox for this purpose, because PingPong
seams to work, but in fact it does not work.
3) Create a directory on your server and copy PingPong.EXE,
APPGET.EXE and APPPUT.EXE into this directory. We suggest that you
make a directory called PingPong below your MAILEXE, so its clear
that PingPong belongs to MS Mail.
4) Start PingPong with the argument -c to configure it. You will get
a empty list. Press INS to create a new record and fill out the
fields for the postoffice you want to check.
Note: The field "MailBox" depends on you configuration. When the
postoffice to check has PingPong in passive mode installed, type
the name of PingPong's mailbox in (usually PINGPONG). If no
passive PingPong is installed, you can use a nonexisting mailbox
like UNKNOWN or something. The POSTMASTER (a hidden mailbox on
every postoffice) will send PingPong a massage back, that the user
does not exist. PingPong now get's this message and knows that the
link is up and running, because POSTMASTER was able to send the
error message.
Network: The network you want to check
Postoffice: The postoffice you want to check
Mailbox: The mailbox of the passive PingPong
or a nonexisting mailbox
Activ: Should PingPong check this postoffice?
This is useful if you wnat to disable the checking of
a postoffice, but dont want to delete it, perhaps
because you know the link will be down for several
hours.
Descrip.: Description for your information only
Start: check this postoffice from <time>
End: check this postoffice to <time>
Every: Check this postoffice every ? minutes between START and
END.
Wait: Wait ? minutes for reply. When you start checking the
postoffice use a high minute count (300 minutes or so)
and lower it down when you get a successfull link
until you have found a optimal setting. count
Sunday: Check on Sunday?
Monday: Check on Monday?
Tuesday: Check on Tuesday?
Wednesday: Check on Wednesday?
Thursday: Check on Thursday?
Friday: Check on Friday?
Saturday: Check on Saturday?
5) Start PingPong and check if there is any error message.
6) Choose you way of polling (see sectiong "Polling")
Arguments in active mode
------------------------
When you want to use PingPong in activ mode use the following arguments:
-f<Mailbox> Mailbox name
-p<Password> Mailbox password (default no password)
-d<Drive> Drive where MailData is located (default drive M)
or full path to MailData with trailing backslash
like M:\MAILDATA\
-a Active mode (send ping to a postoffice)
-t<Dest> Destination address in full Microsoft format
for sending an error report
Note: The destination adress should be located on
the same postoffice a the active PingPong, because
due the down link there is perhaps no chance to
transfer the message.
(Network/Postoffice/User)
-l Write PingPong.Log file
-n Ping now
Sample: PingPong -fPingPong -pPassword -dM -a -tNet/Post/Admin
PingPong -fPingPong -pPassword -dM:\MAILDATA\ -a -tNet/Post/Admin
Arguments in passive mode
-------------------------
When you want to use PingPong in passive mode use the following arguments:
-f<Mailbox> Mailbox name
-p<Password> Mailbox password (default no password)
-d<Drive> Drive where MailData is located (default drive M)
or full path to MailData with trailing backslash
like M:\MAILDATA\
Sample: PingPong -fPingPong -pPassword -dM
PingPong -fPingPong -pPassword -dM:\MAILDATA\
Arguments in configuration mode
-------------------------------
When you want to use PingPong in configuration mode use the following
arguments:
-n Configuration mode
Arguments in show status mode
-----------------------------
When you want to use PingPong in show status mode use the following
arguments:
-s Show status mode
Polling
-------
In order to work, PingPong has to poll MS Mail for messages from time to
time. This can be done in a lot of different ways:
1) If you have Microsoft Mail Postoffice than you may have a maschine
which runs EXTERNAL.EXE. You can put PingPong in a loop with External
and so PingPong will be called periodic.
A sample batch file may look like:
@echo off
:Start
REM Change to PingPong directory
cd PingPong
REM Execute PingPong
PingPong -fPingPong -pPassword -dM -a -tNet/Post/Admin
REM Change back to directory where External is located
cd ..
REM Call External for 15 minutes
external -BR0:0:15
REM Check Externals errorlevel to find out if the
REM operator pressed ESC
if errorlevel 66 goto End
if errorlevel 63 goto Start
if errorlevel 62 goto End
:End
2) You can also run PingPong in the background of Windows. You can
request a special programm, MAILWAIT.EXE, for free for this porpose.
MailWait accepts one argument and this is the time to wait in
seconds. MailWait is designed so that it releases all recources to
Windows and runs smoothly in the background.
It's a good idea to
create an icon for the batch file
A sample batch file may look like:
@echo off
:Start
REM Execute PingPong
PingPong -fPingPong -pPassword -dM -a -tNet/Post/Admin
REM Call MailWait for 900 seconds (= 15 minutes)
MailWait 900
REM Check MailWaits errorlevel to find out if the
REM operator pressed ESC
if errorlevel 1 goto End
goto Start
:End
It's a good idea to create an icon for the batch file and put that
icon in your startup folder.
Note: Make sure your _default.pif has background processing enabled
or PingPong will not work in the background. Optionally create
a extra PIF file for the batch file.
Licensing Agreement
-------------------
PingPong (c) is copyrighted 1993-1995 by DataEnter, Michael Kocum,
portions (c) Microsoft Corp.
This product and its documentation may not, in whole or in part, be
copied, reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval
system, or translated into any other natural or computer language, in
any form or by any means whatsoever, be it electronic, mechanical,
magnetic, optical, manual or otherwise, without the prior written
consent of DataEnter.
DataEnter makes no warranty or representation, either expressed or
implied, with respect to the product PingPong and its
documentation, their quality, perfomance, merchantability, or fitness
for a particular purpose. DataEnter reserves the right to revise the
user's guide and make changes in the content without obligation to
notify any person or organization of such a change.
In no event will DataEnter be liable for any direct, indirect,
special, incidental or consequential damages, real or imagined,
resulting from the use or purchase of this software.
Under no circumstances shall DataEnter's liability for damages
exceed the price paid for the software license.
Should any remedy hereunder be determined to have failed, all
limitations of liability and exclusion of damages set forth above
shall remain in full force and effect.
The extent of the DataEnter's warranty for the software and its
documentation is limited to physical defects of the distribution media
containing the software. Contact DataEnter to obtain return
authorization for the replacement diskette within 30 days of the
original date of purchase. Any further statement made by agents,
employees, distributors or dealers of DataEnter do not constitute
warranties and are not binding. No employee of DataEnter has the
authority to modify any portion of this warranty.
All brand and product names we refer to in the documentation are used
solely for identification purposes and may be trademarks of other
companies.
DataEnter, (the licensor) grants the buyer (the licensee)
the right to use this copy of PingPong (the program)
on a single computer at a single location in active mode and a
second location in passive mode and on a third location in show
status mode as long as the licensee complies with the terms of this
license.
The licensor reserves the right to terminate this license if the
licensee violates any part of the agreement.
The licensee agrees to make copies of the program only for backup
purposes. The licensee agrees not to copy the documentation and to
take all necessary precautions to ensure that the backup copies of the
software are not distributed to or acquired by other parties.
Microsoft Mail is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.
Windows for Workgroups is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.