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DOSque ══════ DOS/Network Command/Program Execution Queue ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ █ ▄▄▄▄▄ █ (C)Copyright 1994-1995 █ █ █ █ █ ▀▀▀▀▀ ▀ Bremer Corporation █ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ Austin, Texas █ █ █ █ █ ▀▀▀▀▀ █ All rights reserved ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Version 3.1 January 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Topic Page Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Requirements Limits Start-Up Options Renaming DOSque Required Files Quick Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Start-Up Batch File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Types of Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Changing Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 DOSque Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Temporary Batch File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Multi-User Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Admin Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Shareware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Evaluation Copy Distribution Registration Disclaimer INTRODUCTION ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ DOSque was designed as a simple yet effective queue system for both network and DOS stand-alone environments. We work in an environment that demands an easily changeable, concise queue system to help us provide proper support for a large Netware 386 (tm) wide area network domain spanning Texas. We needed a DOS command queue to help us perform necessary network activities during non-production periods. Because we could not find one that offers the flexibility we required, we wrote our own. We hope it helps you as much as it has helped us in controlling our environment. Please use DOSque as you see fit, but if you continue to use it, please abide with the Shareware section of this documentation. Here is a quick overview of DOSque: o Small executable. o Multi-user capable. o Near unlimited number of queue items. o No memory taken by the queue system when running commands. o Run anything from the queue system including Terminate and Stay Resident programs (TSRs). o No unnecessary restrictions like queue jobs being scheduled too close together, etc. DOSque was written in Turbo Pascal 7.0 (real mode) with assembly extensions. MISCELLANEOUS ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Requirements ──────────── DOSque's only two known requirement is that it must run under DOS 3.1 or higher and it obviously requires a dedicated workstation when actively queuing. It also runs fine from a Windows DOS session and from DOS shells. Limits ────── Maximum queue items: 400 Maximum length of queue commands: 58 Maximum length of queue descriptions: 58 Maximum number of DOSque stations: 9 Start-Up Options ──────────────── DOSque must started with the command DOSque in a batch file except for the first time when it is started with the /MAKE option. See the Start-Up Batch File Setup section for complete information on this subject. Required Files ────────────── The following files are necessary to run DOSque: DOSQUE.EXE The DOSque program. DOSQUE.INI The DOSque file that holds the optional encrypted password and the system editor. DOSQUE.DAT The DOSque data file that holds all queue jobs and their specific information. You should not edit this file. DOSQUE.LOG The log file maintained by DOSque. QUE.BAT The start-up batch file made the first time you run DOSque. This file may be called any name you wish and should be placed in your path. QUICK START ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ To quickly get the queue system up and running, do the following (check the documentation later for specifics): o Copy all DOSque files to a permanent home directory. o Change to that home directory. * For the shareware version only, run DOSQU.EXE to extract the files. o Run 'DOSQUE /MAKE' to generate the default que batch file. o Run 'QUE 1' to start the queue system. o Add jobs as required. Enjoy. START-UP BATCH FILE ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ As part of the initial setup performed by running DOSQUE.EXE /MAKE once, the file QUE.BAT will be made in DOSque's home directory. You should place DOSQUE.EXE in the directory you wish to run it from before running it for the first time because the home directory information is used in creating this batch file. If you have already run it once and wish to move DOSQUE.EXE, then you may either run DOSQUE.EXE again with a /MAKE parameter (creating a new QUE.BAT) or simply edit the existing QUE.BAT. Here is a commented queue.BAT: @echo off ;Cosmetics f: ;Change to home drive and directory cd \login f:\login\dosque /batch %1 %2 ;Run DOSque ::quitting the queue system (F10 pressed)? if errorlevel 255 goto END ::run temporary batch made by DOSque call dq$run%1 ;Run batch file made by DOSque ::do it all again ;Keep running the batch file (and the queue) f: ;Change to home drive and directory cd \login f:\login\que %1 %2 /rerun :END ;Place to go to when quitting QUE.BAT changes to its home directory only to make it easier for you to manage a queue environment. By keep the various batch file commands that DOSque may call to perform your jobs in one location, it is easier to manage the entire queue situation. Of course, directly called DOS commands have no need to be in this directory. Note that DOSque will invoke the screen saver automatically and immediately on startup if a password is defined for security reasons. Note you must start this batch file with a parameter, like QUE 1. See the Multi-User Use section for more on this subject. COMMANDS ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ DOSque has very few commands. They are listed below along with an explanation of their activities. F1 HELP DOSque contains context sensitive help. Press it anytime. F2 ADD This key will add new job definitions to the queue. See the Changing Jobs section for more. F4 EDIT This key will edit the job's actual command IF it is a batch file and can be found from the command syntax. F3 CHANGE This key will allow you to change the highlighted job's definition. See the Changing Jobs section for more. F5 COPY This key will let you copy the highlighted job so that the new job can then be more easily defined when changing it. See the Changing Jobs section for more. F6 BACKUP This key backs up the DOSque data file to *.BAK. When running in Multi-User mode, you should consider doing this now and then because it is possible to corrupt the data file if two stations run a job at the same time. See the Multi-User Use section for more about running jobs at the same time in that mode. F7 STATUS This key toggles the highlighted job's status from Ready to Hold. When a job is ready, it will run at its queue data and time. When on hold, it will not. If you take a job off hold during the same day (date) that it was supposed to run, it will run immediately, else it will automatically cycle to its next run date. When taking a job like this off hold, you will be prompted if the job is going to run immediately. The same holds true when re-starting DOSque or returning from the DOS shell option: if there are any jobs ready to go, you will be prompted with an option to temporarily place them on hold so you can evaluate the queue situation first. F8 DELETE This key will let you delete the highlighted job from the queue. Once deleted, you can not undo it. F9 RUN This key will let you run the highlighted job, even though its queue activation time has not arrived. This does not change its next queue time. F10 QUIT This key quits DOSque. ÆF1 DOS This key allows you to open a temporary DOS session. ÆF3 LOG This key will view the END of the DOSQUE.LOG file, thereby showing you the most recent queue activity. When viewing the log, the DEL key will delete it. You should do this when the log becomes so large that it takes noticeable time for DOSque to find the end of it for viewing. Although writing to it never slows down no matter how large it is, reading can become slow because DOSque reads sequentially through the file to find the end of it for viewing. ÆF9 EDITOR This key allows you to define or remove the optional system editor. This editor will be used to edit job commands when F4 is pressed. Any DOS text editor will do. If not in your path, then add its path to the command so DOSque can find it. DOSque can only edit those job commands that are batch files that it can find (either they are in DOSque's home directory {recommended} or the command has a path associated with it). Any batch command in your path probably can not be edited unless the path is also given because DOSque does not do a path search when looking for the command batch file. ÆF10 PASSWORD This key allows you to define or remove the optional system password. Among other times discussed above, the password will be required when attempting to interrupt the screen saver function. This, of course, is not true if DOSque itself is interrupting the screen saver to accomplish a queue job. ESC PREVIOUS This key backs you out of prompts, if necessary. SETUP ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ To set up DOSque, place DOSQUE.EXE in the directory from which you would like it to run. This directory does not have to be in your path. From this directory, run DOSQUE /MAKE. This command will make the sample start-up batch file, QUE.BAT. That is all there is to it. You are now ready to run QUE.BAT which will activate your queue system. TYPES OF JOBS ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ There are basically two types of queue jobs that can be set up and run with DOSque: weekly and date specific. Weekly jobs are defined as follows: o runs at a specific time on the same day or days every week. o runs at a specific time every day. Date Specific jobs are defined as follows: o runs at a specific time once in a lifetime. o runs at a specific time once each month. o runs at a specific time each year. See the Changing Jobs section for a complete breakdown on how to set up these types of jobs. CHANGING JOBS ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Jobs are set up and edited by pressing F2 ADD or F4 EDIT from the main queue screen. A pop-up editing window appears asking the following questions. DOS Command: This is the actual DOS command that will be placed in the temporary batch file for running when this job meets its next queue time. The command can be any valid DOS command, including Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) programs. If you have more than one DOS command required, then place them into a batch file and place the path (if required) and the name as the answer to this question. If you use a batch file name, and the batch file is placed in DOSque's home directory, or it contains its path in its name (like F:\PUBLIC\DOIT.BAT), then after defining the system editor (Alt+F9) you will be able to edit the batch file from within DOSque (F4). Description: The optional screen description for this job. Hour: This is the hour of the day that this job will run. It is always required and must be issued in 24 hour time. Minute: This is the minute of the hour of the day that this job will run. It is always required. Weekly/Date Specific: Enter a W for weekly or a D for date specific. Note that this item can always be changed later. In fact, you can enter the below information for both weekly and date specific for this job and both will be remembered. Then you may later switch between the two as desired by changing this job. The answer you give here will dictate the next questions that are asked of you while changing the job. If weekly... Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa: Place a Y in each day that you wish this job to run at the specified time. The job will run on those days forever unless you kill the job or place it on hold (or you, of course, quit DOSque). If date specific... Day of month: Enter the day between 1 and 31 of the month that you wish the job to run. This is a required field for date specific jobs. If you do not fill in the following month and year fields, then this job will run every month on this day at the specified time forever, else it can run on specific months (and/or years) on this month day. Month: Enter the month for this job to run on the month day. If nothing is entered, then it will run every month. Year: Enter the year that this job should run on the month and day specified. If nothing is entered here, then it will run on the specified month and day every year. If a year is given, then this becomes a once in a lifetime job. Queue Station: Place the number (1..9) here for the DOSque workstation that should run this job. For normal single-station usage, always place a 1 here. See the Multi-User Use section for other ways to run DOSque. DOSQUE SCREEN ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ The header at the top of the DOSque screen looks something like this: Queue Station: 1 |-------Days----------|or|--Date--| |Next Run| DOS Command HH:MM Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su Da Mo Year MM-DD-YYYY Status Queue Station: The DOSque workstation that will handle this job. It should always be 1 unless you plan to run multiple stations (id so, see the Multi-User Use section for more). DOS Command: The actual command to be run for this job. HH:MM: The job time. Note the important reminder under the Multi-User Use section if you plan on running DOSque that way. Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su: The days this job will run ONLY if this is a "weekly" job. Da Mo Year: The month day and optionally the month and optionally the year that this job will run ONLY if this is a "date specific" job. Next Run: This shows, in sorted order, the next date and time each job will run. Although the sort may not always exactly accurate, the run orders are. Status: One of the following: Ready - Job is set up properly and will run at its next queue time. Hold - Job is on hold and can not run again until taken off hold with the F7 key. If a job is taken off hold on the same day on which it is now late for its run, you will be asked to confirm as the job will run immediately. Bad - Job is not set up properly; probably an incomplete date specific edit resulting in no feasible run date. Overdue- Job is ready but could not yet run. This is probably resulting from a job previous to this job that is still running and has made this job go past its run time. As soon as the other job finishes, and DOSque returns to its main screen, this job will become Ready and will run immediately - ONLY if the day is still the same as that on which the job was queued to run. If the day has become the next calendar day, then this job's next run date will cycle to the next allowable run time for this job. Therefore, be careful when grouping jobs around the bewitching hour (12:00 midnight)! TEMPORARY BATCH FILE ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ When a job runs, DOSque makes a temporary batch file containing '@echo off' and the actual job DOS command. The name of this batch file is DQ$RUN1..9.BAT and it will be located in DOSque's home directory. Example ─────── If a queue item's DOS command was this: copy thisfile f:\there then the corresponding batch file would look like this: @echo off copy thisfile f:\there MULTI-USER USE ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ DOSque has the capability of running from more than one machine (up to 9) from the same server. In this case, all running instances utilize the same startup QUE.BAT and the same data file. You identify the DOSque queue workstation when you run QUE.BAT. That is why you must start QUE.BAT with a number from 1 to 9, like QUE 2. This would tell DOSque that this station is, in fact, number 2. All queue jobs identify which station will run them by the queue station number that must be entered for each job. Normally, when running only one DOSque, this number would always be 1. But, let's say, you have two jobs that must run overnight and each of them takes 5 hours to complete. Placing both of these jobs on the same workstation may prove impractical (10 hours total work). So by identifying one of them as a queue station number 2 job and then starting up another station with QUE 2 before leaving work, both jobs would run at the same time. The possibilities here are many. You could have certain groups of jobs that you only want to activate now and then. They could all be defined to run on, say, station 9. Then, when you wish to run these jobs, simply start up station 9 (with QUE 9). There is one overriding consideration that MUST be taken into account when running more than one station at a time. There should be no jobs that will run on different stations at exactly the same time. In other words, if job #1 on station 1 is scheduled for today at 10:00, then job #2, if running from another station, must NOT be 10:00. It can be 10:01 or any other time, but not the exact time as job #1. The reason for this is basic. If they are scheduled at the same time, both stations will write the updated data file at near the same time and then run their jobs. Then, when the jobs are complete, each station will re-read the data file in order to find the next job. But one of the stations will show that the job they just ran was, in fact, not run (the other station overwrote that update with its own). So the station will run its job a second time. Simply, the best way to avoid this situation is to keep all jobs at least one minute apart when they are for different stations (multi-user mode). Running jobs at the same time from the same station is not a problem. ADMIN MODE ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ You can bring up a DOSque session from any station in admin mode by starting DOSque with DOSQUE /ADMIN or QUE /ADMIN. This essentially runs DOSque in a mode where no jobs will automatically run form that station. You can still force a job with F9, however. Admin mode allows you to monitor the activity of all other stations without having to run any jobs yourself. This mode is optional and never required. CREDITS ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Turbo Pascal is a trademark of Borland International. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Netware and Novell are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Trademarks of other companies or products mentioned in this file are the property of their respective companies. SHAREWARE ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ Evaluation Copy ─────────────── THIS IS NOT FREE SOFTWARE! You may evaluate and use this product, but if you decide to make use of it on a regular basis, you must register your copy. Note: Businesses, government agencies and institutions are required to register this software package before extended use. We offer several inducements to you for registering. First of all, you will receive the most up-to-date copy of the program -- and we update the program on a regular basis. Second, you will never see the shareware message again. Make no mistake, however -- this is a fully functional version of DOSque that is not "crippled" in any way. Distribution ──────────── This is "user-supported" software. You are hereby granted permission to distribute this evaluation copy of DOSque and its documentation, subject to the following conditions: 1. Shareware DOSque may be distributed freely without charge in evaluation form only. 2. DOSque in its shareware form may not be sold, licensed, or a fee charged for its use. If a fee is charged in connection with DOSque, it must cover the cost of copying or dissemination only. Such charges must be clearly identified as such by the originating party. Under no circumstances may the purchaser be given the impression that he is buying a registered version of DOSque. 3. Shareware DOSque must be presented as a complete unit with documentation. Neither DOSque nor its documentation may be amended or altered in any way without permission of the copyright holder. 4. By granting you the right to distribute the evaluation form of DOSque, you do not become the owner of DOSque in any form. Any other use, distribution or representation of DOSque is expressly forbidden without written consent from the author. Registration ──────────── The non-commercial single-user registration fee for DOSque is $40.00 US. ($5 shipping is included.) The commercial/government and multi-system site fee for DOSque is: Non-network environment: Per site - $160.00 US. Network environment: Per site - $160.00 US. ($10 shipping is included.) Send a check, money order or company P.O. for the appropriate amount to: Bremer Corporation 5114 Balcones Woods Drive Suite 307-372 Austin, Texas 78759 We also accept Mastercard, Visa, and American Express card orders. Thank you. Telephone: 512-328-2465 Compuserve ID: 71614,2556 Internet ID: zboray@io.com Disclaimer ────────── The author does not warrant that the functions contained in this program will meet your requirements or that the program operation will be uninterrupted or error free. The author specifically disclaims all other warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of fitness for any particular purpose and of merchantability. In no event will the author be liable to you for any damages, including but not limited to any lost profits, lost savings, commercial damage or other incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use this program, or for any claim by any other party.