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1989-11-01
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-----------
-------- CALLNET --------
-----------
Version 2.0
For the System Operator of PCBoard
using NET/Mail, Procomm Plus and DSZ,
to automate network mail transfers as
part of a scheduled event.
Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen
CALLNET2.DOC Page 2 November 1, 1989
NOTICE:
----------------
The files contained herein are Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen and
are donated to the public domain with the condition that NO FEE
whatsoever may be charged for duplication or distribution, including,
but not limited to disk duplication charges, download time, or connect
time while downloading, or use of the files. Distribution must include
the original and complete, unaltered ZIP file.
You use the scripts at your own risk. They are provided AS IS with NO
WARRANTIES of any kind. They are straight ASCII text and may be
altered by anyone with basic programming skills. Therefore you should
fully test the scripts and any revisions you make prior to using them
in unattended transfers, as unexpected results may occur.
Certain names and products mentioned in this text are trademarks of
their respective companies.
----------------
My sincerest appreciation to Lloyd Osteryoung of Cecil's Nite Owl in
Palm Beach Gardens, FL, for providing the need for a package of script
files as these, and for his unending patience while testing various
ideas and additions. As we all know, providing a top notch bulletin
board system with state-of-the-art features is an expensive and time
consuming process. Yet, Cecil's Nite Owl meets these standards while
remaining free of charge to its callers, reaffirming the basic premise
of bulletin boards, the free and open exchange of ideas.
My appreciation also goes out to Mark Findlay, author of the NET/Mail
software package that allows all of us all over the country, and now
Europe, the means to communicate in an open forum. Mark's package is
tops in its field, operating almost flawlessly since its inception!
----------------
Files in CALLNET2.ZIP (except this documentation file) as displayed
using the -V parameter in PKZIP:
Searching ZIP: CALLNET2.ZIP
Length Method Size Ratio Date Time CRC-32 Attr Name
------ ------ ----- ----- ---- ---- ------ ---- ----
1044 Implode 636 40% 11-01-89 11:01 bf8a8c40 --w README.NOW
247 Shrunk 178 28% 11-01-89 11:01 7e637db3 --w NETSEND.BAT
28 Stored 28 0% 11-01-89 11:01 987af400 --w IN.BAT
29 Stored 29 0% 11-01-89 11:01 61a9bd91 --w OUT.BAT
66 Shrunk 58 13% 11-01-89 11:01 c32462ee --w MCALL.BAT
928 Implode 463 51% 11-01-89 11:01 e8b73ac8 --w PROFILE.ASP
14053 Implode 3062 79% 11-01-89 11:01 646ef5bc --w DCWAS24.ASP
CALLNET2.DOC Page 3 November 1, 1989
OVERVIEW:
----------------
CALLNET uses a common sense approach in automating the process of
exchanging mail packets between node and hub systems. It is designed
to be called from the PCBoard's overnight event, allowing the use of
Telenet's PC Pursuit service or to take advantage of discount, late
night long distance rates. The main script file used is designed to
watch for potential errors and, in most cases, to recover from problems
such as noisy phone lines or busy systems. All of this is accomplished
while maintaining *courtesy* toward other system operators trying to
access the same hub by limiting the number of dialing retries.
If CALLNET fails to connect to the hub system for whatever reason, fear
not. Recovery during the next event is a painless, automatic process,
as long as your script is properly configured. A log file is
maintained for the entire session to call your attention to problems
such as bad or missing prompts, or conflicting schedules with other
nodes. More on the log file later in the documentation.
Briefly, CALLNET will attempt to access Telenet and a distant PC
Pursuitable city up to ten times, and once connected to the distant
city, will attempt access to the hub bulletin board up to ten times.
Failure results in a ten minute wait before a retry. Assuming failure
again, CALLNET, when configured to do so, will attempt one last round
by dialing direct (1+) to the hub system. Failure again results in a
warning message in the log file, with recovery expected during your
next event, or through manual processing.
Once successfully connected to the hub, CALLNET watches for appropriate
messages in ensure that all processing is taking place as expected.
Failure to "see" key prompts will result in the declaration of a fatal
error, and one retry to transfer mail. (Note: Retry will take place
ONLY if originally connected through PC Pursuit. This feature is to
reduce the chance of a long distance bill the size of the national
debt.) Assuming success, CALLNET will return to DOS and return control
to the batch file, NETSEND.BAT, to complete the import process and
reboot your bulletin board.
In a worse case scenario, your bulletin board is unavailable for calls
(and will not answer for any reason) for about thirty minutes and your
connect time on PC Pursuit is about twenty minutes (or about 10 hours
during a month of complete failures!), keeping your PC Pursuit charges
well within the maximum flat rate charges. Of course, monthly PC
Pursuit connect time will vary, depending on the amount of network mail
being transferred. Our experience at Cecil's Nite Owl during the past
five months has shown that NET/Mail transfers use less than eight
hours of the thirty hour per month cap recently instituted by Telenet.
As provided, CALLNET will shell to DOS three times during each session.
OUT.BAT is executed to upload your mail packet to the hub system, and
IN.BAT is executed to download your packet from the hub. MCALL.BAT is
used to update your opening screen once the mail is *successfully*
transferred. If you do not have the necessary software to update your
opening screens, MCALL.BAT will have to be disabled, as discussed
further in this text.
Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen
CALLNET2.DOC Page 4 November 1, 1989
CONVENTIONS:
----------------
- Do not add carriage returns to the end of your string
assignments. CALLNET provides carriage returns (^m)
in the appropriate places.
- The telephone number of your hub MUST be in the exact
format ###-###-####. If you are using a hub within
your own area code, the format MUST be ----###-####.
This requirement applies whether or not the direct dial
feature is implemented.
- Using PC Pursuit, the first five characters in the
string assigned to S1 (line 23) MUST be the PC Pursuit
city code. Example, assuming your hub is located in
Washington, DC, the first five characters is S1 MUST
be DCWAS. For a Seattle hub, S1 must contain WASEA
as the first five characters.
- You may prevent certain lines in the script files
from being executed by placing a semicolon (;) at the
beginning of the line. If you wish to activate the
direct dialing feature in CALLNET, place a semicolon
at the beginning of line 176, so that is reads:
;GOTO BAD
- When calling hubs that do NOT feature color graphics, it
will be necessary to place semicolons in front of lines
200 through 205, and line 208 to prevent CALLNET from
bombing at missing graphics prompts.
The scripts in CALLNET should be installed and run from a hard disk
drive. Each line in a script must be read, all while the system is
"watching" for prompts and special characters coming from the host
system. Floppy drives will slow reaction time considerably and in most
cases will cause the routines to fail.
On the same note, waiting for Procomm Plus to beep a number of times
when certain events (such as connecting to a host system) occur may
cause the scripts to terminate. The alarm in Procomm Plus should be
turned off, and the alarm time should be set to zero seconds. If you
use PROFILE.ASP provided the alarm will be disabled for you.
There are seven different retry counters operating within the main
script file, using the integer values N0 through N6. While each serves
a unique purpose and each controls a unique function. Altering one may
have a domino effect on the remainder and care should be taken when
changing any of the code involving integers.
The log file, NETMAIL.LOG in our script, does not have to be deleted
after each session. If you decide to keep it, new log information will
be appended to the end of the existing file. Once you are up and
running without any problems you may find storing a month's worth of
log information a waste of space.
Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen
CALLNET2.DOC Page 5 November 1, 1989
CONFIGURATION:
----------------
First things first, you will need to configure the batch files to your
system's specifications. Below are copies of each batch file with an
explanation of each line. OUT.BAT, IN.BAT and MCALL.BAT must reside in
your Procomm Plus subdirectory or path.
NETSEND.BAT
----------------
echo off ; turn echo off
cls ; clear the screen
m: ; log to drive m:
cd\netmail ; log to netmail subdirectory
export nodelist ; execute export
cd\pcplus ; log to pcplus subdirectory
pcplus /fdcwas24 ; execute pcplus, profile and dcwas24
copy netmail.log prn ; dump log file to printer
copy netmail.log n:\s1 ; copy log file to d/l directory
del netmail.log ; delete log file
cd\netmail ; log to netmail subdirectory
import ; execute import
cd\netmail\files ; log to files subdirectory
del nodelist.was ; delete yesterday's nodelist
ren nodelist nodelist.was ; rename nodelist
l: ; log to drive l:
cd\pcb ; log to pcb subdirectory
board ; execute board.bat
IN.BAT
----------------
DSZ port 2 rz NODEMAME.IN ; be sure to configure to your specs!
OUT.BAT
----------------
DSZ port 2 sz NODENAME.OUT ; be sure to configure to your specs!
MCALL.BAT
----------------
echo off ; turn echo off
l: ; log to drive l:
cd\pcb ; log to pcb subdirectory
mailcall mailcall.cfg ; execute mailcall to update screen
cd\ ; log to root directory
m: ; log to drive m:
cd\pcplus ; log to pcplus subdirectory
Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen
CALLNET2.DOC Page 6 November 1, 1989
PROFILE.ASP
----------------
Change Line 7 to the proper COMM port for your modem.
Change Line 9 to the proper baud rate.
Note: The main script provided, DCWAS24.ASP is geared
to users of PC Pursuit at 2400 baud!
DCWAS24.ASP
----------------
Change Line 13 to include any drive, path and name you wish
to use for the log file maintained during the call. Insure
that any changes are reflected in NETSEND.BAT!
Line 22 (S0) should be changed to your local Telenet access
phone number. Be sure to use the special numbers reserved
for 2400 baud calls is you are running at 2400 baud.
Line 23 (S1) *MUST* include the PC Pursuit city code as the
first five characters. The characters after the first five
can be anything you wish. This format is REQUIRED if you
wish the scripts to function properly, and was designed in
this manner to allow expansion and linking of scripts.
Line 24 (S2) should be changed to the area code and phone
number of the hub system. As discussed earlier, calls to
hubs within your area code uses the format ----###-####.
The scripts look at the right most eight characters when
determining the hub phone number.
Line 25 (S3) should be changed to your first and last name
as registered on the hub system. Remember, do not add a
carriage return character (^m), as it is added to the end
of the string when used by the script.
Line 26 (S4) should be changed to your password on the hub
system.
Line 27 (S5) should include the "OPEN" command as well as
the door number for your hub's NET/Mail door.
Lines 28 and 29 (S6 and S7) are used internally by the script.
Line 30 (S8) should be changed to your PC Pursuit ID code.
Again, do not add a trailing carriage return.
Line 31 (S9) should be changed to your PC Pursuit password.
If you are *not* calling through PC Pursuit, delete the semicolon (;)
at the beginning of line 48 so that the script bypasses the PC Pursuit
logon procedures. You will also need to *add* a semicolon to the start
of Line 176, the first command under DIRECT:. When calling local
numbers, it is necessary to change Line 181 to read "ATDT".
Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen
CALLNET2.DOC Page 7 November 1, 1989
If you are calling a hub that does not support graphics, and thus, does
not begin with a graphics prompt, place semicolons at the beginning of
Lines 200-205 *and* Line 208. These lines are also marked with
asterisks in the far right column.
Operators not using the mail call routines will need to disable Line
294 by placing a semicolon at the beginning of the line.
BEFORE YOU CALL:
----------------
Before you try your script, place a "live" call to your hub and insure
that your user record reflects EXPERT mode. The scripts are not
designed to account for added prompts and the time delays associated
with novice user levels.
You should also inform the operator of your hub that you will be
debugging your scripts for awhile and arrange a time when the system is
usually available for repeated calls.
If, on you *first* call since midnight, you do not get a "Press enter
to continue" prompt, it would be wise to change Line 199 to read:
WHEN "More?" "n^m"
This change will eliminate the potential for fatal errors once
connected to the hub system.
TESTING:
----------------
Above all, test your scripts and any changes during live sessions. DO
NOT install them in your event file until you are sure everything is
functioning properly. It took us about a week to get all the kinks out
of our routines, but that was during the creation process when various
points of error checking were added. You should be able to install the
routines in your event within a couple of days after making any
necessary changes.
As provided, the script DCWAS24.ASP runs successfully when calling the
DC Information Exchange in Washington, DC. Anytime we missed our "mail
runs", due to vacations and a recent move to a new location, the
recovery of missed mail was completely painless, and automatic as part
of the next scheduled event after the system went back online.
Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen
CALLNET2.DOC Page 8 November 1, 1989
LOG FILE:
----------------
Below are descriptions and reasoning behind the NETMAIL.LOG entries.
@@ Telenet Inbound Failure @@
The local Telenet number (S0) is incorrect or busy.
@@ Telenet Wakeup Failure @@
Telenet failed to respond to the wakeup command. If
you are not running 2400 baud, this wakeup command
will have to be changed.
@@ Telenet Login Failure @@
Telenet failed to recognize your terminal type input.
@@ Telenet Distant Node Busy @@
Nodes to the distant city are busy or out of service.
Another possibility is incorrect PC Pursuit ID or
password strings.
@@ Outbound Node Failure @@
The hub system is busy or the number entered is incorrect.
@@ Direct Dial Failure @@
The hub system is busy or the number entered is incorrect.
Repeated busys indicate conflicting schedules between nodes.
@@ HUBFAIL: Graphics Prompt @@
The script did not see the graphics query within the 15
second limit. Is your hub a graphics system?
@@ HUBFAIL: Name Prompt @@
The script missed and could not recover from a missing
name prompt. Noisy lines?
@@ HUBFAIL: Password Prompt @@
The password prompt was not seen. Possibilities include
noisy phone lines or your name is not recognized.
Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen
CALLNET2.DOC Page 9 November 1, 1989
@@ HUBFAIL: Mail Check Prompt @@
The prompt to check for your mail was missed.
@@ HUBFAIL: Main Command Prompt @@
The main command prompt was missing or garbled and the
script was unable to recover.
@@ HUBFAIL: Door Locked Message @@
The NET/Mail door was in use on another node.
@@ HUBFAIL: DSZ Upload Prompt @@
The DSZ initialization string was not found.
@@ HUBFAIL: Upload Questionable @@
Messages confirming a successful upload were not found.
@@ HUBFAIL: Importing Conference @@
Message in preparation for your download were not found.
@@ HUBFAIL: DSZ Download Prompt @@
The DSZ initialization string was not seen. The hub is
allowed up to ten minutes to prepare the download, more
than enough time for even large mail packets.
=============================
NET/Mail Transfer Failure
=============================
CALLNET was not successful in transferring mail with the
hub system for whatever reason. If your scripts are
properly configured, recovery will be automatic during
the next event.
Copyright (c)1989 by Edward Thigpen