HAM Radio 1/HamRadio.cdr/misc/ares/guide.txt

Text File | 1988-06-24 | 20KB | 377 lines

ARESDA01.CRD:Packet Operator Quick Reference Card for ARES/Data V 0.1

This is a shortened version of the standard ARES/Data documentation.
Please read the full documentation for complete information on the
overall operation of ARES/Data.  Since ARES/Data is a derivative of the
FINDER program, some (only some) aspects of the operation are similar to
FINDER.  Documentation on FINDER is published in the Proceedings of the
6th ARRL Computer Networking Conference, pp. 134-141.

1. TNC Settings for Packet Concentrators.  These are ABSOLUTELY essential!
   Use the commands appropriate for your type of TNC:

            TAPR                                     WA8DED
        DWAIT 25 (250 ms)                       * W 25 (250 ms)
        MAXFRAME 1                              * O 1
        FRACK 10 (10 sec)                       * F 10 (10 sec)
        RETRY 10                                * N 10
        AX25L2V2 ON                             * V 2
        RESPTIME 10 (1.0 sec)                   * @T2 100
        TXDELAY 40 (400 ms)                     * T 40 (400 ms)

2. Summary of database operations:

   A. Current information input: (commas are REQUIRED separators,
      imbedded blanks are significant, and <CR> means carriage return)

      field1,field2,field3,field4,message<CR>

      where

      a. FIELD1 through FIELD4 are 20-character fields
      b. MESSAGE is any message up to 80 characters

      Each entry like this creates one record in the database, and
      the current date and time are added to the record.
      (To leave a field blank, let the commas run together " ,, ")

      For example:   johnson,joe,shelter1,ok,has 4wd avail<CR>

      To update a record, enter the new information, but use two
      adjacent commas to save typing information that has not changed.

      For example:   johnson,joe,,ill,ate cafeteria food<CR>
             (Joe Johnson's location is still Shelter1).

   B. Searches available:

      /1,value<CR>    lists all records with "value" for field1
      /2,value<CR>    lists all records with "value" for field2
      /3,value<CR>    lists all records with "value" for field3
      /4,value<CR>    lists all records with "value" for field4

      For example:    /1,johnson<CR>   <-- lists all Johnsons
          or:         /3,shelter2<CR>  <-- lists everyone at Shelter2


   C. Summaries available:

      $1<CR>          For each distinct value for fieldN, state number
      $2<CR>          of records with that value for fieldN, where
      $3<CR>          "N" can be 1, 2, 3, or 4.
      $4<CR>

      For example:    $3<CR>   might print a summary of the number
      of people checked in at each shelter:
          SHELTER1 : 30
          SHELTER2 : 47
          SHELTER3 : 11
            ... etc.

   D. Listing of specific records:

      l nnnn<CR>      lists all information for record "nnnn"
      l all<CR>       lists ALL information in database.
                      Use with CAUTION--could result in a long printout!

   E. Deleting specific records:

      d nnnn<CR>      deletes record nnnn, only if enabled by sysop

3. CONFERENCE BRIDGE: users and tell commands:

   users<CR>                     requests list of calls connected to ARES/Data
   u<CR>

   tell callsign message<CR>     sends message to callsign (partial calls
   t callsign message<CR>        work, such as callsign suffix:
                                 "t kl Need operators here" would send the
                                 message "Need operators here" to any logged-
                                 on station with "KL" as part of their
                                 callsign:  N6KL, N6KL-2, KL7ABC, etc).

   tell * message<CR>            sends QST message to all connected stations
   tell all message<CR>

   tell sysop message<CR>        sends message to sysop

   message<CR>                   UNLIKE FINDER, this is NOT a message to
                                 the sysop.  It will generate an
                                 "Input ignored." error message.  Use
                                 "t sysop message" to talk to sysop.

5. OTHER COMMANDS:

   help<CR>                   requests a brief syntax reminder from system
   h<CR>
   ?<CR>

   <CR>                       tests to see if ARES/Data is running - response
                              is a line feed plus the ">" prompt.

   b<CR>                      requests logoff from ARES/Data
   bye<CR>


end ARESDA01.CRD
ARESDA01.REF      ARES/Data V. 0.1 Sysop Information and Reference

1.  These instructions are aimed at those who will be actually running
the ARES/Data program, or for those interested in some of the
operational detail.  You need not read this file in order to
effectively use the program as a Data Concentrator (e.g.  packet
operator).  These instructions are abbreviated, so be sure to read the
ARES/Data documentation files first for general background
information.  You may also want to read about the ancestor of
ARES/Data, the FINDER system, in the 6th ARRL Computer Networking
Conference Proceedings.

2.  You need an IBM PC or compatible to run the program with at least two
drives, one of which should be a hard disk or hard card, if possible.
ARES/Data has been tested on a PC, XT, AT and a PC Convertible using DOS
3.2.  (The program also appears to run fairly well on the PCjr.) In
addition, if you want to allow remote packet radio access to the database,
you need one serial port.

3.  Assuming you want remote access to the database with packet, you
also need a TNC with firmware (EPROM) written by Ron Raikes, WA8DED.
ARES/Data has been tested on several TNC-1's with WA8DED firmware
Version 1.3 modified for 8 simultaneous connects, on several TNC-2's
with WA8DED firmware Version 2.0, and on several PK-87's with WA8DED
firmware.  We noted that the channel polling loop runs about 3 times
faster on the TNC-1 than on the TNC-2, with the PK-87 (4.9 MHz clock)
somewhere between the two.  If your usage is totally non-commercial,
you can get the WA8DED public domain firmware yourself from many
sources; see your local packet hacker.  IF ALL ELSE FAILS, you can get
it from us by sending two 27C64 EPROMS (for the TNC-1) or one 27C256
EPROM (for the TNC-2 or PK-87) to Dave Palmer, N6KL, or W.  E.
Moerner, WN6I.  Take a few minutes to learn the "DED" user mode
command syntax - it is different from the TAPR syntax, but easy to
learn.  The WA8DED documentation is included on the distribution
diskette.

4.  The ARES/Data program, a relative of the FINDER program, is in the
public domain and is available for non-commercial, non-profit use from WN6I
or N6KL by sending a blank, formatted 5 1/4" (360 kB) or 3 1/2" (720 kB)
floppy with SASE for return to you.  The cost to you is the cost of the
diskette and return postage.  We have included a configuration file
facility so that you can tailor many parameters to your system.  If you
want small changes in the code, we will try to accommodate you.

5. ARES/Data file usage:

   ARESDATA.DAT                 the database itself - all records
   FIELD1.NDX                   index file for field1
   FIELD2.NDX                   index file for field2
   FIELD3.NDX                   index file for field3
   FIELD4.NDX                   index file for field4

   ARESDATA.JRN                 journal file - a normal ASCII file containing
                                a listing of all valid current information
                                packets.  May be edited or printed or used as
                                input to the ARES/Data program to recover a
                                damaged or erased database.

   ARESDATA.BAK                 backup of the database
   FIELD1.BAK                   index file for field 1 backup
   FIELD2.BAK                   index file for field 2 backup
   FIELD3.BAK                   index file for field 3 backup
   FIELD4.BAK                   index file for field 4 backup


6.  Before starting ARES/Data, be sure your hardware is set up correctly.
Test the TNC and WA8DED firmware by using your own terminal emulator first.

7.  Edit the configuration file ARESDATA.CFG to reflect your system
configuration.  The configuration file is self-documenting for the most part.
Multiple comment lines starting with a semicolon are allowed at the beginning
of the file.  Thereafter, each line begins in column 1 with the desired value
of the parameter.  Follow each parameter with at least one space and a
semicolon.  Comments may follow the semicolon.  Here is a description of each
parameter:

        a. Choose prompted or automatic mode.  This is described below in
           number 9.
        b. Choose TNC support (yes or no).  This controls whether remote
           access via packet is desired.  If you choose NO, all parameters
           relating to the TNC below will be ignored, but must be present
           in this file.
        c. Choose whether or not you want to allow remote deleting of
           database records (yes or no) by connected packet stations.
           Note this applies only for initial startup. You can always
           change this setting in real-time from the sysop keyboard,
           by entering the sysop DELETEON or DELETEOFF commands.
        d. Maximum number of connections.  Specify 8, unless you want to
           restrict the number of simultaneous connects to a smaller number.
           The program will determine the maximum number your firmware will
           support and will adjust accordingly.
        e. Backup drive and path.  This is the drive:path for the automatic
           backup of the database files.  Must end with a "\".
        f. Journaling drive and path.  This is the drive:path for the
           automatic journaling of valid database transactions. Must end
           with a "\".
        g. Backup interval.  Number of new entries before the entire
           database is written to the backup file. 0 means no backup.
        h. Journaling interval.  Number of new entries to the database
           before the journal file is updated.  Max=25.
        i. TNC serial port.  May be 1 (for COM1), 2 (for COM2), or 0 if you
           are using a non-standard serial port.  If you specify 0, ARES/Data
           will not initialize the serial port and you must have initialized
           it separately to N, 8, 1, and whatever baud rate you like.
        j. Serial port address.  ARES/Data allows you to use any serial port
           you like.  Specify here the base address of the UART chip.  COM1 is
           usually $3F8 and COM2 is usually $2F8.  Interrupts are not used,
           thus the interrrupt level need not be specified.
        k. Serial port baud rate.  We suggest 4800 or 9600 baud.
        l. Serial port retry count. Try 10.  If you regularly get
           TNC timeout messages, adjust this value higher.
        m. Enable/disable interrupts during serial port I/O.  We strongly
           suggest enable, unless your computer has difficulty keeping up with
           the baud rate.
        n. Printer number.  1 for lpt1: , etc.  Use 1, 2 or 3.
        o. TNC commands to be issued during startup of ARES/Data.  The first
           line begins with a single slash.  Change the callsign to your own.
           All the other parameters have been determined to be reasonably
           optimal for efficient ARES/Data database operation.  You may include
           other commands or delete commands from this list if you wish.
           End the TNC command list with a slash.

8.  To start ARES/Data:  If you have selected automatic startup, be sure the
drives have disks in them.  If you have included TNC support, be sure that the
TNC is on.  Start the execution by typing "ARESDATA<CR>".

9.  The startup sequence is self-explanatory.  If you have selected
automatic startup and TNC support, no prompting will be done and after
processing the .cfg file and opening the database files, the program will
automatically enter host mode and begin polling the available channels for
data.  If you have selected prompted startup, you will be prompted to put a
diskette in the drive you have selected for the backup/journaling function.
If previous database files are found, they are opened.  If none are found,
new database files are created.  Note that after each disaster, you should
rename the database files to start with a fresh (empty) database.  Then you
are prompted to turn on the TNC.  When TNC-computer synchronization is
established, the run-time status screen is displayed and several TNC
parameters are set.  Don't be alarmed at the messages regarding "TNC
Recover" at initial startup time.  The program does not know the state of
the TNC, and if the TNC does not respond to host mode commands, the program
will issue the appropriate "JHOST1" command.  (TCP/IP users:  If you have
the TNC2 WA8DED+KISS Mode Combination EPROM, ARES/Data works fine with
that, too.  You need not enter the initial "H" command following power up).
If you have not selected TNC support, all TNC-related functions are
disabled.  The sysop console is the only input/output port in the system.

10.  The sysop keyboard can enter current information input and search
requests like any connected channel, but don't try to type too fast if TNC
polling is in progress.  If you have problems with this, press F5
temporarily to stop polling so that you can enter your data.  Be sure to
remember to press F5 to re-start polling or your users will think the database
has crashed!  See the file ARESDA01.PKO for a summary of the standard
packet operator commands.

11.  The sysop can also send commands directly to the TNC by typing
<ESC> and the one-letter command as is usual for the WA8DED user-mode
firmware.  Some commands (such as "d" for disconnect) can reference a
specific channel:  to set the channel for these commands, first type
"<ESC>sn<CR>", where n is the channel number.  The currently selected
channel is marked with a triangular arrow on the sysop screen.  For
example, to force a disconnect on channel 3, type "<ESC>s3 <CR> <ESC>d
<CR>".

12.  The sysop can send messages to connected channels in several ways:
(a) by typing "<ESC>nmessage<CR>" where n is the channel number, or (b) by
using the "tell" command described in ARESDA01.PKO.  Note that the sysop
can send a QST to all connected channels by typing "tell all msg"<CR> or
"tell * msg"<CR>, where "msg" is the text to be sent.

13.  Special SYSOP-only commands:

        deleteon                enables use of delete command by connected
                                stations

        deleteoff               disables use of delete command by remote
                                stations.  Note that delete command is
                                always enabled for the sysop.


14.  Special PF keys:

        F1              Immediate database backup: closes all files, copies
                        current database files to the .BAK versions, and
                        flushes the last few valid current information
                        packets into the .JRN file.  Note: if communication
                        is lost on the computer to TNC wire link, a backup
                        is performed automatically, and the program
                        attempts to resynchronize with the TNC.

        F2              Mode selector for the currently selected channel.
                        Pressing the key cycles through three modes:  mode 0 -
                        all packet operator functions enabled; mode 1 - "tell"
                        and "users" only enabled; and mode 2 - chat mode only,
                        which looks like normal terminal operation.  The
                        current mode for each channel is indicated on the sysop
                        screen.  Mode 0 has no character next to the channel
                        number, mode 1 has a small square, and mode 2 has an
                        "x" next to the channel number.  Upon startup, all
                        channels are set to mode 0.  Mode 2 is useful to
                        prevent a "jammer" from tampering with the database, or
                        for normal terminal-mode connection to another station
                        or BBS.  Mode 1 is useful for a round-table discussion
                        only, without access to the database.

        <CTRL>F3        Shut down the program gracefully.  If the program is
                        subsequently restarted from DOS, it will pick up where
                        it left off.

        F5              Suspend polling of channels.  Use this if you
                        experience missing characters during keyboard
                        input, but be sure to re-start polling!

        F6              Redraw the sysop screen.

        F7              Send a full ASCII report of the database to file
                        ARDAtime.RPT on a:.

        F8              Send a full ascii report of the database to file
                        ARDAtime.RPT on b:.

        F10             Toggle printer.  All lines printed in the main part of
                        the sysop screen will be echoed on the printer.  NOTE:
                        this can slow down the polling loop dramatically.
                        If your printer runs out of paper or has an I/O
                        error, the program will retry for about 30 seconds,
                        then give up on the printer.  Polling will continue,
                        but no further output will be sent to the printer
                        until you hit F10 again.

15.  To terminate execution, use the sequence <CTRL><F3>.  <CTRL><BREAK> may be
used to exit only during a tncrecover.   At other times, <CTRL><BREAK> has no
effect.   <CTRL><F3> is best, because the program then properly closes all
files.

16.  If you have TNC errors, under certain conditions the program will execute
a TNC reset and/or a TNC recovery procedure.  When this occurs, the first thing
that happens is a backup.  The program should recover by itself.  Be patient.
As a last resort, you can try turning off the TNC and then turn it on again.
Note that you will then lose all packets in the receive and transmit queues,
however.  If you are really paranoid and you are using an IBM PC, you can
connect the cassette motor relay to the reset circuit on your TNC.  The TNC
reset procedure will close the relay if it appears that the TNC fails to
respond.  We haven't seemed to ever need this feature, though!

17.  Remember that ARES/Data is designed to be general and flexible.  This
means that little error checking is done on input packets.  Garbage in, garbage
out!

18. Good luck!

19. If good luck is insufficient, or if you have comments or suggestions,
please contact either of us at

W. E. Moerner, WN6I, 1003 Belder Drive, San Jose, CA 95120  408-997-3195
     (WN6I @ NV6Z, [e-mail] (csnet))

Dave Palmer, N6KL, 248 Omira Drive, San Jose CA  95123  408-227-5236
     (N6KL @ NV6Z, [e-mail] (csnet) or 73357,3157 (Compuserve))

END ARESDA01.REF