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The LANdon Bridge
-----------------
User's Guide and
Reference Manual
COPYRIGHT (C) 1993 Limerick Software, Arcata, CA. All Rights
Reserved. This manual and the software described by it are
copyrighted, with all rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be copied, reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,
stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in
any form by any means without the written permission of Limerick
Software.
TRADEMARKS: The LANdon Bridge is a trademark of Limerick
Software. Artisoft is a trademark and LANtastic is a registered
trademark of Artisoft, Inc. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks
of Microsoft, Inc. Other brand names and product names are
trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies.
LIMITED WARRANTY ON SOFTWARE: If you discover any physical
defects in the media on which the software is distributed or in
the Manual, Limerick Software will replace the media or manual
for a period of ninety (90) days after the date of purchase by
the end user, provided that you return the disk or Manual during
the warranty period to Limerick Software or to the dealer from
whom you purchased the product.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BYT
APPLICABLE LAW, LIMERICK SOFTWARE DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED
WARRANTIES ON THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, PERFORMANCE, AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. LIMERICK SOFTWARE WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY
BUG, ERROR, OMISSION, DEFECT, DEFICIENCY, OR NONCONFORMITY IN ANY
SOFTWARE. AS A RESULT, THE SOFTWARE IS SOLD "AS IS," AND THE
PURCHASER ASSUMES THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO ITS QUALITY AND
PERFORMANCE. LIMERICK SOFTWARE SHALL IN NO EVENT BE LIABLE FOR
DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONTINGENT OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY DEFECT IN THE SOFTWARE
OR ITS DOCUMENTATION INCLUDING DAMAGES FROM LOSS OF DATA,
DOWNTIME, GOODWILL, DAMAGE TO OR REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT OR
PROPERTY, AND ANY COSTS OF RECOVERING, REPROGRAMMING, OR
REPRODUCING ANY PROGRAM OR DATA USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LIMERICK
SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, EVEN IF LIMERICK SOFTWARE OR AN AUTHORIZED
LIMERICK SOFTWARE DEALER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES. You agree that Limerick Software's liability
arising out of contract, negligence, strict liability in tort or
warranty shall not exceed any amounts paid by you for this
product. Any written or oral information or advice given by
Limerick Software dealers, distributors, agents or employees will
in no way increase the scope of this warranty. Nor may you rely
on any such written or oral communication. Some states do not
allow the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or
liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above
limitation may not apply to you. This warranty gives you
specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which
vary from state to state.
The laws of the State of California shall govern this agreement.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 -- Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The READ.ME File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 2 -- Basic Network Bridging Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Wiring Standards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Network Wiring Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Repeaters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Routers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
The LANdon Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Uses For The LANdon Bridge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Chapter 3 -- Installing and Using The LANdon Bridge. . . . . . . . . . . 11
Software Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Using BRIDGE.EXE in Batch Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Using The LANdon Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
An Interconnectivity Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
A Segmentation Scenario . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
An Administrative Maintenance Scenario. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Controlling the Operation of The LANdon Bridge. . . . . . . . . . . 15
Using The LANdon Bridge with Microsoft Windows(TM). . . . . . . . . 16
Chapter 4 -- Using Command Line Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
@indirect-file. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
HELP or ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
ADAPTERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
ADD_SERVER_NAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
BUFFER_SIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
FLUSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
LOGINS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
PASS_MESSAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
PASS_SERVER_IDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
REMOVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
REQUEST_SIZE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
RESTART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SERVERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
SHUTDOWN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
TASKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
USE_SERVER_IDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
VERBOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Appendix A -- Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 1 -- Introduction
Congratulations on your purchase of The LANdon Bridge Network
Routing Manager for Artisoft(TM) networks!
The LANdon Bridge will enable you to use your Artisoft(TM)
network in ways which otherwise would either require additional
expensive hardware or would simply not be possible. You will be
able to extend the reach of your workstations across the network,
even across segments with different types of cabling. Users of
the LANtastic(R)/Z network will even be able to log on to servers
anywhere on the network, rather than just the one machine they
are connected to. Larger LANtastic(R) networks can be divided
into smaller segments, reducing network congestion and increasing
security, without sacrificing access to servers anywhere on the
LAN.
About This Manual
The LANdon Bridge Network Routing Manager for Artisoft(TM)
networks lets users of the Artisoft(TM) LANtastic(R) Network
Operating System turn any computer in their network with multiple
network adapters into a network bridge. It lets you extend,
segment, or interconnect your LANtastic(R) networks using your
existing hardware. This manual introduces you to the topic of
network interconnectivity, and tells you how to install and use
The LANdon Bridge to interconnect your LANtastic(R) networks.
Chapter 2 explains some of the basic concepts of network bridging
devices, how The LANdon Bridge takes the place of these devices
in your LANtastic(R) network, and how you can use The LANdon
Bridge to solve various network management problems with the
hardware you already have.
Chapter 3 tells you how to install and use The LANdon Bridge on
your computer.
Chapter 4 explains the optional command-line switches you can use
when you run The LANdon Bridge.
Appendix A explains the various error and informational messages
The LANdon Bridge displays as it runs.
The READ.ME File
Whenever changes have been made to the software or its
documentation or other information has become available after the
manual is printed, this new information is placed in the file
called READ.ME on your program disk. It is an ASCII text file,
and can be read with any text editor or word processor, or you
can use the DOS TYPE command.
System Requirements
The LANdon Bridge will run on any system that is compatible with
Artisoft(TM) LANtastic(R) Network Operating System, version 3.x
or higher. The LANdon Bridge requires that the Artisoft(TM) NOS
software be installed and running in order to operate.
Chapter 2 -- Basic Network Bridging Concepts
The LANdon Bridge Network Routing Manager lets users of the
Artisoft(TM) LANtastic(R) Network Operating System turn any
computer with multiple network adapters into a network bridge.
The first section of this chapter contains a brief discussion of
LAN interconnectivity. The latter section describes how The
LANdon Bridge can be used to solve various LAN interconnectivity
problems for the users of Artisoft(TM) LANtastic(R). It is
assumed that the reader is familiar with basic LAN terminology
and wiring standards.
Wiring Standards
The Artisoft(TM) Network Interface Cards (AE1, AE2, AE3, and the
NodeRunner 2000 series) all follow the Ethernet LAN standard.
These cards make available various types of network interfaces:
* AUI: Attachment Unit Interface. This is a point to point,
short distance digital interface. It is most commonly used
to connect to a LAN transceiver to access a 10Base5, or
thick coaxial, network. The Artisoft(TM) AE2, AE3 and the
NodeRunner 2000/A cards all provide this interface.
* 10Base2: Also called Thinnet or Cheapernet. This standard
specifies thin coaxial cable, rated at 10 Mb/s. The maximum
segment length is 185 Meters. There can be up to 30 nodes
per segment. The Artisoft(TM) AE2/C, AE3, and NodeRunner
2000/C and 2000/A cards provide this interface.
* 10Base5: This standard specifies thick coax cable, also
rated at 10 Mb/s. The maximum segment length is 500 Meters.
There can be up to 100 nodes per segment. The network
interface card connects to an external transceiver through
an AUI interface. Artisoft(TM) cards that provide the AUI
interface (see above) can be used to interface with this
type of network cabling.
* 10BaseT: This standard specifies unshielded twisted pair
(UTP) wiring. This standard also runs at 10 Mb/s. The
maximum segment length is 100 Meters, with a maximum total
network span of 500 Meters. The Artisoft(TM) AE1, AE2/T,
AE3, and NodeRunner 2000/T and 2000/A cardsprovide this
interface.
* Artisoft(TM) LANtastic(R) 2Mbps Adapter: This is not an
Ethernet LAN standard interface. It runs, as the name
implies, at 2 Mb/s. Artisoft(TM) 2Mbs adapters can be
daisy-chained together with a maximum of 32 nodes per
segment, and a total network span of 500 Meters.
* Artisoft(TM) LANtastic(R)/Z network: This also is not an
Ethernet LAN standard interface. It is intended as a point
to point, short distance interface, with a maximum of 2
nodes per segment. It is usually used to connect a laptop
to a desktop computer, or to connect two computers in a
single office or building, as a low-cost alternative to
Ethernet cards for network services. With this interface,
the low-level SPORT.EXE and PPORT.EXE drivers provided by
Artisoft(TM) make the serial or parallel ports used for the
network look like network adapters.
With the Ethernet standard, each network interface card is
assigned a unique address by the manufacturer. These addresses
are used to identify the source and destination of information
which is transmitted over the LAN. The Artisoft(TM) AE and
NodeRunner 2000 series Network Interface Cards meet the Ethernet
standard for unique addresses. The Artisoft(TM) 2Mbps adapters
and the LANtastic(R)/Z network port drivers emulate this feature
of the Ethernet standard.
Data is handled by the hardware and software on the network at
different levels, and is done using various protocols. All
repeaters, bridges, and routers access network data at a very low
level. Network hardware that meets the Ethernet standard is able
to interface with these devices. Non-standard hardware, such as
the Artisoft(TM) 2Mbps adapters or the LANtastic(R)/Z network
cannot interface with these devices.
Network Wiring Segments
A LAN "segment" is a single, continuous length of media between
two network terminations. In the case of 10Base2 and 10Base5,
many devices can be attached to a single segment. With 10BaseT
and LANtastic(R)/Z, each segment supports only two devices -- one
at either end.
Segments can be joined together to form larger and more complex
networks that exceed the single segment distance limitations.
There are three basic devices which can be used to join LAN
segments: repeaters, bridges, and routers.
Repeaters
A repeater can be thought of as two Ethernet transceivers
connected back-to-back. Any signal received on one LAN segment
is immediately transmitted on the other segment. The repeater
amplifies and regenerates the signal, but is transparent to both
segments. Thus, a repeater can be thought of as creating one
large LAN out of smaller segments. The only real purpose of a
repeater is to extend the physical length of the LAN, or to join
two different types of media, such as 10Base5 to 10Base2.
Ethernet specifies a maximum of 4 repeaters between any two
stations, allowing a maximum of 5 segments in a single LAN. Some
repeaters are multi-port repeaters, which transmit incoming
signals from any one segment to all other segments. A 10BaseT
wiring hub is essentially a multi-port repeater.
Bridges
A bridge operates quite differently from a repeater. Unlike a
repeater, a bridge does not re-transmit all information detected
on each segment. Instead, a bridge only transmits the
information which must cross it in order to reah its destination.
A bridge connected between two LANs will monitor traffic on each
LAN, but will only transmit data packets destined for a device on
the other LAN. If it does forward the data, it transmits it on
the other LAN just as a local device would - it waits until the
LAN is clear and then sends the information. The effect of this
is to logically segment the two networks. Information destined
for a device on the same network will not be forwarded to the
second LAN. Only traffic destined for the other LAN will be
forwarded. Overall congestion on each LAN will be greatly
reduced.
Because a bridge buffers the data and must wait to forward
packets to a second LAN, performance suffers somewhat. However,
since the bridge actually receives the data, stores the
information, and then re-transmits the data on another LAN as if
it were the originator, the rule about segments and repeaters
does not hold true. There can be virtually any number of bridges
between two network devices, obviously within practical limits.
Depending upon the features supported by the bridge, circular
paths and multiple paths can also be supported.
Routers
A Router operates on a concept similar to that of a bridge, but
at a higher level. It usually has much more intelligence built
into it about various network protocols, as well as algorithms
for
learning how to best route data to each address. A router has
more capabilities than a bridge, but is usually slower, because
it must do more processing on the data, and is usually much more
costly. A router might be used if complex network topologies are
required, or if more than one network protocol were being used on
one or more of the interconnected LAN segments.
The LANdon Bridge
The LANdon Bridge implements some of the best features of
Repeaters, Bridges and Routers for users of Artisoft(TM)
LANtastic(R), using the hardware you already have. The LANdon
Bridge works on any computer running Artisoft(TM) LANtastic(R)
NOS Version 3.x or higher, with two or more network adapters,
including 2Mbps adapters or the LANtastic(R)/Z, and each adapter
connected to a different LAN segment.
The LANdon Bridge operates on the at the same level as
LANtastic(R) does, the NETBIOS level. It intelligently manages
the NETBIOS data packets that LANtastic(R) uses for network
communication.
Certain data packets, such as NET SEND * messages or a servers
SEND_SERVER_ID messages, which are intended to be sent to all
machines on the network, are retransmitted indiscriminately, like
a repeater. For most network traffic, however it acts like a
bridge or a router, forwarding data packets between workstations
and servers on different segments, but only when necessary.
Unlike a repeater, bridge, or router, a computer running The
LANdon Bridge has the advantage of remaining available as a
workstation, a server, or both.
Uses For The LANdon Bridge
There are basically four ways to use The LANdon Bridge:
* LAN Interconnectivity: To connect LANs segments using
different media, such as 10Base5 and 10BaseT, or even
connecting 2Mbps adapters and LANtastic(R)/Z networks to
standard Ethernet LAN segments. Because The LANdon Bridge
operates at the NETBIOS level, it is not limited to using
hardware that meets the Ethernet standard.If you already
have a LANtastic(R) network using one kind of media, and
would like to expand your netwok, but, for reasons of cost,
performance, or logistics, you want to begin using a
different kind media, you can put both kind of adapters in
one machine, and use The LANdon Bridge to connect the two
networks.
* LAN Extension: To expand your network beyond the physical
limits imposed by the media you are using. The LANdon
Bridge can be used to extend the overall network length by
joining two or more distinct networks which are
interconnected.
* LAN Segmentation: To increase network performance and/or
reliability through segmentation of your network.
If there are two different data-intensive applications, such
as an accounting system and an order entry system both
running on the same LAN, it would slow the LAN considerably.
All packets of information for both applications would be
broadcast over the single LAN, although the vast majority of
the packets for any one application would always be destined
for just a few of the computers on the LAN.
A better approach would be to break the LAN into two smaller
segments, one for accounting and one for order entry, then
use The LANdon Bridge, which will only forward packets that
need to reach nodes on the other segment, reducing the
overall congestion. This is important because in an
Ethernet LAN, performance falls off dramatically once the
network is saturated with traffic. Having many nodes
competing for network access causes frequent collisions.
LAN segmentation can also be used to isolate troublesome
portions of the network and provide better reliability.
With a bus topology, such as 10Base2 and 10Base5, a failure
in any device on the bus can bring down the entire LAN. By
inserting The LANdon Bridge between LAN segments, a failure
on any one segment will not affect nodes on the other
segments.
Chapter 3 -- Installing and Using The LANdon Bridge
Software Installation
Installing The LANdon Bridge software on your computer is a
simple matter of copying the files from the software distribution
diskette. First, you should stop and make a working copy of your
program diskette and put the original away in a safe place.
Having made a working copy:
1) At the DOS prompt, change to the LANTASTI directory. Type:
CD \LANTASTI then press Enter.
2) Copy the software from the working copy of your software
distribution diskette into the LANTASTI directory now by
typing:
COPY A:*.* then pressing Enter.
3) Start your LANtastic network software. If you will be
running The LANdon Bridge on a server, make sure you have
already installed the Artisoft(TM) LANtastic(R) SERVER.EXE
program, then:
4) Run The LANdon Bridge program. Type:
BRIDGE then press Enter.
You should see these messages:
LANdon Bridge v1.0 (C) Copyright 1993 Limerick Software
---- LANdon Bridge Installed ----
If you get an error message instead, refer to Appendix A --
Messages in this manual for an explanation and suggestions how to
correct the problem.
Using BRIDGE.EXE in Batch Files
If you have a batch file (such as an AUTOEXEC.BAT or a
STARTNET.BAT) which brings up the NETBIOS and LANtastic(R) NOS
software on your computer, you may want to include the BRIDGE
command in this batch file. This will install the bridge
whenever you run the batch file. Be sure that the BRIDGE command
is placed after the REDIR and SERVER commands.
Using The LANdon Bridge
Using The LANdon Bridge entails little more that installing the
program in the memory of your computer. Most of the
functionality of The LANdon Bridge is automatic. Once installed,
no further intervention on the part of either the users of the
network or the network administrator is required, for most
applications. There are many different possible network
configurations, and many different ways The LANdon Bridge could
be used in any single network environment. The following
sections of this chapter will outline a few of the more likely
scenarios, and how to use The LANdon Bridge to achieve specific
goals within each scenario.
An Interconnectivity Scenario
The simplest scenario where The LANdon Bridge could be useful is
one where you have two different network segments, and you would
like workstations on one segment to be able to access servers on
the other. For example, you might have some machines which are
running on the LANtastic(R) 2Mbps adapters, and other machines
running on Ethernet standard hardware, such as the Artisoft(TM)
AE or NodeRunner 2000 series cards. Or, perhaps you use the
LANtastic(R)/Z network to connect your laptop computer to your
desktop network node at the office. With this scenario, you can
use a single machine which has an adapter for each of the
different kinds of network hardware you are using to connect the
nework segments.
Without The LANdon Bridge, that one machine common to both
segments can see all the network nodes on each segment, and all
the machines on the different network segments can see the one
common machine. However, except for the common machine, the
nodes on one segment still cannot see any other nodes on the
other segments, because each node can only communicate with nodes
on their own segment.
Using The LANdon Bridge will allow all the nodes on any segment
to access any server on any segment, and to send messages to any
node, as though the different segments were one single segment.
To set The LANdon Bridge up to achieve this, you would perform
the following steps:
1) Make sure that the servers on your network are up and
running and that they are configured using
SEND_SERVER_IDS=YES.
2) Install the LANtastic(R) NOS software on the common machine.
3) Install The LANdon Bridge on the common machine by typing:
BRIDGE then press Enter.
4) Login to the network servers of your choice from any
machine, using the NET LOGIN/WAIT option. Note that it may
take several seconds for the server IDs to be sent and
processed by The LANdon Bridge. You can also now send and
receive messages from any node on the network.
A Segmentation Scenario
Another scenario where The LANdon Bridge can be used is one where
you have one large network segment which has become congested
with network traffic from two or more different applications
which are being used simultaneously on several different nodes,
such as an Order Entry department and an Accounting department
both on one network. Lets assume that the program and data files
for the two different departments must reside on the same file
server.
Without The LANdon Bridge, you could put two network adapter
cards into the common server, and run the cable from one adapter
to the Order Entry department, and a cable from the other adapter
to the Accounting department. This would leave both departments
with access to the program and data files they need on the common
server, and would reduce the congestion on the network for each
department. However, access to other servers in one department,
such as print servers or additional file servers, would not be
available from the other department, and messages could no longer
be sent from Order Entry to Accounting or vice versa.
By running The LANdon Bridge on the common server, you can get
all the benefits of segmenting your network, without sacrificing
the ability to access servers or send messages anywhere on the
network. To set The LANdon Bridge up to achieve this, you would
perform the following steps:
1) Make sure that the servers on your network are up and
running and that they are configured using
SEND_SERVER_IDS=YES.
2) Install the LANtastic(R) NOS software on the common server.
3) Install The LANdon Bridge on the common machine by typing:
BRIDGE/LOGINS=xxx then press Enter,
where xxx represents the maximum number of simultaneous
logins you want the bridge to support. If you want The
LANdon Bridge to provide access to more servers than the
default number of 8, then you would type:
BRIDGE/LOGINS=xxx/SERVERS=yyy then press Enter,
where yyy represents the number of servers. For more
information of the optionl command line switches, see
Chapter 4.
4) Users may now login to the network servers of thier choice
from any machine, using the NET LOGIN/WAIT option. Note
that it may take several seconds for the server IDs to be
sent and processed by The LANdon Bridge. Users can also now
send and receive messages to and from any node on the
network.
An Administrative Maintenance Scenario
Perhaps you are the administrator of a LANtastic(R) network with
several network segments stemming from a single server with
multiple adapters. The network also has other servers on the
various network segments. In order to perform your
administrative duties, you must either login from the common file
server, or move from network segment to network segment, logging
in from a new node each time, in order to access all the server
control directories on the network. With The LANdon Bridge, you
can have access to all the networks servers from just one node,
without having to work from the common server.
To set The LANdon Bridge up to achieve this, you would perform
the following steps:
Make sure that the servers on your network are up and running and
that they are configured using SEND_SERVER_IDS=YES.
1) Install the LANtastic(R) NOS software on the common server.
2) Install The LANdon Bridge on the common machine by typing:
BRIDGE/PASS_SERVER_IDS=NO/PASS_MESSAGES=NO
then press Enter.
This will require you to know the names of the network
servers in order to login. Users will not see the servers
that The LANdon Bridge is providing access to in their list
of available servers. Also messages will not be sent across
the bridge. For more information of the optional command
line switches, see Chapter 4.
3) You may now login to the network servers of your choice from
any machine, using the NET LOGIN/WAIT option. Note that it
may take several seconds for the server IDs to be sent and
processed by The LANdon Bridge.
Controlling the Operation of
The LANdon Bridge
Whatever way you decide to setup and configure your network using
The LANdon Bridge, once it is installed correctly it needs little
attention to continuerunning smoothly. There are a few commands,
however, that will control the operation of The LANdon Bridge
after it is already installed. The following is a brief
discussion of some of those commands. For more information of
the optional command line switches, see Chapter 4 -- Command Line
Switches.
After installation, The LANdon Bridge learns the names of servers
from one of two places. It listens for server IDs from servers
started with SEND_SERVER_IDS set to YES. You can also explicitly
tell it about network servers by running The LANdon Bridge again,
using the ADD_SERVER_NAME command line switch. Whether or not
The LANdon Bridge listens for the server IDs is determined by the
setting of the USE_SERVER_IDS switch when you start The LANdon
Bridge. The default value for this switch is YES.
While The LANdon Bridge is running, you can use the
ADD_SERVER_NAME command line switch to tell it about network
servers, regardless of the setting of the USE_SERVER_IDS switch.
If there are servers that you want The LANdon Bridge to provide
access to which are set up for SEND_SERVER_IDS=NO, then you must
use the ADD_SERVER_NAME switch to tell The LANdon Bridge about
those servers.
Once it has learned a network server name, The LANdon Bridge adds
that name to its internal table, and that name uses up one of the
SERVERS specified by the SERVERS=ddd switch at startup, which is
set to 8 by default. Access to that server will be provided to
any node on the network, as long as the server remains in
operation and as long as the network node logging in, The LANdon
Bridge, and the server being logged into each has at least one
available LOGIN from its respective LOGINS=ddd switch.
At any time after installation, The LANdon Bridge can be stopped
temporarily from providing access across the bridge by using the
SHUTDOWN command. Once The LANdon Bridge is SHUTDOWN, all
services it provieds are temporarily halted. No messages will be
sent across the bridge, no users may login across the bridge, and
existing server connections across the bridge are broken. Users
already logged in over the bridge receive warning messages
stating that The LANdon Bridge is shutting down and that it is
terminating their connection with the server.
The LANdon Bridges internal server name table can be erased,
resetting the number of available entries back to the startup
value specified by the SERVERS=ddd switch, by using the FLUSH
command. The current version provides no means for removing
individual server names.
The RESTART command is used after a SHUTDOWN or FLUSH to place
The LANdon Bridge back in operation. All servers, if any, still
in the internal server name table will immediately be made
available once again. Users whose connections were broken by the
SHUTDOWN can now reconnect, and in most instances a Retry
response to the "Abort, Retry, Fail?" prompt will re-establish
the connection. In some instances, however, it should be noted
that a bridge SHUTDOWN may, force users to login again or even to
reboot their machines to recover, due to other programs responses
to the severed connection.
When you are ready to terminate the operation of The LANdon
Bridge entirely, or if you wish to re-install it with a different
configuration, you can use the REMOVE command to shut it down and
uninstall it from memory.
Using The LANdon Bridge with
Microsoft Windows(TM)
The LANdon Bridge is compatible with the Standard mode of
Microsoft Windows(TM). After installing The LANdon Bridge on a
network node, you may run Microsoft Windows(TM) on that node, but
in Standard mode only. This limitation only applies to a machine
which is runnint The LANdon Bridge. Network nodes that are not
running The LANdon Bridge, but are accessing servers over the
bridge, may run Microsoft Windows(TM) in either Standard or
Enhanced mode.
The LANdon Bridge may be run in a DOS window to issue the
ADD_SERVER_NAME, SHUTDOWN, FLUSH, and RESTART commands. The
LANdon Bridge must not be installed from a DOS window in the
Microsoft Windows(TM) environment, but must be installed before
Microsoft Windows(TM) is run. You must exit Microsoft
Windows(TM) in order to issue the REMOVE command.
Chapter 4 -- Using Command Line Switches
You can use optional software parameters (known as switches) when
you run The LANdon Bridge software. The proper syntax for using
switches is as follows:
BRIDGE(/SWITCHES)
where BRIDGE is the name of the BRIDGE.EXE LANdon Bridge program
you are running and SWITCHES denotes any optional command line
switches. If you are using more than one switch in a command
line, use a space or a forward slash(/) to separate the
arguments. If a switch takes a value (such as when you assign a
number of simultaneous logins) the switch must be followed by an
equal sign (=) or a colon (:). All switch values are checked to
make sure they are valid. Illegal values produce error messages.
These are valid switch formats:
SWITCH
/SWITCH
SWITCH:VALUE
/SWITCH=VALUE
You would use one of the first two formats for a switch that does
not take a value. For example:
BRIDGE/HELP
You would use the third or fourth formats for a switch that takes
a value. Such as:
BRIDGE/LOGINS=2
The optional command line switches are given below. The letters
ddd indicate that you must give a decimal value for that switch.
The letters
xxx denote text strings. Values enclosed in parenthesis "()"
indicate default values for the switch. Values after the
parenthesis "()" denote the valid range of the switch.
@indirect-file
This switch instructs The LANdon Bridge to look for further
switches in an indirect file that you have previously created.
You can place as many LANdon Bridge command line switches in the
indirect file as you wish. This is extremely useful for reducing
the length of the command line if you will be using many
switches. Switches after the indirect file name will be acted
upon, as well. You may invoke indirect files from within
indirect files as often as you like, within the limits of the
FILES line in your systems CONFIG.SYS file and the limits of your
computers memory.
You may also include comments for each line of the indirect file.
Comments must be preceded by a semicolon (;) at the beginning of
each line or after switches. For example:
BRIDGE @setup
The file SETUP contains:
; BRIDGE program set up file
;
LOGINS=2 ; Allow up to 2 simultaneous logins
verbose ; Display verbose information
HELP or ?
This switch displays help information about the various valid
command line switches, but does not install The LANdon Bridge.
The following is a sample HELP output:
Valid command line switches:
ADAPTERS= range 2 to 8 decimal
ADD_SERVER_NAME= range 1 to 16 character string
BUFFER_SIZE= range 512 to 32768 decimal
FLUSH
HELP
LOGINS= range 1 to 127 decimal
PASS_MESSAGES= one of the following choices:
YES NO
PASS_SERVER_IDS= one of the following choices:
YES NO
REMOVE
REQUEST_SIZE= range 14 to 4096 decimal
RESTART
SERVERS= range 1 to 127 decimal
SHUTDOWN
TASKS= range 1 to 32 decimal
USE_SERVER_IDS= one of the following choices:
YES NO
VERBOSE
?
@ range 0 to 1000 byte file
ADAPTERS=ddd (2) 2-8
This switch specifies the maximum number of network adapters
which the bridge will use. The default value is 2, which is the
minimum necessary in order to run the bridge. If you have more
than 2 network adapters installed in the bridge machine, and you
want the bridge program to use all of them, then you must use
this switch to tell the bridge program to look for them. This
switch can be used only when first installing The LANdon Bridge.
ADD_SERVER_NAME=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX range= 1-15 character machine
name
This switch informs the bridge about a server you wish to make
available to users across the bridge. Use this switch if you
have set USE_SERVER_IDS=NO, or if the server you wish the bridge
to provide access to is configured with SEND_SERVER_IDS=NO. The
LANdon Bridge must be already running to use this switch.
BUFFER_SIZE=dddd (1024) 512-32768
This switch specifies the size of the bridge task buffers to be
used by The LANdon Bridge. One buffer will be allocated for each
bridge task specified with the TASKS switch. For optimum
performance, the buffer size should be set to the same value as
was used with the NETWORK_BUFFER_SIZE switch used for servers on
the network. This switch may only be used when first installing
The LANdon Bridge.
FLUSH
This switch causes The LANdon Bridge to shutdown if it is still
running, and causes it to forget all the currently stored server
names. This switch should be used in preparation for the RESTART
command, to force The LANdon Bridge to restart as though it had
just loaded. The LANdon Bridge must be already running to use
this switch.
LOGINS=ddd (1) 1-127
This switch specifies the maximum number of simultaneous logins
which the bridge will allow. The default value is 1, which will
allow one user to sign in on one server which is being accessed
via the bridge. This setting will not have any effect on the
number of normal (not using the bridge) logins allowed for any
particular server or user, nor will it allow more logins to any
machine than the limits imposed by REDIR or SERVER. This switch
may only be used when first installing The LANdon Bridge.
PASS_MESSAGES=(YES) one of the following choices:
YES NO
This switch specifies whether or not The LANdon Bridge will pass
any messages received from workstations on the network along to
nodes across the bridge. If set to YES, it will cause The LANdon
Bridge to repeat all messages across the bridge. If set to NO,
normal messages will not be sent across the bridge, but server
shutdown messages for servers being bridged will still be passed
along to workstations logged in to those servers over the bridge.
This switch may only be used when first installing The LANdon
Bridge.
PASS_SERVER_IDS=(YES) one of the following choices:
YES NO
This switch specifies whether or not The LANdon Bridge will pass
any server IDs received from servers on the network along to
nodes across the bridge. If set to YES, it will cause The LANdon
Bridge to repeat all server IDs across the bridge. If set to NO,
the server IDs will not be sent across the bridge, and users
accessing a server via the bridge will have to know the name of
the server. If The LANdon Bridge was started with USE_SERVER_IDS
set to NO, then this switch is forced to a value of NO. This
switch may only be used when first installing The LANdon Bridge.
REMOVE
This switch removes The LANdon Bridge from memory. The LANdon
Bridge must be already running to use this switch.
REQUEST_SIZE=ddd (14) 14-4096
This switch specifies the size of the buffer The LANdon Bridge
uses to listen for workstation requests. For optimum
performance, this switch should be set to the same value as that
used for network servers. This switch may only be used when
first installing The LANdon Bridge.
RESTART
This switch restarts The LANdon Bridge after it has been shutdown
with the SHUTDOWN or FLUSH switch. If the SHUTDOWN switch only
was used to shut the bridge down, then RESTART will reactivate
the bridge with immediate access to all servers previously in its
server list. If the FLUSH switch was used, then RESTART will
reactivate the bridge in its initial startup condition.
SERVERS=ddd (1) 1-127
This switch specifies the maximum number of server names The
LANdon Bridge will remember and provide access to. The default
value is 8, which will allow users to sign in on up to eight
servers which are being accessed via the bridge.
SHUTDOWN
This switch causes The LANdon Bridge to terminate access to
servers across the bridge. Messages are sent to all workstations
logged in to servers over the bridge. An informative tone is
sounded to indicate that the bridge is shutting down. The bridge
can be made to forget about all the servers it was providing
access to by using the FLUSH switch. The bridge can later be
re-activated with the RESTART switch.
TASKS=ddd (1) 1-32
This switch specifies the maximum number of simultaneous requests
that The LANdon Bridge can process. One buffer of the size
specified with the BUFFER_SIZE switch will be allocated for each
task.
USE_SERVER_IDS=(YES) one of the following choices:
YES NO
This switch specifies whether or not The LANdon Bridge will
listen for the server IDs being sent by servers on the network
using the SEND_SERVER_IDS=YES switch. If set to YES, this switch
will cause The LANdon Bridge to use these server IDs to
automatically remember the names of servers that send their IDs,
and it will automatically make those servers available to nodes
across the bridge. If set to NO, then The LANdon Bridge will
ignore the server IDs, and must be explicitly told which servers
to bridge by using the ADD_SERVER_NAME switch. This switch may
only be used when first installing The LANdon Bridge.
VERBOSE
This switch causes detailed information about the configuration
of The LANdon Bridge to be displayed. This switch may only be
used when first installing The LANdon Bridge. The following is a
sample of verbose output from The LANdon Bridge:
Command line /verbose
Machine name BRIDGE Adapters in use 2
Network Tasks 1 Buffer size 1024
Maximum logins 1 Maximum servers 8
Request Size 14 Use server IDs YES
Pass messages YES Pass server IDs YES
Bytes of memory used 10384
---- LANdon Bridge Installed ----
Appendix A -- Messages
The following is a list of the various error and informative
messages that The LANdon Bridge returns when it is run. It is
sorted alphabetically in order to help you find the messages more
easily. For each entry in the list of messages, you will see the
message text in a paragraph by itself, an explaination of the
message, and then the steps you should take in response to the
message, if any.
Can t remove -- interrupts have been re-hooked
Some other software has been installed in memory after The LANdon
Bridge or another conflict is preventing it from removing itself
from memory. Remove any Terminate-and-Stay-Resident (TSR)
programs installed after The LANdon Bridge and try again.
Cannot open switch file - @file
The file "@file" cannot be opened as a switch file. The file
must exist before it can be used as a switch file.
Error reading switch file - @file
A DOS error occurred while reading the file @file.
Illegal character after switch name - ??????xddd
The switch ?????? was followed by a character x other than "=" or
":", or the switch does not take a value. Use only the
characters "=" or ":" and use no spaces between the switch and
its value, and do not place any character other than a space " "
or a slash "/" after switches that do not take values.
Illegal digit in switch value - ??????=dddd
A character was used instead of a digit in the numeric value for
the switch. You must use only the digits 0-9 in the value of a
numeric switch.
Illegal switch - ??????=dddd
The switch ??????=dddd is not a valid command line switch. For a
list of the various valid command line switches, type "BRIDGE
/HELP" or "BRIDGE /?".
---- LANdon Bridge flushed ----
This message is displayed as a confirmation after the LANdon
Bridge has flushed its memory.
---- LANdon Bridge Installed ----
This message is displayed as a confirmation after the LANdon
Bridge is successfully installed.
---- LANdon Bridge NOT Installed ----
This message is displayed if The LANdon Bridge is not installed.
The LANdon Bridge will not install if help information is
displayed or an error occurred.
LANdon Bridge is shutting down. Connection to server ????
ending.
This is the text of a LANtastic NET SEND style message sent to
all workstations logged in to server ???? over The LANdon Bridge
when it is shutting down.
---- LANdon Bridge removed ----
This message is displayed as a confirmation after the LANdon
Bridge has successfully removed itself from memory.
---- LANdon Bridge restarted ----
This message is displayed as a confirmation after the LANdon
Bridge has successfully restarted operating after being shutdown
or flushed.
---- LANdon Bridge shutdown ----
This message is displayed as a confirmation after the LANdon
Bridge has successfully shutdown.
Machine name ???? not found on any adapter
The machine name ???? which was specified after the
ADD_SERVER_NAME switch could not be found. Make sure the machine
with the name ???? is running and that it has the ArtisoftTM
REDIR program loaded.
Must have two or more NetBIOS adapters installed
The LANdon Bridge must have at least two NETBIOS adapters
installed in order to have something to bridge. Make sure that
the machine has two or more adapters, and that they are
functioning properly and that the low-level drivers and NETBIOS
drivers have been installed successfully.
Name ???? is already known locally
The machine name ???? which was specified after the
ADD_SERVER_NAME switch is already in the local NETBIOS name table
of one or more adapters in the machine that The LANdon Bridge is
running on. Either The LANdon Bridge is running on machine ????,
or the machine named ???? is a server which is already being
bridged.
REDIR is not loaded - The LANdon Bridge must be run after
Artisoft s (TM) REDIR
You attempted to start The LANdon Bridge before loading
REDIR.EXE. The LANdon Bridge requires that REDIR be run first
before it will install. Make sure that you have successfully
installed REDIR and try again.
---- Server name ???? added ----
This message is displayed as a confirmation after the LANdon
Bridge has added the server ???? to its list of available
servers.
---- Server name ???? NOT added ----
An error occured while attempting to add the server name ????.
Switch is ambiguous - SWITCH-NAME
The abbreviated version of the switch name you used had too few
characters to distinguish it from one or more other valid command
line switches. Retype the command, using as many characters in
the name of the switch as are necessary to make it clear which
switch you intend.
Switch value not in range - ??????=dddd Valid range is llll to
hhhh
The numeric value dddd is not within the valid range for the
switch. The value for this switch must be between a low of llll
and a high of hhhh. Retry the command, specifying a value within
these limits.
Switch value not in range - ??????=xxxx Valid range is one of the
following choices: CH1 CH2 CH3 ... CHn
The value xxxx given for the switch is not in the list of valid
choices. The list of choices given in this message show all the
valid choices for the value of the ?????? switch. Retry the
command, using a value from the list.
The LANdon Bridge V1.0 ß - (C) Copyright 1993 Limerick Software
This message is displayed each time The LANdon Bridge program
(BRIDGE.EXE) is run.
The LANdon Bridge is not loaded
You attempted to use a command line switch which requires that
The LANdon Bridge already be installed in order to work. Make
sure that you have loaded The LANdon Bridge successfully and try
the command again.
The LANdon Bridge is already installed
You attempted to install The LANdon Bridge when it was already
installed. If you wish to reset The LANdon Bridge without
altering the configuration, you can use the FLUSH and RESTART
command line switches. If you wish to reinstall with a new
configuration, you must use the REMOVE switch to uninstall the
first copy of the program, then retry the command.
The LANdon Bridge is not active
You attempted to use the SHUTDOWN command line switch when The
LANdon Bridge was already shutdown. If you have used the
SHUTDOWN or FLUSH command line switches previously, you must use
the RESTART switch before issuing the SHUTDOWN command again.
The LANdon Bridge is already active
You attempted to use the RESTART command line switch when The
LANdon Bridge was already started. You must use the SHUTDOWN or
FLUSH switch before you can issue a RESTART command.
The memory limit has been exceeded
You have specified a configuration which requires more memory
than is available. Use fewer TASKS= and/or a smaller
BUFFER_SIZE=.
This software is licensed for use only with an ARTISOFT NETBIOS
This message is displayed if you attempt to run the ArtisoftTM
LANtastic SERVER.EXE program after installing The LANdon Bridge.
If you want a machine to be both a bridge and a server at the
same time, you must install the SERVER.EXE program first, before
you install The LANdon Bridge. Issue the REMOVE command to
uninstall The LANdon Bridge, and then try installing SERVER.EXE
again.