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1993-01-06
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PCBURM
-----------
PCBoard User Ratio Monitor
A PCBoard File/Byte Download Monitor
Version 1.4
For PCBoard v14.5a
- - - - -
Copyright 1993 - Robert Neal
317 Hickory
Romeoville, IL 60441
Support BBS:
Corporate Headquarters BBS
Node #1: (815) 886-3233 14400 v.32bis
Node #2: (815) 886-9381 14400 v.32bis
Changes to this documentation file from the previous version are
indicated by "|" in the left hand margin. This should make finding
changes to the documentation much easier and faster for those upgrading
from previous versions.
PROGRAM INFORMATION
===================
PCBoard User Ratio Monitor (PCBURM) is a utility door written for PCBoard
v14.5a. PCBURM will enforce your desired ratios with each call the user makes
to your board. PCBURM was written because PCBoard lacks a ratio enforcement
method that is easy to use and understand, and one that can be run "real
time". In looking around for similar products, everyone I've seen seem to be
overkill, didn't effectively handle particular user requirements or just plain
didn't seem to work.
In creating PCBURM, it was designed to be just one thing, a file/byte
monitoring and enforcement tool for PCBoard. PCBURM will check for either a
file ratio, byte ratio or both, sysop defined. There is no "banking" features,
message ratio monitoring or things of that sort. This was decided so that
PCBURM would be SIMPLE AND EASY for any sysop to get up and running in a
matter of minutes.
Features of PCBURM:
o Support for baud rates up to 115,200 bps
o Support for non-standard COM IRQ's
o Complete monitoring of COM ports for carrier loss
o Option to display comment to user
o Option to exclude security levels
o Option to print log information to CALLERx file
o Full Multi-Node support
o Sysop function keys are supported
o Most of all - SIMPLE to use
o Supports Fossil driver (for PCBoard /M version)
PROGRAM INSTALLATION/OPERATION
==============================
Step #1: - Create configuration file
========
Edit PCBURM configuration file, PCBURM.CFG using the program URMCFG.EXE
included with PCBURM. You may also manually edit PCBURM.CFG using your
favorite text editor.
The items in the configuration file are as follows, do not include the line
number references. Refer to detailed explanation below for each line:
PCBURM.CFG
------------------------------------------
Line 1: C:\PCB\USERS.SYS
Line 2: Corp Headquarters
Line 3: Bob
Line 4: Neal
Line 5: 0
Line 6: PCBURM.LOG
Line 7: 1
Line 8: 50000
Line 9: /10/25/50 (or the word NONE)
Line10: STRICT (or the word NOSTRICT)
|Line11: NO (or the word YES)
Line 1: Enter full path/filename of your USERS.SYS file. PCBURM supports the
PCB environment variables, %PCBDRIVE% and %PCBDIR%. Those running a
multi-node system may wish to replace this line with the following:
%PCBDRIVE%%PCBDIR%\USERS.SYS
PCBURM will read the current PCBoard drive and directory from these
variables.
Line 2: BBS Name
Line 3: Sysop's first name
Line 4: Sysop's last name
Line 5: Registration number, leave as 0 if not registered. You will be
be provided with a registration number to enter here when you
send you payment.
Line 6: If you place the word CALLER on this line, PCBURM will write it's log
information PCBoard's CALLERx file. I find this handy as I can
see each users status each time I scan my CALLERx file.
You can also have PCBURM maintain it's own log file by placing the
full path/filename to be written to on this line. The log file created
will include the name of the user, node used, security level assigned
to the user as well as the date and a brief text line explaining what
ratio enforcements were placed on the user. If a user exceeded his
requirements, the log file will include the current ratios of the user
at the time the program monitored his activity.
Line 7: Free FILE credits to be given. You may use this line to give "free"
credits to new users. If you would like to grant some "free" credits
to a user, place the value here. In the above example, a new user
would be given credit for one upload. If a user was given a 5:1 file
ratio requirement, he could then download 5 files before needing to
upload anything. After downloading 5 files PCBURM would restrict
download ability until a file was uploaded.
Line 8: Free BYTE credits to be given. Same explanation for the file credit.
Using the above example, a new user could download 250,000 bytes if a
5:1 ratio was in place before he would need to upload anything. This
option allows new users access to your file area without requiring an
initial upload.
Please note that the values used on line 7 and 8 are used internally
to the program. It will not actually add this information to the users
file, therefore keeping your user file statistics accurate (unlike
some other similar type of programs).
Line 9: You can optionally exclude specific security levels from ratio check
by placing the levels desired on this line. Seperate each level with
the "/" character, see example above. Place the word NONE on this line
if you do not wish to exclude any security levels from ratio check.
Line10: You can select if you want PCBURM to enforce a STRICT byte ratio
requirement or not. Placing the word STRICT on this line would
cause PCBURM to calculate the remaining number of bytes the user
could download. PCBURM will use this calculated figure if it is
less than the number of bytes granted a user in the PWRD file.
Put the word NOSTRICT on this line if you do not want this
feature, instead PCBURM will grant a daily download bytes equal
to what you have indicated in the PWRD file.
|Line11: PCBURM can be set for discrete statistics display. Placing YES
| on this line will display the full user statistics only if the
| user is outside of the ratio limits you have prescribed. If the
| user is within ratio limits, a single line display is shown.
| Placing NO on this line will inform PCBURM to display the file
| statistics display at each call.
Step #2: - Create file ratio requirements file
========
Edit the requirement file, PCBURM.REQ. Use your favorite text editor to
edit this file: The format is as follows:
SECURITY LEVEL, FILE RATIO, BYTE RATIO, USER COMMENT
For example:
30,5,10,Regular User
40,10,20,Supporting User - Thanks for your payment
200,0,0,Sysop
999,1,1,Unknown Access Level - Please inform sysop
In the above example, the first line is for a security level 30 user. He has a
5:1 file ratio requirement, a 10:1 byte ratio requirement. The USER COMMENT
field ("Regular User") will be displayed as part of the user statistics
displayed by the program. You can use this field to put any information you
desire, maybe enter information about subscription that your board may offer.
In the second example, this is for a security level 40 user. He has a 10:1
file ratio requirement and a 20:1 byte ratio requirement.
In the third example, this is a security level 200 user. The file and byte
ratios have been set to "0", this informs PCBURM that this user is exempt for
maintaining any ratio requirements (might be used for subscribing user,
co-sysops and sysops). You may set the byte and/or file ratio to zero if you
do not with to enforce a ratio requirement.
The last example is recommended as the last line for every PCBURM.REQ file.
This is used as the DEFAULT security ratio. If a security level is not found
in the line preceeding this last line, these ratios will be assigned to the
user. Using the above example, if the user had a security level of 60, PCBURM
would use the file requirements as shown on this line as a level 60 was not
previously assigned a ratio requirement.
Step #3 - Setup PCBURM as a door
=======
Setup PCBURM as a PCBoard Door. Run PCBSetup, edit the door security file and
add the following line:
USER DOOR
Filename Password Sec Login SYS SYS Shell Path to DOOR Files
══════════ ════════════ ═══ ═════ ════ ════ ═════ ═══════════════════
PCBURM 0 Y Y N Y
The "Login" and "Shell" are both optional. If you have enough memory, it is
recommended that you use the "shell" option of PCBoard. The USERS.SYS field
must be set to Y or PCBURM will not work!
Step #4 - Create script file
=======
Edit the PCBURM door script, again using your favorite text editor. Below is
an example of a suggested script (example presumes PCBURM is located on drive
"C" and in directory "PCBURM"):
@ECHO OFF
C:
CD \PCBURM
PCBURM PCBURM.CFG
%PCBDRIVE%
CD %PCBDIR%
IF (%INPCB%)==(Y) EXIT
BOARD
The line "IF (%INPCB%)==(Y) EXIT" is used to exit from shelled doors. If you
won't run PCBURM as a shelled door, it may be removed.
PCBURM supports COM1-4, using standard IRQ's. If you wish to use a
non-standard IRQ, add the IRQ number after the configuration file name. For
example "PCBURM PCBURM.CFG /5" (tells PCBURM to use IRQ 5 instead of standard
IRQ value). No parameter is required if using standard IRQ values.
|Some users may have had conflicts when using non-standard IRQ's on
|Novell/Netware systems. Novell seems to use the "/" character for
|parameter passing. You may not optionally use the "*" character instead
|of the "/".
That's all there is to do. PCBURM will adjust the daily download bytes allowed
as indicated in the PWRD file to monitor and enforce the file/byte ratio's. If
you have used another file ratio enforcement program, check to see that you
have re-entered this information in the PWRD file (some ratio enforcers have
required you to zero out this information. Not PCBURM, PCBURM reads this
information.
When PCBURM is run, it will display the users file/byte statistics. It will
also display if the user is within your established ratio requirements, or if
not, will inform him accordingly. In addition, PCBURM will maintain a log file
(PCBURM.LOG) which will indicate what actions were taken by the program, or if
the user was within ratio requirements. You may wish to delete this file
regularly as necessary.
FOSSIL DRIVER
=============
PCBURM now includes support for FOSSIL drivers. This means that the
program will now work with Digiboard (for PCBoard/M versions) and other
multi-port boards. To activate the Fossil driver support just include
/FD on the command line in your door batch file.
For example: PCBURM PCBURM.CFG /FD
If no Fossil driver is available, PCBURM will display a message
indicating such and exit cleanly.
REGISTRATION
============
PCBURM is released as user support software (aka SHAREWARE). I don't expect
you to register the program if you don't like it or if it doesn't meet your
needs (just stop using it). But if you continue to use PCBURM after a
reasonable evaluation period of up to 30 days, you are required to make
payment for the program or stop using it.
PCBURM is NOT crippled in any way other than for a momentary reminder at the
termination of the program that the program is not registered. Once you
register the program, you will be provided with a registration number which
will remove this reminder notice.
Registration is only $15 and will include unlimited free upgrades and support
via my BBS.
Please use the form REGISTER.FRM included with the program to register PCBURM.
If this file is missing, send a check for $15 (US funds) to:
Robert Neal
317 Hickory
Romeoville, IL 60441
|You may also register online with Visa/MC/AMEX and Discover by calling
|the support BBS (815) 886-3233 or (815) 886-9381. At the main menu type
|CHARGE, then follow prompts from there.
Please include your BBS name as this information will be used to create your
unique registration key file. You may receive your registration file via my
support BBS (but please be sure you have an account established on my BBS so
that I can leave this information in a private message to you) or via the US
Mail. Please indicate your preference.
Keep your eye open for other utility programs from me written for PCBoard.
Several programs are now in the works and should be released soon. Also, look
for my door programs, Card Sharks and Links Golf (available on my BBS as
well), I think your users will enjoy playing them.
TROUBLESHOOTING
=====================
If you are running this on a 486 system with co-processor, you may need
to put 'SET NO87=ON' in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file or you may place this in
the PCBURM batch file just before the line PCBURM PCBURM.CFG, for
example:
@ECHO OFF
C:
CD \PCBURM
SET NO87=ON
PCBURM PCBURM.CFG
%PCBDRIVE%
CD %PCBDIR%
IF (%INPCB%)==(Y) EXIT
BOARD
If you are running on a 486 system with co-processor under DesqView, you
may alternately set Math Coprocessor in each window to YES.
SUPPORT
===================
If you have any questions, comments, problems, suggestions for enhancements,
etc., I may be reached at my support BBS or by mail. In addition, you may send
a message to me on the RIME conferences to my BBS "CHQBBS", I regularly
monitor the messages in the Sysop, BBS and PCBoard Support conferences. I can
also be reached via Prodigy, PNSP01A.
LEGAL INFORMATION
===============================
This program is provided on an "AS IS" basis. No warranty of any kind is
expressed or implied. YOU USE THIS PROGRAM AT YOUR OWN RISK. I take no
responsibility for any damage caused directly or indirectly from the use or
the inability to use this program.