BBS Toolkit/BBS Toolkit.iso/wildcat/bbsuses.zip/BBSUSES.ASC

Text File | 1993-02-17 | 15KB | 331 lines

Introductory Note:

I have seen requests for information on company or corporate BBSs,
so I thought I would offer this article as an example of what one
Sysop wrote to key people in his company.

This was written for a manufacturing company whose personnel
are generally pretty computer literate, but inexperienced with
modem communications and BBSs especially.  Usage of the BBS has not
really taken off in the original group that it was set up for (Sales)
and not greatly in the rest of the company either:  thus this piece
to stimulate ideas and interest.

The details of our system have been made more generic in hopes that
the applicability will be broader.  Our system and LAN are going
to be different from yours, but perhaps this can serve to give you
some ideas for your company BBS.
                                      Ben Roe, Sysop, LSMCC BBS

====================================================================

       USES OF THE COMPANY BBS:  SOME POSSIBILITIES

INTRODUCTION

Below is an overview of some of the possibilities for use of the
company BBS, a Wildcat! Multinode LAN-aware Computer Bulletin Board
System, with one dial-in node using a US Robotics Dual Standard
V.32/V.42 14,400 baud modem.  This is a very good system, very
flexible and configurable, well suited for the security needs of
an industrial environment that uses a large LAN such as ours.

First presented are general possibilities followed by some ideas
to stimulate uses by specific departmental users.  At the end of
the document is a short description of how to access the BBS.

GENERAL POSSIBILITIES

E-Mail Messages:

E-Mail messages can be exchanged with other users, either in the
plant here or in the field.  Receiving messages is dependent upon
the user logging onto the BBS and reading their mail.  Users need
to check messages regularly in order for this to work well.  E-mail
messages can now be read as soon as the user logs in; Novell network
users who are logged onto the network at the time a message is left
will get immediate notification that they have mail on Wildcat! BBS.
This provides a simple E-mail service for LAN users.

Conferences/Message Bases:

Wildcat can have up to 1,000 conferences or message bases.  These
can be totally public, totally private, or limited to specific
classes of users.  Departments can have totally separate conferences
from others, while sharing some in common.  There can be conferences
with user "aliases" for anonymous communications such as discussions,
opinions, suggestion boxes, etc.  There can be "echoes," conferences
that are duplicated on several BBSs that share common interest, such
as environmental concerns, programming, government regulations, etc.
These echoes can even be set up with the Internet, as an Oklahoma
institution of higher education has done.

Messages with files:

Messages to other users can be sent with an attached document,
spreadsheet, report, or even executable program.  This can happen
within minutes of uploading the program.  This kind of speed
usually requires a brief phone call to inform the other user the
file is there.  (This has been used successfully by field service,
data acquisition system programmers and systems engineers groups.)

File Transfers:

Spreadsheets, word processing documents and forms, slides/overhead
graphic documents can all be sent as binary (computer-readable)
files through the file transfer (upload/download) feature.

Executable programs can also be transferred, whether they are
Unix, MAC, or DOS.  So can configuration files, Programmable Logic
Controller ladder logic programs, batch files, scripts.  Shareware
or public domain utilities that can make your computer life easier
are other examples.  QModem script, files Procomm command or aspect
files, or Macro text files (automation for your communication
programs) are other examples.  You can upload similar programs for
others.

All of these can be uploaded for general download or for
individual users--use password protection and leave a private
message to the recipient with the password to retrieve the file.

Wildcat! can have up to 1000 file areas.  Accessibility is
controlled by the conference or message base.

Bulletins/Newsletter:

Each of several Conferences can have their own bulletins and
newsletter:  Company-Wide, Sales, Executive, and the three
Customer conferences.  If you want a particular item posted
leave it as a message to the Sysop or message with attached file,
or uploaded file, and it will be added to the bulletins or to
the newsletter.  As stated earlier, these conferences can be
expanded to meet our needs.

"DOORS":

In the BBS world, "Doors" are entries into other programs that
can be run while one is on-line.  In the entertainment BBS world,
these include games of all sorts for all ages.  In our work
environment with one dial-in line, they could be used in several
different ways:

       to access your own machine remotely through the LAN
          (certain DOS applications only, no Windows applications)
       to access certain DOS applications such as FAX sending
          programs

Doors can be set up to be safe and secure to the LAN, to the
dial-in computer, and to automatically recover from just about
any error.  There have been a couple set up to facilitate
maintenance of the board remotely by the sysop and they have
functioned flawlessly.

SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTAL POSSIBILITIES

These are not exhaustive!  Hopefully these ideas will mix with
departmental creativity to generate other uses.

Marketing and Sales:  E-mail, quotation spreadsheets, downloadable
and/or faxable instrument specifications, sales reports,
forecasts, leads, graphic slides or overhead transparencies,
example data acquisition system reports, distribution of graphics
pictures of instruments or the plant, problems at particular
plants that sales personnel become aware of

R&D:  E-mail, transfer of executable programs for instruments or
DAS, transfer of configuration files, scripts, EEPROM code,
government regulations updates (downloaded from government BBS or
other sources), user feedback and new product suggestions, potential
"echo" of Internet/USENET interest groups or posting of specific
files from Internet contact outside of the BBS

Systems:  E-mail, transfer of executable programs for instruments
or data acquisition system, transfer of configuration and Programmable
Logic Controller files for troubleshooting or upgrading, customer
contact, bug fixes, latest revisions of common programs, scripts,
or configurations

Service:  E-mail, customer support with list of latest revisions
of software, hardware, technical updates, service bulletins and
fixes, specifications of specific parts, jumper settings, etc.
collection point for service reports, assignments, interaction
between all service personnel on hot topics, fixes, and emerging
problems

Accounting:  E-mail, financial or flash reports, spreadsheets,
graphic slides or overhead transparencies

Documentation and Drafting:  transfer of drawings in binary form
to and from customers and architect and engineering firms, lists
of latest Engineering Change Orders, latest revs of drawings,
specs, etc.

ACCESSING THE BBS:

1.  Access on the LAN

If you are not already set up on the LAN to access the BBS, there
are two steps you need to follow:  first, contact MIS or the Sysop
to be added to the BBS users list on the LAN.  Next, you will
want to login to the BBS itself using the steps below and answer
the questionnaire for new users of the BBS.  Leave a comment to
the Sysop or give him a call at Ext. xxx and he will upgrade your
access from NEWUSER to the appropriate security level.

Logging in to the BBS is easy from the DOS prompt on two of the
network servers.  Simply type BBSNET<enter> or BBS<enter>.
The BBS program loads and you are on as if you had
called in on a modem.  There are a few differences if you login
locally on the LAN:  you can print messages directly to your
printer, you can upload or download files with the same speed as
copying them (FAST!), and, if you use the BBSNET command, you
will not need to supply your name and password, since Wildcat
will use the network's security and supply the name of the
network user.

If you are set up on the main network as a BBS user, you also
have a menu option under Utilities called "BBS" that will log
you in with a single keystroke.

2.  Dial-in Access

Set up your communications program like QmodemPro, Procomm or MTEZ
to dial the number for the BBS.  Use these communications parameters:
the highest baud rate your modem can handle, 8 data bits, No parity,
1 stop bit (8N1).

Once you have your communications program set up, access is simple.
The setup is sometimes the hard part.  See the attached, called "
Some Hints on Setting Up Qmodem to Dial the Company BBS."  The basic
principles can be adapted to just about any program.

SOME HINTS ON SETTING UP QMODEM TO DIAL THE COMPANY BBS

1.     Type ALT-D to bring up the dialing directory.
2.     Choose a blank directory number to use for the new entry.
3.     Type R to Revise an entry.
4.     Supply the data on the new entry:

              Name:          (company) BBS
              Number:        [phone]
              Speed:         2400 (whichever your modem can do)
              Data Bits:     8
              Parity:        N
              Stop bits:     1
              Script File:   (the name of the auto-logon script)
5.     Save the new entry to disk.
6.     At the dialing directory screen, type in the number of the
          new entry and hit <enter>.
7.     Qmodem will communicate with the modem and call the number.
8.     If you have written or copied a command file, it will begin
          when you have connected to the BBS.
9.     If you don't have an auto-logon command file, answer the
          prompts with your Name and Password.  The BBS will take a
          few seconds to display a menu.  See company BBS:  A How To
          Manual and the Help Screens for the functions you wish to
          use.

TROUBLESHOOTING:

The following assumes a Hayes-compatible "command" set for your
modem.  You will want to get out the book for your modem to be
sure the command I mention has the same function on your modem.

DIALING/DIAL TONE PROBLEMS

Do you hear a dial tone after step 6?  Check that the speaker is
not turned off or down, either with a manual switch or a software
switch.

If no dial tone, check to be sure the phone line is connected to
the modem.  Check to be sure the modem is plugged in and turned
on (if it has an on-off switch).

If the phone line is connected and the modem itself is on, type
ALT-H (to hang up the phone in case the modem had picked up the
line). Then type AT<enter>.  Use capital letters unless you know
your modem will respond to lower case.  AT is the command to
communicate to the modem.

If you get OK back, then you know the modem and Qmodem are
communicating.

If you don't get OK, type ATE1<enter>.  This tells the modem to
"echo" or repeat back what you type.

You should get an OK back from this command.  If you don't, you
may not have Qmodem sending to the right "comm port."

Type ALT-K to change the default port assignment.  You will note
the current settings are displayed.  Be sure to save changes to disk.

Next, type ATA<enter>.  This tells the modem to answer the phone
line.

If you now hear a dial tone, you are communicating with the modem
and the dialing will probably work OK now.  Try step six above
again.

If things still don't work, recheck your work once or twice and
call me for some help.

"GARBAGE" DISPLAYS

After you connect to a BBS and you get "Garbage" with all kinds
of "wierd" characters, you probably have a problem with compatable
communications parameters like speed, parity, data bits, or stop
bits.  Type ALT-P and check what the current settings are.  If
they are correct, you may need to exit from Qmodem and reboot to
try again.  These problems can be difficult ones to track down.
Feel free to call me for assistance.

Occasionally, you may get what looks like garbage but you can
read words in between the garbage.  This kind of garbage probably
means you are set up for 7 data bits per character and the BBS is
sending 8.   If your settings show you are indeed communicating
with 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit ("8N1" or "N81"), but
you're still not getting a good display, the problem may be in
your communications program.  Some programs such as the older
Smartcom II cannot properly display a full 8 data bits.  The
answer to this is to upgrade the communications program.


================================================================
Postscript:

ADDITIONAL NOTES REGARDING OUR BBS AND LAN SETUP:

We have three main networks with 100 or 250 users.  The BBS is
accessible on two of these, though it is only on one of the
servers.

We have two batch files, called "BBS.BAT" and "BBSNET.BAT" in a
publicly-accessible network directory.  In our case, we have
users using a number of different programs, so these batch files
take a directory that is common to all or most users, delete that
mapping and remap it to the main program directory of Wildcat!.
After the user logs out of the BBS on the LAN, this mapping is
deleted and the original one is restored.

The difference between the two batch files lies in the command
used to call up Wildcat!  In the regular BBS.BAT file, Wildcat!
is called directly.  In this case the Prelog screen is displayed
just as if the user had called in on the dial-in node.  In the
BBSNET.BAT file, Wildcat! is called with the "/B NOVELL," which
uses Novell's network security, logs the user in with the correct
password and displays the Hello screen.

The Sysop at our company has Supervisor access to the LAN that
runs the BBS, and when an employee requests access to the BBS
and meets the eligibility requirements, they are added to a
group called BBS.  Then in the User Record in Wildcat! their
network login name is supplied in the network name field.

The door program that gives access to the DOS prompt is
Marshall Dudley's Doorway, and has worked out excellently for us.
The file scanner is TranScan, from Craig Dunstan.

References to "the older Smartcom II" will give you a clue as
to how stoneage a couple of our users have been!

Any corrections or additional ideas are welcome.  Thanks!