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From: jeffd@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Jeffrey Alan Ding)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.novell
Subject: Re: Nos of Users
Message-ID: <13560@uwm.edu>
Date: 28 Jun 91 18:39:33 GMT
References: <2188@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au> <23190005@acf3.NYU.EDU>
Sender: news@uwm.edu
Organization: University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Lines: 37

In article <23190005@acf3.NYU.EDU> chapman@acf3.NYU.EDU (Gary W. Chapman,WWH 318,212-998-3045,718-499-7815) writes:

>  What I've never tried is this:  
>
>  100 users log in, so no more can
>  1 user logs out (so the server now describes that connection as
>     "not logged in")
>  1 user at a different pc turns his pc on, and an attempt is made to
>     connect to the server (when NETx is run) and then log in.
>
>  I am reasonably certain this will fail, as there are no open connection
>  slots for this 101st person. Presumably, however, if this person who
>  logged out would be so kind as to turn off his machine, then the server
>  will eventually notice that the connection is no longer valid.
>
>Could someone confirm this?  (No manuals handy!)
>
> - Gary Chapman, NYU

Novell has an API call DetachFromFileServer that will relinquish the
connection number at the file server.  The Logout and LogoutFromFileServer
calls do not detach from the server which means the connection numbers that
the workstation was using are still in use by that workstation.  Whether
or not the Novell LOGOUT utility does a Detach call when you logout is
unknown.  It might for servers other than the default.  A Detach call also
removes all drive mappings to that server which means your F:\LOGIN drive will
disappear when you Detach.  A very simple program can be written to issue
the Detach call from all the servers that the workstation has in its server
connection table.  (Anybody need it?)

Novell Netware 2.2 and above have a programmable WATCHDOG command at the
server console to clear connection numbers after a specified period of time.
I don't have any experience in using this command but I guess it's suppose
to clear out the connections of users who've logged out but not turned off
the machine and thus allow others to use the connection slot on the server.

jeffd@csd4.csd.uwm.edu