Kicking users off DEase.

[MalcolmS]

Is there /any/ way of forcibly AND cleanly disconnecting a user from a Dease app?
I record user login/logouts using DQL in a chain menu, however this is hardly reliable and totally useless when running automated overnight programs that lock the db.

HELP! (DFD5.15)

[Phil Winkler]

Malcolm,

Easy and Safe method to force users out?

Nope. I'm dealing with this at a site now and have determined that user education is best.

However, why lock db when locking files is more easily controlled and offers much the same increase in performance?

One method I thought about was to test if someone was in the db first and then conditionally run the control procs or not.
You can use a utility named whohas.exe (or something similar) to test who is touching the rdrr form, pass those results to a file, import it into DE and look for more than one entry.

If there is more than one capture the login name, use some macro generator (yeah, right) to fire rconsole and then terminate his/her connection.

Of course, if that user has a form open you risk inconsistency, etc.

FWIW, we danced around this issue years ago and I think the consensus was user education coupled with a negative consequence for failing to follow orders was the best solution.



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Phil Winkler
PLM Consulting, Inc.

[MalcolmS]

I agree with the negative consequence option! But this doesn't help when the company db is down for several hours as a result of a stupid user.

Locking individual files is a path I have already tried, however all the files requiring updates are all commonly left open by users in the db!

Macro rconsole disconnecting is interesting, but I don't wish to go there.

I have chosen the route of supplying a list of "active" user logins recorded through DQL to the department head. They are then tasked with ensuring users stations are logged off. It's their db, and their data. If the overnight fails due to an active user, that's their problem, and have been /reminded/ of the "consequences"!

Thanks again.

[Fred Kingston]

Malcolm....

Just as an aside... There is a 3rd Party Novell program that can close/logoff a Novell connection based on pre-set parameters.

Rather than simply dropping the connection...it would close the connection's open files before logging the user off...

It was specifically designed for the purpose you state...

I think it could be set to begin testing and logging off users at pre-set times... excellent for forcing new connections for updates, backups, EOD processes etc.

It was about $200-300US/server as I recall...from a firm in Texas???

There was a paper and info in the CompuServe librarys years ago... but I don't recall its' name...

Maybe Phil remembers...???



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Fred Kingston
www.KingstonCo.com (http://www.KingstonCo.com)

[Phil Winkler]

Fred and Malcolm,

Hmmm...seems Lee Drake commented about this and the thinking was it was too good to be true.

But, yes, there was talk about it.

Of course, business rules come into play here. Novell has the ability to disconnect a connection when their connect dates/times are set in the Account Restrictions. However, someone could have a file open and that could be a problem.

I'm not sure Lee's point to that software showed that the program was able to close DE files.

Lee? You around here?



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Phil Winkler
PLM Consulting, Inc.