NOVELL TECHNICAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT TITLE: Readme for New NLICLEAR.NLM README FOR: NLICLR.EXE NOVELL PRODUCTS and VERSIONS: NetWare 3.12 NetWare 3.11 ABSTRACT: NLICLEAR nlm (not-logged-in user skulker nlm) examines the user connection table at periodic intervals, deleting connections that correspond to unauthenticated users. The primary reason for this is to limit the number of idle, unauthenticated, connections for server licenses allowing only a small number of users to be connected. Terminating unauthenticated connections thus allows the connections to be reused. This is a new version of NLICLEAR that fixes a problem with server GPPE or randomly entering the Debugger. ----------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER THE ORIGIN OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL TO NOVELL. NOVELL MAKES EVERY EFFORT WITHIN ITS MEANS TO VERIFY THIS INFORMATION. HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY. NOVELL MAKES NO EXPLICIT OR IMPLIED CLAIMS TO THE VALIDITY OF THIS INFORMATION. ----------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOM: 1 The server would end up in the internal debugger, or Abend GPPE TROUBLESHOOTING Unload NLICLEAR.NLM and down load the new NLICLEAR. CAUSE 1.1 The NLICLEAR nlm (not-logged-in user skulker nlm) examines the user connection table at periodic intervals, deleting connections that correspond to unauthenticated users. The unauthenticated state occurs on a user connection when a user specifies a login name, but doesn't complete the login procedure (by entering a password), or logs out without logging in elsewhere. In this state, the connection is logged into the server, but no privileges or authentication is granted, except to complete the login, or to login elsewhere. NLICLEAR simply polls the user table on a periodic interval, looking at the connection status. If the connection status changes to the not-logged-in state, the software sets a flag for that connection indicating so. If, on the next poll interval, the connection is still in the not-logged-in state and the state flag is set (for the connection), then the corresponding station is deleted from the user table. On each polling interval, if the connection in the user table goes to a non-not-logged-in state (connection cleared, or connection logged in), then the state flag for the connection is reset. NLICLEAR only applies to ncp user connections, and does not apply to nlm connections. The Old NLICLEAR nlm was clearing not-loggin connections before the login procedure was finished. When the login procedure did run it checked the connection table for this user and found invalid pointer in memory and either jump into the debugger or GPPE the server. SOLUTION This New NLICLEAR nlm checks to see if the NOT-LOGIN connection has a IN process bit set before clearing the connection. IN F SOLUTION: 1.1 This New NLICLEAR nlm checks to see if the NOT-LOGIN connection has a IN process bit set before clearing the connection. IN Field Test the file name will be NLICLRFT.EXE this is for Netware 3.11 and 3.12. Self-Extracting File Name: NLICLR.EXE Files Included Size Date Time ..\ NLICLR.TXT (This file) NLICLEAR.NLM 4434 4-6-95 9:34:54 pm Installation Instructions: Three parameters, the polling interval, the maximum number of user table connections, and the verbose option, are settable from the command line when loading the module. The polling interval is the interval in seconds between "looks" at the user connection table. The maximum number of table connections is the number of user connections, N (indexed 1..N) to examine on each polling interval (connection 0 in the user table is reserved for the supervisor, and is not polled). Setting an additional parameter, the "verbose" option, causes a message to be printed to the server console screen each time a connection is terminated by NLICLEAR. When loading NLICLEAR from the server console command line, use the following syntax: load nliclear [v] [i poll_interval] [n number_of_connections] Option flags may be preceeded by a '-' or '/' character, if desired. Option flags may also be grouped together. If so, the arguments that follow them must occur in corresponding order. The "v" option causes a message to be written to the server console screen each time a connection is cleared. The default is no connection-clear notification. The "i" option must include an integer parameter, "poll_interval", and sets the time in seconds for NLICLEAR to wait between checks of the user connection table. The default interval is 60 seconds. The "n" option must include an integer parameter, "number_of_connections", and sets the maximum number of connections in the user connection table that will be polled, indexed starting at connection station 1. The default number of connections is the maximum number of remote connections allowable for the stratified OS version (for example, a default of 10 connections will be polled on 10-user version of the OS). Patch History: NLICLEAR.NLM: 4018 04-25-91 2:18p Version 1.01 NetWare 386 Not-Logged-In User Skulker Copyright 1991 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved. Checksum is 2A74 FF52 E902 72DF C376 823F NLICLEAR.NLM 3357 03-08-91 2:56p Version 1.02 NetWare 386 Not-Logged-In User Skulker Copyright 1991 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved. Checksum is 1585 64FB 6BD6 AC59 7E53 C5BF change in default number of connections to check. Also, more elaborate alert mechanism. NLICLEAR NLM 4338 05-24-91 12:17p Version 1.04 NetWare 386 Not-Logged-In User Skulker Copyright 1991 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved. Checksum is 4E53 FC37 C72E 5BBB 897D B77E This is the original NLICLEAR.nlm that ships on 3.12 CD. Changes: connections-monitored algorithm and delay algorithm; changed command-line params;added a status report on load NLICLEAR NLM 4434 05-27-93 2:47p Version 1.05 NetWare 386 Not-Logged-In User Skulker (930527) Copyright 1993 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved. Checksum is 28A5 12F2 D9B1 D160 F114 D2C0 changed NLIClear.NLM to have a maximum polling interval of 3 hours instead of 1. Changed the define in NLIClear.H NLI_CLEAR_MAX_POLL_INTERVAL from 3600 to 10800. NLICLEAR NLM 4434 09-01-94 2:28p Version 1.05 NetWare 386 Not-Logged-In User Skulker (940901) Copyright 1994 Novell, Inc. All rights reserved. Checksum is AFEB E681 AA55 0B28 05BE FCFB This NLM is included Fixes problems with clearing a not-login procedure before the login procedure is finished. This is fixes by looking for a in process bit before clearing the connection. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Any trademarks referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners. Consult your product manuals for complete trademark information. -----------------------------------------------------------------