PC DirSync: Conflicting Run Window Times in Dir-Sync Schedule

• Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 3.0 and 3.2

SYMPTOMS

With versions 3.0 and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, directory synchronization (Dir-Sync) provides a "run window" that allows the Dir-Sync process to begin, even though the start time has already passed. For example, it is possible for the run window entries to be both 4 hours and 8 hours.

CAUSE

The scheduling information for Dir-Sync is contained in the PROCESS.GLB file. This file contains the time and date of the next scheduled activity for each day. If this PROCESS.GLB file was originally created for version 3.0 of Microsoft Mail for PC Networks and modified with version 3.0 of the Mail Administrator program (ADMIN.EXE), the run window will be 4 hours. If the PROCESS.GLB file was later modified with version 3.2 of the ADMIN.EXE program (after the postoffice was upgraded), the modified entries will have a run window of 8 hours.

RESOLUTION

One method to resolve this problem is to create a brand new PROCESS.GLB file by installing a version 3.2 postoffice in a temporary location on a local hard disk drive. First, make a backup copy of the existing PROCESS.GLB file on the production postoffice and then copy this newly created PROCESS.GLB file to the working postoffice. Run version 3.2 of the ADMIN.EXE program and re-create the entries. This will set the run window to 8 hours for all of the entries.

Another method to resolve this problem is to create a brand new PROCESS.GLB file as described above and then use the DSSCHED.EXE utility included with Application Note WA0725, "Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync)" (text dated 8/94) to import a text file containing the schedule times. The following is a sample text file:

   T1 Mon 22:00
   T1 Tue 22:00
   T1 Wed 22:00
   T1 Thu 22:00
   T1 Fri 22:00
   T1 Sat 22:00
   T1 Sun 22:00
   T2 Mon 01:00
   T2 Tue 01:00
   T2 Wed 01:00
   T2 Thu 01:00
   T2 Fri 01:00
   T2 Sat 01:00
   T2 Sun 01:00
   T3 Mon 03:00
   T3 Tue 03:00
   T3 Wed 03:00
   T3 Thu 03:00
   T3 Fri 03:00
   T3 Sat 03:00
   T3 Sun 03:00

Notes

• The T1, T2, and T3 times are described in Application Note WA0725.
• DSSCHED.EXE will ignore the T2 times on a newly created PROCESS.GLB file because, by default, the postoffice installed to the temporary location is a requestor postoffice. To include T2, run the ADMIN.EXE program against this postoffice and make it a Dir-Sync server. A Dir-Sync server PROCESS.GLB file (including the T2 times) should not be used on a requestor postoffice.
• If all the requestor postoffices use the same Dir-Sync times and if there are no time-zone issues, the administrator can create one requestor PROCESS.GLB file and copy it to each requestor postoffice.

REFERENCES

Application Note WA0725, "Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync)," pages 15, 21, and 22.

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:

• Microsoft's World Wide Web Site on the Internet
• The Internet (Microsoft anonymous ftp server)
• The Microsoft Network (MSN)
• Microsoft Download Service (MSDL)
• Microsoft Product Support Services

   ARTICLE-ID: Q96060
   TITLE     : PC DirSync: WA0725: Directory Synchronization (Dir-Sync)