Finding Out Who Has Locked the SNA Server Configuration File

• Microsoft SNA Server version 2.11

SUMMARY

Within a Windows NT domain, all SNA Servers in the domain share a common configuration file, where only one SNA Server in the domain is designated as the "primary" configuration server. When the SNA Admin program is started, Admin attempts to open the primary server's configuration file in Read/Write mode. If this open succeeds, all other users who attempt to run SNA Admin will only be able to access the configuration file in read-only mode.

Read/write access is needed to update the configuration file, though read-only access still allows that administrator to start/stop SNA Server services and view their status.

Under SNA Server 2.11, if the configuration file is already open for read\write access and another SNA Administration program tries to open the configuration file, the user will be prompted with the following dialog box:

   Insufficient privilege or the file is locked. The file is locked by
   Domain Name\User on computer (computer name). OK to open the
   configuration in read only mode?

Previous versions of SNA Server Admin do not show what user has the primary configuration file locked open for write access. If the SNA Admin program is not running locally on the primary configuration server, then Windows NT Server Manager can be used to determine which user has the configuration file open in write mode. Choose Server Manager/servername/<in use>/ look at which user has the <COM.C$$> file locked.

MORE INFORMATION

Under SNA Server 2.11, SNA Server Admin is able to determine who has the configuration file open by parsing the COM.LOK file. This file is created when the configuration file is opened for read\write access. The file is deleted when the SNA Server Administration program that has locked the configuration file is shutdown.

Sample COM.LOK file:

SNASERVER\Snauser SNAUSER

If this file is deleted while the COM.CFG is still locked by SNA Server Admin then any other SNA Server Admin will not be able to tell the user (in the popup message) who has the configuration file opened for Read\write access.

NOTE: SNA Server Admin 2.1 and 2.11 support the ability to configure SNA Server administration rights, using the SNA Admin Security/Permissions dialog. Users can be granted the following rights:

No access: Disallow a particular user or group from administering SNA Server

Read (manage only): Allow the user to open the configuration file in read mode, so the user can view the server status and start/stop services.

Read/Write: Allow the user to manage the server and change the SNA Server configuration.

Full control: View SNA Server status, start and stop services, change SNA Server configuration information and assign configuration privileges for other users.

WARNING: The SNA Server administrator should never attempt to set Windows NT file system (NTFS) file privileges on the primary SNA Server configuration file. The SNA Server Admin program should be used exclusively to manage SNA Administration rights of users.