[comp.sys.novell] GO.BAT and RESTART.BAT

34HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET (Mark Strandskov) (02/08/91)

Could someone please explain to me exactly what GOxxxxx.BAT and
RESTART.BAT are for, and how can you get around them when trying
to backup parts of your server?  I have run into problems with
these files and I would at least like to know what Novell is
trying to use them for.

Thank you,

Mark Strandskov
Central Michigan University
34HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET

dab6@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas A. Bell) (02/08/91)

In a previous article, 34HLEFG@CMUVM.BITNET (Mark Strandskov) says:

>Could someone please explain to me exactly what GOxxxxx.BAT and
>RESTART.BAT are for, and how can you get around them when trying
>to backup parts of your server?  I have run into problems with
>these files and I would at least like to know what Novell is
>trying to use them for.

The files GOxxxxxx.BAT and RESTART.BAT are made by the novell menu program
in order to kepp track of what it is doing.  Normally they are also
erased by the menu program, but when someone leaves the menu impolitely,
the files get left behind.

One problem that I encounter with these files is that if someone has
filed up their storage space allotment on novell and then tries to run
applications from the novell menu, the program gives an error that
it calls 'dos error 0' and then refuses to execute the application.  This
is because it can't create the GOxxxxxx.BAT file for the application.

This all is leading up to a question on my part.  Does anyone know
of an attractive looking menu system for a novell network that

   1)  Doesn't fill the drive with random little batch files,
   2)  Doesn't waste 14k of memory like novell does, or 31k like saber,
   3)  Is easy to operate & maintain
   4)  And of course, inexpensive.

Thanks in advance.
-- 
"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"~^"^~"^~"^~
Douglas Bell             Mathematics Student                      Cleveland,
dab6@po.cwru.edu         Case Western Reserve University          Ohio USA

kenh@techbook.com (Ken Haynes) (02/13/91)

In article <1991Feb8.005302.24572@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> dab6@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas A. Bell) writes:
>This all is leading up to a question on my part.  Does anyone know
>of an attractive looking menu system for a novell network that
>
>   1)  Doesn't fill the drive with random little batch files,
>   2)  Doesn't waste 14k of memory like novell does, or 31k like saber,
>   3)  Is easy to operate & maintain
>   4)  And of course, inexpensive.
>

Check out the SABRE menu program.  It's not inexpensive, but it offers
features that I think you are looking for.

BTW:  Just a note of warning.  Because of NOVELLS 4K blocking factor, menus
that are made of small batchfiles that call one another, are devistating for
the server.  You fill up the servers cache memory will these little menu
programs, and push the real files out.  Since NOVELL uses an algorithm
that leaves the most used files in cache, these little batch files could
hog server memory, resulting in lower overall performance, depending on
how you have things configured.


-- 
******************************************************************************
Ken Haynes, Certified Netware Engineer
Technical Support Product Mgr.
900 Support

tan@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Shufeng Tan) (02/16/91)

In article <1991Feb8.005302.24572@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> dab6@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas A. Bell) writes:
..............

>The files GOxxxxxx.BAT and RESTART.BAT are made by the novell menu program
>in order to kepp track of what it is doing.  Normally they are also
>erased by the menu program, but when someone leaves the menu impolitely,
>the files get left behind.                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^

..............

It seems that the Novell menu users have to remember certain guidelines on
when they can leave the menu and when they cannot.  That's ridiculous.
My impression with the followup to the discussion on GO???.BAT and
RESTART.??? is that the only way out is to get different menu facilities
from other sources (I may have missed some followup messages). But why
Novell shipped such a buggy program with its netware? I think Novell should
provide a decent menu facility along with its netware.

I have another problem with Novell netware which is a hundred times worse
than GO???.BAT and RESTART.???.  Under each user's directory, a hidden
directory call DELETED is created by Netware. This directory contains many
junk files named DELETED.???. They accumulate a lot faster than GO???.BAT and
RESTART.???. I really don't understand what is the purpose of these files.
They just pile up there until the system bombs out.  It took me days to
delete these junk files. Can someone help me on this bussiness?  I will
be very grateful if you can get rid of them.

dab6@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas A. Bell) (02/17/91)

In a previous article, kenh@techbook.com (Ken Haynes) says:

>In article <1991Feb8.005302.24572@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> dab6@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas A. Bell) writes:
>>This all is leading up to a question on my part.  Does anyone know
>>of an attractive looking menu system for a novell network that
>>
>>   1)  Doesn't fill the drive with random little batch files,
>>   2)  Doesn't waste 14k of memory like novell does, or 31k like saber,
>>   3)  Is easy to operate & maintain                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^      
>>   4)  And of course, inexpensive.


>Check out the SABRE menu program.  It's not inexpensive, but it offers
>features that I think you are looking for.

My critique of saber menu system is as follows:

It wastes 31k of application memory.
I makes little batch files, although not as many as novell menu, and cleans
   them up somewhat better.
It isn't inexpensive.
Writing the menu script is not as easy as novell.  The commands are not
   as intuitive and the text script needs to be compiled into a code for the
   menu program to read.
But on the positive side, it offers some security features not found in
   novell menu for those who worry about such things.
Also, it offers a help feature for befuddled users, and can greet the
users with an opening message screen.


                 ++++++++ DISCLAIMER +++++++++
These are my observations, they are not documented facts, nor do they
reflect upon my employers in any way.  As a matter of fact, they won't even
know I wrote this until they read it here.
                 ++++++++ REMIALCSID +++++++++
-- 
"^~"^~"^~" ^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"^~"~^"^~"^~"^~
Douglas Bell             Mathematics Student                      Cleveland,
dab6@po.cwru.edu         Case Western Reserve University          Ohio  USA

pat@rwing.UUCP (Pat Myrto) (02/18/91)

tan@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Shufeng Tan) writes:
> In article <1991Feb8.005302.24572@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> dab6@po.CWRU.Edu (Douglas A. Bell) writes:
> ..............
> 
> I have another problem with Novell netware which is a hundred times worse
> than GO???.BAT and RESTART.???.  Under each user's directory, a hidden
> directory call DELETED is created by Netware. This directory contains many
> junk files named DELETED.???. They accumulate a lot faster than GO???.BAT and
> RESTART.???. I really don't understand what is the purpose of these files.
> They just pile up there until the system bombs out.  It took me days to
> delete these junk files. Can someone help me on this bussiness?  I will
> be very grateful if you can get rid of them.

I think you are talking about the stuff that makes it possible to get
back a deleted file using the SALVAGE utility.  The files in the
hidden subdir should be removed by the system (as I understand it)
when space needs require it.  One can manually force removal of these
files using the PURGE utility - cd to the root dir and say:

PURGE /ALL

and they are all permanantly removed (salvage cannot recover them
anymore).  I make it a habit to do this every once in awhile, so far
the system hasn't bombed on me, and its a pretty busy one.  Maybe I'm
just lucky, if so I hope it holds out...  :-)

-- 
pat@rwing                                       (Pat Myrto),  Seattle, WA
                            ...!uunet!pilchuck!rwing!pat
      ...!uw-beaver!uw-entropy!dataio!/
WISDOM:    "Travelling unarmed is like boating without a life jacket"