ADMIN.WRI from WinLogin 1.0 Part B (87973)

MORE INFORMATION

Contents
--------

This document contains additional information on the following topics:

1.0  What Does WinLogin Do?
2.0  How Does WinLogin  Work?
2.1  File Types
2.2  Merge Rules
2.3  Data Sources
2.4  Putting it all together...
2.5  Network Independence
3.0  Client Details
3.1  Disk Layout
3.2  Fallback Configurations
3.3  WLCOM.COM
3.4  WINLOGIN.EXE
3.5  WLMERGE.DLL
3.6  MSINIMRG.DLL
3.7  COPYMRG.DLL
4.0  Configuration Data Layout
4.1  Accessing Data Locations
5.0  Security Issues
6.0  Environment Variable Support
7.0  Customizing Client Setup
7.1  Machine Name
7.2  Fallback Files
7.3  Additional Files
8.0  Other Online Documents

4.0  Configuration Data Layout

One of the key design points in WinLogin is flexibility in
laying out the Configuration data sets. The following
recommendations are offered:

Each configuration data set (users, workstations, groups,
admin) should be stored in a separate directory. This is
simply due to the fact that any given file (WIN.INI for
instance) may easily exist in more than one of the data sets
and the names cannot conflict with each other.

For users, this can be that user's home directory, but most
importantly should be a spot in the shared file space that
can be accessed by the user (or on behalf of the user) from
all the machines at which the user will log on.

For workstations, it is recommended that this directory also
be in the shared file system space to allow administering
the workstation settings remotely. The directory however may
also be local to each machine and  should be identified
using the wkstasourcemod= setting in WINLOGIN.INI.

The shared database file itself must also be accessible to
all users and from all workstations in the system. For this
reason it is recommended that a WinLogin database be set up
and associated with each security domain in an installation
(i.e., LAN Manager Domain, NetWare Bindery, etc.).

4.1  Accessing Data Locations

Since the shared database and each of the possibly four
separate data sets may be stored on different remote
resources on the network, the task of managing the
connections to those resources can become complicated.
WinLogin does, however, offer some help.

WinLogin will automatically connect and disconnect as needed
from the remote resources that it knows about. These
resources include:

-  The location at which the shared database is stored, and
-  All data set locations stored in the shared database.

WinLogin creates and maintains the connections to the data
set locations for the User, Admin and Group data. For
administrator specified paths that resolve to a full path
that contains a network drive, such as the workstation
location in the example, it is the administrator's
responsibility to ensure the connection is made and
maintained.

It is also the administrator's responsibility to ensure that
the client network software is configured to allow a
sufficient number of remote connections. If more than one
data set is stored in paths based upon the same remote
resource, WinLogin creates only one connection and shares
it. Similarly, if a connection to the remote resource is
already established, WinLogin uses that connection and does
not create another.

5.0  Security Issues

Each user must have read and write access to the directory
containing the shared database. Each user must have read and
write access to their own directory, and read access to the
directories containing the admin, group and workstation data
sets.

The contents of the shared database are somewhat protected
by password protection enforced by the administrator's tools
and by the fact that the API interface to the database is
private. A WinLogin database can be configured so that
anyone wanting to modify its contents using the
administrator's tools must provide the password to that
database. The database initially installed is not password
protected.

6.0  Environment Variable Support

Some networked Windows installations have already solved
some of the problems addressed by WinLogin by making heavy
use of environment variables to aid in locating the correct
source data sets. WinLogin incorporates support for such use
of environment variables for two main reasons. First, it
should aid these sites in transitioning to WinLogin. Second,
in some very large environments maintaining the user, group
and workstation lists (even on a domain or server basis) in
the database is not desirable. This section details how the
variables may be specified. For further information on using
environment variables, refer to your WinLogin
Administrator's Reference.

WINLOGIN.INI may include the following entries in the
[WinLogin] section:

adminsourcemod=<path>
usersourcemod=<path>
wkstasourcemod=<path>
groupsourcemod=<path>

<path> can be a series of zero or more slash separated
legal directory names, DOS environment variables, or the
name of the current logged on user. Environment variables or
other place holders such as the user name should resolve to
valid legal directory names.

If any of these variables are used, WLMERGE.DLL retrieves
them from WINLOGIN.INI and resolves them to paths. The
search behaviors described in section 2.3 are implemented
based upon whether the resolved value is a full path or not.

7.0  Customizing Client Setup

7.1  Machine Name

Normally, the WinLogin client installation will ask you for
the machine name of the workstation you are installing the
client onto. The machine name must be a name defined in the
WinLogin database. If you set up workstation names that are
common to a number of machines, e.g., VGA or EGA, you can
simplify the Client Setup by adding a line for machine name
to the WINLOGIN.INI file on the WinLogin client installation
disk.

To create a machine name specific setup:

1. Before adding the machine name line, you need to make a copy of
   the WinLogin client installation disk or network directory for
   each workstation name. If you have only set up VGA and EGA as your
   workstation names, you will create two diskettes or network
   directories.

2. Edit WINLOGIN.INI using a text editor, specifying the machine name
   you wish to use for the client.

3. Save the file.

For example, if you were to add 'machine=VGA' to
WINLOGIN.INI under '[last]', the modified WINLOGIN.INI file
should look like this:

[last]
dbroot=\\Server\WinLogin Share
dbpath=\WinLogin Directory\winlogin.wld
machine=VGA

[winlogin]
SaveUnknownKeys=0
fallbackfiles=system.ini,win.ini,progman.ini
UserSourceMod=
GroupSourceMod=
AdminSourceMod=
WkstaSourceMod=

7.2  Fallback Files

A FALLBACK subdirectory is created in the Windows directory
on the workstation when WinLogin is installed. Critical .INI
files that were on the workstation when WinLogin was set up
are copied to the FALLBACK directory. By default, the
WinLogin workstation setup will copy SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI and
PROGMAN.INI to this directory. If you want to manage
additional .INI files with WinLogin, you will want to copy
these additional files to the FALLBACK directory during
client setup.

If you wish to change the list of files that will be copied,
there are three locations that must be changed on the
WinLogin setup disk.

First, you need to change the entry 'fallbackfiles=' under
'[winlogin]' in WINLOGIN.INI on the workstation setup disk.
For example, if you wish to ensure you always have a
fallback configuration for Excel, add EXCEL.INI to the
'fallbackfiles' entry in WINLOGIN.INI. Your file should look
like this:

[last]
dbroot=\\Server\WinLogin Share
dbpath=\WinLogin Directory\winlogin.wld

[winlogin]
SaveUnknownKeys=0
fallbackfiles=system.ini, win.ini, progman.ini, excel.ini
UserSourceMod=
GroupSourceMod=
AdminSourceMod=
WkstaSourceMod=

Next, you need to change the '[Fallback Files]' section in
STFSETUP.IN_ on the workstation setup disk. Following our
Excel example, add a line for EXCEL.INI to the 'Fallback
Files' section in STFSETUP.IN_. Your file should look like this:

[Fallback Files]
;note disk id is not really used.
2, win.ini
2, system.ini
2, progman.ini
2, excel.ini

Last, you need to change the '[LGN Files]' section in
STFSETUP.IN_ on the workstation setup disk. Again, following
our Excel example, add a line for EXCEL.INI to the 'LGN
Files' section in STFSETUP.IN_. Your file should look like
this:

[LGN Files]
;note disk id is not really used.
2, win.ini, RENAME=win.lgn
2, system.ini, RENAME=system.lgn
2, progman.ini, RENAME=progman.lgn
2, excel.ini, RENAME=excel.lgn

7.3  Additional Files

There are times when it might be useful to have the
workstation setup install more files than it normally would.
For example, if you create an in-house network support
document or cardfile you would like placed on each WinLogin
workstation, you can add that file to the list of files the
workstation setup will install. This list of files is in the
'[ClientFiles]' section in STFSETUP.IN_ on the workstation
setup disk.

Be careful to format your new entry correctly. The best way
to do this is to copy an existing line in the section and
make changes to it rather than entering a new line. When you
have pasted an existing line on the end of the [ClientFiles]
list, change the file name to the one you wish to install,
e.g. SUPPORT.CRD. Change the 'SIZE=' argument to the number
of bytes in the file e.g. 1250. Your file should look like
this:

[ClientFiles]
1, winlogin.exe, DATE=$(DATESTR), SIZE=32000
1, wlcom.com, RENAME=win.com,BACKUP=w31.com,DATE=$(DATESTR), SIZE=5000
1, wlmerge.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR),  SIZE=22000
1, msinimrg.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR), SIZE=22000
1, copymrg.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR),  SIZE=8000
1, errmsg.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR),   SIZE=6000
1, wldapi.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR),   SIZE=56000
1, wldnet.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR),   SIZE=9000
1, wluserfn.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR), SIZE=6000
1, wlplatfn.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR), SIZE=6000
1, jet.dll, DATE=$(DATESTR),      SIZE=190000
1, winlogin.ini, DATE=$(DATESTR), SIZE=300
1, winlogin.hlp, DATE=$(DATESTR), SIZE=11000
1, SUPPORT.CRD, DATE=$(DATESTR), SIZE=1250

Note: Never delete any of the files already in the client
installation list.  Doing so may cause the WinLogin client
to be improperly installed.

8.0  Other Online Documents

The following table describes other online documents that
contain important information about WinLogin that is not
included in the Microsoft WinLogin User's Guide or in online
Help:

Document      Contains

README.WRI    Information about using WinLogin with a specific version
              of your network, and information updated after the
              administrator's guide was printed.

CLIENT.WRI    Information about using WinLogin, for end users. You can
              modify this template document as appropriate for your
              end users.

For further information about WinLogin, query on the
following word in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

     WinLogin