DOCUMENT:Q101403  17-DEC-1999  [schedplus]
TITLE   :PC WSPlus: Running SCHDIST.EXE as Idle Process in Dispatch
PRODUCT :Microsoft Schedule+ for Windows
PROD/VER:WINDOWS:1.0,1.0a
OPER/SYS:
KEYWORDS:

======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

 - Microsoft Schedule+ for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.0a 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

Versions 1.0 and 1.0a of Microsoft Schedule+ for Windows use the Schedule
Distribution (Schdist) program (SCHDIST.EXE) to distribute a user's free and
busy times to other postoffices. You can run the Schdist program as an idle
process in the Dispatch program (DISPATCH.EXE).

The Dispatch program carries out directory synchronization (Dir-Sync) requests on
the network. The Dispatch program polls the postoffices to determine when a
Dir-Sync event is scheduled to take place. When Dispatch is running, the
External Mail program (EXTERNAL.EXE) must also be running.

Schdist takes advantage of Dispatch polling the postoffices, and runs as an idle
process. Schdist runs while External is not active.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The following examples show commands and batch files for using SCHDIST.EXE and
EXTERNAL.EXE as idle processes in DISPATCH.EXE for two different scenarios:

1. If you want Dispatch to contain the IdleProcessMinPeriod (-TL) and
   IdleProcessMaxPeriod (-TU) parameters, use the following command line

         DISPATCH -Dmp -I"file.bat" -TL30 -TU60 -Lc:\logs\mail.log

   where -Dxx specifies the direct drives, -I specifies the idle program, and -L
   specifies the log file path and filename. To have Schdist running as an idle
   process, include SCHDIST.EXE in a batch file. For example:

   DISPATCH -Dmp -I"file.bat" -TL30 -TU60 -Lc:\logs\mail.log

   The FILE.BAT batch file would look like the following:

         <path>SCHDIST.EXE -Dxx -I1 -Lc:\logs\schdist.txt
         <path>EXTERNAL.EXE -Dxx -A -Lc:\logs\external.txt %1

   NOTE: Refer to Q101752 "PC Ext: Dispatch Cannot Spawn Batch File
   Without COMMAND.COM" for information if you are having problems running this
   batch file against Microsoft Mail for PC Networks postoffices with MS-DOS
   5.0.

   NOTE: In this setup, the -TU time in the Dispatch command line is passed to
   the External command line. This parameter essentially becomes the -BR (break
   relative) time that exits out of External and passes control back to
   Dispatch.

2. If you want the batch file to control the time for exiting out of the idle
   process, use the following command line:

         DISPATCH -Dxx -I"<batchfile>.bat" -L<path\filename>

   For example:

   DISPATCH -Dmn -I"file.bat" -Lc:\logs\mail.log

   The FILE.BAT batch file would look like the following:

         <path>SCHDIST.EXE -Dxx -I1 -Lc:\logs\schdist.txt
         <path>EXTERNAL.EXE -Dxx -A -Lc:\logs\external.txt -BRdd:hh:

   Notes

   In this setup, the -BR (break relative) time determines when External exits
   and passes control back to Dispatch.

   You must remove the -A parameter in the External command line if you are using
   a modem. You should only use <path> placeholder if the SCHDIST.EXE and
   EXTERNAL.EXE files are not in the current directory. It is best if you copy
   the following files to a directory on the dedicated machine that will run
   this process (MS-DOS only):

      DISPATCH.EXE     NSDA.EXE           REQMAIN.EXE
      SRVMAIN.EXE      REBUILD.EXE        IMPORT.EXE
      EXTERNAL.EXE     ASYNC.OVL          EXTERNAL.HLP
      EXTERNAL.ERR     X25EICON.OVL       X25ATLAN.OVL
      SCHDIST.EXE

REFERENCES
==========

For more information on SCHDIST.EXE, see pages 12-15 of the Microsoft Schedule+
for Windows "Administrator's Guide."

For more information on DISPATCH.EXE, see pages 14-16 of the Microsoft Schedule+
for Windows "Administrator's Guide," and pages 287-307 of the Microsoft Mail
version 3.2 "Administrator's Guide" or pages 257-265 of the Microsoft Mail
version 3.0 or 3.0b "Administrator's Guide."

For more information on EXTERNAL.EXE, see pages 13-17 of the Microsoft Schedule+
for Windows "Administrator's Guide," and pages 227-285 of the Microsoft Mail
version 3.2 "Administrator's Guide" or pages 199-245 of the Microsoft Mail
version 3.0 or 3.0b "Administrator's Guide."

Additional query words: schedule plus 1.00 sched scheduler

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbScheduleSearch kbSchedule100 kbSchedule100a
Version           : WINDOWS:1.0,1.0a

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS
PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.  MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS
ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  IN NO
EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR
ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF
MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.  SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION
OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES
SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.

Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.