Click above to get retro games delivered to your door ever month!

       MULTI - NODE OPERATION
       ------------------------------------------------------------

       It  is  assumed  that  you have some  knowledge  of  running
       RemoteAccess already, or have at least run a single line BBS
       for some time.  If you haven't,  it is strongly  recommended
       that   you run one line  for a little while  to  familiarise
       yourself with the terminology and operation of RemoteAccess.

       The  idea of multi-node operation is that more than one user
       can be on-line at the same time to the same BBS.  To do this
       safely,  it  is  necessary for RemoteAccess  to  manage  the
       configuration   and  data  files  it  uses  very  carefully.

       Firstly,  tell RemoteAccess that it's running in  multi-node
       mode  by setting the MULTI LINE option to "Yes" in RACONFIG.
       You  should  also set CHECK FOR MULTI LOGON  to  "Yes".  Not
       doing this can cause unpredictable  results when a user logs
       on to more than one line at once.

       Set the  SYSTEM LOG NAME to  "RA.LOG". Make sure you  do NOT
       specify a full path with the name.

       Next create one child directory of your system directory for
       each line you intend to operate. For example, assuming  that
       the  system  directory  is   C:\RA,  for  two  lines  create
       C:\RA\LINE1 and C:\RA\LINE2 (the actual directory  names are
       not important).

       At  this  stage, ensure  that  the  RA environment  variable
       points to the system  directory so each line will be able to
       locate the configuration files.

       Why  separate directories? Many  on-line utilities and doors
       are not  multi-node aware,  so they  must  be isolated  from
       themselves in the  event that more than one copy of the same
       door is executed at the same  time. Thus it may be necessary
       to place  extra configuration files  for some doors  in each
       line directory.

       For example, to install QuickEd in a multi-node environment,
       ensure that QUICKED.EXE is in the system directory (C:\RA in
       this  example)  and  that  the EXTERNAL  EDITOR  setting  in
       RACONFIG  is set  to  "C:\RA\QUICKED.EXE".  To complete  the
       installation, copy  the  files QUICKED.HLP  and  QUICKED.CFG
       into  each  line  directory; these  two  files  need not  be
       present in the system directory.

       All that is necessary now is to  create the batch files that
       call each copy of RA for each line:

       REM Sample batch file to fire up line 1
       :START
         CD \RA\LINE1
         RA -N1
         REM Check errorlevels etc
         GOTO START

       Note  that   the  -N1   parameter  is  not   required  since
       RemoteAccess defaults  to line 1;  it is  included only  for
       completeness.

       REM Sample batch  file to  fire up line  2, using  FrontDoor
       REM as a front-end mailer in shell to mailer mode
       :START
         CD \RA\LINE2
         RA -M\FD\FD.EXE*M -N2
         REM Check errorlevels etc
         GOTO START

       RemoteAccess will  keep a  separate system log  (RA.LOG) and
       usage graph file (TIMELOG.BBS) in each line directory.

       The  placement  of the EXITINFO.BBS  and  DORINFO1.DEF  door
       files is handled differently in a multi-node environment. In
       a  single  line installation these files are written to  the
       RemoteAccess system directory.  In multi-node mode they  are
       written  to the current  (default) directory,  thus ensuring
       that each door has it's  own set of info files from  the BBS
       at all times.

       Additional  configuration  flexibility  is  provided  in the
       method RemoteAccess uses to locate  the configuration (*.RA)
       files. If one or more of the *.RA config files is present in
       a particular  line directory, then the  information in those
       files  will  override  the   information  contained  in  the
       corresponding config file in the system directory.

       For  example, it  may  be necessary  for  each line  to  use
       different  modem  configuration  information. This  data  is
       contained in CONFIG.RA, so make a copy of  this file in each
       line  directory.  Change to  the  line 1  directory  and use
       RACONFIG to edit the  modem settings. Save your changes  and
       repeat the procedure for line 2. When RemoteAccess fires up,
       it  will use the CONFIG.RA in the current directory that you
       just edited,  and  the  other  config files  in  the  system
       directory.

       The  LIMITS.CTL file works in the same way; you may override
       the global settings in the system directory by making a copy
       of LIMITS.CTL in  one or more  line directories and  editing
       with an ASCII text editor. This enables each line to exhibit
       different  download  and  time  limits  for  one  particular
       security level.

       Beware  of  third party utilities that write to  the  system
       files!  RemoteAccess  is specifically written so  that  many
       users  can read and post messages simultaneously to the same
       message-base,  but other programs probably AREN'T. Check the
       documentation  very  carefully  before  you  fire  up   your
       favourite  off-line  mail editor and start posting  messages
       while someone else is on-line.  Similarly,  if your echomail
       processor  does  not  lock  the  message-base  files   while
       working,  you  should set up your system to ensure that mail
       is  never imported when there is a user  on-line.  Exporting
       messages however, IS permitted.


       It's  quite  likely that you'll need to increase  the  FILES
       setting  in  your  CONFIG.SYS  if  RemoteAccess  is  running
       several  lines  under  a multitasker.  You'll  also  need  a
       separate  batch-file  for each line to  invoke  RemoteAccess
       with the correct command-line parameters.  See the reference
       section on command-line parameters for information on the -N
       parameter.

       It  is  ESSENTIAL that  you  load  SHARE.EXE when  operating
       multi-node. SHARE is  a utility  that comes  with DOS  which
       RemoteAccess uses  to lock the  database files  it uses,  to
       ensure  that no conflicts  occur. Not using  SHARE is asking
       for trouble; you  risk severe corruption  of both your  user
       and message database files.