CometAnywhere Configuration Guidelines

Here are some basic guidelines to follow when configuring CometAnywhere. We have included installation and configuration information for both the host Comet98 system as well as the remote CometAnywhere client.

CometAnywhere is a feature of Comet98. With CometAnywhere, you can set up a Comet98 host system that serves numerous remote clients. The remote systems communicate with the host via TCP/IP over either the Internet or dedicated phone lines.

The host system consists of a complete Comet98 installation, while the remote system requires only two files, as shown in the following diagram:

Here are the installation, security, and configuration guidelines:

1. Install a Comet98 system on the host machine. If this machine is a node in a network, install Comet98 as you would install a single user Comet system.

2. Secure this system as you would secure any other "single user" Comet machine.
   • If the system is secured via an on-board single-user plug, run the CASEC.EXE program

   • If the system is secured via a file server, use the appropriate server security:
     • For Novell: NLM Security System (either NIC or server-based plug)

     • For Windows NT/95/98: Comet Security Server

3. Configure remote sessions using the SYSGEN configuration utility. Your CometAnywhere password determines how many remote sessions can be configured. A remote session is a Type 3 session.

   Here's a sample line from a Comet98 INI file showing the configuration of sessions 002 through 010 as remote sessions:

   Session = 002-010,P02,3,F0,80,FF,F0,B0;

   Some things to note about remote sessions:

   • Users are not sessions. Thus, a remote user who wants dual screen capability requires two sessions on the host machine.

   • Remote sessions are assigned dynamically, as needed. For example, if you have 5 remote sessions configured, they can serve one user with 5 sessions, 5 simultaneous users with one session each, or any other combination adding up to 5 sessions.

     Here's an interesting application of this assignment scheme. Suppose you have 50 remote users. However, at any given time suppose you expect no more than 10 of them to be connected to your host system. You could configure (and license) 10 remote sessions that would serve these users 10 at a time.

4. To configure remote printers, use SYSGEN and specify a Type W (Windows) printer. In the device name field, specify #.

   The # symbol intructs Comet98 to route the output to the COSW.EXE program (the program running on the remote system), which in turn routes it to the COSP.EXE program (the print routine on the remote system).

   Here is the general SYSGEN syntax for configuring a CometAnywhere remote printer:

   PRINTER = printer-name,W,spool-type,spool-device,#,,,;

   Here is a specific example for a non-spooling printer named LP1:

   PRINTER = LP1,W,N,,#,,,;

On the remote machine:

1. Install the following files:

   COSW.EXE	CometAnywhere client
   COSP.EXE	CometAnywhere print routine

   Note: These programs do not require license validation. Thus, you may distribute as many copies of these programs as you want (e.g., to multiple customers, to multiple field sales staff, etc.).

2. Create a shortcut that launches the COSW program. Use the /net option to specify either the IP address of the host system or the domain name of the host system.

   There are three ways to specify the COSW startup command, as shown in the following table:

   Method of contacting host	Startup command
   Specific IP address (xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx)	COSW /net:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
   Specific domain name	COSW /net:domain-name
   User-supplied IP address or domain name With this method, a dialog box is displayed when the COSW program is launched. The remote user then supplies the IP address or domain name of the host system. The supplied address/name is stored in a file named COSW.INI (COSW creates this file in the Windows directory). When COSW is subsequently launched, the previous address/name is displayed in a pull-down menu in the startup dialog box. If the remote user communicates with multiple Comet98 hosts, all of their IP address/domain name choices are saved in COSW.INI and displayed in the startup dialog box.	COSW /net

   For example, to reach Signature Systems' Comet98 host machine, you could use either of the following startup commands:

   COSW /net:209.204.143.94

   COSW /net:signature.net

   Alternatively, you could use the startup command without the specific details, as follows:

   COSW /net

   With this startup command, when you launch COSW you will see a dialog box that prompts you for an IP address or domain name. To connect with Signature's Comet98 host system, enter either 209.204.143.94 (the IP address) or signature.net (the domain name).

3. Use the "Print Setup" selection to choose the printer for the remote CometAnywhere system. This selection appears in the "File" menu, as shown here:

   

   The following dialog is displayed, in which you choose the printer for the remote site:

   

4. Optionally, use the "Set Printer Font" selection to configure the system fonts (Font 0, Font 1, and Font 2). This selection appears in the "File" menu, as shown here:

   

   The following dialog is displayed, in which you choose the fonts:

   

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