Chapter 24: Background Processing, Logging, Reports

System Maintenance and AutoStart

This chapter will discuss background processing, reporting, logging and setting up your system to run automatically. If you have a power outage, or a database error, you want to be sure your system will start back up automatically. Power outages are best dealt with by purchasing a UPS (uninterrupted power supply). That way, your computer operation will not be interrupted.

www.VoiceStamps.com Service Bureau provides several logging and reporting capabilities.

There are several ways to log system activity. Before any of the reports below can be run, you must have created logs of information.

1)  If you just want to see what is going on during a call that you are testing the routing on, you can use the Display Activity under the Maintain menu. This sends system activity to individual text files for each line. Each line must be set up separately to log the call activity. The Display Activity section describes this in detail.

2) System Activity Log: If you would like all system activity sent to a database log file, you need to set Log=yes in the \winnt\stplus.ini file under the [Main] section. You need to close and re-open the program for any ini file changes to take effect. All system activity will then be sent to the \stplus\log\current.dbf file. Each night at midnight that file will be renamed and sent to the \stplus\log\backup directory with today's date. The .dbf files are in basic database format and can be read by any database program that reads .dbf files. All actions are assigned code number which are listed in the 'codes' field of the dbf file. You can track what happened on each call by creating a database program that looks for 'start call' and determining the line number the call is on. Then, track all information for that line number until you see 'stop call'. If you have the caller id option, the caller id phone number and name (if provided - if the caller has blocked it the information cannot be there, as the program has not received it) will be entered in this file.

Fields in this current.dbf file are as follows:

line - this shows the line number on which the activity occurred. zero means the log has just started

type - this shows the type of call - inbound, outbound, etc.:

0 - no call

1- inbound

2- message notification

3 - pager

4 - message waiting lamp

5 - outbound box

6 - fax

7 - question box (Calendialer - question box originated info for the call)

3) Another option provided is the global log file. This parameter is set in the \winnt\stplus.ini file in the [Main] section - maxgloballogs=x and LogGlobalDebug=yes/no. The LogGlobalDebug=yes/no determines whether any global logs are created. The maxgloballogs=x determines how many logs are kept. It starts with globallog1.txt. When that file reaches 5 megabytes, globallog2.txt is created, etc., up to the maxgloballogs number. If you have it set to 5, when globallog5.txt has reached 5 megabytes, the system will being again writing to globallog1.txt. These files show all system activity on all lines, as it occurs. If you only want to track activity on ONE line, it would be best to use the Display Activity trace logs mentioned above in #1. However, not for an indefinite time, as they overwrite themselves at 500kb.

4) OutBound Boxes have their own database files to log calls and results. You need to have the log file information checked. All call information will go the file listed on the OutBound Box screen (\stplus\boxes\80\results.dbf for box 80, for example). The file is in dbf format. You can use any dbase program to read and report from the file, or you can use the Report Generator utility provided under the Utilities menu.

5) The Report Generator utility (\stplus\report.exe) - reads .dbf files as above for OutBound Boxes. This Report utility will also send database structure information on access boxes, mailboxes, and/or Questions Boxes to text files.

6) \stplus\traffic.exe - this exe will read the database log files created by the information listed above in number 2). This will tell you how many times a given box has been accessed from one date to another date. It will also show the number of calls by time of day, on a given day, so you can monitor your call flow.

7) The Watch utility (\stplus\watch.exe) - this program will look for the presence of a watch.log file that the voice program creates every 5 minutes. If a new file has not been created after 5 minutes, the watch.exe will assume there is a problem and will re-start Windows NT.

8) The Background Processing (\stplus\background.exe) - by default the voice program runs its own internal background processor to handle the deletion of old messages and update any other Privilege time and expiration information. If you are running more then 16 lines, it is recommended that you utilize this separate background processor. In the \winnt\stplus.ini file under [Main] look for the line:

dobackgroundprocessing=

if this line is not present, or if there is a semi-colon ; in front of it, then the internal processor is in effect. To run the external processor, add the line if it is not present and set it to read = no. You will also then need to run the background.exe provided in the \stplus directory. If you are using that,you should create a shortcut for the background processor, and you should add it to your start-up window.  The time of day the background processor will run is listed in the \winnt\stplus.in file, as well. Set this for your least busy time, but not at midnight, as that is when log files are being created.

With all 3 running, your start-up window would have the following:

stplus.exe

background.exe

watch.exe

To put programs in your Start Up Menu, right click on the bottom task bar and choose Properties, Start Menu Programs, Advanced. In the left window you will see the Start Menu listing. Find the \stplus\stplus.exe, right click to copy, then go back to the Start Menu listing, double click, then click on Paste. You can do that will any and all exe's you want to start automatically after rebooting.

If you have purchased the NetNotify program, for voice to email messaging, you will need to add that executable to your start-up window as well (\netnotify\email.exe).

The driver for the Dialogic voice board will be started automatically prior to the programs above opening. That is set under the Dialogic Configuration Manager, under service start mode - set for automatic. Depending upon the number of boards you have installed, you may need to have the stplus.exe (voice program) delay a few second to allow for the driver to be started. The line:

initdelay=

in your stplus.in file will allow that time.  The time required will vary depending on the number of lines and the speed of your computer. An average system of 16 lines on a Pentium 200 would require this setting at about 20 seconds. Re-start your machine a few times until you have the setting correct. It is better to use a few seconds longer than needed.

It is recommended that you have the line:

exitonerror=yes

in your \winnt\stplus.ini file. If you have a database error, by default the program will display a dialog window and you will need to click ok to continue. If you ever see that error, click on ok, but do not continue to operate the program. Close the program and re-open it. You will then see the ERROR light on the top activity menu. Click on it see the \stplus\log\dberr.txt file displayed. It will show you the error that occurred. By having exitonerror=yes, if you are not present if an error occurs, the program will automatically close itself and re-start Windows NT. By having the programs above in your Start-up group, the program will re-start itself and the next time you see the screen, you will see the ERROR light, so you will know you need to check out the error.

Be default, when you first turn on your computer, you are requested to 'logon'. This provides security to your system by requiring a password to gain access to your computer. To most situations this type of security is not an issue. If it is not an issue to you, and you just want to be sure the computer will come back on after a power outage and get your voice program right back on line, you will need to disable the logon feature of Windows NT (specifics provided later in this chapter).

8) msgclear.exe

Under Privileges, then mailbox, you can set mailbox messages to be automatically deleted after they are x days old or new. Most messages will be automatically deleted from your system by the background processor using that setting. However, the background processor program (neither the internal nor the external one)  will NOT delete mailbox messages that have been forwarded, sent or forwarded messages to multiple mailboxes or their distribution lists, or that have been sent via a group box. Question box answers are also not automatically deleted. If you are using question boxes, group boxes, or are allowing messages to be forwarded from mailbox to mailbox, or send the same message to multiple mailboxes, you will want to do a periodic clean up of those messages from your hard drive. The msglear.exe utility will handle this for you. You should close the voice program and run the utility (\stplus\msgclear.exe). It will ask you to enter a date. You may only want to delete messages that are older than 90 days, for example. You would then enter the date that is 90 days prior to the day you are running the utility. The frequency that you would run this utility depends on the size and activity of your system. Some people may need to run it every couple weeks. Others may only need to run in every couple of months. Under no circumstances should you go longer than a couple of months, however.

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These are instructions to set up Windows NT to automatically logon and bypass the need for system operator intervention upon reboot. 

When NT first opens, it will ask for a password. You must enter a password. If you have previously opened by just pressing the 'enter' key, then you will probably need to add a line of 'defaultpassword'. That is explained in detail at the internet site listed below.

close all programs run: regedt32.exe

THIS OPENS YOUR REGISTRY - BE VERY CAREFUL HERE - ANY MISTAKES COULD DISABLE YOUR MACHINE. IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE DOING THIS YOURSELF, YOU SHOULD CONTACT MICROSOFT DIRECTLY AT 425-635-7018.

IF YOU HAVE ANY MACHINE DIFFICULTIES AFTER MAKING THIS CHANGE, YOU WILL NEED TO CONTACT YOUR COMPUTER DEALER, OR MICROSOFT DIRECTLY, AS WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO ASSIST YOU FURTHER.

That is their support line and you can get 90 days free support when you register your software. Have your serial number ready and be at the computer when you call.

OTHERWISE, continue in your registry...

choose: hkey_local machine software microsoft Windows NT current version winlogon

in the right hand window, change 'autoadminlogon' from 0 to 1

close the registry and reboot.

If your window does not show 'autoadminlogon', you can get further information at the following internet address, or call Microsoft directly as listed above.

go to: support.microsoft.com/support choose 'search support' go to #2 and click on 'specific article#' go to #3 and enter Q97597 click on 'find'

It is also possible the more recent service packs (Service Pack 5 +)will not allow the 'Administrator' logon to be set for 'autologon'. You may need to create another User (start, programs,admin tools, user manager). copy the administrator profile listed to another name. Logon as that name and password and make the appropriate changes to the registry. Logging on as another User will revert the desktop to default settings. If you have made any shortcuts, etc., they will not appear. You will need to redo them.