IsNodeUp
                              By Mike King

This program is freeware.  IsNodeUp tests for active/inactive PCBoard
15.0 nodes from a batch file.  It will return with an error level equal
to the first active node encountered or zero if all requested nodes are
down.  IsNodeUp should function correctly on systems with up to 2,000
nodes.

Usage:

IsNodeUp <path ONLY! to USERNET.XXX> <node to check> [<node to check>]

Note that IsNodeUp will test from the end of the list of node backwards
to the beginning.

IsNodeUp C:\PCB\MAIN 1 3 7

will first test node 7, then node 3 and lastly node 1.

As a practical example, lets assume that node 3 is your mail server.  At
2:30am, you need to call a number of host systems to relay mail.  The
mail retrieval normally takes approximately 2 hours.  At 4:30 am, you
want the rest of the nodes down to pack the message base.  Your node 3
2:30am event file might resemble following.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
rem                     exchange mail

rem get RIME mail
call rimepost.bat
rem get ILink mail
call lowmem ilinkhub
rem etc.

rem                     wait for other nodes before packing

rem pause loop routine to pause for 5 minutes

:Pause
DvPause 5

rem check node status
IsNodeUp c:\pcb\main 1 2 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
if errorlevel 1 goto Pause

call packmsgs.bat

board3
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Your 4:30am event file for the other nodes might resemble the following:

----------------------------------------------------------------------
rem ensure that the mail server is down

:Pause1
DvPause 1

IsNodeUp 3
if errorlevel 3 goto Pause1

echo Message Packing Event

rem wait for node 3 to finish packing the message base

:Pause2
DvPause 5

IsNodeUp 3
if errorlevel 3 goto Exit
goto Pause2

rem node 3 is finished
:Exit
boardxx
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comments, suggestions, $$$ are welcome.  You can contact the author at:

Mike King
IDC BBS
PO Box 4020
Alameda, CA 94501

BBS:  (510) 865-7115    1200/2400 baud (USR HST 14.4k)
      (510) 814-8097    9600+ baud     (USR DS v.32bis/HST 14.4k)

Revisions:

04/05/93 -      For the purpose of determining node status as it applies
                to an event, the "Running Event" node status code in
                USERNET.XXX will also indicate an idle node.