[WriteLog] Networking Multiple machines - recovering the network

[Wayne Starnes]

Hi gang, hope someone can help with a questions about multiple machine
networking.

I am networking 7-9 machines using WriteLog version 10.56c October 2005. All
machines initially loaded a common file, manually "registered for
connections", and saved the .WL file locally. This was all according to the
explicit documentation. They were started like this according to the
explicit documentation:

Start machine A. Register for connections. A is designated as the 'master
server'. It is NOT used for any station logging activity. Do not connect to
any other machines, per documentation.
Start machine B. Register for connections. Connect to machine A.
Start machine C. Register for connections. Connect to machine A
Start machine D. Register for connections. Connect to machine A.
[etc.]

Great so far, working as designed. Machine D will see ALL entries made on
machine A, B, C, etc as they are made. Machine C goes down, [perhaps to fuel
the generator] then comes back up, manually "registers for connections" and
connects to machine A. Again, machine C can see ALL entries made on machine
A, B, D, etc as they are made.

Now the problem: Machine A goes down for whatever reason. Perhaps its
generator was fueled, perhaps a LAN switch AC plug was kicked unplugged and
no one noticed until network activity had stopped. Now machine A, the master
server, comes back up. you manually [ugh!] "register for connections."
Nothing happens! You connect machine A to machine C and C can now see A, but
neither A or C has a view of B or D. B and D are now running 'locally' both
in stand alone mode with no network updates from any machine.

Now Machine B connects to machine D [manually, ugh!, after someone runs to
the other tent to tell them they are down]. Now B sees D, but no other
machines on the network.

All this lengthy explanation is to say, when machine A comes back up, IT
MUST MANUALLY 1) REGISTER and then 2) connect to ALL the machines in the
network for the network to restore properly.

The requirement we have is for the network to recover itself for any machine
without manual intervention.

NOW HERE IS THE QUESTION[s]:

Does anyone have a script, API, knowledge, etc, of how to (1) force a
machine starting Writelog to automatically '"register for connections" [is
there a writelog.ini setting?] and [2) how to force a machine running
Writelog to monitor its connection and reconnect to other machines without
manual intervention when it sees its network connection is down?

Any thoughts and experiences would be appreciated !!


Wayne Starnes - KU4V