The SYSGEN configuration utility

From CometWiki

This documentation describes the SYSGEN program for Comet98
and Comet2000.

SYSGEN is a utility program that configures Comet. The process begins with you placing the configuration information for your entire Comet enterprise in a text file called an INI file. You can name this file anything you choose, but we recommend using the name COMET.INI The SYSGEN program processes your INI file and creates individual Comet configuration files, one for each node in your Comet enterprise.

For example, suppose that your INI file contains configuration information for 4 nodes. SYSGEN reads the entire INI file and builds 4 configuration files, one for each node. The configuration files in this example are named:

node1.cfg
node2.cfg
node3.cfg
node4.cfg

What's in the INI file?

The INI file contains all of the configuration information for your entire Comet enterprise. It includes groups of commands that specify the configuration for various parts of your Comet system. Here are the major keywords contained in an INI file:

 [ENTERPRISE]
 [SITE]
 [NODE]
 [COMET SYSTEM OPTIONS]
 [COMET SESSION OPTIONS]
 [PRINTERS]0
 [SPOOLERS]
 [DIRECTORIES]
 [GATEWAYS]
 [INVALID TRANSLATION TABLE]
 [END]

Each of these keywords represents the beginning of a group of additional keywords that specify the details of the Comet configuration. For example, the [DIRECTORIES] keyword is the beginning of a group of keywords that define the Comet directories that will be used in the configuration. See The INI file documentation for more information about these keywords.

Some of the major keywords are optional. Refer to the minimal INI fileto see the minimum requirements to configure Comet.

Note: Two keywords that were supported in previous versions of Comet (MULTI-USER BOARDS and TERMINALS).

Based on the information contained in the INI file, the SYSGEN program creates one configuration file for each node. If multiple nodes are defined, SYSGEN creates multiple configuration files. The node configuration files are named xxx.CFG where "xxx" is the name of the node.

To start Comet using a specific configuration file, you must include the node name in the shortcut that starts Comet. This is done with the /PN= startup option (where “PN” stands for “profile name,” a term that is equivalent to “node name”). For example, suppose you have defined a node named SALES, and that SYSGEN has created a configuration file named SALES.CFG. Your startup shortcut will consist of the program name and the /PN= startup option:

  C:\comet\cosw.exe /PN=SALES

The .CFG extension is not necessary when specifying the shortcut.

The .CFG files are typically stored in the Comet startup directory on the server. When Comet is started, it checks the startup directory to see if there’s a "nodename.CFG" file present, and then reads that file and establishes the configuration for the node.

Migration From Legacy CFIG Files

The SYSGEN program contains a very useful feature for Comet users who want to migrate from the legacy format configuration files. SYSGEN can read a legacy CFIG file and create an INI file. This feature is not limited to a single CFIG file either. SYSGEN can read multiple CFIG files (from different nodes in a network, for example) and create a composite INI file that represents the master configuration for the entire Comet enterprise.