Message NCPs

Message NCPs enable applications to send broadcast messages (1 to 58 bytes) and pipe messages (1 to 126 bytes) to as many as a hundred specified target connections (workstations). The sending workstation and the target workstations must be attached to the same file server.

Broadcast and pipe messages use file server processing time. For true peer-to-peer communication between programs across the network, programs can use Novell's IPX (Internetwork Packet eXchange) or SPX (Sequenced Packet eXchange) protocols, or NetBIOS. These protocols do not use server processing time and therefore promote better performance.

Each file server connection maintains a 58-byte message buffer for broadcast messages and a 6-slot message buffer for pipe messages. Each slot can hold a 126-byte pipe message. Before sending a pipe message, the sending and receiving connections must establish a message pipe with the Open Message Pipe call.

When one connection sends a message to another connection, the file server places the message in the target connection's message buffer or pipe queue and informs the target connection that a message has arrived. The target connection's shell automatically retrieves the message.

Each connection on a file server has a configurable message mode (00h to 03h) that allows the workstation to open or close its message buffer and to enable or disable the automatic message retrieval feature of its shell.

The NetWare utilities SEND, CASTON, and CASTOFF use message service system calls to send, enable, and prevent broadcast (not pipe) messages.

Broadcast To Console 0x2222 21 09

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Request Format

	Offset	Content				Type
	(request header)
	6	FunctionCode	(21)		byte
	7	SubFuncStrucLen	(2+MessageLen)	  word (Hi-Lo)
	9	SubFunctionCode 	(9)	byte
	10	MessageLen 			byte
	11	Message				byte[MessageLen]

Offset Content Type

	(reply header)

Completion Code

	0	0x00	Successful

Remarks

This call broadcasts a message to the system console. The message is displayed at the console on a single line after the ":" prompt and can be no longer than 255 bytes. New messages received at the console overwrite any previous message.

See Also

Disable Broadcasts (0x2222 21 02)

Enable Broadcasts (0x2222 21 03)

Disable Broadcasts 0x2222 21 02

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Request Format

	Offset	Content				Type
	(request header)
 	6	FunctionCode	(21)		byte
	7	SubFuncStrucLen	(1)		word (Hi-Lo)
	9	SubFunctionCode 	(2)	byte

Reply Format

	Offset	Content			Type
	(reply header)

Completion Code

  0	0x00	Successful

Remarks

This call informs the server that a client does not want to receive messages from other clients. After receiving this command, the server will refuse to let other clients log messages for forwarding to this client. This call can be used by any client.

See Also

Enable Broadcasts (0x2222 21 03)

Enable Broadcasts 0x2222 21 03

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Request Format

	Offset	Content				Type
	(request header)
	6	FunctionCode	(21)		byte
	7	SubFuncStrucLen	(1)		word (Hi-Lo)
	9	SubFunctionCode (3)		byte

Reply Format

	Offset	Content				Type
	(reply header)

Completion Code

  0		0x00	Successful

Remarks

This call allows a client to enable message reception after message reception has been disabled using Disable Broadcasts (0x2222 21 02).

See Also

Disable Broadcasts (0x2222 21 02)

Connection Message Control 0x2222 21 12

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•

Request Format

	Offset	Content			Type
	(request header)
	 6	FunctionCode	(21)	byte
	 7	SubFuncStrucLen	*	word (Hi-Lo)
	 9	SubFunctionCode (12)	byte
	10	ConnectionControlBits	LONG
	14	ConnectionListCount	LONG
	18	ConnectionList		LONG[ConnectionListCount]

* SubFuncStrucLen = 9 + (4*ConnectionListCount)

Reply Format

	Offset	Content			Type
	(reply header)

Completion Code

	0	0x00	Successful
	255	0xFF	Bad Parameter

ConnectionControlBits

Value	Description
0x00000001	Enable Broadcast Messages
0x00000002	Enable Personal Broadcase Messages
0x00000004	Enable Watchdog Messages
0x00000010	Disable Broadcast Messages
0x00000020	Disable Personal Broadcast Messages
0x00000040	Disable Watchdog Messages

Remarks

This NCP allows a client to control Broadcast and Watchdog Messages for all connections included in the connection list.

See Also

Disable Broadcasts (0x2222 21 02)

Enable Broadcasts (0x2222 21 03)

Get Broadcast Message 0x2222 21 11

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Request Format

	Offset	Content				Type
	(request header)
	6	FunctionCode	(21)		byte
	7	SubFuncStrucLen	(1)		word (Hi-Lo)
	9	SubFunctionCode (11)		byte

Reply Format

	Offset	Content				Type
	(reply header)
	8	MessageLen			byte
	9	Message				byte[MessageLen]

Completion Code

	0	0x00	Successful
	253	0xFD	Bad Station Number

Remarks

This NCP allows a client to retrieve a message sent by another client. If no message has been left, then Message Length will contain a zero. This NCP allows station numbers greater than 256. This call also gives back unique error codes on message receive failures. This call can be used by any client.

See Also

Send Broadcast Message (0x2222 21 10)

Get Broadcast Message (old) 0x2222 21 01

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Request Format

	Offset	Content			Type
	(request header)
	6	FunctionCode	(21)	byte
	7	SubFuncStrucLen	(1)	word (Hi-Lo)
	9	SubFunctionCode (1)	byte

Reply Format

Offset Content Type

	(reply header)
	8	MessageLen		byte
	9	Message			byte[MessageLen]

Completion Code

	0	0x00	Successful
	253	0xFD	Bad Station Number

Remarks

This call allows a client to retrieve a message sent by another client. If no message has been left, then Message Length will contain a zero. This call can be used by any client.

See Also

Send Broadcast Message (0x2222 21 0)

Log Network Message 0x2222 23 13

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• •

Request Format

	Offset	Content				Type
	(request header)
	 6	FunctionCode	(23)		byte
	 7	SubFuncStrucLen	(2+MessageLen)	  word (Hi-Lo)
	 9	SubFunctionCode (13)		byte
	10	MessageLen			byte
	11	Message			byte[MessageLen]

Reply Format

Offset Content Type

	(reply header)

Completion Code

  0	0x00	Successful
128	0x80	Lock Fail
129	0x81	Out Of Handles
136	0x88	Invalid File Handle
141	0x8D	Some Files In Use
142	0x8E	All Files In Use
143	0x8F	Some Read Only
144	0x90	All Read Only
148	0x94	No Write Privileges
150	0x96	Server Out Of Memory
152	0x98	Disk Map Error
153	0x99	Directory Full Error
155	0x9B	Bad Directory Handle
161	0xA1	Directory I/O Error
162	0xA2	I/O Lock Error
255	0xFF	Failure, No Files Found, Lock Error

Remarks

This call is a form of communication sometimes used for accounting purposes. This call places a message in a Novell file server's workstation log file NET$LOG.MSG in the format:

"mm/dd/yy hh:mm STN dd: 'Message'"

'Message' is the text received in the message. The date, time, and station number are added by the server. The server creates the file if it does not already exists. <CR><LF> characters are added to the end of each line in the log.

Send Broadcast Message 0x2222 21 10

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• •

Request Format

	Offset	Content			Type
	(request header)
	 6	FunctionCode	(21)	byte
	 7	SubFuncStrucLen	*	word (Hi-Lo)
	 9	SubFunctionCode (10)	byte
	10	ClientListCount		word
	12	ClientList		long[ClientListCount]
	12+ClientListCount*4	MessageLen  byte
	13+ClientListCount*4	Message	    byte[MessageLen]

* SubFuncStrucLen = 4 + (4*ClientListCount) + MessageLen

Reply Format

	Offset	Content			Type
	(reply header)
	  8	RClientListCount	word
	 10	RClientCompFlag		long[ClientListCount]

Completion Code

	0	0x00	Successful

RClientCompFlag

Value	Description
0	Successful
1	Illegal Station Number
2	Client Not Logged In
3	Client Not Accepting Messages
4	Client Already Has a Message
150	No Alloc Space for the Message

Remarks

This NCP allows a client to send a message to another client. It allows station numbers greater than 256, and also gives back unique error codes on message receive failures.

See Also

Get Broadcast Message (0x2222 21 11)

Send Broadcast Message (old) 0x2222 21 00

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Request Format

	Offset	Content			Type
	(request header)
	6	FunctionCode	(21)	byte
	7	SubFuncStrucLen	*	word
	9	SubFunctionCode (0)	byte
	10	ClientListLen		byte
	11	TargetClientList	byte[ClientListLen]
	11+ClientListLen	MessageLen byte
	12+ClientListLen	Message    byte[MessageLen]

* SubFuncStrucLen = 3 + ClientListLen + MessageLen

Reply Format

	Offset	Content			Type
	(reply header)
	8	ClientListLen		byte
	9	SendStatus		byte[ClientListLen]

Completion Code

	0	0x00	Successful
	253	0xFD	Bad Station Number
	255	0xFF	Failure

Remarks

This call allows a client to send short text messages to a list of clients. The message can be no longer than 58 bytes; longer messages will be truncated.

The server returns a list of status codes in Send Status indicating the result of trying to log the message for delivery to the target client(s).

A success status (0x00) indicates that the message has been recorded for later delivery.

A failure status (0xFF) indicates that the target client does not exist or has signaled the server not to accept messages.

A message pending status (0xFC) indicates that the server is already holding a message for delivery to the target client and cannot accept another.

This call can be used by any client.

See Also

Get Broadcast Message (0x2222 21 01) (old)

Get Broadcast Message (0x2222 21 11)

Send Broadcast Message (0x2222 21 10)