Description:

Roaming client describes the abilities of NAV to seek and use a parent server based on several criteria. Within roaming client abilities exists the possibilities for server load balancing, receiving defs from "the closest server" and traveling users to connect their computer to a network in a new office and utilize the parent server in that office, rather than their original miles away across a slow WAN link. Load balancing allows us to keep the load evenly split between a list of parent servers. When load balancing, parent server response speed becomes secondary, they are all treated equally with the emphasis on the number of clients each parent has rather than response speed.

To use load balancing, the servers need to run the NAVROAM service. This sets up a registry key that tracks the server's number of clients and the navroam service presents this number to the client.

For NEW NAV installs, the roaming client services are installed during the initial NAV install. The roaming client install is "piggybacked" on the end of the NAV CE install to the client. For existing installs, the list of parents - the roamlist text file and the NAVROAM service are copied to the client's NAV folder and the service is installed.

What is needed:

NAVRoam.EXE - the executable that is the NAVROAM service. The file imports the roamlist text file and performs the decision making on the client, directing the NAV client as needed to the proper parent.

RUNROAM - A pair of files consisting of an EXE and INI file created to launch NAVROAM with the /install switch and to run NAVROAM to import the server list text file into the client registry. Written in C/C++, this small program performs both tasks. The INI file can be used to tell it to run NAVROAM to import a server list file with a different name.

ROAMLIST.TXT - this is the text file that contains the list of approved roam servers.

The file has the following format:

Parent 0 pfgdsmpar001,pfgdsmpar002,pfgdsmpar003,pfgdsmpar004

The possible target parents are listed as shown. NAVROAM will import this list and place it in the Windows registry. If performing load balancing using NAVROAM services, replace the commas with an equals sign (=). If "=" is used in place of the commas between server names, the NAVROAM service will treat them as equals in speed and instead read the registry to determine the number of clients each server is servicing and choose the parent with the lowest number of clients. Load balancing requires the NAVROAM service be installed on participating servers. NetWare servers cannot participate as load balancing parents but will function as plain roaming support.

PFG utilizes NAVROAM's load balancing support for Des Moines corporate campus parent servers.

ROAM95 and ROAMNT - a pair of shortcuts to run RUNROAM.EXE as if from the local computer's antivirus folder. These files allow the use of a VB script to install roaming support. The shortcuts will have properties as shown here:

Preparation

1. Setting up the install to new clients:

   This will set up the NAV install from the server to the client so that it will copy the navroam files and launch them on the client during a NEW NAV install.

   A. Create a folder called ToNAV in the folder \\parentserver\ c$\Program Files\NAV\clt-inst\WIN32\ if one does not already exist.

   B. Place the following files in the ToNAV folder:
      NAVROAM.EXE
      ROAMLIST.TXT
      RUNROAM.EXE
      RUNROAM.INI

   C. Place the same files in \\parentserver\ c$\Program Files\NAV\clt-inst\WIN32\

   D. Edit \\parentserver\c$\Program Files\NAV\clt-inst\WIN32\INSTOPTS.INI so that the Options Archive section looks like below - remove the ";" in front of the Self Extractor line and change the program run to =runroam.exe.

        [Options Archive]
        Self Extractor=runroam.exe
        ;Arguments=/install
        ;Disk=DISK6

2. Installation to existing clients (clients not currently roaming):

   To set up roaming on clients with NAV already installed, but no roaming support files, you will need to perform the following:

   Copy the 6 files:
        NAVROAM.EXE
        ROAMLIST.TXT
        RUNROAM.EXE
        RUNROAM.INI
        ROAM95 (A shortcut file pointing to the NAV application folder on C:)
        ROAMNT (A shortcut file pointing to the NAV application folder on C:)
   

   to the client Norton Antivirus folder. For Win9x, this is C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus,

   For NT and W2K, the path is C:\Program Files\NAVNT

   Run the file RUNROAM from the client?s NAV folder. If using a script, run the ROAMNT or ROAM95 shortcut files instead of RUNROAM.EXE

   NOTE: - a VBS script will not properly work for this unless you point it to run a link or shortcut on the client as scripts run files as if they are being run from the same folder that the script is launched from.

   If you are using only basic flat roaming (no regional servers or levels) you are finished, if you will be using load balancing between servers in the same location, continue with step 3 below.

3. Preparing the Parent Server (*Note:? load balancing can only be performed using NT parent servers. The NAVROAM service used for load balancing will not function on NetWare servers. Roaming without load balancing is performed by the client only and thus will work with any parent server):

    A. Copy NAVROAM.EXE to the server's Norton Antivirus folder.

   This is C:\Program Files\NAV

   B. At the server, do Start/Run "C:\Program Files\NAV\NAVROAM" /install.

See the Symantec supplied documentation regarding roaming clients for details in configuring the server lists for more complex roaming support.

Tip:

To determine if roaming is active on a client computer, look under the list of services for NT or W2K for a service named NAVROAM. This should be listed and shown as running.

Next, using REGEDIT, look for the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Intel\LANDesk\VirusProtect6\CurrentVersion\ProductControl

The following value name and value data should exist as shown below:

Value Name = RoamManagingParentLevel0

Value Data = PFGDSMPAR001=PFGDSMPAR002=PFGDSMPAR003=PFGDSMPAR004=PFGDSMPAR005

If the above is correct and the NAVROAM service is running, the client will automatically fail-over to a different parent should their current server becomes unavailable.

Related Downloads: runroam.zip

• What is RunRoam?