Restricting Number of instances a program runs

[rdbatch]

I have a Windows 2000 Network setup, 1 server and 9 workstations. All machines are running windows 2000 pro. I have an old dos program installed on the server. All workstations need access to this program. All users are able to access the program, MY PROBLEM IS AS FOLLOWS! I need to limit the number of instances that a user can access the program. I have had numerous problems with users opening the program 2 or more times on a regular basis. Each time the program is opened and the user already has the program open it is locking the number of licenses for that program. I would like to write a batch file to control the number of times a user can open this program on that machine.

[klintman]

are your users logging into the win2k server through terminal services or are they simply clicking a link to a network share on the win2k server?

[rdbatch]

All computers are logging into the Windows 2000 domain. All computers have a network drive mapped to the location of the program in question, with a shortcut setup on the desktop for access to the program.

[Ya_know]

Originally posted by rdbatch
All computers are logging into the Windows 2000 domain. All computers have a network drive mapped to the location of the program in question, with a shortcut setup on the desktop for access to the program.

What is the program called? Is it proprietary, or canned? For some UNIX based applications I have seen in the past, it was by the user account in the UNIX login that you could limit the users, but again, that was within the system...I don't know what you would be able to try…still, let us know what the app. is called.

[rdbatch]

Originally posted by Ya_know
What is the program called? Is it proprietary, or canned? For some UNIX based applications I have seen in the past, it was by the user account in the UNIX login that you could limit the users, but again, that was within the system...I don't know what you would be able to try…still, let us know what the app. is called.

Symantec Q&A, its an older DOS based, database & word processing package!

[rdbatch]

I came up with a solution for my problem, I think. I've got a batch file setup to copy a text file with the computer that will be accessing the program. The batch file will copy the text file over to the server whenever a user runs it. Then if for some reason or another they try to run the progam again, it will give them an error message saying that the program is already running....The batch file checks the server to see if that text file exist on the server. Once they exit out of the program properly the text file is deleted, and they will be able to access the program again if needed by running the batch file. Thanks for all the help!

[Ya_know]

Here is were the problem might be; if the file doesn't delete for some reason (user doesn't exit out correctly, power surge, BSOD on the PC). Someone will have to manually delete the file before the app is opened again from the same PC. This may not happen frequently, being that there are only 9 users, but in a bigger environment this would really cause a problem. Great idea though!

[Gabriel]

Originally posted by Ya_know
Here is were the problem might be; if the file doesn't delete for some reason (user doesn't exit out correctly, power surge, BSOD on the PC). Someone will have to manually delete the file before the app is opened again from the same PC. This may not happen frequently, being that there are only 9 users, but in a bigger environment this would really cause a problem. Great idea though!

Ya_know is right - you can add a line in the users login script that will delete the user "text file".
you can get username variable by:

%username%

Cheers,
Gabriel