TechNet Top Questions - October 25, 1999

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Greetings! Here we provide detailed answers to popular questions submitted to TechNet via the answer forums and feedback alias. TechNet's Lon Collins, Microsoft Support Professional, provides you with answers and tips that can help many of you working in the trenches to deploy, maintain and support Microsoft products.

This Week:

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How to restrict the number of concurrent logons

What to consider when planning the upgrade to SQL Server 7.0

Fixing the weird mouse behavior in Windows 2000

How to restrict the number of concurrent logons

This week, we first visit the continuing saga of network administrators that need to manage their company's computing resources in a more granular way. And who can blame them, with the occasional wild horse out there that insists on doing things 'their way'. Let's remember, those computing resources are the assets of your company, after all, and the cost of supporting the ever increasing number of users is not getting any cheaper. That's why there's the Zero Administration Kit and the continuing work done in this area in Windows 2000.

This brings us to the first question, most recently asked by Rudy: "How can I restrict the number of concurrent logons on a per-user basis?"

This is question that has been asked for a long time. Finally, there appears to be a resolution to the network administrator's need to limit the number of concurrent logons a user can perform.

In the upcoming Windows 2000 Resource Kit, there is a tool called CCONNECT.EXE. This tool will provide a method to track users concurrent connections and monitor which computers users are logged into. CCONNECT will run on Windows NT® 4.0 SP4 (and up) and Windows 2000. The Windows 2000 Resource Kit is currently in beta, and parts of the Resource Kit are being distributed on the Windows 2000 Release Candidate 2 beta CDs. Unfortunately, CCONNECT is not one of the utilities that is included on the RC2 disk, so you'll have to wait for the final release of the Resource Kit. Please keep in mind: just like all betas, content (or features) are subject to change – which includes what will make it in the final release. But we all knew that.

To give you some more detail on what to expect with CCONNECT, here is the current list of features:

  • Completely hidden from the end user's view

  • Keeps track of all computers that users are logged into

  • Allows concurrent connection limitations to be set on a per-user/group basis

  • All information is kept in a SQL database managed by the Administrator

  • Tracks last known user of the computer

  • Monitors what logon server users are logging into

CCONNECT comes with a Group Policy ADM file. This ADM file can be loaded into System Policy Editor and allows multiple settings to be created through group policy. These settings are:

  • Concurrent Connection Maximums

  • The SQL server connection information.

  • Track Last User

  • Enable Debugging

  • Disable Remote Logoff Feature

  • Enable Force Logoff

  • Enable Event Logging

  • Enable Timer Logoff

  • Enable Silent Mode

What to consider when planning the upgrade to SQL Server 7.0

Many people are planning to upgrade their SQL Servers to the current 7.0 version and are evaluating the many changes implemented in the product and how those changes might affect their databases and applications. It is only prudent to plan for and test for these kinds of things.

Take the following question from Michael Cypher:

I am getting ready to install SQL 7.0 on a new machine and do a two server upgrade using the upgrade wizard. I would like to go through the process with some test databases while leaving the production database alone for now. Does the upgrade wizard shutdown the SQL 6.5 on the old server during the upgrade process or will end users be able to access the production databases while I am working with the test databases?

During a two-computer conversion, all of the objects and data are copied from the source (6.x) computer to the new (7.0) computer. All of the data, objects and devices are untouched on the source computer. If both computers are not in the same domain, a trusted connection must be established between them.

For a two-computer upgrade involving SQL Server 6.0 on Windows NT 3.5, you must first upgrade to Windows NT 3.51 (SP5 is recommended).

So, what this means is that all of the objects and data are copied to the new 7.0 server and the 6.5 server is left alone. Production can continue as normal on the 6.5 machine while testing is performed on the 7.0 box.

The Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 Preparedness Review is a great resource for anyone considering an upgrade to SQL Server 7.0. It was put together by the folks that support SQL Server, so it is by nature a proactive and careful approach.

One of the first places anyone that is planning on upgrading their SQL Server 4.2x or 6.x installations should refer to is the SQL Server 7.0 Books Online. If you are in the planning stage and you want to install just the Books Online - say on your workstation for review and research - you can do this from the SQL 7.0 setup program. You don't need to install the entire product.

Plan, backup, and then backup again. What's your data worth?

Fixing the weird mouse behavior in Windows 2000

Have you experienced Weird Mouse behavior in Windows 2000? I know I have and I also know some of the IT Pros in the Windows 2000 Answer Forum have. Some questions were a little vague, but the bottom line is that either the mouse doesn't work at all or weird things happen like moving the mouse over an inactive application window will cause that widow to be the active window.

Once again many answers can be found in the Knowledge Base, which contains articles on Windows 2000. Selecting "Windows 2000" in Step 1, "Keywords" in Step 2, and "Mouse" in Step 3 will return articles dealing with mouse problems. Some of the symptoms deal with using a wheel mouse (any brand) and the need for updated system BIOS or an updated mouse driver. Others involve the use of switch boxes, docking stations or trying to add a USB mouse via Add New Hardware. Consult the Knowledge Base – I bet you find your answer there.

That is it for now. Happy reading and check out the new TechNet Top Questions on November 8, 1999.

Illustration by Elizabeth Anderson, MSN Staff