[wpkg-users] Questions about offline mode and executing the wpkg service

[Dieter Scholz]

Hi,

> Ha! Bad boy! Microsoft does not support running Windows in virtualized
> environments (unless it's Microsoft virtualized environment) and so WPKG
> don't support it neither!
>
> (WPKG part was a late Aprils Fools' joke; Microsoft part is true)

So far I haven't had any problems running Windows under VMware. For me it's a 
very convenient way for testing different configurations. Any known concrete 
problems?

> I'm not sure what happens with Windows when you set the network to
> disconnected in VMware (i.e. how does system see a card which doesn't
> want to send or receive any packages).
>
> If you test it on a real laptop (or any other real system), it should
> work just fine for you.
>
> I can only guess that when you disconnect an interface in VMware,
> Windows can't send any packets, but the system doesn't get any
> confirmation (or not immediate) that the packages were not sent? But
> it's only a guess.

Afaik it makes no difference if you disconnect a network device in Vmware or 
if you disconnect a network cable. But of course I will try it with a real 
pc ... but it would be a pity if I couldn't use Vmware  for testing ... I 
love this snapshot functionality :-)

Just for better understanding:

Am I right that the wpkg Windows service first checks - using the method 
defined in the offline tab - if the wpkg script is available somewhere on a 
server and only if it is calls the network ressource?

I just wonder because if you look at my event log you see that wpkg reports 
that offline mode is activated and it reports that the wpkg server is 
unavailable (so the wpkg service knows it could not reach the script). Why it 
still waits the max logon delay time until it cancels operation? Or have I 
misconfigured something.

> If for some reason VMware was not only for testing, but you have to use
> it in normal day operation, you may have more luck with a "Custom
> script" instead of sending packets to a server. There, you could detect
> if VMware network card is connected or not etc.
> How to detect if a VMware network card is connected or disconnected in
> Windows is perhaps a question for VMware forum.

I have tested this and have written the following (rather primitive) batch 
script (servertest.bat):

  @echo off
  ping -n 1 <IP of server> >NUL
  exit /b %errorlevel%

This script returns 0 if the server is reachable and 1 if not. I've tested 
this on the command line.

But when I activate this configuration the following error appears in the 
event log:

"WNetAddConnection2 -> Der Netzwerkname wurde nicht gefunden"
(in engl: -> "network name was not found")

The script is configured as an absolute path and is stored on the local 
harddisk. Why does it need a network name?

Another question I ask myself is: Where is the information stored the service 
needs for setting itself up. I couldn't find any related entries searching 
with regedit and there is no file with this information?

Thanks.

Dieter