NT Primenet Server Installation & Configuration
Updated 9/7/97

For Parallel Test Challenge installation, please refer to readme.txt in your downloaded zip file.

Instructions for setting up Primenet Server for the first time for a parallel Prime95 test client network:

1. Create a directory for the Prime Server files - this example will use c:\mersenne\network. Copy primesvc.exe, Primenet.dll, Primecom.exe and the current exponent database file to this directory.
   
   
2. From the DOS-like command line, run primesvc.exe once to install it:

   c:\mersenne\network> primesvc -install

   For Windows 95 you must do this from the taskbar Run... method, and specify:

   'c:\mersenne\network\primesvc.exe -install' in the Open: dialog box. (NT will work ok with this also)
   
   

3. Edit the Primenet.ini file [PrimeSvc] and [Users] section values to configure the server. Use notepad.exe or similar text (not document) editor to avoid unintentional formatting:
   
   
   • In the [PrimeSvc] section, the working directory for the server, Directory=c:\mersenne\network
     
     
   • the exponent test ranges RangeLow, RangeHigh and NextRangeLow, NextRangeHigh
     
     Exponents in these ranges will be distributed one at a time to all Primenet clients connecting to your server. The server will automatically switch the the NextRangeLow/High when the first range is exhausted.
     
     
   • To enable factoring tests of a separate or overlapping range of exponents, edit the FactoringRangeLow, FactoringRangeHigh and FactoringNextRangeLow and FactoringNextRangeHigh values accordingly. If FactoringRangeHigh is missing or set to 0, Prime95 clients set to factoring tests only will receive an error.
     
     
   • Edit the optional value TransactionTimeoutMs=2000 for the incomplete exponent assignment rollback timeout, in milliseconds. You should only increase this if Prime95 clients are getting assignments and returning results, but the Prime Server times them out before it gets the client's response back. A fast and reliable network can have this reduced to about 500 ms.
     
     
   • Edit the optional value CheckIntervalMinutes=1440 for the automatic overdue assignment exponent scan, in minutes. Prime Server periodically scans the current outstanding exponent assignments however many minutes you specify by this value. The default is once each day, or 1440 minutes. It is not necessary to scan the database more often than this. Less frequent scans are fine.
     
     
   • Edit the optional value DropDeadOverdueMinutes=129600 for the longest an assigned exponent can remain checked out before the Prime Server considers it 'lost'. Overdue exponents are detected during the overdue assignment scan, and are checked back into the database to be later reassigned to a different client. The default is 90 days, or 129600 minutes.
     
     
   • Edit the optional value AllowBlindCheckins=1. You should only set this to 0 if you want the Prime Server to disallow a Prime95 test result to clear an exponent from the Prime Server's database when Prime Server didn't assign the exponent. This usually happens when a Prime95 program was started on an exponent, and Primenet was installed before the exponent finished testing. The default enables marking the exponent as done in the Prime Server's database, even if it didn't expect a test result for it. {Note that in either case, the test result is logged by Prime Server.}
     
     
   • Edit the optional value ReportIntervalMins=60 to adjust how often Prime Server will generate a text status report to a file named by AutoReportFile=status.txt. Turn turn off this feature, set ReportIntervalMins to 0. You can specify any local path file name. The default generates a report every hour to status.txt.
     
     
   • Add the optional ReportMessageFile parameter, and set it equal to the name of a short text file message the report generator will insert into reports.
     
     
   • Edit the optional value RollbackCheckDelaySec=4 to set how much time elapses between the detection of a probable database inconsistency and forcing rollback of any uncommitted transactions. This should be long enough to permit several outstanding client assignment requests to complete. The default is 4 seconds.
     
     
   • In the [Users] section, edit the Prime Server administrator name and password, Admin=password,admin but please change at least the password value! The ",admin" comma and admin keyword are required to identify this as a Prime Server administrator.
     
     Edit the user ID and password value for at least one other user ID that will be a Prime95 client, Prime95name=clientpw. You change the name and password. Several Prime95 clients can share the same user ID for general-purpose use.
     
     You can also add as many distinct userID=password entries under the [Users] section as you wish now, or later using the Primecom -u command. The Prime Server examines this list when the client tries to connect, so user ID changes can be done while the server is running and are immediately in effect when the file is saved.
     
     
4. When you are done save the file and copy it to c:\winnt (or whatever is the %systemroot% or %windir% directory - typically c:\windows for Windows 95).

   From the DOS-like command line, type the command:

   c:\mersenne\network> copy primenet.ini %windir%
   
   

5. Start the Prime Server.
   
   • Windows NT: Open the Control Panel and start the Services icon (Service Control Manager). Scroll down and select the Prime Server service entry. Click Startup... and set the Automatic startup button. Apply this, then for this first time only click Start to manually start it.
     
     
   • Windows 95 or troubleshooting on NT: You must keep a MS-DOS window open in which to run the server. From the DOS-like command line, type:

     c:\mersenne\network> primesvc -console
     
     The Primenet server will operate normally except log results will be echoed to the console. This is an excellent debugging method. Type Ctrl-C at the console to stop the Prime Server.
     

6. Perform step 3 of the Prime95 client installation and configuration. This sets up the client side of the command console application so you can administer and control the Prime Server.
   
   
7. From the DOS-like command line, run primecom.exe once to create the online exponent database:

   c:\mersenne\network> primecom -m database

   After 10 to 20 seconds you should see a message like this, but the reported total: value may be different:

   Server: Merged - total: 94505, in progress: 0, removed: 0, retained: 0

8. Check in the c:\mersenne\network directory to see if the database.bin, results.net and PrimeSvc.log files were created. If not, go back to the Service Control Manager and stop the Prime Server service and review the Primenet.ini file entries and location, fix whatever is wrong and restart it again.
   
   
9. (Optional) If you are installing Primenet for the first time and are using several copies of Prime95 on different machines now, collect the results.txt or results file for each client. Refer to each results file, then:
   

   * For each exponent that is done testing: force it "cleared" by typing "primecom -c exponent_value" (where you supply the exponent_value that is done)
   

   * For each exponent that is being tested: force it "checked out" by typing "primecom -o exponent_value"
   

   The purpose of optional step 9. is to get your initial database synchronized, even though the time stamps will be incorrect for the exponents being tested and force-checked-out. For now there's no shorter way to synchronize the new database (sorry). The alternative is to do nothing and ignore the Prime Server errors saying that exponents were not checked out, etc. The results.net file will still accumulate the results sent by all the client Prime95 programs.

   After this, you should be able to manage your exponent testing much more easily.

While the Prime Server is running you can open and modify the PrimeSvc.log, but if a client happens to want something at that moment it will retry again in 5 minutes.

Primenet Prime95.exe Client Installation & Configuration
Updated 8/13/97

1. On the remote client machine, create a directory for the Prime95.exe, Primenet.dll and results.txt files. This example will use c:\mersenne\primenet. If you've been running Prime95.exe for testing it would be easier to figure out what went wrong if something happened if you did not reuse the same directory, but this is not required.
   
   
2. Copy the Prime95.exe and Primenet.dll here. The database file is not needed for use with Primenet.
   
   If you have Prime95 in the Startup folder modify the shortcut to point to the new location. If you are using the NT service version of Prime95 follow these same steps where relevant.
   
   
3. If you are using Prime95 already, first copy the [Primenet] section from the example Prime95.ini file included with primenet into your existing Prime95.ini file. New installations will not require this. In either case, proceed:
   
   Edit the Prime95.ini file [Primenet] section. Set the ServerAddress and connection Protocol values. The distributed file includes both the NT network and Internet examples - delete the one you don't use.

   IP-based configuration (ncacn_ip_tcp):

   • Enter the IP address of the Primenet server, for example, ServerAddress=207.104.25.131. If your server (for some reason) requires the client access a specific port number (say, 1404), add it to the end of the IP address in square brackets, i.e., ServerAddress=207.104.25.131[1404].

   NT network configuration (ncadg_ip_udp, ncacn_np, ncalrpc):

   • Remove the leading semicolons from the ServerAddress and Protocol fields in the named-pipe entries and enter the \\primenet_servername NT name of the Primenet server. Be sure to wipe out the unused IP configuration stuff.

   Windows 95 or NT test configuration:

   • Comment out the ServerAddress field (put # or ; in front of it) or delete it. Set the Protocol field to ncalrpc.
     
     
4. Identify the client's name as password for the server. Edit the UserID=some_user^her_password value to reflect a valid user name and password combination known to the Prime Server. If this is for the Prime Server administrator, be sure to use that ID and password instead. Be sure to leave the caret (^) between the user name and password. If no password is specified in the server's Primenet.ini file ("some_user=") you can omit the caret delimiter.
   
   Edit the optional CheckoutCount=1 value if this is a dial-up Prime95 client that only has network connections to the Prime Server less than every few days. You can change this to up to 10 exponents per assignment, but the Prime Server may assign less than this number. The default is 1 exponent per assignment.
   
   Edit the optional RetryMs=90000 value if this is a dial-up Prime95 client that only has network connections to the Prime Server less than every few days. You can change this to as little as 30 seconds (30000 ms), or as high as 300 seconds (300000 ms). The default is 90 seconds between attempts to access the Prime Server on the network.
   
   
5. Save the modified Prime95.ini file. Unless you edited an existing copy of Prime95.ini, copy it to c:\winnt (or whatever is the NT %systemroot% or %windir% directory - typically c:\windows for Windows 95), using the DOS-like command:

   c:\mersenne\network> copy prime95.ini %windir%
   

6. Start Prime95.exe. The existing test range values in the Prime95.ini (also in the %systemroot%) are ignored. If the Prime Server is running you should see Prime95 pick up an exponent to test and start working on it.
   
   If the client had been working on an exponent it will continue testing it and get a new assignment from the server when it completes the test.

Home Internet users that use dial-up PPP, SLIP, ISDN (or any other TCP/IP-based network connection, static or DHCP IP addresses) can use Primenet on their home PC and get test exponents and report results from/to a central Internet server if they stay connected at least 5 minutes when Prime95 tries to contact the server.

Installing Updates to Earlier Versions
Updated 9/24/97

If you have been using Primenet 2.6 build 7/5/97, 7/25/97, 8/13/97, 8/29/97 or 9/4/97 you can install the updated build 9/4/97 by simply shutting down the Prime Server and Prime95 clients and replacing the executable (.exe) files.

If you are already using Primenet Version 2.4 (build 5/5/97):

1. Get the new software, then use the Control Panel to stop the Prime Server service.
   
   
2. From the DOS-like command line, run primesvc.exe to de-install it:

   c:\mersenne\network> primesvc -remove
   

3. Unzip the primenet.zip file into the Primenet server directory - replacing the exising files.
   
   
4. From the DOS-like command line, run primesvc.exe once to re-install it:

   c:\mersenne\network> primesvc -install

   From the Control Panel select the Prime Server, select Startup... and click Automatic. Apply this then click Start.
   

5. Edit the Primenet.ini file and add the [Users] section. Edit the Prime Server's administrator user ID as described in step 3 of the NT Primenet Server Installation and Configuration.
   
   
6. Edit the Prime95.ini file (where primecom.exe is used). Add the administrator user ID as described in step 3 of the Prime95 Client Installation and Configuration.
   
   
7. For each Prime95.exe client, select Range, Stop, then exit Prime95. Edit the Prime95.ini file and add Cut the entire [PrimeNet] RPC client section of the Primenet.ini file and paste it into the Prime95.ini file below the [Prime] section. Replace Primenet.dll with the new version of the file, then start Prime95.exe again.

Updating from build 4/13/97 or earlier:

1. Get the new software, then use the Control Panel to stop the Prime Server service.
   
   
2. From the DOS-like command line, run primesvc.exe to de-install it:

   c:\mersenne\network> primesvc -remove

3. Get a current copy of George's database file from BEFORE you started Primenet server on the network, if possible.
   Put the unzipped database file into the Primenet server directory.
   
   
4. Copy results.net somewhere (any temporary text file will do) so you can print or view the COPY you make.
   
   
5. Unzip the primenet.zip file into the Primenet server directory - replacing the exising files.
   
   
6. From the DOS-like command line, run primesvc.exe once to re-install it:

   c:\mersenne\network> primesvc -install

   From the Control Panel select the Prime Server, select Startup... and click Automatic. Apply this then click Start.
   

7. Immediately type 'Primecom -m database' to create a new online database.bin file.
   
   
8. Refer to the results.net file copy and PrimeSvc.log file.
   

   * For each exponent that is done testing: force it "cleared" by typing "primecom -c exponent_value" (where you supply the exponent_value that is done)
   

   * For each exponent that is being tested: force it "checked out" by typing "primecom -o exponent_value"
   

The purpose of step 8. is to get your initial database synchronized, even though the time stamps will be incorrect for the exponents being tested and force-checked-out. For now there's no shorter way to synchronize the new database (sorry).

After this, you should be able to manage your exponent testing much more easily.

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