maximum number of sessions

[Doug Taylor]

Hiya

We have 6 pcs connecting to a 7 pc we call our server. The network is peer
to peer all the machines including the server are running windows xp pro.
Since adding the seventh machine to the network we are unable to map drives
to the server from different machines intermittently. When mapping from dos
using the "net use" command we are told that the maximum number of
connections has been reached. When I look at the server and run the net
session command (or go through computer management sessions) we can see
the ten connections, but it is showing multiple connections for the same
computer. We disconnected the sessions and browsed to the server through
network neighborhood (or run \\server) and Net session shows one
connection. If we then map a drive to the servers ip address we see another
session being created.

Are these really two connections and are we really exceeding our limit of
ten users?
Why does mapping a drive using the net use command and the ip address eg
net use v: \\192.168.0.1\data create one session and on the same machine
using net use g: \\server\data create another session.
If we map any more drives future sessions are not created.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Richard G. Harper]

The answer is to deploy an actual server of some sort rather than try to
fiddle with running a client OS as a server. If all you need is a big box
that everyone can connect to (it doesn't need to run any services or
software) consider a NAS or SAN storage unit.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

 

[Doug Taylor]

Thanks for your response but it doesnt answer my question. I would still
like to know why mapping to an ip address creates an additional session to
mapping to netbios name when you are connecting from the same clinet
machine, and does each of these sessions contribute to the maximum of 10
concurrent sessions.

Can u explain why a NAS or SAN storage unit would help, as I thought they
still ran some sort of OS and therefore had access limitaions based on
licensing etc.

Thanks

The answer is to deploy an actual server of some sort rather than try to
fiddle with running a client OS as a server. If all you need is a big box
that everyone can connect to (it doesn't need to run any services or
software) consider a NAS or SAN storage unit.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

Hiya

We have 6 pcs connecting to a 7 pc we call our server. The network is
peer
to peer all the machines including the server are running windows xp pro.
Since adding the seventh machine to the network we are unable to map
drives
to the server from different machines intermittently. When mapping from
dos
using the "net use" command we are told that the maximum number of
connections has been reached. When I look at the server and run the net
session command (or go through computer management sessions) we can see
the ten connections, but it is showing multiple connections for the same
computer. We disconnected the sessions and browsed to the server
through
network neighborhood (or run \\server) and Net session shows one
connection. If we then map a drive to the servers ip address we see
another
session being created.

Are these really two connections and are we really exceeding our limit of
ten users?
Why does mapping a drive using the net use command and the ip address eg
net use v: \\192.168.0.1\data create one session and on the same
machine
using net use g: \\server\data create another session.
If we map any more drives future sessions are not created.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Richard G. Harper]

NAS and SAN storage devices generally run one of the free Linux
distributions (heavily customized for the device in question, however) and
are configured as full-blown servers. If there are connection limits they
will be hardware bound, not software bound.

As for the other question - if you have one connection to \\server\share and
one to \\ser.ver.ip.addr\share that's two connections. If you have one
connection to \\server\share and one connection to \\server\anothershare
that's also two connections. That's just how it works.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

Thanks for your response but it doesnt answer my question. I would still
like to know why mapping to an ip address creates an additional session to
mapping to netbios name when you are connecting from the same clinet
machine, and does each of these sessions contribute to the maximum of 10
concurrent sessions.

Can u explain why a NAS or SAN storage unit would help, as I thought they
still ran some sort of OS and therefore had access limitaions based on
licensing etc.

Thanks

The answer is to deploy an actual server of some sort rather than try to
fiddle with running a client OS as a server. If all you need is a big
box that everyone can connect to (it doesn't need to run any services or
software) consider a NAS or SAN storage unit.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

Hiya

We have 6 pcs connecting to a 7 pc we call our server. The network is
peer
to peer all the machines including the server are running windows xp
pro.
Since adding the seventh machine to the network we are unable to map
drives
to the server from different machines intermittently. When mapping from
dos
using the "net use" command we are told that the maximum number of
connections has been reached. When I look at the server and run the net
session command (or go through computer management sessions) we can
see
the ten connections, but it is showing multiple connections for the same
computer. We disconnected the sessions and browsed to the server
through
network neighborhood (or run \\server) and Net session shows one
connection. If we then map a drive to the servers ip address we see
another
session being created.

Are these really two connections and are we really exceeding our limit
of
ten users?
Why does mapping a drive using the net use command and the ip address
eg
net use v: \\192.168.0.1\data create one session and on the same
machine
using net use g: \\server\data create another session.
If we map any more drives future sessions are not created.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Kerry Brown]

Thanks for your response but it doesnt answer my question. I would
still like to know why mapping to an ip address creates an additional
session to mapping to netbios name when you are connecting from the
same clinet machine, and does each of these sessions contribute to
the maximum of 10 concurrent sessions.

Can u explain why a NAS or SAN storage unit would help, as I thought
they still ran some sort of OS and therefore had access limitaions
based on licensing etc.

Thanks

Here's an example of a low cost Network drive

http://www.iomega.com/direct/products/family.jsp?FOLDER<>folder_id=26891315&bmUID=1140189931706

There are many other brands. Consider getting two identical units and use
one for backup.

You need to get over the idea of using XP for a server. The limits are buit
in and there is nothing that can change it.

Kerry

 

[Doug Taylor]

Thanks

I am interested in the maximum number of sessions not connections. You are
able to have multiple connections to a xp pro machine, each connection
from the same computer does not constitute another session. The maximum
number of sessions allowed on an XP machine is 10. That is not the maximum
number of connections. I.e I can have 15 mapped drives from one machine to
another and only 1 session is created, I can have 7 machines connecting
to the xp po machine each with 15 mapped drives and only 7 sessions will be
created. The problem occurs when we map drives from machines using both
ipadresses and host names, then two sessions are created per machine.

This is an academic discussion now, as I have changed all the mapping to use
an ipaddress, however I noticed when we use network neighbourhood to connect
from machine "A" to machine "B", machine "B" shows an additional session,
even though machine "A" already has mapped drives to machine "B".

In that case it may be better to map all the drives using host names rather
than ipaddresses as using network neighbourhood would then not create an
additional session.

I was really interested to know why mapping using host names and ipaddresses
creates 2 sessions. It may be that I need to post this query at a networking
type forum, what do u think.

Your comments would be appreciated.

Also can you point me in the direction of some NAS software distributions.

Thanks

Douglas Taylor

NAS and SAN storage devices generally run one of the free Linux
distributions (heavily customized for the device in question, however) and
are configured as full-blown servers. If there are connection limits they
will be hardware bound, not software bound.

As for the other question - if you have one connection to \\server\share
and one to \\ser.ver.ip.addr\share that's two connections. If you have
one connection to \\server\share and one connection to
\\server\anothershare that's also two connections. That's just how it
works.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm

Thanks for your response but it doesnt answer my question. I would still
like to know why mapping to an ip address creates an additional session
to mapping to netbios name when you are connecting from the same clinet
machine, and does each of these sessions contribute to the maximum of 10
concurrent sessions.

Can u explain why a NAS or SAN storage unit would help, as I thought they
still ran some sort of OS and therefore had access limitaions based on
licensing etc.

Thanks

The answer is to deploy an actual server of some sort rather than try to
fiddle with running a client OS as a server. If all you need is a big
box that everyone can connect to (it doesn't need to run any services or
software) consider a NAS or SAN storage unit.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* for the benefit of all. Private mail is usually not replied to.
* My website, such as it is ... http://rgharper.mvps.org/
* HELP us help YOU ... http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm


Hiya

We have 6 pcs connecting to a 7 pc we call our server. The network is
peer
to peer all the machines including the server are running windows xp
pro.
Since adding the seventh machine to the network we are unable to map
drives
to the server from different machines intermittently. When mapping
from dos
using the "net use" command we are told that the maximum number of
connections has been reached. When I look at the server and run the
net
session command (or go through computer management sessions) we can
see
the ten connections, but it is showing multiple connections for the
same
computer. We disconnected the sessions and browsed to the server
through
network neighborhood (or run \\server) and Net session shows one
connection. If we then map a drive to the servers ip address we see
another
session being created.

Are these really two connections and are we really exceeding our limit
of
ten users?
Why does mapping a drive using the net use command and the ip address
eg
net use v: \\192.168.0.1\data create one session and on the same
machine
using net use g: \\server\data create another session.
If we map any more drives future sessions are not created.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Jeffrey Randow [MVP]]

From the KB Article:
(http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;314882)

The only way system A will have multiple sessions to another system,
system Z, is if system A is running services that create logical
connections to system Z. For example, if a user is logged on to system
A as guest and a service is running on system A under the user1
account, and both the user and the service (as user1) establish
connections to system Z, two sessions are established. Each logon
session that uses the Server service counts against the connection
limit.

Have a pleasant day.