Installing Over Previous Versions of Timbuktu Pro

What is New

Long File name Support in Send and Exchange

Timbuktu Pro supports long file names in the Send and Exchange services. This feature requires that Timbuktu Pro 32 be installed on both the host and guest side of the connection. You will not see long file names when you exchange to or receive a FlashNote from a Timbuktu Pro 1.5 host.

Improved Attended Access Mode - Ask for Permission

Attended Access mode has been improved to eliminate the need for the host user to select "Admit Temporary Guest" from the Connections menu.

When a Timbuktu Pro 32 guest connects to a Timbuktu Pro 32 host service that does not have guest privileges, the guest Log-in dialog will offer the guest the choice to log in as a Registered User or to "Ask for Permission" from the host. If the guest selects the Ask for Permission" option, a dialog box will pop up on the host system. The local host user can either accept or reject the connection.

There is still an "Admit Temporary Guest" menu item. All previous versions of Timbuktu Pro (1.x) can only be admitted for Attended Access by using the "Admit Temporary Guest" dialog.

NT-Authenticated Ask for Permission

There is another Attended Access mode, and this makes use of Windows NT Authentication. This mode can be enabled by checking Ask For Host Permission in the "NT Users" tab in the Security dialog. This feature is only available to hosts running Windows NT 4.0.

When a Timbuktu Pro 32 guest connects to that Timbuktu Pro 32 host, the guest is first authenticated using Windows NT Security, if the guest is among the list of users in the host's "NT Users" tab. Then a dialog box will pop up on the host system. The local host user can either accept or reject the connection.

After the dialog times out, the guest can also be allowed or denied access by setting the Default to No or Yes radio buttons in the "NT Users" tab in the host's Security dialog.

Enhanced User Interface

Multiple Address Books - The main Timbuktu Pro 32 window can have multiple address books open at the same time. These address books are simple comma-delimited ASCII files to allow for easy creation by customer databases. Addresses can be copied and moved between address books through a simple right click menu.

Default Service - Address book entries contain the notion of a default service. For example, if an address has the "Send" service as the Default Service, double clicking on that address will open a FlashNote for that address. Editing the properties of an address can change the default service.

Recent Connections Tab - A new tab has been added to record the addresses of all outbound or inbound connections to the computer-- making it very easy to reply to someone. These addresses can be copied to an open address book.

Recent TCP/IP Connection List - The TCP/IP tab remembers the last several TCP/IP addresses entered through a simple drop down combo box.

Desktop Shortcuts - A desktop shortcut has an address and default service. Double clicking on a shortcut connects to that computer and invokes the default service. Right click on an address in either the Address Books tab or the Recent Connections tab and select "Create Shortcut on Desktop" to create a desktop shortcut.

Network Neighborhood Integration - Timbuktu Pro 32 services can be accessed from the Network Neighborhood by right clicking on a machine name. This feature only works if TCP/IP is the transport to that machine.

Enhanced Control and Observe Services

A Timbuktu Pro 32 guest can open multiple control and observe sessions to separate Timbuktu Pro hosts at the same time.

3 New Services - Chat, Notify and Intercom

Three new services have been added beyond the original four Timbuktu Pro services of Control, Observe, Send, and Exchange. The new services are Chat, Notify, and Intercom.

Windows NT Security Integration

Timbuktu Pro 32 supports integration with Windows NT security. The "NT Users" tab in the Security dialog permits you to assign Windows NT users and groups to specific Timbuktu Pro services. Timbuktu Pro 32 makes use of Windows NT security the same way Windows NT File and Printer sharing does. Depending on your configuration, security changes sometimes do not immediately take effect. The following section describes these conditions. We also suggest that you refer to the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit documentation for details on the various security configurations available under Windows NT.

Windows NT Security Overview

Windows NT user names and passwords are stored in an encrypted security database. Windows NT workstations and servers have local security databases. If a Windows NT server is a primary domain controller (PDC) or a backup domain controller (BDC), its security database is referred to as a domain database. This database is replicated to all PDCs and BDCs in that domain. Windows NT workstations or Windows NT servers that are not a PDC or a BDC can be added to a domain with the Server Manager utility, or from the Network Properties dialog. Once a member of the domain, these systems can make use of both their local security database and the global domain security database.

If a network has 10 Windows NT systems that are not part of a domain, then the administrator must maintain 10 user account databases. In order to give a new employee access to all ten systems, a local user account with the same name and password must be individually created on all ten machines. However, if the 10 Windows NT systems were in a domain, the administrator would only have to create a single domain user account. Since all members of a domain agree to share a common security database, this simplifies user account maintenance.

When a domain has several BDC systems, there can be a delay between the time that a user account configuration is changed and the time that the changed has been replicated out to all the BDC systems. The only time this is noticeable is when you are disabling or deleting a user account. If that user is currently logged in, has a file volume mounted, is printing, or has a Timbuktu Pro session active, then that user will remain connected. To force the change to take effect immediately, you need to use the Windows NT Server Manager for Domains or the "Server" applet in the Control Panel to forcibly disconnect the user in question from the resources that the user has opened.

Granting Windows NT Users or Groups Access to a Timbuktu Pro 32 Host

If a computer system contains sensitive, or confidential information, we recommend that the administrator should use caution in granting Timbuktu Pro guests access to that computer.

1. Timbuktu Pro 32's Windows NT security can only be used to control access to a Windows NT 4.0 host. Furthermore, the guest must be either another Windows NT 4.0 system or a Windows 95/98 system running Timbuktu Pro 32. Previous versions of Timbuktu Pro for Windows (1.x) and Timbuktu Pro for the Macintosh cannot be authenticated via Windows NT security.
2. Bring up the "NT Users" tab of the Security dialog. The list box will contain the Windows NT user and group names that are permitted some sort of access to Timbuktu Pro 32 services. When a particular name is highlighted, the service check boxes will reflect which Timbuktu Pro services that user or group has access to. Domain users and groups will have a domain name prefixed. If there is no prefix, the user or group name is from the local security database. Use the Add and Remove buttons to modify this list.
3. Clicking the æAddÆ button will bring up a dialog that allows the administrator to add users to the "NT Users" tab. It may take a while for the Add Users and Groups dialog to appear. You can browse the local security database as well as the domain database if your system is part of a domain. If your domain has trust relationships with other domains then you will also be able to browse those domain databases. Once you have selected your accounts, you can check the appropriate boxes to enable specific Timbuktu Pro 32 services. If you enable the Exchange flag, you will be enabling the Exchange Read, Write, and Delete privileges for that user. Once you have set up your users, click on OK to return to the main Windows NT security dialog.
4. Pressing the æOKÆ or æApplyÆ button on the main Windows NT security dialog will save these changes. Press the Cancel button if you want to ignore the changes you have made.

Timbuktu Pro 32 guests whose logged-in user names and passwords match the ones you just set up will now be able to connect to the host without seeing a Timbuktu Pro Log in dialog. If the Windows NT authentication does not recognize this user, the standard Timbuktu Pro Log in dialog will pop up to permit the guest to Ask for Permission or use a Timbuktu Pro Registered User account.

Changing Windows NT User or Group Access via the Timbuktu Pro 32 "NT Users" Dialog Tab

The "NT Users" tab in the Security dialog is used to modify the Timbuktu Pro 32 access rights for Windows NT users and groups. First highlight the user or group, then check or clear the appropriate Timbuktu Pro service. Once you are satisfied with your changes, click on either the "OK" button or the "Apply" button. These changes will take effect immediately.

Changing Windows NT User or Group Access via the Windows NT User Manager or Windows NT User Manager for Domains Program

The Windows NT User Manager program can also be used to modify Timbuktu Pro 32 security by creating or destroying individual user accounts, or by changing the membership into a group that was granted Timbuktu Pro 32 access. A common way to configure Timbuktu Pro 32 is to

1. Create a Windows NT domain group for each of the Timbuktu Pro services.
2. Use the "NT Users" tab in the Timbuktu Pro 32 Security dialog to assign Control access to the Control group, Observe access to the Observe group, Exchange access to the Exchange group, and so on.
3. Use the Windows NT User Manager program to add or remove individual users to the appropriate groups. This lets you control the security for all your Timbuktu Pro 32 Windows NT nodes from a single console, the Windows NT User Manager.

Removing Windows NT Users or Groups Access Rights to a Timbuktu Pro 32 Host

The "NT Users"" tab in the Security dialog is used to remove the Timbuktu Pro 32 access rights for Windows NT users and groups. First, highlight the user name or group name, then click the "Remove"Æ button. Once you are satisfied with your changes, click on either the "OK" button or the "Apply" button. These changes will take effect immediately.

Understanding Windows NT Security Sessions

There are times when changes to File permissions, Printer permissions, or Timbuktu Pro 32 permissions do not seem to take immediate effect, such as removing permissions from a user or removing a user from a group. Sometimes users can still access Windows NT resources that they no longer have privileges to access.

The reason is that when a Windows NT user connects to either a file share, a printer share, or a Timbuktu Pro 32 service, Windows NT internally creates a Windows NT security session object for that user. The session object caches the privileges the user is entitled to when the session was created. These privileges remain in effect until the session is closed--no matter what changes are made to the master security database.

The only way to ensure that the new privileges take effect is to terminate the Windows NT sessions that are in progress. Sessions will go away by default if there is no activity for 12 minutes. They will also go away if the client system is re-booted or logged out. Administrators can force a session disconnect from either the "Server Manager for Domains" program or the "Server" Control Panel applet.

Enhanced Windows NT Event Logging

The following events are logged to the Timbuktu Pro activity log and the Windows NT Application Event log. All events contain the date, time, IP addresses, and Timbuktu names for the host and guest ends of the connection.

• A host session successfully started.
• A host session ended.
• Timbuktu Pro initiated.
• Timbuktu Pro terminated.
• New A host session did not start due to an authentication error.
• New A guest session successfully started.
• New A guest session ended.
• New A guest session did not start due to an authentication error.

Technical Notes

• When you start Timbuktu Pro 32, it will be minimized in your Taskbar's system tray (beside the clock). Double click on the Timbuktu Pro icon to bring up the main dialog.
• Do not install this into the same directory as Timbuktu Pro 1.5.4. You should un-install any old version of Timbuktu Pro before installing this version.
• Uninstalling may take up to five or ten minutes depending on your system. When the uninstaller is finished, you will get a dialog asking you to reboot to complete uninstallation.

Contacting Netopia