OTSessionWatcher Documentation

©1997-99 Stairways Software Pty Ltd
Written by Peter N Lewis
This program is $35 Shareware.
This program is dedicated to Quinn "The Eskimo" for all the help he has given to people all around the world, and especially for the help and friendship he has given me!

Contents

About OTSessionWatcher

This program was previously known as StreamWatcher, but has been changed because of a possible trademark conflict.

OTSessionWatcher allows you to examine the data transmitted through Open Transport TCP and UDP streams. This is useful for debugging network or application problems.

Features:


OTSessionWatcher requires a Power Macintosh and Open Transport 1.1.1 or later.

Using OTSessionWatcher

OTSessionWatcher works by intercepting a UDP or TCP stream in Open Transport and dumping this information to the screen and to a file. If you want to check on any application's stream, you can use the General Intercept method, which uses OT's AutoPush to intercept any application using UDP or TCP.

If you are developing an application you can use the Specific Intercept method, which causes OTSessionWatcher to intercept only that application.

General Intercept

This method intercepts every Open Transport UDP or TCP session. You must run OTSessionWatcher before the session is established.

Installation :


Note : You must launch OTSessionWatcher before the session is established.

Each UDP and TCP stream that is established after you launch OTSessionWatcher will cause a window to open displaying the data sent and received through that stream.

Specific Intercept

This method intercepts only applications which call OTSessionWatcher (its easy!). You can run OTSessionWatcher after the session is established.

Installation :


Note : You can launch OTSessionWatcher after the stream is established if you use this special intercept method.

Display Options

You can control the display format of the data by selecting Text, Binary or Automatic from the Edit menu, as well as by selecting Show Spaces (for Text mode).

Note : The contents of the window will not change when you change the formatting options, only new data will use the formatting options you select.

You can save the contents of the window to a file using the Save As command in the File Menu.

Other Notes

OTSessionWatcher works so long as data is sent into the TCP/IP stack. For instance when looking at a local Web Server OTSessionWatcher will pick up two streams: one coming out from the WebServer and another coming in to the web browser.

If OTSessionWatcher is not active, OT Autopush Support extension will not incur any CPU overhead, so it is OK to leave it installed at all times. Also, if you switch off 'Watch All UDP' (cmd-J) and 'Watch All TCP' (cmd-K) in the File menu , OTSessionWatcher will not incur any overhead on new Streams. (The only overhead is in displaying and storing the text.)

We are also considering DDP filtering, althugh this depends, in part on how many people are interested.

Limitations

OTSessionWatcher requires a PowerPC (Power Macintosh or clone) and Open Transport 1.1.1 or later.

Registering

This program is Shareware, which means if you use it, you must pay for it. A single user license costs US$35. Registration will remove the registration reminder screen when OTSessionWatcher is started up. There is a US$20 upgrade fee for users that registered before Jan 1, 1999.

You can pay in one of two ways: on-line registration using a web browser, or off-line registration using the Register program. As soon as Kagi Shareware has processed your registration they will send you an 18 digit registration code. This registration code must be entered into OTSessionWatcher. Note that this code is keyed to your name, so make sure you enter the same name into OTSessionWatcher that you used to Register. (The name will be included in the Registration Acknowledgement from Kagi.)

To enter the Registration code, open OTSessionWatcher and select Enter Serial Number... from the File menu. This will open the Register window, where you can enter your name and the Registration number. Thanks for Registering!

On-Line Registration


Our online registration can be found at:

<http://order.kagi.com/?PL>

Off-Line Registration


Or, using the Register program, you need to:

1. Get hold of a copy of the Register program: Register comes with the OTSessionWatcher distribution. You can also get Register from the following sites:

<ftp://ftp.stairways.com/stairways/>
<ftp://mirrors.aol.com/pub/peterlewis/>
<ftp://ftp.amug.org/pub/peterlewis/>

..or there are download links on the following Web page:

<http://www.stairways.com/register/topay.html>

2. Run the Register program and fill out the form: You need to enter your name, email, postal address, and the shareware you wish to pay for. The form accepts many different payment methods such as: US Check, Money Order, Cash (in many different currencies), Visa, Mastercard, American Express, First Virtual, and Invoice (to be given to your accounts payable department).

3. Send it to Kagi Shareware: Then either email the data generated by the registration program or print it and send it via postal mail or fax. Credit card information is encoded by the Register program.

The address to send the completed form is output by Register when you Print or Copy the completed form. The addresses are:

Email: <shareware@kagi.com>

FAX: +1 510 652 6589

Snail-mail:
Kagi Shareware
1442-A Walnut Street #392-PL
Berkeley, California, 94709-1405
USA

4. Enter the Registration Code: When you receive a reply from Kagi Shareware, enter the Registration code into OTSessionWatcher. This process is described above.

You may distribute this program any way you wish as long as you don't charge for it (reasonable download costs are OK). You must distribute the package in its entirety. We don't guarantee any support, but we always answer our Email. If we don't answer Email it is because your message didn't get to us, or our reply bounced, so please try again and include a valid Internet address if you can.

You MAY NOT DISTRIBUTE this program on any disk or CD without our explicit permission. (Please E-Mail us.)

Site Licensing

World-wide license: US$2000

Universities or companies site license: US$500

A site license covers usage of OTSessionWatcher on an unlimited number of machines within 100 miles of some arbitrary central point which are owned by the licensed organization.

World Wide licenses remove the 100 mile radius restriction.

Warranty

This program should do what is described in this document. If it doesn't, you can simply stop using it. If you paid for the product, and within a year find that it doesn't do what has been described here, then you can notify Stairways Shareware and your money will be refunded and your license cancelled.

Fine Print

Peter Lewis hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Peter Lewis will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason, even if Peter Lewis or an agent of his has been advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Peter Lewis be liable for any damages, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the software.

US Government
Government End Users: If you are acquiring the Software and fonts on behalf of any unit or agency of the United States Government, the following provisions apply. The Government agrees:
(i) if the Software and fonts are supplied to the Department of Defence (DoD), the Software and fonts are classified as "Commercial Computer Software" and the Government is acquiring only "restricted rights" in the Software, its documentation and fonts as that term is defined in Clause 252.227-7013(c)(1) of the DFARS; and
(ii) if the Software and fonts are supplied to any unit or agency of the United States Government other than DoD, the Government's rights in the Software, its documentation and fonts will be as defined in Clause 52.227-19(c)(2) of the FAR or, in the case of NASA, in Clause 18-52.227-86(d) of the NASA Supplement to the FAR.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Quinn "The Eskimo" for his help with this program (which would never have been written otherwise), for writing the "OT AutoPush Support" extension, and of course for his friendship over many years.