Appendix D

The PingNFS Utility

The PingNFS utility is designed for getting some useful information about computers available across your TCP/IP-based network. It allows you to check available connections to these computers (i.e. to running NFS servers) and to view their exported resources. You can use PingNFS to recognize your network environment for solving particular NFS tasks or network troubles.

When you start PingNFS, the pingNFS_w window with empty entry fields appears. At the top of the window, the MyHostName variable shows your PC's host name and the MyIP variable shows your PC's IP address.

If you enable the Use broadcast checkbox in the Servers section and then click the Get list button, PingNFS will send broadcast requests, collect reply information, and make up the list of computers found currently available across your network (LAN). The list shows you the information about possible connections you might establish with those computers (i.e. IP address, program, version, transport, port). Note that entry fields in the Programs section are grayed out.

If you click the Check button, PingNFS will check each available connection capability displayed and fill in the check column in the list with status results.

If you select an IP address from within the list and then click the Show exports button, PingNFS will display available exported resources of that computer in the bottom part of the window:

You can click the Clear list button to remove data displayed, change settings as required, and then use the Get list button again to repeat searching.

If you disable the Use broadcast checkbox, then the Server IP address or name field and the Use portmapper checkbox in the Programs section become available. You can specify the IP address of a computer you want, set Use portmapper on, and then click the Get list button. PingNFS will send requests and show you the list with the information for that server only. Note that entry fields in the Programs section are grayed out.

If you set Use portmapper off, then you have to specify the entry fields (or select values from the list box) in the Programs section (i.e. Program, Version, Transport, Port). Note that the Get list button changes to Add to list. You can use it to form the list with the data you want.

If you click the Check button, PingNFS will check connection capabilities specified and fill in the check column in the list with status results.

If you select an IP address from within the list and then click the Show exports button, PingNFS will send requests and show you available exported resources of that computer in the bottom part of the window:

The Time field is used to specify the amount of time (in seconds) that PingNFS will wait for reply on requests it sends to other computers over the network.

Cancel closes the window and exits PingNFS.