Orchid XP v8 wrote:
>> Don't you have a "runas" command?
> 
> I'm guessing this wasn't available in Windows NT server when I wrote the 
> scripts. Nice to know this at least has been fixed.

"""
NT4 users should install and use the SU command from the NT Resource Kit 
instead.
"""

Another 3 seconds of googling.  You *do* have the resource kit for your OS, 
right?

> But I also discovered that most things you might want to 
> script cannot be scripted from DOS.

You *do* have the resource kit for your OS, right?

>>>>> or files being locked. 
>>>> Make a VSS snapshot. That's what it's for.
>>> You can't do that from a DOS script.
>>
>> Bzzzt. I even offered you my scripts to do it.
> 
> Let me guess: pixie dust?

You *do* have the resource kit for your OS, right?

http://blogs.msdn.com/adioltean/archive/2004/12/14/301868.aspx
That took about 8 seconds, because "VSS" means visual source safe, not 
virtual shadow service. I had to spell it out on the second google.

> No, just impossible from a mere DOS script. Of course, a compiled C 
> program can do it. (Let's face it, a compiled C program can do *anything*.)

Well, no, the number of things you can do from the command line without 
invoking an executable is fairly low in pretty much every operating system.

The point is that you don't have to write these programs. You just download 
them from Microsoft as part of the resource kit. You *do* have the resource 
kit for your OS, right?

>> Damn, dude, you can even do it from Tcl.
>> http://twapi.magicsplat.com/eventlog.html
>> That took about 3 seconds on google.
> 
> And how much do you want to bet it won't work with the standard Tcl 
> interpretter?

Why wouldn't it? That's the whole point of Tcl stubs. Indeed, it's likely to 
work with every version. Plus, TWAPI is well-maintained, which you would 
know were you to follow comp.lang.tcl.

>> Create them from the command line:
>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315410
> 
> "Logevent.exe is included in the Windows 2000 Resource Kit."
> 
> In other words, I can't get it.

Why can't you get it?

You're on NT4?
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=3E972E9A-E08A-49A2-9D3A-C0519479E85A&displaylang=en
5 seconds.

What's in there, you say?
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc751139.aspx
Admittedly, that took almost 20 seconds to find.

> a while back I discovered an M$ tool that allows you to run stuff as a 
> service, even though this is normally impossible. 

Yes, because there aren't any services on Windows. :-)

> I could spend a few weeks surfing the net, finding all the utilities I 
> need to make the job work, checking that they're all from reputable 
> sources, working out their little quirks, getting them all to work 
> together...

You should at least install the package of tools that MS gives away for 
system administrators to use. Or at least know of its existence and what's 
in it.

> ...or I could install the BackupExec Remote Agent for Windows and be 
> done with it. Whilst I actually kinda enjoy the challenge of trying to 
> make scripts work, I feel happier that our vital production systems are 
> using a professional backup solution, rather than some probably-broken 
> thing I cobbled together myself.

Sure. But what about the next problem, and the next problem, and the next?

And saying "it's impossible to back things up" and saying "I prefer a 
professional solution so I don't have to spend time building one" are two 
completely different things, you realize.

If every request from your boss is answered with "That's impossible", I'm 
not surprised you're not earning a living wage.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

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