Free SmartDock connectivity tool - offline logon scripts SmartDock is a small exe file that detects whenever the computer changes IP settings of any network adapter. Once detected, SmartDock executes a FastTrack script. Thus, whenever the computer is booted, resumed from standby, connected to VPN or a wireless network (or any other scenario where the computer changes IP settings), it triggers the execution of a script. What the script does and based on what logic is entirely up to you. This is very handy for portable computers that roam. Examples of script content could be setting or removing proxy server settings based on whether or not the computer is on a LAN or not, instead of relying the quirky IE auto-detection mechanism. Or it could be connecting or disconnecting work shares. SmartDock is not a Windows Service but a small exe file. The reason for this is simple: If it was a Windows service, it would not run as the current user and would then be worthless. It would be impossible to set proxy server settings, change default printer, connect user shares and all other things that are related to the user. Related pages Setting up logon scripts How to set up logon scripts with FastTrack Logon. Logon Scripts Samples Get inspired by our example Logon Scripts. Setting up Startup Scripts How to set up Startup Scripts with FastTrack Logon. Documentation overview Browse online documentation.

Setup execution

SmartDock is included in the FastTrack Logon zip file. The easiest way to use it is to include a line like this in your prelogon.fsh logon script:

If Portable Then SetUserStartupItem SmartDock,[FastTrackPath]\SmartDock.exe

This makes SmartDock execute any time the user logs on, whether the computer is on LAN or not. Since you replicated the script file and the SmartDock executable to the local logon directory with FastTrack Logon, it can also execute without LAN access. The client location from the FastTrackPath function is used, as the SmartDock.exe file is, by default, located in the same client directory as the executing FSH.Exe.

Example script

SmartDock executes a script named "SmartDock.fsh" in the same directory as the SmartDock.exe. In the FastTrack Logon binary folder there is already a template script. All lines are commented out to avoid accidental execution, but the scripts looks like this:

SmallSplash "Setting up network, please wait..." If Alive AcmeProxy Then   SetProxyServer AcmeServer,8080   ConnectShare J:,\\AcmeServer\CommonShare   ConnectShare [UserHomeDrive],[UserHomeDir] Else   DisableProxyServer   DisconnectAllShares End If

If the server AcmeProxy is reachable, proxy server is set and two shares are connected. If the server is not reachable, all shares are disconnected and the proxy server is disabled to make sure that the user can actually browse the internet outside the company. You could also detect whether the user is on a LAN or not by checking the IP scope. You can expand the script with all sorts of other things specific to your company needs. Remember that the script will also execute on LAN after your logon script, so do not do anything that voids the functionality of the logon script.

Supplement backup script example

This example could be part of a SmartDock script. If the primary backup routine is located in the prelogon.fsh part of the logon script or put as an on-demand backup on the user's desktop, it is a good idea to remind them, if they do not backup their documents within a certain number of days. As we know that SmartDock will eventually fire the script every day, we can check that the backup is recent. The "DoBackup" custom command below stamps the time of the backup to the registry. If there is an additional backup routine in the logon script or as an on-demand desktop icon, this script must set the same registry key. So when a user connects to VPN without a recent backup, the user is asked the question below and answering 'Yes' will refresh the backup.


The script listed below and is a template script to do this. The registry key names "Acme Corporation" should be replaced with your company name. The initial condition tests, if the server "AcmeServer" is reachable. This is to detect, if there is access to the corporate network. This server name must be replaced by a server name that you have on your network, for example the actual target server of the backup.

If Portable And Alive AcmeProxy Then   If Not RegistryKeyExists HKCU\Software\Acme Corporation\LastBackup Then     If Ask "You never backed up your documents.[Return][Return]Would you like to do this now?","Backup Notice","Harddrive" Then DoBackup   Else     If [RegistryValue HKCU\Software\Acme Corporation\LastBackup]<[SubtractDays 3] Then       If Ask "You have not backed up your documents for over 2 days.[Return][Return]Would you like to do this now?",_                 "Backup Notice","Harddrive" Then DoBackup     End If   End If End If   Command DoBackup()   SyncDir [UserDocumentsDir],[UserHomeDrive]\Backup\[ComputerName]   WriteRegistry HKCU\Software\Acme Corporation\LastBackup,[DateTime] End Command

The script requires version 6.6. For earlier versions, the "Empty" condition must be replaced with a comparison to an empty string and the third parameter to the "Ask" conditions must be removed. The third parameter selects the "Hardrive" icon.

Configuring SmartDock

From version 7 SmartDock comes with a file called SmartDock.xml. This XML file is the configuration file for SmartDock. The reason that the settings are in an XML file instead of using registry keys, is that the settings can then be deployed along the exe file. SmartDock.xml is located in the FTLogon.zip file along the SmartDock.exe file and looks like this by default:

<SmartDock>   <RunAtStartup>True</RunAtStartup>   <RunOnIPChange>True</RunOnIPChange>   <AutoRerun>True</AutoRerun>   <IdleHours>24</IdleHours>   <ExecDelayInSeconds>10</ExecDelayInSeconds>   <Script>SmartDock.fsh</Script> </SmartDock>

Versions before FastTrack Scripting Host 7 do not have a configuration file and the default settings above are used. The AutoRerun feature did not exist prior to version 7. The purpose of the AutoRerun feature is to get a script executed every once and awhile for desktop computers that are almost always on and rarely logged on and off. The settings explained:

SmartDock.xml settings RunAtStartup Determines if the script is executed when StartDock.exe is started (Default: True). RunOnIPChange Determines if the script is executed when an IP address is changed (Default: True). AutoRerun / IdleHours Determines if the script is executed when is has not been executed for the number of hours defined with the "IdleHours" setting (Default: True/24). ExecDelayInSeconds The delay in seconds before executing the script. When connecting through VPN, DNS information may not be propagated for a few seconds. The default 10 seconds is normally a good tradeoff interval (Default: 10). Script The script to execute. The reason why the script name is configurable is that you can copy SmartDock.exe and SmartDock.xml to different names and have multiple copies in the same directory. SmartDock will look for an xml file that has the same name excluding the .exe extension (Default: SmartDock.fsh).