not-logged off users... how to decide whether a user is connectedor not?

[Stefan Winter]

> As it happens, (no idea why), a user is disconnceted after a
> poweroutage/powersurge/modem disconnection
> or whatever the reason is but the radius doesnt see the user as online.
>
> The record in the radacct table has a Start Time but doesnt have a Stop
> time, the AcctStopTime is set at " 0000-00-00 00:00:00" which is probably
> because the user was disconnected abruptly and didn't have the chance to
> send the Account Stop packet or a Disconnect packet.
>
> Anyway, to the bottom line - how do i deal with such situation?

If you're lucky, you can configure the NAS to send an Accounting-Start packet 
after it reboots. Then the stale sessions can be closed. If not: too bad. 
There is nothing in the RADIUS protocol that can help you decide whether a 
user session is still online or not.
You can of course guess and mark the sessions as closed after a while. There 
are some scripts in FR that can help. I guess reading "Simultaneous Use" in 
the documentation directory might help.

Greetings,

Stefan Winter

-- 
Stefan WINTER

Fondation RESTENA - Réseau Téléinformatique de l'Education Nationale et de 
la Recherche - Ingénieur de recherche

6, rue Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi
L-1359 Luxembourg