When a user logs-in to ManEx, it creates <Userid>.in file.  This file is created and opened for exclusive use ("Write only" attributes).  While the user is in ManEx the file will keep this "Write-only" status.  And if anyone tries to delete this file, using windows explorer or DOS command outside of ManEx, they will get a message, "access denied" or "This action cannot be completed because the file is open in "Manexloader.exe" (depending on the OS).  When a user is exiting ManEx the "normal"  way, is the "in" file gets closed by the program and removed.  We use these ".in" files for one reason and that is only so we can initiate a remote logout.  When we want to force the user out of the system (like when trigger runs DM), the logout process will create a <userid>.out file.  Each Manex session has a timer, which checks, periodically, for the <userid).out file.  Once found the system will close the <userid>.in file and revert any changes if they were made but not saved during this ManEx session.  Then the program will end this user's ManEx session, removing both <userid>.in  and userid>.out files.

 

If the user has to abort ManEx by ending it using "Task Manager" or by some other means, which would prevent the ManEx system to go through the "normal" logout process, the <userid>.in file might stay behind.  but in this case it will loose its exclusive status and could be simply deleted using windows explorer.

 

Although these files can give you a picture of how many users in the system, we do not use them to calculate number of active user's.