Reclaiming IDs

MCS provides several timeout values that work together to allow you to more safely reclaim allocated IDs that are no longer in use but which have not been released by the client. Use caution when reclaiming allocated IDs; if you're not absolutely sure that an ID is no longer in use, there is some risk that duplicate IDs will be issued.

At the pool level, MCS provides two timeout options: Inactivity Timeout and Lease Timeout. These are pool properties. At the global level, MCS provides a Communication Timeout and a Quarantine Timeout. These are general properties.

You can change the timeout values at any time but allocated IDs continue to use the previous values until they are released.

The inactivity timeout period and the lease timeout period (if implemented) are used together to determine whether an ID should be quarantined. For clients that don't implement those options, or for pools where those values have been omitted or set to zero (0), the communication timeout period performs a similar function.

When the quarantine timeout period elapses, the ID is eligible to be reclaimed. Quarantined IDs can be automatically reclaimed by MCS or they can be manually reclaimed on a case-by-case basis, using one of the following procedures. When an ID is reclaimed, it is made available to be allocated to another client.

Setting Options for Automatically Reclaiming IDs
Manually Reclaiming an ID

To set global options for automatically reclaiming IDs
In the MCS left pane under Services, choose ID Management. Under ID Management, choose Management Settings. In the General page, select Automatically Reclaim. If this option is not selected, you must manually reclaim quarantined IDs. Specify a Communication Timeout period. MCS checks periodically for a response from the client. If the client does not respond for the specified period of time, its ID is put into quarantine. Most options on this page are global to all your pools. If you have pools with leased IDs, the Communication Timeout period has no effect. Leased IDs are put into quarantine only if a session is closed because of a system failure of some kind, and only if the session is not reconnected within the lease timeout period. Specify a Quarantine Timeout period. When this timeout period has elapsed for a quarantined ID, and Automatically Reclaim is selected, the ID is automatically reclaimed by MCS.

To set global options for automatically reclaiming IDs

In the MCS left pane under Services, choose ID Management.
Under ID Management, choose Management Settings.
In the General page, select Automatically Reclaim.
If this option is not selected, you must manually reclaim quarantined IDs.
Specify a Communication Timeout period.
MCS checks periodically for a response from the client. If the client does not respond for the specified period of time, its ID is put into quarantine.

Most options on this page are global to all your pools. If you have pools with leased IDs, the Communication Timeout period has no effect. Leased IDs are put into quarantine only if a session is closed because of a system failure of some kind, and only if the session is not reconnected within the lease timeout period.
Specify a Quarantine Timeout period.
When this timeout period has elapsed for a quarantined ID, and Automatically Reclaim is selected, the ID is automatically reclaimed by MCS.

To manually reclaim an ID
In the MCS left pane under Services, choose ID Management. Under ID Management, choose Monitor IDs. In the Monitor IDs pane, select the ID you want to reclaim. Choose Reclaim ID.


	Configuring ID Pools
	Pool Properties Dialog Box
	Management Settings - General Page
	Monitor IDs Pane