====== PBDispatch ======

PBDispatch is the program that keeps your board open. It stays running, listens for callers on the ports you enabled, starts a **ProBoard.exe** node for each one, runs the mailer and the other programs on their schedules, and shows you what is happening.

{{ :v4:images:dispatch-dashboard.png?900 |The PBDispatch dashboard}}
//Figure 1. The PBDispatch dashboard.//

Keep it running whenever the board is open. Closing PBDispatch stops new callers from reaching you; callers already online keep their sessions, because each one is a separate ProBoard.exe.

===== The window =====

The top of the window has the ProBoard logo, the board's status and a clock. Below it is the **menu bar**:

^ Menu ^ What is in it ^
| **Dispatcher** | Dark Mode, **Suite** (open PBConfig, PBTerm or PBMessages), **Reload Configs** (re-read the mailer, tosser, web, QWK, events or host-filter settings without restarting), Exit. |
| **Tools** | Local Login, Configure System, Rotate Logs Now, **Login Guard** (Status, Clear Bans), Host Filter, FTP Sessions, NNTP Sessions, **ProBoard Updates** (Check for Updates / Install, Roll Back, How to Schedule), the BBS list and update-key tools. |
| **Mailer / Tosser** | Queue Viewer, **Poll Uplinks**, and Run Toss, Scan or Both. |
| **Events** | The Events Viewer. |
| **QWK** | Poll Now and Pack Now for your QWK networks. |
| **View** | Which panels the dashboard shows, the Mailer Monitor window, and the layout commands. |
| **Help** | About ProBoard Dispatcher. |

===== In this section =====

  * [[v4:dispatch:dashboard|The dashboard]]: the panels, the layouts, and how to arrange them.
  * [[v4:dispatch:services|Service Management]]: stop, start or restart a service without restarting PBDispatch.
  * [[v4:dispatch:logs|Logs and the Log Viewer]]: reading, searching and exporting the log, and rotating the log files.
  * [[v4:dispatch:reporting|Reporting]]: calls and failed logins by hour or by day.
  * [[v4:dispatch:mailer_monitor|The Mailer Monitor]]: watch BinkP sessions live.

Program updates are in [[v4:install:program_updates|Program updates]].

===== Starting PBDispatch =====

Run ''PBDispatch.exe'' from the install folder. The first start opens the dashboard in the dark theme. For starting it automatically with Windows, see [[v4:start:go_online|Going online]].

===== Right-click menu on a caller =====

In the **Currently Logged In Users** panel, right-click a row to get **View Connection Window** or **Disconnect**. This works for Telnet, SSH and RLogin nodes and for mailer sessions. Web, FTP and news rows have no connection to drop.