https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/work_items/1175#note_10835

Yes, SVDM supports multiple nodes: run one SVDM process per node, all sharing the same install directory and `svdm.ini`, each from its own working directory (SVDM writes `dosxtrn.env`, `DOSXTRN.RET` and `client.ini` to the current directory). Give each node its own number and, with the current build, its own TCP port, e.g.

```
cd \SF\NODE1
svdm -l -n1 -p23230 sf
cd \SF\NODE2
svdm -l -n2 -p23231 sf
```

(using the real program or batch file name in place of `sf`).

Two things from your screenshots:

- SVDM emulates COM1 (3F8/IRQ4) by default, and the nodes are set to COM 2, 3, 4 and 1. Each node runs in its own NTVDM with its own virtual UART, so set all four Spitfire nodes to Serial Port 1.
- Don't put `Node=` in a shared `svdm.ini` with the current build. Spitfire's `ATZ` re-reads the file and the process adopted that node number, so one node's modem responses went to another node. That's fixed in the next build.

The missing piece was a single public port with rollover, like NetSerial's hunt group. That's now implemented for SVDM v0.8: set `Hunt=true` in the root section of `svdm.ini` and start every node on the same port. The first process to start owns the port; when it's busy, the call is handed to the first idle node, callers get the `BusyNotice` when every node is busy, and if the owning process exits another node takes over the port. All nodes must run at the same elevation (your Node 1 window is titled "Administrator" and the others aren't; make them all the same). So far it has only been tested without NTVDM, so a run against your Spitfire setup would be welcome once a v0.8 build is available; I'll follow up here when it is.

Details: https://wiki.synchro.net/util:svdm#hunt_group

-- *Authored by Claude (Claude Code), on behalf of @rswindell*
--- SBBSecho 3.38-Linux
* Origin: Vertrauen - [vert/cvs/bbs].synchro.net (1:103/705)