

              NOVELL TECHNICAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT

TITLE:              Configuration Optimization for 386, 486 Computers
DOCUMENT ID:        014911
DOCUMENT REVISION:  A
DATE:               25FEB94
ALERT STATUS:       Yellow
INFORMATION TYPE:   Issue
README FOR:         NA

NOVELL PRODUCT and VERSION:
Novell DOS 7

ABSTRACT:

This document explains how to optimize Novell DOS 7 configuration
for 386 and 486 computers.

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NOVELL.  NOVELL MAKES EVERY EFFORT WITHIN ITS MEANS TO VERIFY
THIS INFORMATION.  HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS
DOCUMENT IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY.  NOVELL MAKES NO EXPLICIT
OR IMPLIED CLAIMS TO THE VALIDITY OF THIS INFORMATION.
------------------------------------------------------------------

ISSUE

     These are some sample configuration files for 386sx, 386 and
     486 computers.  The following configurations offer basic
     guidelines to give the user ideas on what can be done with
     Novell DOS 7.  Proper configurations vary and are dependent
     on the computer hardware and software.


     386 and 486-Based Computers with 1 MB of RAM

     CONFIG.SYS
          SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:512 /P
          BREAK=ON
          BUFFERS=20
          FILES=30
          FCBS=4,4
          FASTOPEN=256
          HISTORY=ON, 256, ON
          DEVICE=C:\NWDOS\HIMEM.SYS
          DOS=HIGH

     AUTOEXEC.BAT
          @ECHO OFF
          :NWDOSBEG
          PATH C:\;C:\NWDOS;C:\NWDOS\NWCLIENT
          VERIFY OFF
          PROMPT [NWDOS] $P$G
          ?"Load Personal NetWare (Y/N)?" call STARTNET.BAT
          ?"Enable DelWatch TSR (Y/N)?" DELWATCH C: /F:200
          :NWDOSEND

     This configuration will allow a 386 or 486 based computer to
     relocate the operating system into High Memory (HMA).

     IMPORTANT:     EMM386.EXE can be used on some 1 MB systems;
                    however, the majority of these computers will
                    not have extended memory, which is required
                    by EMM386 to create Upper Memory.  HIMEM.SYS
                    is used instead because it does not create
                    Upper Memory with the switches indicated in
                    the example shown.

     How Upper Memory Is Created on a 386 Computer:

     In a 1 MB 286 computer, there is a break in RAM between A000
     (640 KB decimal) and FFFF (1 MB decimal).  The 384 KB above
     640 KB actually begins at FFFF instead of at A000.  In a 1
     MB 386 computer, however, all RAM is contiguous from 0 to
     A000.  Unfortunately, this additional 384 KB is usually
     reserved for the use of memory mapping support chips (ROM)
     and is not available as system RAM.

     The EMM386.EXE file goes through Upper Memory Addresses
     searching for ROMs, Shadows, or other devices.  Then it
     determines how much free unused space exists between these
     used blocks of memory and remaps XMS memory to fill these
     spaces.  In fact, the technical definition for the Upper
     Memory created by EMM386 is XMS-UMBs.

     This is also why a MEM /A report will indicate a reduced
     amount of available XMS when using EMM386 to create Upper
     Memory compared to when Upper Memory is not created (by
     adding a /W switch on EMM386).  The missing amount has been
     used to create Upper Memory plus a small amount for
     overhead.  Because of the need to remap XMS memory, it is
     not possible for EMM386.EXE to create Upper Memory on a 1 MB
     computer, because it has no extended memory.


     386/486-Based Computers with Greater than 1 MB of RAM

     CONFIG.SYS
          SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:512 /P
          BREAK=ON
          BUFFERS=20
          FILES=30
          FCBS=4,4
          FASTOPEN=256
          HISTORY=ON, 256, ON
          DOS=HIGH,UMB
          DEVICE=C:\NWDOS\EMM386.EXE /F=NONE /R=AUTO
          DEVICE=C:\NWDOS\DPMS.EXE

     AUTOEXEC.BAT
          @ECHO OFF
          :NWDOSBEG
          PATH C:\;C:\NWDOS;C:\NWDOS\NWCLIENT
          VERIFY OFF
          PROMPT [NWDOS] $P$G
          ?"Load Personal NetWare (Y/N)?" call STARTNET.BAT
          ?"Enable DelWatch TSR (Y/N)?" DELWATCH C: /F:200
          :NWDOSEND

     This configuration will allow a 386 or 486 based computer to
     relocate the operating system into High Memory.  With an
     average of 120 KB of RAM in Upper Memory, the Personal
     NetWare drivers will be able to fit into Upper Memory.


     386/486-Based Computers with Greater Than 1 MB of RAM
     Running Task Manager

     CONFIG.SYS
          SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:512 /P
          BREAK=ON
          BUFFERS=20
          FILES=30
          FCBS=4,4
          FASTOPEN=256
          HISTORY=ON, 256, ON
          DOS=UMB
          DEVICE=C:\NWDOS\EMM386.EXE /MULTI /F=NONE /R=AUTO

     AUTOEXEC.BAT
          @ECHO OFF
          :NWDOSBEG
          PATH C:\;C:\NWDOS;C:\NWDOS\NWCLIENT
          VERIFY OFF
          PROMPT [NWDOS] $P$G
          SHARE /L:20
          ?"Load Personal NetWare (Y/N)?" call STARTNET.BAT
          ?"Enable DelWatch TSR (Y/N)?" DELWATCH C: /F:200
          ?"Load the Multitasker (Y/N)?" TASKMGR
          :NWDOSEND

     This minimal configuration will allow a 386 or 486 based
     computer to relocate the operating system into Upper Memory
     with DOS=UMB.  Loading the operating system into upper
     memory rather than into HMA will leave the maximum amount of
     XMS memory available for TASKMGR.  With an average of 120 KB
     of usable RAM in Upper Memory, network drivers can also be
     loaded into Upper Memory.  If desired, the drivers in the
     AUTOEXEC.BAT file can be loaded from the command line (such
     as SHARE, TASKMGR, STARTNET.BAT).

     TASKMGR.EXE is the built-in multitasker and task switcher,
     which will allow the user to run multiple applications
     simultaneously, or swap tasks.  The number of applications
     able to be loaded at one time under the multitasker will
     vary depending on the application sizes and the amount of
     total memory on the computer.  For the multitasker to be
     loaded, the /MULTI switch must be added to the EMM386.EXE
     line in the CONFIG.SYS file.


     Windows Enhanced Mode Configuration for 386/486 Based
     Computers 4 MB or Better Running Windows

     CONFIG.SYS
          SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:512 /P
          BREAK=ON
          BUFFERS=8
          FILES=30
          FCBS=4,4
          FASTOPEN=0
          HISTORY=ON, 256, ON
          DOS=HIGH,UMB
          DEVICE=C:\NWDOS\EMM386.EXE /F=NONE /R=AUTO

     AUTOEXEC.BAT
          @ECHO OFF
          :NWDOSBEG
          PATH C:\;C:\NWDOS;C:\NWDOS\NWCLIENT;C;\WINDOWS
          VERIFY OFF
          PROMPT [NWDOS] $P$G
          LH C:\NWDOS\NWCACHE 3712 1024 /LEND=ON /DELAY=ON
          ?"Load Personal NetWare (Y/N)?" call STARTNET.BAT
          ?"Enable DelWatch TSR (Y/N)?" DELWATCH C: /F:200
          :NWDOSEND

     This basic configuration allows a 386 or 486 based computer
     to run Windows 3.0 or 3.1 in Enhanced Mode.  The operating
     system is being relocated to the HMA (DOS=HIGH), and the
     information in the video and system BIOS ROMs is being
     shadowed from ROM to faster RAM (/R=AUTO).  NWCACHE is will
     have a minimum size of 1 MB (1024), a maximum size of 3 MB
     (3072), and will use Extended Memory created by EMM386.EXE. 
     The EMM386.EXE driver creates an average of 120 KB of RAM
     that can be used to relocate network drivers, TSRs, and
     other drivers into Upper Memory.

     NOTE:     If the performance of Windows appears to be slow,
               the cache size may be too large for the number of
               applications being run in Windows.  This reduces
               the XMS memory available to Windows.  Windows may
               then need to use swap files.  Even when NWCACHE is
               used, swapping applications to disk is slower than
               running from RAM. Try reducing the size of the
               cache to increase speed.


     Windows Enhanced Mode Configuration for 386/486 with 2 MB

     CONFIG.SYS
          SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\  /E:512 /P /ML
          BREAK=ON
          BUFFERS=20
          FILES=30
          FCBS=4,4
          FASTOPEN=256
          HISTORY=ON, 256, ON
          DOS=LOW
          DEVICE=C:\NWDOS\HIMEM.SYS

     AUTOEXEC.BAT
          @ECHO OFF
          :NWDOSBEG
          PATH C:\;C:\NWDOS;C:\NWDOS\NWCLIENT;C;WINDOWS
          VERIFY OFF
          PROMPT [NWDOS] $P$G
          ?"Load Personal NetWare (Y/N)?" call STARTNET.BAT
          ?"Enable DelWatch TSR (Y/N)?" DELWATCH C: /F:200
          :NWDOSEND

     A 2 MB computer is the MINIMUM system for Windows in
     Enhanced Mode.  System performance may be greatly reduced
     because Windows will need to use swap files and no cache can
     be used to help accelerate disk I/O.


     This configuration will allow a 386 or 486 computer with 2
     MB of RAM to run Windows in the Enhanced Mode.  Because
     Windows requires a minimum of 1 MB of available XMS memory,
     this configuration does not use the HMA.  The SHELL
     statement has the switch /ML to force it into Conventional
     Memory.

     HIMEM.SYS is used to create XMS memory.  The statement
     BUFFERS (Upper Memory) is used instead of HIBUFFERS (HMA). 
     Finally, because Windows needs all the XMS memory available
     NWCACHE is not used in this configuration.
