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_______ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / \ / \ / \ /\\\\\\\\\\ //////////// ------------------------- \ DiskBase / \-------------------/ by IntelliSys Post Office Box 21233 Roanoke, VA 24018 (703) 345-5906 [voice] (703) 345-9423 [FAX] 73677,2475 [Compuserve ID] Copyright (c) IntelliSys 1991-1993 All Rights Reserved. DiskBase Page i Table of Contents INTRODUCTION.............................................. 1 ABOUT INTELLISYS.......................................... 1 SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT................................ 2 License.............................................. 2 Limited Warranty and Limitation of Remedies.......... 3 General.............................................. 4 INSTALLATION.............................................. 4 COMMAND LINE OPTIONS...................................... 6 USING DISKBASE............................................ 6 MAIN MENU............................................ 6 CATALOG KEYBOARD ASSIGNMENTS......................... 9 UPDATING MULTIPLE DISK ARCHIVES..................... 10 PROGRAM CONFIGURATION.................................... 11 SCREEN INDICATORS........................................ 13 WHICH ARCHIVE PROGRAM TO USE............................. 14 HINTS.................................................... 14 NETWORK ACCESS........................................... 15 DEFINITIONS.............................................. 15 REGISTRATION............................................. 15 SITE-LICENSES............................................ 16 DISTRIBUTING DiskBase.................................... 16 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.......................................... 16 DiskBase Page 1 INTRODUCTION This file provides on-line help for DiskBase as well as being the complete documentation. The purpose of DiskBase is to allow you to store and retrieve programs or data on whatever DOS recognizable storage device you have in the most simple and efficient manner possible. Many computer users will never have enough disk space to store all the files they need at the same time. This program makes it possible for you to store files used less often on floppy disks and to easily retrieve them. Also, many computer users have one drive that is much faster than the others (a ram drive which is faster than a hard drive or a hard drive which is faster than a floppy drive). This program allows you to store files on the slower drive, while the faster drive is used for running programs. This gives you the fastest possible program execution speed. DiskBase is currently distributed as Shareware. It is not free. Shareware is software that you can examine on a trial basis. If you decide to use DiskBase beyond the trial period, you are required to register as a user and send IntelliSys the registration fee. (See below for information about how to register your copy.) You are encouraged to pass a copy of DiskBase along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy as well if they find it useful. Just like commercial authors, shareware authors are accomplished programmers, and they write programs that are of comparable quality. Distributing software as shareware saves money for the software developer by allowing distribution through low-cost channels, while presenting you with a quality product at a savings. The Shareware concept can only work for the benefit of all computer users if the users of Shareware pay for its use. Please refer to the LICENSE AGREEMENT for terms for use of DiskBase. ABOUT INTELLISYS IntelliSys creates custom software and provides consulting services, as well as developing Shareware applications. We are extremely interested in what our customers think about our products and how they feel they can be improved. Also, if you would like a modified version of this program to meet your specific needs, or if you need an entirely DiskBase Page 2 different kind of program, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss it. SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT READ THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT BEFORE USING DiskBase. THIS AGREEMENT IS A LEGAL CONTRACT BETWEEN YOU, THE USER OF DiskBase, AND INTELLISYS GOVERNING YOUR USE OF DiskBase. THIS AGREEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ENTIRE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU AND INTELLISYS WITH RESPECT TO THE USE OF DiskBase. USING DiskBase INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS AGREEMENT. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL ALSO BE BINDING ON ANY SUBSEQUENT, AUTHORIZED LICENSEE. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, DO NOT USE DiskBase. License IntelliSys grants you a non-exclusive license to use the DiskBase software program and documentation as specified in this Agreement. You may use DiskBase for a reasonable period of time while you decide whether to become a registered user of DiskBase. After using DiskBase for a reasonable period of time, you may not use DiskBase without becoming a registered user. As a registered user, you may use DiskBase on a single computer or terminal at a time. In addition, you may make one backup copy of DiskBase. This Agreement specifically does not grant to you or anyone any rights to patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and trademarks. You acknowledge and agree that DiskBase is owned by IntelliSys and is protected by United States copyright law and international treaty provisions. You agree to safeguard DiskBase as copyrighted material. You acknowledge that the structure and organization of DiskBase are the valuable trade secrets of IntelliSys. You agree to hold such trade secrets in confidence. You may not distribute DiskBase for any kind of remuneration without prior authorization from IntelliSys. You may not distribute DiskBase as part of any other software or hardware package. However, IntelliSys encourages you to distribute copies of DiskBase, without charging for the copies, so that others may decide whether to become registered users. In addition, as a registered user, you may transfer your rights under this Agreement on a permanent basis provided you transfer your registered DiskBase Page 3 copy of DiskBase and any backup copy and provided the recipient agrees to the terms of this Agreement. Such a permanent transfer ends your license to use DiskBase. You may not transfer obsolete versions of DiskBase. Other than as provided in this paragraph, you may not loan, sublicense, rent, lease, sublease, or otherwise transfer any right to use DiskBase. You may not make copies of DiskBase, or any portion of it, except as expressly provided in this Agreement. You may not reproduce, transmit, transcribe, store in a retrieval system, or translate into any language DiskBase or any part of it. You may not disassemble, decompile, reverse engineer, or create derivative works based on DiskBase or any portion of it. Limited Warranty and Limitation of Remedies IntelliSys warrants that the diskette containing a registered copy of DiskBase and the accompanying documentation shall be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of thirty days from the date the diskette is sent to you. To exercise your rights under this warranty, you must return the defective product to IntelliSys at your expense within the warranty period. IntelliSys will then replace the product or return your purchase price, at its option. IntelliSys's entire liability and your exclusive remedy and sole measure of recoverable damages under this Agreement shall be, at IntelliSys's option, (1) return of the purchase price paid, or (2) replacement of the defective product. In the event of replacement of a diskette, IntelliSys shall warrant the replacement for the remainder of the original thirty days or for fourteen days, whichever is longer. DiskBase IS PROVIDED "AS IS" EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH. THE WARRANTY IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH IS THE ONLY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, CONCERNING DiskBase, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NEITHER INTELLISYS NOR ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION, OR DELIVERY OF DiskBase SHALL BE LIABLE TO ANYONE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES OR COSTS (INCLUDING LEGAL EXPENSES OR LOSS OF GOODWILL) ARISING OUT OF USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, DiskBase EVEN IF INTELLISYS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOST PROFITS, DAMAGES, OR COSTS. DiskBase Page 4 General If any provision of this Agreement shall be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from this Agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Any civil action or other proceeding that may be brought concerning DiskBase or this Agreement shall be brought only in a state or federal court of competent jurisdiction located within the city of Roanoke, Virginia. If any civil action or other proceeding is brought in any other forum, ones bringing the action or joining the action shall be liable, jointly and severally, to IntelliSys, its employees, and agents for any costs whatever associated with defending the action or other proceeding, including attorney fees and consequential costs such as travel expenses and lost wages. IntelliSys reserves the right, at it's sole discretion, to change, modify, or update DiskBase at any time without notifying anyone. IntelliSys reserves the right to offer updates to DiskBase either free of charge or for an additional charge. Trademarks of all products mentioned herein are property of their respective owners. INSTALLATION 1) Be sure your archive program (PKZIP, or ARJ, etc.) is in your PATH. (Refer to your DOS manual for more information about your PATH.) 2) Create a directory for DiskBase and copy all of its files to it. (OPTIONAL: Add this directory to your PATH. DiskBase will find all of its files in this directory if it is in your path statement.) DiskBase Page 5 3) OPTIONAL: Create an ASCII text file called GO.CFG in each directory that you want to be able to archive that contains the following lines: NAME = DESCR = SPACE = GO.CFG is optional as are each of the configuration entries in it. After "NAME =" put a brief menu label. After "DESCR =" put a description of the directory. And after "SPACE =" put a numerical estimate of the minimal amount of disk space needed by this application, or needed to restore this directory and all the directories below it. The estimate of space is used later by DiskBase to determine if enough disk space is available to restore the directory. DiskBase will accurately determine the total size of all the files used by your directory, but this gives option you a way to specify additional disk space required by your program. If you are using our companion program MENU, and this is a directory for a program, create a file called GO.BAT that starts your program. 4) Start DiskBase, by entering DiskBase at the DOS prompt. 5) You are now ready to archive a directory to your storage disk (which is defaults to drive A). Choose the "Archive" main menu item and select the directory you wish to archive. By selecting a directory (pressing Enter on the directory you want to archive), all files in that directory and all directories below it are compressed into a single archive file. "Archive" will move the directory you choose onto your archive (floppy) drive and remove it from your application/data (hard) drive. You have just created your first archive! DiskBase Page 6 6) Once you have created an archive on your storage drive, you can select the CATALOG option from the main menu to view a tabular list of your stored archives. While viewing the list, you can re-install the archive (INS), view the archive (Alt-V), remove old archives from your collection (DEL), or print a report on your database (Alt-P). That's all there is to it! Now store your collection of disks in a safe place - away from strong magnetic sources, and wild animals. Use only high quality disks for important archives or for long-term storage. COMMAND LINE OPTIONS DISKBASE followed by: /? displays these command line options, /M forces use of monochrome colors, and /V displays verbose messages where appropriate in the program. USING DISKBASE MAIN MENU The main menu of the program presents you with the following options: CATALOG This option allows you to view a listing of your stored archives in tabular format. You are able, when viewing the Catalog (or database), to 1) re-install an archive onto the application/data drive, 2) remove an archive from your collection of disks, 3) view the contents of the archive, and 4) print a report on your database. Eventually you will have duplicates of your archives as you install and remove them from the application/data drive. This is good. The best protection we have in the computer world against disaster is DiskBase Page 7 redundancy. Having a backup copy of your data WILL be useful. Having too many old copies just takes up space. The number of old copies you want to keep is a relative decision and up to you. From time to time, just remove the oldest duplicates from your collection of disks by moving to the archive in the database and pressing the DEL key. ARCHIVE This option allows you to view all the directories on the data/application drive and select one that needs to be archived and moved to your collection of disks. (The first time the program is run, a catalog will be created to hold your list of archives.) To be precise, the ARCHIVE option will execute your archive program to create an archive on your storage disk, add information about the disk to the database, and remove the old directory and its subdirectories from the application/data drive. (Note that if there are any files marked with the read-only attribute in the archive directory or below, the archive directory will not be removed and the marked files will remain.) An archive is created based on the first eight (8) characters of the directory name. The archive program may be configured to create a multiple disk archive, i.e. one that spans more than one disk. If you are NOT creating a multiple disk archive, the archive is created on a disk in your collection that has just enough free space, or on a new disk if no disk in your collection has enough free space. New disks are automatically labelled to the next available number from your collection, and gaps in disk numbers are filled in. If you ARE creating a multiple disk archive, use only freshly formatted blank disks - not disks from your collection. (The archive program may overwrite the volume label and cause DiskBase to loose track of the disk's contents.) New disks are labelled using only the next higher number from your collection. DiskBase Page 8 When new disks are added to your collection, DiskBase will ask you to write the disk label on the outside of a new diskette and it will label the diskette using your DATABASE NAME + ORDINAL NUMBER. UPDATE Should you ever have to modify a disk in your collection outside of this program, this option allows DiskBase to update its database with information about that disk. You should never really have to use this option. If a disk in your collection is changed outside of this program (- you add or remove files from a collection disk), DiskBase needs to be informed of the change. So, if you are not familiar with archiving software, you should always let this program create the archives. Archives are created in such a manner that allows for subdirectories to be restored from the root directory. This program creates archives and moves them off onto disk and updates the catalog without your intervention. If you happen to have archives that are created in the proper format (- they will recreate subdirectories starting with one named the same as the archive), the update option will add those disks to the database. However, in this scenario, information contained in configuration files (GO.CFG) in each of the archived directories is not available to this program. Specifically, the database contains information about how much space is needed to restore the application/data directory, and a one line description of the directory. Please see the section "UPDATING MULTIPLE DISK ARCHIVES" below for more information about updating when you are using an archive program that can span multiple disks. DiskBase Page 9 REMOVE This option allows you to remove all references in your database to a disk that no longer exists. If you loose a disk, choose this option to clean up the database. CATALOG KEYBOARD ASSIGNMENTS F1 Displays help. DEL Remove archive from highlighted diskette. This removes an archive from your collection by deleting it. The archive should either 1) already be installed on the application/data drive, 2) be a duplicate archive, or 3) be an application or data you no longer need. INS Install highlighted archive. DiskBase will ask you what drive you want to install the archive on, and the type of archive this is. Choose the archive method that was used to create the archive originally. If the highlighted archive is a multiple disk archive, be sure the highlight is on the first (oldest) archive file that was created. Alt-P Report on Catalog using .FRM file. Reports can be generated to the screen, printer, or to a file. Alt-S Search for something by forming a query. DiskBase Page 10 Alt-A Repeat last search. Alt-V View archive. Calls VIEW.BAT that is distributed with this program, or the command that is specified in the configuration file. UPDATING MULTIPLE DISK ARCHIVES When an archive is created that spans more than a single disk, DiskBase will ask you to insert each modified disk. It will read the disk and update the databases with information about the archives on that disk. Since DiskBase calls an external archive program, it has no way of knowing which storage disks the external program has changed. If the archive program can create archives that span multiple disks, DiskBase must give you the opportunity to update your catalog with information about the modified disks. The following are the options with which you will be presented: READ You have another disk that was modified when the archive program created its archive. Put the next disk in the drive and choose this option until all modified disks have been read. STOP You have no more modified disks that need to be added to the catalog and you're ready to continue on and let the program complete this operation. ABORT Something went wrong - creating the archive failed. DiskBase Page 11 PROGRAM CONFIGURATION DiskBase can be configured to specify a few global program parameters, and to specify parameters for the external compression program you will use. The configuration file is an ASCII text file. If a file called DISKBASE.CFG is located in the default directory when DiskBase is started, the configuration information within it is used. If a configuration file is not found in the default directory, one found in the directory where the program executable file resides will be used. The name of the configuration file can be specified by setting a DOS environment variable named DSKBSCFG to a filename. Like this: SET DSKBSCFG=C:\DISKBASE\MY.CFG The configuration file is separated into sections - one of which is called GLOBAL and the rest define parameters for use with your compression program. Each section is defined by a line of text enclosed in square brackets - like this: [PKZIP Version 1] Within each section, parameters are specified by placing the desired value to the right of a key term followed by an equal sign - like this: ADRIV=A The following are the key names, default values, and description for the GLOBAL section: ADRIV=A This is the drive where archives are stored. This can be a diskette drive, or any available DOS drive. Only the root directory is used to store the archives. DBNAM=DB This is the name of the database used to record information about your archives. This is a five character name and should reflect some logical collection of data - like APPS, DATA, or PICS, .... This allows you to store many different collections of archives. This option defaults to DB. DiskBase Page 12 All disks added to your collection will be labeled using the Catalog Name and an ordinal number. To prevent disks from getting mixed in with the wrong collection, DiskBase will not allow you to add a disk from a different collection of archives. i.e. You can't add a disk labeled APPS5 to your DATA collection. TMPDI=(default directory, or TEMP if defined in the DOS environment) Place used for temporary storage. This value can be passed to the un/archive program through the %t token - see above. Specify your fastest drive and one that will have plenty of free space. The following are the key names, and example values, and description of each key name found in a user defined archive program section: APROG=PKZIP -APR -b%t -EX %a %s\*.* This is the tokenized DOS command used to create the archive. The idea is to use the archive program options needed to create the archive so that removing the directory is under DiskBase's control. Removing the directory will only occur after successfully creating the archive - and only if you chose to move the directory into the archive (by pressing Enter when selecting a directory) rather than copy the directory into an archive (by pressing Ctrl-Enter). If the archive program CAN NOT create archives across multiple disks then DiskBase will create the archive in the TMPDI directory, and then move it to the storage disk. If the archive command you specify can create an archive that spans more than a single disk, be sure to specify MULTI=Y in this section so that DiskBase can update its catalog from the contents of each disk modified by the archive program. DiskBase Page 13 ARJ version 2.3 can be used to create multiple disk archives with "ARJ a -r -w%t -va %a %s\*.*". The values for the tokens %a, %s, %t will be swapped for the values of the archive name, source directory, and temporary storage are (if you want to uses one), respectively. UPROG=PKUNZIP -D %a %d This is the tokenized DOS command used to extract files from the archive. The values for the tokens %a, %d will be swapped for the values of the archive name, and root directory of the destination drive, respectively. VPROG=VIEW %a ZIP DOS command with tokens VIEW.BAT is a batch file in your distribution package used to list the contents of an archive. %a represents the archive on the archive drive. AFEXT=ZIP The file extension for files created by the archive program. MULTI=N If the archive program CAN create archives that span multiple disks, the program logic is for the archive program to create the archive directly on the storage disks, and then DiskBase will ask you to let it update its catalog by inserting each modified disk. DiskBase only finds out what changes were made to collection disks by your letting it read each modified disk. SCREEN INDICATORS During data entry operation, screen indicators I, N, and C, at the top right of your screen, indicate the status of the Insert/Overstrike, NumLock, and CapsLock toggles. DiskBase Page 14 WHICH ARCHIVE PROGRAM TO USE IntelliSys does not endorse any particular program for use with its products. PKZIP, version 2 or higher, by PKWare, Inc. (Brown Deer, WI), and ARJ, version 2.3, written by Robert K. Jung, both have the capability to perform the functions needed by DiskBase - in particular they create archives that span multiple disks. Other archive programs may be suitable. These programs are widely available on Bulletin Board Systems and through other sources. Please contact IntelliSys if you need more information on how to obtain a copy of these programs if one is not available to you. HINTS * !USE! DOS's ability to help you create distinct logical categories of files by creating separate directories and sub-directories. Put programs that you may want to archive in separate directories under the root directory. Put data files in a separate directory under the root. (If you separate your data from your program files you will find it easier to backup files that have recently changed and are most critical to your work.) * (For Registered Users of DiskBase) use our Menu program to provide access to the programs that are dynamically installed on the Data/Application Drive. It can re-scan for a current list of the GO.BAT files that exist on that drive. Also, use the GO.CFG file in each directory you wish to archive (described in this document) to associate a description with the directory. When you see various archives in your catalog that have the same name, the description you gave each archive will help you make sense of them all. * If you understand how to execute the archive program and you understand how the tokens are used under DiskBase's Option menu, use the Temp. Directory entry and Token (%t) to create the archive on the fastest drive you have. The Temp. drive should be larger than your archive storage drive. DiskBase Page 15 NETWORK ACCESS This program was not written to allow access to its files by more than one process/user at time. i.e. It will not lock files correctly to allow multiple access if it is installed on a shared network drive. DEFINITIONS Archive .... A collection of files that is compressed into a single file. When compressed, the resulting archive is smaller than the sum of its constituent files. Database ... For purposes of this program, a listing of information in tabular form. Disk ....... This can be a diskette, another hard drive partition, WORM drive, RAM drive, or any other standard DOS addressable device. REGISTRATION To register your copy of DiskBase, simply print the file ORDERFRM.TXT by executing the following DOS command: COPY ORDERFRM.TXT PRN and send the completed form with your check or money order for $34.95 and $5 shipping and handling to the address above. Registered users receive: - A copy of the current version of this program. - A copy of and free registration to our hard disk Menu program. Since your installed programs change dynamically, Menu has the capability to search for batch files called GO.BAT (that you create in each program directory). These batch files start your program as you would like, and the very presence of the GO.BAT batch file on your Application/Data drive means that it will automatically be added to Menu's Applications Menu. DiskBase Page 16 - 1 year free technical support for the program. - 1 year free updates. SITE-LICENSES Site-licenses are available by contacting IntelliSys at the address above. DISTRIBUTING DiskBase For information about distributing DiskBase, please refer to the file VENDOR.DOC. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Our thanks to all those who have given us suggestions and constructive criticism. And thanks to those in the industry who provide tools and share information. Without your efforts this program would not have been possible.