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- This document will describe the Desqview/Qemm configuration required to
- run Desqview while accessing the Token Ring network. It will also
- document the configuration options used to maximize the size of each
- Desqview window when accessing the Lan.
-
- DesqView 386 can be executed in one of two ways. The first method,
- executing DV.COM, loads DesqView into standard DOS memory. This results
- in relatively small windows (generally about 320K) to run other programs
- because of the large amount of conventional memory used by DesqView.
- The other method, executing XDV.COM in conjunction with the DesqView
- memory manager QEMM-386, will allow a portion of Desqview to be loaded
- into unused portions of system memory or hi-memory. System memory is
- memory between 640K and 1 megabyte (addresses A000-FFFF). This results
- in significantly larger windows because most of DesqView now occupies
- the hi-memory area and the use of conventional memory by DesqView is
- limited. If other hardware or software also use hi-memory, like a token
- ring board, DesqView and the other hardware may conflict and DesqView
- may not run when using XDV.COM. In this instance the area of memory
- where the conflict occurs must be isolated and specifically excluded
- from DesqView on the QEMM statement.
-
- Memory resident programs, like Lan or Mouse drivers, can also be loaded
- into hi-memory using the DesqView utility LOADHi.COM, thus saving
- additional conventional memory and allowing larger DesqView windows.
- Note that there is a trade off between the number of programs "loaded
- hi" and the ultimate DesqView window size. Each program "loaded hi"
- will reduce the hi-memory available to run DesqView. This results in
- more of DesqView occupying conventional memory with a corresponding
- decrease in window size. In the current version of Desqview one will
- have to experiment to arrive at the optimal configuration.
-
- The following configuration was used to run DesqView on a Compaq Deskpro
- 386/20 with three megabytes of Memory, DOS 3.31, a VGA color monitor
- while accessing a Novell Network via an IBM Token Ring I board. Of
- course the areas of available hi-memory will vary depending on the
- specific type of 386 PC and hardware installed. The ultimate Desqview
- window size will also be affected by any configuration parameters which
- use memory (like the Buffers parm or FASTOPEN.EXE).
-
- The Config.sys file for this pc is as follows:
- FILES=50
- BUFFERS=20
- STACKS=0,0
- SHELL=COMMAND.COM /P/E:256
- QEMM.SYS, the DesqView memory manager, was configured as follows:
- DEVICE=C:\QEMM.SYS INCLUDE=B000-B7FF INCLUDE=E600-EFFF X=CC00-CFFF
- RAM FRAME=NONE
-
- B000-B7FF is Video memory reserved for a Monochrome monitor.
- Since a monochrome monitor was not installed this memory could
- be made available to DesqView.
-
- E600-EFFF - Qemm did not automatically recognize this area of
- memory, even though it was available, so it was specifically
- included on the Qemm statement. Depending on the 386 Pc this
- area may or may not be available.
-
- CC00-CFFF These are the 8K ROM and RAM addresses
- (respectively) used by the Token ring board. These addresses
- must be excluded from DesqView to avoid memory conflicts with
- the Token Ring Board. Note: The token ring Ram address must
- be on a 16K boundary.
-
- The RAM parameter allows other TSR (Terminate and Stay
- Resident) programs (like mouse drivers) to run in Hi memory.
- This frees up conventional memory for other programs. In this
- configuration all available high memory was designated as high
- ram.
-
- FRAME=NONE This parameter eliminates the 64K page frame used
- by QEMM to manage expanded memory. If the programs to be run
- under DesqView do not explicitly use expanded memory this
- option will free up more Hi-Memory and allow for greater
- window sizes. Programs which take use expanded memory (like
- SAS or LOTUS) will unable to make use of the available
- expanded memory with this configuration option.
-
- The Lan drivers were loaded as follows:
-
- Note: The programs used to access the LAN must be run OUTSIDE
- of DesqView. When the drivers and shells are run underneath
- DesqView the opening of other windows will cause the system to
- hang or crash.
-
- LOADHI TOKREUI ,CE00
-
- - This statement will load TOKREUI into HI-Memory and
- substitute Ram Address CE00 instead of the default D000.
- DesqView needs a 64K address space for the Page Frame Address
- and the only free Ram in Hi-Memory of that size (on the
- Compaq) is at address D000. If the token ring board uses that
- address for it's Ram then DesqView will use conventional
- memory for the Page Frame thus wasting 64K of conventional
- memory. Note that the Tokreui Ram address must be on a 16K
- boundary. The rom address can only be changed by altering the
- dip switch settings on the Token ring board. Note that the
- ram and rom addresses for the token ring board were
- specifically excluded from DesqView on the QEMM statement,
- otherwise Desqview could not be executed using expanded mode
- (XDV.COM). Also on the TOKEN Ring Adaptor/A the Ram address
- cannot be dynamically relocated - it must be changed via the
- hardware setup/configuration.
-
- IPX
- - If NETBIOS is to be loaded do not load IPX into Hi Memory
-
- NETBIOS
- - NOTE: Do not load NETBIOS into HIGH-MEMORY or from within a
- Desqview window. This usually causes the Pc to hang up or
- Crash.
- LOADHI NET3
-
- - If Frame = None is used on the Qemm statement there should
- be enough Hi-Memory available to Load NET3 into High memory.
- Again this will free up conventional memory and allow for
- greater window sizes.
-
- Any other small Drivers - like Mouse drivers can be loaded
- into Hi-Memory thus freeing up conventional memory.
-
- With this configuration of Qemm.Sys the following programs can
- be loaded before DesqView:
-
- Mouse.Com - Driver program for the Mouse - Loaded into
- High Memory saving 8K of conventional memory.
-
- TOKREUI.COM - Token ring driver - Loaded into High
- Memory, saving 7K of conventional memory.
-
- IPX.COM - Novell Communications drivers. Loaded into
- conventional memory.
-
- NETBIOS - Communications drivers. Loaded into
- conventional memory.
-
- NET3 - Novell Netware shell program. Loaded into high
- memory saving 37 Kb of conventional memory.
-
-
- DesqView can now be executed and the Lan and Lan applications
- can be accessed from DesqView windows. The maximum size of
- each window is 508K. I currently run without Netbios and have
- a window size of 528K.
-
- If running with a Page frame, thus allowing programs to access
- Expanded memory, NET3 will probably not Load Hi and the window
- sizes will be approximately 478K with Netbios and 496K
- without. Below is a map of memory using the Qemm configuration detailed above.
- This can be displayed by typing "QEMM" at the DOS prompt and pressing
- enter.
-
- Current Mode = ON
- Expanded Memory Available = 2016K
- Page Frame Address = None
-
- ╔═══════════════════════════════════╗
- ║ Area Size Status ║
- ║ 0000 - 9FFF 640K Conventional ║
- ║ A000 - AFFF 64K Video ║
- ║ B000 - B7FF 32K High RAM ║
- ║ B800 - BFFF 32K Video ║
- ║ C000 - C5FF 24K ROM ║
- ║ C600 - CBFF 24K High RAM ║
- ║ CC00 - CFFF 16K Excluded * ║
- ║ D000 - DFFF 64K High RAM ║
- ║ E000 - E5FF 24K ROM ║
- ║ E600 - EFFF 40K High RAM ║
- ║ F000 - FFFF 64K ROM ║
- ╚═══════════════════════════════════╝
-
- * = Address excluded from use by DesqView - These are the RAM and ROM
- addresses used by the Token Ring Board.
-
- The following is a map of Hi-memory after all drivers and programs have
- been loaded. This can be displayed by typing "LOADHI" at the DOS prompt.
-
- ╔══════════════════════════════════════╗
- ║ Area Size Status ║
- ║ B000 - B7FE 31K Available ║
- ║ C600 - CBFE 23K Available ║
- ║ D000 - D29E 10K Used (mouse) ║
- ║ D29F - D357 2K Used (culirma) ║
- ║ D358 - D515 6K Used (TOKREUI) ║
- ║ D516 - DE65 37K Used (NET3) ║
- ║ DE66 - DFFE 6K Available ║
- ║ E600 - EFFF 40K Available ║
- ╚══════════════════════════════════════╝
-
- FINDING EXTRA MEMORY:
-
- DesqView Setup options
-
- I have found that by adjusting the following setup options the
- maximum window can be increased.
-
- Setting DOS Buffers for EMS.
-
- This is a DesqView Setup Option and can be changed by
- executing the DesqView setup program, advanced setup, and
- selecting the performance option. Change the DOS buffers
- for EMS to 0. Maximum windowsize when from 528K to 544K.
- I was unable to detect any decrease in performance.
-
- Changing the Video configuration.
-
- Set the video option to monochrome. As far as I could
- tell this did seem to affect any of my processing.
- Maximum Window size went from 544 to 560.
-
- These window sizes were obtained without loading Netbios.
-
-
- If you're REALLY desperate you can steel video memory as outlined below,
- However be prepared for some periodic failures.
-
- If larger Desqview windows are required it is possible to use some
- of the video memory at address A000-AFFF. This is somewhat risky
- because this area of memory is used by the VGA adaptor for graphics
- support. The best way to proceed is to begin to include 4 k
- sections at the top of the video memory address space and then
- execute desqview and all programs to gauge the impact. Again,
- remember that this approach is risky and you should be prepared for
- periodic failures.
-
- General reliability using Desqview.
-
- I have found that running multiple sessions under Desqview to be
- generally reliable but not 100 percent so. Remember that you are
- executing programs written to run alone under DOS and sometimes
- things can go wrong for no apparent reason.
-
- A couple of things to watch out for are:
-
- * If running IDMS/ARCHITECT and WordPerfect -
- Always load WordPerfect first.
-
- * If using Dataflex -
- Flex seems to have some quirky problems. When
- setting up Flex to run under Desqview set the
- protection level to 3. With a protection level of 3
- Desqview will generally catch any errors before they
- occur, allowing you to abort the program and avoid
- hanging the whole machine. Also don't try to run
- flex in background. Flex generally writes directly
- to the screen which will bleed through and affect
- the current (foreground) desqview window.
-
- * If using SideKick
- Always load SK first with a protection level of 3.
-
- No matter what you do, you will probably experience periodic
- failures when using Desqview. I have found the convenience of
- multiple Pc sessions to far outweigh the periodic system failures
- which force me to re-boot the system.