Installing Netware 4.1 - Wrong Drive Name; Netware-Server Not Stable When High Utilization; Icp Controller And Non-Aspi Compatible Controllers - ICP RS Series User Manual

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E.5.3 Installing NetWare 4.1 - Wrong Drive Name
The following problem often occurs when installing NetWare 4.1 server: While copying the
module cdrom.nlm the system hangs - forever. This problem only occurs when the CDROM
drive's name under MS-DOS is 'cdrom', i.e., the config.sys/autoexec.bat contains the fol-
lowing files:
DEVICE=aspicd.sys /D:cdrom
and
mscdex /D:cdrom
To avoid this problem, simply change the CDROM's name in DOS to another name, i.e., use
'/D:scsicd' instead of '/D:cdrom'.
E.5.4 NetWare-Server Not Stable When High Utilization
High server utilization, combined with a large number of applications running on the server
often leads to the following problem: The number of 'Dirty Cache Buffers' increases tre-
mendously and the server is then not stable. In order to avoid this situation, the following
parameters should be modified:
1. Increase the number of concurrent disk cache writes for the disk subsystem:
set maximum concurrent disk cache writes
This parameter can be increased up to 500 for high performance controllers and fast hard
disks.
2. Decrease the delayed write standard parameter:
set dirty disk cache delay time
This parameter sets the time whereafter 'dirty buffers' are written (flushed) from the cache
of NetWare to the hard disk. The minimum value is 0.8 seconds which influences the server
performance substantially. Therefore, care should be taken not to go below 0.8 seconds.
E.5.5 ICP Controller and Non-ASPI Compatible Controllers
If an ICP Controller is operated under NetWare together with a further controller / host
adapter which does not support the ASPI standard, SCSI Raw Devices cannot be operated
on both controllers (tapes, CDROMs).
In general, NetWare gives preference to controllers which support the ASPI Standard (e.g.:
ICP, Adaptec). As soon as ASPITRAN.DSK is loaded (Auto-Loading Module) tapes and
CDROMs on the ASPI non-compatible controller are no longer recognized.
To avoid this problem, the file ASPITRAN.DSK can be deactivated via a modification.
Please note: After this modification, no other Raw Devices (tapes, CDROMs) are recognized
ICP
on the (Adaptec,...).
In order to deactivate ASPITRAN.DSK, the string 'ASPI_Entry' has to be found by using a
Disk-Monitor in ASPITRAN.DSK (please pay attention to capitals etc). This string is then
modified, e.g., by replacing 'A' with an 'X' (i.e., 'XSPI_Entry').
This modified ASPITRAN.DSK enables the operation of Raw Devices on the non-ASPI-
compatible Controllers.