Minimizing the Amount of Memory Used

To minimize the amount of memory used by LAN Manager and NetWare Connectivity on computers that have more than 640K of memory, you can use memory managers to make the most efficient use of memory. Simply put, memory managers are programs that manage how other programs use memory. Memory managers can make available parts of memory that are not otherwise available.

For more information about using memory managers with LAN Manager, see the Installation Guide for Clients.

Areas of Memory

Before you read about ways of minimizing the amount of memory NetWare Connectivity uses, it is important to understand that memory on computers with MS-DOS is divided into the following areas:

Conventional memory, the memory between 0K and 640K. This is the memory that programs typically use. If you use no memory managers, this is the only area of memory you can use.
UMBs (upper memory blocks or upper memory), the area between 640K and 1024K. This area typically holds video buffers and other memory blocks. MS-DOS versions 5.0 and 6.0 include memory management commands that load programs into UMBs. With MS-DOS 3.x and 4.x, you can use UMBs only by using third-party memory managers such as Qualitas™ 386MAX™ and Quarterdeck Qemm™.
Extended memory, the memory above 1024K, which is divided into two sections:
- High memory area (HMA), the 64K block between 1024K and 1088K. Only one program at a time can use the HMA.
- Extended memory blocks, the rest of extended memory. Some programs can use extended memory blocks directly, or you can use a memory manager that causes the extended memory blocks to emulate expanded memory.
Expanded memory (also called EMS), which can exist physically or can be a section of extended memory emulating expanded memory through the use of a memory manager. If EMS is physically present, it is usually in the form of an extra card installed on the computer.

Minimizing Memory Use With MS-DOS 3.x and 4.x

On 80286-based or higher workstations, you can load the NetWare shell into the HMA. On 80386-based or higher workstations with expanded memory, you can load the NetWare shell into expanded memory (or a section of extended memory that is emulating expanded memory), as well as into the HMA.

By default, the LAN Manager load utility will load IPX.COM into UMBs if they are available. Otherwise, IPX.COM will be loaded into conventional memory.

The following instructions explain how to load the NetWare shell into the HMA and into expanded memory. Then you will find recommendations of ways to configure your workstation to use memory efficiently.

To load the NetWare shell into the HMA

Use the HIMEM.DOS memory manager included with LAN Manager (or the HIMEM.SYS included with Microsoft Windows—they are the same program). Load HIMEM.DOS using a device entry in the CONFIG.SYS file, as in the fol lowing example:
device=c:\lanman.dos\drivers\dosutils\himem.dos
This line must appear in CONFIG.SYS before all LAN Manager and NetWare network device drivers.
Use XMSNETx.COM instead of the standard NETx.COM, NETX.COM, or NETX.EXE. This is a special version of the NetWare shell that can be loaded into the HMA. You can get XMSNETx.COM from Novell, either on your NetWare distribution disks or by other means. Copy it to the LANMAN.DOS\NETPROG directory.
If the user starts NetWare Connectivity using NWLOAD.BAT or AUTOEXEC.BAT, edit that file so that it specifies XMSNETx.COM instead of NETx.COM, NETX.COM, or NETX.EXE.

To load the NetWare shell into expanded memory

Load both the HIMEM.DOS and EMM386.DOS memory managers in CON FIG.SYS, using the following entries:
device=c:\lanman.dos\drivers\dosutils\himem.dos
device=c:\lanman.dos\drivers\dosutils\emm386.dos
(Instead of EMM386.DOS, which is included with LAN Manager, you could use EMM386.SYS, which is included with Microsoft Windows. They are the same program.)
These entries must appear in CONFIG.SYS before all LAN Manager and NetWare network device drivers.
Use EMSNETx.COM instead of the standard NETx.COM, NETX.COM, or NETX.EXE. This is a special version of the NetWare shell that can be loaded into expanded memory. You can get EMSNETx.COM from Novell, either on your NetWare distribution disks or by other means. Copy it from your Novell disk to the LANMAN.DOS\NETPROG directory (or anywhere else on your MS-DOS search path).
If the user starts NetWare Connectivity using NWLOAD.BAT or AUTOEXEC.BAT, edit that file so that it specifies EMSNETx.COM instead of NETx.COM, NETX.COM, or NETX.EXE.

Recommendations for MS-DOS 3.x and 4.x

The following example configuration file entries show ways of configuring LAN Manager Enhanced and NetWare to use memory efficiently on workstations running MS-DOS 3.x and 4.x.

The following entries are for 80386-based (or higher) computers using the HMA but no expanded memory, and for 80286-based computers using the HMA. This configuration loads the LAN Manager redirector into the HMA. (Only the CONFIG.SYS and LANMAN.INI entries that pertain to memory management are shown.)

In the CONFIG.SYS file:

device=c:\lanman.dos\drivers\dosutils\himem.dos

In the LANMAN.INI file:

[workstation]  
  himem = yes  
  lim = no

The following entries are for 80386-based computers using expanded memory and the HMA. This configuration loads the LAN Manager Enhanced redirector into the HMA, and the NetWare shell into expanded memory. (Only the entries that pertain to memory management are shown.)

In the CONFIG.SYS file:

device=c:\lanman.dos\drivers\dosutils\himem.dos
device=c:\lanman.dos\drivers\dosutils\emm386.dos

In the LANMAN.INI file:

[workstation]  
  himem = yes  
  lim = no

In the NWLOAD.BAT (or AUTOEXEC.BAT) file:
emsnetx.com

The Netpopup service is automatically loaded into expanded memory whenever it is available.

Using NetWare Connectivity With MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0

MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0 provide commands that load programs into upper memory (UMBs). With MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0, you can load drivers into UMBs by using the devicehigh command instead of the device command in the CONFIG.SYS file. You can also load programs into UMBs by using the loadhigh command from batch files or from the command line.

With MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0, MS-DOS itself can also be loaded high into the HMA by putting the following line into CONFIG.SYS:

dos=high,umb

MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0 also include the latest versions of the HIMEM and EMM386 memory managers.

With MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0, both IPX.COM and the NetWare shell (NETX.COM or NETX.EXE) can be loaded into the UMBs. The NetWare shell can be loaded into the HMA or into expanded memory, just as it can in MS-DOS 3.x and 4.x.

Recommendations for MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0

The following configuration file entries show ways to configure LAN Manager Enhanced and NetWare on workstations with MS-DOS 5.0 or 6.0. Remember that the amount of memory available in UMBs depends on the type of computer you have. Finding the best configuration may require some experimentation.

The following entries are for 80386-based (or higher) computers with extended memory but no expanded memory, and for 80286-based computers with extended memory. This configuration loads MS-DOS into UMBs and the HMA. (Only the CONFIG.SYS and LANMAN.INI entries that pertain to memory management are shown.)

In the CONFIG.SYS file:
device=c:dos\himem.sys dos=high,umb
In the LANMAN.INI file:
himem = no lim = no

The following entries are for 80386-based computers with expanded memory and UMBs. This configuration loads MS-DOS into UMBs and the HMA; NetBEUI, IPX, and the network adapter driver into UMBs; and the LAN Manager Enhanced redirector and Netpopup service, and the NetWare shell into expanded memory. (Only the entries that pertain to memory management are shown.)

In the CONFIG.SYS file:

device=c:\dos\himem.sys
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe ram
dos=high,umb
device=c:\lanman.dos\drivers\protman\protman.dos
devicehigh=c:\lanman.dos\drivers\ethernet\ne3200\ne3200.dos

In the LANMAN.INI file:
himem = no lim = yes
In the NWLOAD.BAT or AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
load ipx.com emsnet5.com




	NOTE: The LANMAN.DOS\DRIVERS\ETHERNET\NE3200\NE3200.DOS path and filename are used as an example. When setting up this configuration, replace this driver with the workstation's actual network adapter driver.

In this configuration, you can also load the NetWare shell into UMBs instead of into expanded memory. To do so, replace emsnet5.com (in NWLOAD.BAT or AUTOEXEC.BAT) with loadhigh netx.com or loadhigh netx.exe.

Other Ways to Save Memory

If you have followed the recommendations in this chapter, and you need even more memory, you can change some aspects of MS-DOS and LAN Manager. With each of these recommendations, there will be some loss of functionality or performance, but memory will be freed.

To free memory

Do not run the LAN Manager Messenger or Netpopup services.
Adjust LANMAN.INI buffers to use smaller and fewer buffers. The entries you can decrease include numbigbuf, sizbigbuf, numworkbuf, and sizworkbuf.
Use LAN Manager Basic instead of LAN Manager Enhanced. This will save a considerable amount of memory, at a cost of some LAN Manager functionality.

Adjust CONFIG.SYS entries so that MS-DOS uses less memory. Decrease the buffers and files entries, or remove device drivers you may not use, such as SETVER.EXE and ANSI.SYS. (If you use a disk caching program such as Smartdrive you can usually set buffers to 5 or less.)

Minimizing the Amount of Memory Used

Technical documentation

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Areas of Memory

Minimizing Memory Use With MS-DOS 3.x and 4.x

Recommendations for MS-DOS 3.x and 4.x

Using NetWare Connectivity With MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0

Recommendations for MS-DOS 5.0 and 6.0

Other Ways to Save Memory