Category : HD Utilities
Archive   : STACTECH.ZIP
Filename : 2202.TXT

 
Output of file : 2202.TXT contained in archive : STACTECH.ZIP
___________________________________________________________________________
STACKER NOTE STACKER NOTE
Title: Windows 3.1 and Stacker
STAC FAX Index #2202 - 4/09/92
___________________________________________________________________________

Background.

Stacker and Windows 3.1 are 100% compatible. This document addresses
basic questions and provides guidelines for fine tuning your Stacker-
Windows configuration. It covers the Windows Setup program, the use of
Virtual Memory Swap Files, and SMARTDRV.EXE.


32-bit disk access and Stacker.

This feature allows direct disk access while in the 386 Enhanced mode.
Windows 3.1 is aware of Stacker drives and will not attempt to access them
with this method.


1. Windows 3.1 SETUP.

A. It is recommended that you make backup copies of your Config.sys
and Autoexec.bat files prior to running SETUP. If C: is a Stacker
drive that is being SSWAPped with its host drive, Windows may make
modifications to these files on C: and then copy them to the
host drive. This could potentially overwrite the host Config.sys
and Autoexec, leaving you without the originals (no backup copies
are made). To prepare for this, make sure the Autoexec.bat and
Config.sys files are identical on both drives.

NOTE: Users with the Stacker version 1.x "pointer" Autoexec.bat on C:
should replace it with the "real" one. The easiest way to do
this is to rename the "pointer" by typing:
REN AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTO.XXX
Then copy the Autoexec from the host drive to C:.

B. SETUP may modify the Stacker device driver line in the Config.sys.
This may make your Stacker drives temporarily inaccessible. If this
occurs, just replace Config.sys with a backup copy or reconstruct it
if you don't have one. Refer to the Stacker device driver section in
the users manual for more information on the driver syntax. You may
locate existing Stacvol files by running FINDVOL from the Stacker
distribution diskette.

C. If upon reboot your system seems to be caught in a loop, you may have
two copies of the "pointer" Autoexec.bat pointing at each other.
Press to halt execution of the Autoexec.bat file.
Next, examine the Autoexec.bat on C: and on the host drive to
determine if this, in fact, is the case. If so, restore a backup
copy of the "real" Autoexec.bat to both C: and its host drive.

2. Virtual Memory Swap Files.

A. Permanent and Temporary virtual memory swap files may be established
on uncompressed drives. The size and location of these files can be
set in the Virtual Memory section of Control Panel's 386 Enhanced
program. It is possible to create a temporary swap file on a Stacker
drive by manually adding the parameters to the System.ini file.
However, it is generally recommended that the file exist on an
uncompressed drive to keep the fragmentation level low in the Stacker
drive.

B. In order to create enough free uncompressed disk space, you may have
to "Shrink" the Stacker drive by running SDEFRAG /G on that drive.
Once you have increased the amount of space, you may also have to
make it contiguous by running a disk optimization program on the host
drive. Before optimization, unmount the Stacker drive and remove the
attributes from the associated Stacvol file by running:

SATTRIB -r -s -h STACVOL.DSK
(the name of your STACVOL file may differ).

Note: SDEFRAG is designed to optimize Stacker drives. It will not
optimize an uncompressed drive.

3. SMARTDRV.EXE.

A. Windows may install SMARTDRV.EXE on your system. SMARTDRIVE works
well in a Stacker environment, but only caches the "host"
uncompressed drive. It will not cache the Stacker drive directly
and will report that it is "unable to cache the drive" if instructed
to do so. By caching the host drive it is caching compressed data,
effectively doubling the size of the cache.

B. SMARTDRV.EXE and "Replaced Stacker drives". If you are loading the
Stacker device driver into upper memory with QEMM386 or 386MAX and are
using SMARTDRIVE to cache replaced drives, you may find those drives
inaccessible. With this configuration it is necessary to mount and
replace the drives after SMARTDRIVE has been loaded. To do this, add an
'@' to the Stacker device driver line in the Config.sys file for each
drive you want to replace. Then mount the drive in the Autoexec.bat
after the SMARTDRIVE line with the syntax:

Stacker x: where x is the host drive letter.

C. SMARTDRV.EXE and SDEFRAG. SMARTDRIVE incorporates a "write delay"
cache. It is imperative that caching be turned off for the Stacker drive
when SDEFRAG is run. This can be accomplished by typing:

SMARTDRV /R d- where d is the letter of the Stacker host drive.

Then run SMARTDRV /S to make sure that drive letter is no longer on
the list of drives being cached. SMARTDRV may also be disabled by
REMarking the line out of the Autoexec.bat file and rebooting.

___________________________________________________________________________
Copyright 1993, Stac Electronics


  3 Responses to “Category : HD Utilities
Archive   : STACTECH.ZIP
Filename : 2202.TXT

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