NOVELL TECHNICAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT TITLE: VLM Update DOCUMENT ID: TID000428 DOCUMENT REVISION: A DATE: 01JUL93 ALERT STATUS: Yellow INFORMATION TYPE: Symptom Solution README FOR: VLMUP1.EXE NOVELL PRODUCT and VERSION: NetWare Client for DOS/Windows ABSTRACT: Contains updated Virtual Loadable Module (VLM) components (v1.02). Those using v1.01 of the NetWare Client for DOS/Windows can use these files to solve various problems. The NetWare Client for DOS/Windows is downloadable from the NOVFILES forum. _________________________________________________________________ DISCLAIMER THE ORIGIN OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL TO NOVELL. NOVELL MAKES EVERY EFFORT WITHIN ITS MEANS TO VERIFY THIS INFORMATION. HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY. NOVELL MAKES NO EXPLICIT OR IMPLIED CLAIMS TO THE VALIDITY OF THIS INFORMATION. _________________________________________________________________ Self-Extracting File Name: VLMUP1.EXE Files Included Size Date Time VLMUP1.TXT (This File) AUTO.VLM 4250 5-10-93 12:57a BIND.VLM 4616 5-10-93 12:57a CONN.VLM 10289 5-10-93 12:56a FIO.VLM 18008 5-10-93 12:57a GENERAL.VLM 3996 5-10-93 12:57a HISTORY.DOC 3836 6-15-93 2:19p IPXNCP.VLM 8056 5-10-93 12:56a NDS.VLM 10360 5-10-93 12:56a NETX.VLM 14906 5-10-93 12:57a NWP.VLM 6324 5-10-93 12:57a PRINT.VLM 7301 5-10-93 12:57a REDIR.VLM 12367 5-10-93 12:57a RSA.VLM 19552 5-10-93 12:58a SECURITY.VLM 7978 5-10-93 12:57a TRAN.VLM 1545 5-10-93 12:56a VLM.EXE 35408 5-10-93 12:56a VLMUP1.EXE/binary ABSTRACT -------- Contains updated Virtual Loadable Module (VLM) components (v1.02). Those using v1.01 of the NetWare Client for DOS/Windows can use these files to solve various problems. OVERVIEW -------- The files included in VLMUP1.EXE are a subset of the NetWare Cleint for DOS/Windows. If you don't have the NetWare Client for DOS/Windows, you can download it from CompuServe Information Service (CIS), or purchase it from Novell. To download the DOS requester from CIS, type "GO NOVFILES" from any CIS prompt, then follow the menu-driven prompts. The manual, is also available on CIS. To purchase the DOS Requester, call (800) UPDATE1. The part number is 662644002386 (3.25") or 662644000596 (5.25"). The cost for the product is $30 (U.S.). VERSIONS -------- RSA.VLM: NetWare RSA authentication module v1.02 (930510) IPXNCP.VLM: NetWare IPX transport module v1.02 (930510) TRAN.VLM: NetWare transport multiplexor module v1.02 (930510) NDS.VLM: NetWare directory services protocol module v1.02 (930510) BIND.VLM: NetWare bindery protocol module v1.02 (930510) NWP.VLM: NetWare protocol multiplexor module v1.02 (930510) SECURITY.VLM: NetWare security enhancement module v1.02 (930510) AUTO.VLM: NetWare auto-reconnect module v1.02 (930510) PRINT.VLM: NetWare printer redirection module v1.02 (930510) REDIR.VLM: NetWare DOS redirector module v1.02 (930510) FIO.VLM: NetWare file input-output module v1.02 (930510) NETX.VLM: NetWare workstation shell module v4.00 (930510) GENERAL.VLM: NetWare general purpose function module v1.02 (930510) CONN.VLM: NetWare connection table manager v1.02 (930510) VLM.EXE: NetWare virtual loadable module manager v1.02 (930510) REQUIRED NET.CFG PARAMETER -------------------------- This version of the Virtual Loadable Modules (VLMs) reflect a change with respect to the way the connection table is handled. This change affects all the NetWare v4.0 utilities. If you are using the NetWare utilities from NetWare 4.0, you must add this line (indented) to the NetWare DOS Requester section of your NET.CFG file: LOAD CONN TABLE LOW = ON Setting this parameter will cause the connection table to loaded in conventional memory. When new utilities are released, this parameter can be changed to OFF or deleted. NEW NET.CFG PARAMETERS ---------------------- The following NET.CFG are new since v1.01 of the NetWare DOS Requester. AUTO LARGE TABLE=[ON|OFF] (Default is OFF) When this parameter is set to OFF, AUTO.VLM allocates a small table of 34 bytes per connection for bindery reconnects. When the setting is enabled, AUTO.VLM allocates a large connection table of 178 bytes per connection for bindery reconnects. If a username and password is longer than 16 characters, set this parameter to ON. NOTE: For this parameter to work, also set BIND RECONNECT=ON. AUTO RETRY=number (Default is 0) Number of seconds AUTO.VLM waits before attempting a retry after receiving a network critical error. The range of allowed values is 0-3640. BIND RECONNECT=[ON|OFF] (Default is OFF) Automatically rebuilds bindery connections and restores drive mappings and printer connections. For this parameter to work, also set AUTO RECONNECT=ON. LOAD CONN TABLE LOW=[ON|OFF] (Default is OFF) This loads the connection table low which increases conventional memory memory requirements required by the initial release of NetWare v4.0 utilities. The default setting loads the connection table in an UMB, if available. PBURST READ WINDOW SIZE=number (Default is 64) This parameter defines the window size (number of packets in a burst message) for files being read from the network. IMPORTANT: There should be no reason to change this parameter. PBURST WRITE WINDOW SIZE=number (Default is 16) This parameter defines the windows size (number of packets in a burst message) for files being written to the network. IMPORTANT: There should be no reason to change this parameter. Changing this parameter can result in serious network problems. DOCUMENTATION CORRECTION ------------------------ The NET.CFG parameter CACHE BUFFER SIZE shows a default of 512 bytes. Actually, the default depends on the media used. The formula to compute the CACHE BUFFER SIZE default is (media maximum minus 64). For ethernet, this value is 1436. NOTES ON DOS CLIENT ------------------- The following is a list of known or suspected caveats introduced by the new Virtual Loadable Module (VLM) architecture used in the DOS Requester versus the conventional NetWare Workstation Shell for DOS (NETX.EXE v3.3x) The following abbreviations are used in the caveat list: * COMP Compatibility issue at the API level * DIFF API compatibility but with different results * USER User must make a change to achieve same function COMP: RENDIR.EXE can rename the current directory as far as the server directory path is concerned, but because VLM is a redirecter and not a shell, the DOS current directory structures are not updated. NCPs that use a path will not function properly. To fix the problem, RENDIR.EXE will be changed to back up a directory before renaming it and then change forward into it. DIFF: Some features of the DOS Client will require the use of IPXODI.COM. To support the Packet Burst ODI, SFTIII checksums, and the NetWare Management Responder, IPXNCP.VLM will require IPXODI.COM version 2.0 to be loaded with support for checksums and GNMA enabled. DIFF: The connection table in NETX.VLM will not reflect dynamic information. To avoid causing security holes, some dynamically changing connection information in VLM is not reflected back to the tables maintained in NETX.VLM. Such dynamically changing information includes the NCP sequence number (SeqNumber). USER: The first available drive is different. The conventional NetWare Shell for DOS starts using drives after the LASTDRIVE parameter, whereas VLM starts using the first available drive before the LASTDRIVE parameter. Consequently, users will often see drive D as the first NetWare drive rather than drive F. This means batch files which assume drive F as the first drive would need the "First Network Drive = F" statement added to the NET.CFG file, or drives D and E could be substituted (see DOS SUBST command) and the LASTDRIVE parameter adjusted to something above the default value of E. USER: The login drive prompt will appear to be a root-mapped drive. Because VLM is a redirecter on the back-end of DOS, we cannot have a directory path in the drive structure maintained by DOS when the parent of the directory is inaccessible. This is the case with an unauthenticated connection and the drive mapped to the SYS:LOGIN directory. In other words, users will see 'F:\>' instead of 'F:\LOGIN>' when they first load the DOS client software. USER: Using NETX.VLM, drive mappings under Windows are global. This means that if you CD on a drive in one DOS box, the change will be reflected in all other DOS boxes. This only applies if the VLMs are loaded before Windows. USER: Mapping over a substituted or assigned drive letter is no longer allowed. Because the redirecter must use the same drive structure as DOS, if a drive is mapped via assign or substitute it is considered in use and must first be unsubstituted or unassigned before it can be used. Related NetWare Application Notes * "Using the DOS Requester with NetWare 4.0" (Apr 93) * "An Introduction to Novell's Packet Burst Protocol" (Mar 92) To order NetWare Application Notes, call (800) 377-4136. Outside the U.S., call (303) 297-2725. ÿ