Upgrading to LAN Manager 2.1 and/or MS OS/2 1.3 (87132)




This article was previously published under Q87132

SUMMARY

While upgrading to LAN Manager version 2.1, users may also want to upgrade their version of Microsoft OS/2 to version 1.3, which ships with LAN Manager 2.1.

Microsoft OS/2 version 1.3 supports a wide range of computer hardware. A hardware compatibility list (HCL) is provided with the LAN Manager package. If your system is listed in the HCL, upgrading to Microsoft OS/2 1.3 is highly recommended.

MORE INFORMATION

Upgrading to Microsoft OS/2 1.3 provides the following benefits:

  • It provides very broad device support for storage media, such as CD-ROM, tape, SCSI devices, and so forth, through LADDR (layered device driver) architecture. LADDR is not available in earlier versions of OS/2 or from IBM.
  • OS/2 1.3 includes large partition support up to 2 GB with FAT or HPFS, and up to 7.8 GB with HPFS386 (not available in earlier OS/2 releases or from IBM).
  • OS/2 1.3 is required for fault tolerance implementations. Other configurations cannot use LAN Manager 2.1 fault tolerance support unless they are running a LADDRized OEM version of OS/2.

    LAN Manager 2.1 fault tolerance allows users to mirror the boot volume, and it has been tested much more extensively than the LAN Manager 2.0 fault tolerance. Many corrections have been added to the fault tolerance subsystem in HPFS386 and in the OS/2 kernel.

    LAN Manager 2.1 also allows users to mirror on the fly, which means that the drive to be mirrored does not need to be reformatted first.
  • OS/2 1.3 includes additional corrections and enhancements by Microsoft (such as the MSNULL driver), which are not available in previous OS/2 releases or from IBM.
In summary, the only reasons to continue using an earlier version of OS/2 are:

  • If you have a special OEM version of OS/2 that is required for your environment/hardware.
  • If you have a special localized and/or international version of OS/2 that is required for your environment/hardware.
  • If you have special third-party vendor drivers that work only on the earlier OS/2 version, or with the earlier OS/2 device architecture.
Modification Type: Major Last Reviewed: 7/30/2001
Keywords: KB87132
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.