MORE INFORMATION
Old Extended-Memory Allocation Methods: Interrupt 15h & VDisk Headers
In the past, there were two ways for programs to allocate extended memory:
top-down (using Interrupt 15) and bottom-up (using VDisk headers).
Interrupt 15h is a ROM BIOS service that includes several extensions to
the
original PC ROM BIOS, including the means to find out how much RAM
(conventional plus extended) is on the system. A program uses this service
to find out how much extended memory there is, then "hooks" Interrupt 15h
and reports to any other programs that there is <n>K less memory
available,
effectively slicing <n>K of extended memory off the top. By doing this,
the
program has allocated its own extended memory from the top of the memory
pool.
Bottom-up memory allocation works by checking for a header at the start of
extended memory stating that <n>K of RAM is in use. If a header is there,
the program checks <n>K further for another header. If no header exists,
the program puts in its own header. These headers are called VDisk headers
because the original IBM DOS RAM drive utility (VDISK.SYS) uses this
method.
A drawback to these methods is that after memory has been allocated to a
program, deallocating it is usually not possible. The XMS was designed to
make allocating and deallocating extended memory easier for all involved.
HIMEM.SYS Creates XMS Memory
HIMEM.SYS implements all of the XMS except the optional UMB portion.
HIMEM.SYS versions earlier than 3.0 are XMS 2.0 compliant and recognize up
to 16 MB of RAM; versions 3.0 and later (first included with Windows 3.10
and MS-DOS 6.0) are XMS 3.0 compliant and recognize up to 4 GB.
On loading, HIMEM.SYS determines the amount of extended memory available.
Unless it was loaded with the /INT15= option, HIMEM.SYS sets out to
allocate all available extended memory for use as XMS memory (note the
actual allocation of all the available extended memory does not occur
until
a program makes an XMS function call). HIMEM.SYS reserves the HMA with a
VDisk header and hooks Interrupt 15h. Programs that want to use extended
memory (other than the HMA) without using XMS can do so until a program
actually requests XMS.
After a program actually asks for XMS memory, HIMEM.SYS uses its Interrupt
15h hook to notify programs that only the amount of extended memory
specified by /INT15=xxxx, minus the HMA (64K), is available for use.
Memory
available through /INT15=xxxx is physically located above the HMA; XMS-
managed RAM is physically located above any /INT15=xxxx RAM.
A20 and the HMA
The HMA is defined as FFFF:0010-FFFF:FFFF on 80286 and higher systems that
have physical addressable RAM at these addresses. This area can be
addressed in real mode (8086 emulation) on 80286 and higher systems if the
21st address line (A20) is enabled, which produces 64K-16 bytes of
additional usable RAM. On an 8086 or an 80x86 with the A20 line disabled,
FFFF:0010 "wraps around" and is the same as 0000:0000.
Turning this line on and off is accomplished using the keyboard port and
is
hardware dependent. HIMEM.SYS includes a number of "A20 handlers" for
different machines. The XMS allocates and deallocates the HMA as one
block,
that is, only one program can use it at a time. MS-DOS 5.0 and later can
run in the HMA if DOS=HIGH is in the CONFIG.SYS file.
DOS=HIGH Asks MS-DOS to Run in the HMA
If DOS=LOW or no DOS= command is in the CONFIG.SYS file, MS-DOS and its
data are initialized and loaded into their final place in low memory
before
the DEVICE= and DEVICEHIGH= commands are processed.
If the DOS=HIGH command is in the CONFIG.SYS file, MS-DOS data (which must
remain low for compatibility) is loaded into its final place in
conventional memory. After each device driver is initialized, a check is
made to determine if an XMS driver has been installed. If so, and if the
HMA is available, MS-DOS is moved into the HMA. If not, MS-DOS keeps
checking after each DEVICE[HIGH]= command, and then begins processing the
INSTALL= commands.
If a DOS=HIGH command exists but MS-DOS hasn't loaded high (if no XMS
driver was loaded or the HMA wasn't available), MS-DOS reports "HMA not
available/loading DOS low" and loads itself into conventional memory above
all the installable device drivers and/or terminate-and-stay-resident
(TSR)
programs loaded with INSTALL=.
The transient portion of COMMAND.COM remains in conventional memory
whether
MS-DOS is loaded high or low. Most of the COMMAND.COM resident portion,
any
software code pages, and the disk buffers (usually) also load high if
DOS=HIGH is in the CONFIG.SYS file.
EMM386.EXE [RAM | NOEMS] Uses XMS to Create EMS and/or UMBs
EMM386.EXE is a device driver for 80386 and higher systems with XMS
memory.
EMM386.EXE uses XMS memory to create and manage EMS memory and/or XMS
upper
memory blocks (UMBs). EMS is available to programs through the EMS 4.0
interface; UMBs are available through the XMS interface. When providing
UMBs, EMM386.EXE answers only requests to allocate or deallocate UMBs; all
other XMS memory is managed by HIMEM.SYS.
On loading, EMM386.EXE shows a report of its activity. Among other things,
this report includes:
- Whether EMS memory is being provided, and, if so:
- Amount of EMS available
- Address of EMS page frame segment
- If UMBs are being provided, the following is also shown:
- Amount of UMBs available through the XMS
- Largest UMB available through the XMS
- Address of upper memory starting segment
This report is also available at the MS-DOS command prompt by running
EMM386.EXE.
NOTE: EMM386.EXE versions 4.45 and later do not display this information
at
startup UNLESS the /VERBOSE switch is used.
DOS=UMB Asks MS-DOS to Manage UMBs
The DOS=UMB command asks MS-DOS to allocate any UMBs available through the
XMS to itself. MS-DOS then makes UMBs available through its own memory-
management services in Interrupt 21h, including:
Function Description Version
-------------------------------------------------------
48h Allocate memory 2.0
49h Free allocated memory 2.0
4Ah Set memory block size 2.0
5800h Get allocation strategy 2.0
5801h Set allocation strategy 2.0
5802h Get upper-memory link status 5.0
5803h Set upper-memory link status 5.0
If DOS=UMB is in the CONFIG.SYS file, EMM386.EXE reports that 0 (zero)
UMBs
are available from the MS-DOS command prompt, and any program that
attempts
to use UMBs through the XMS services is unable to find them.
Users can determine whether MS-DOS has any UMBs available by using the MEM
/C command. Programs can use Interrupt 21h, Function 5803h to determine if
UMBs exist.
DEVICEHIGH=[<drive>:][\<path>\]<filename>
The DEVICEHIGH= command asks that the device driver file be loaded into an
MS-DOS UMB if there is one available that is big enough. If there isn't,
the driver is loaded into conventional memory and executed; no error is
displayed by MS-DOS.
LH (LOADHIGH)
The LH (or LOADHIGH) command tells MS-DOS to load the program file into an
MS-DOS UMB if there is one available that is big enough. If there is not,
the program is loaded into conventional memory and executed; no error is
displayed by MS-DOS.
DEVICEHIGH AND LOADHIGH WITH /L: AND /S
If you are using MS-DOS version 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, or 6.22, you can use the
/L
and /S switches to control the memory regions into which a device driver
or
program is loaded.
DEVICEHIGH [[/L:region1[,minsize1][;region2[,minssize2] [/S]]=
The /L: switch specifies the memory region(s) a program can be loaded
into.
If the /L: switch is not specified, MS-DOS loads the program into the
largest free UMB and all other UMB regions are available to the program.
Use the MEM /F command to view the available memory regions. (Region 0 is
conventional memory.)
The /S switch shrinks the UMB to the minimum size (minsize) while the
program is loading. This switch can only be used in conjunction with the
/L: switch and affects only UMBs for which a minimum size was specified.
The following is an example:
LOADHIGH /L:1,12194;2,34213 /S C:\PROGDIR\PROGRAM.EXE
This command loads PROGRAM.EXE and restricts it to load into memory
regions
1 and 2. The program has access to only 12,194 bytes in region 1 and only
34,213 bytes in region 2.
NOTE: Rather than attempting to manually configure the memory regions
programs load into, MS-DOS 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, and 6.22 users are encouraged
to
run the MemMaker memory optimization program. To run MemMaker, type
memmaker at the MS-DOS command prompt.
MEM Reports on Memory MS-DOS Is Managing
If MS-DOS is managing UMBs (DOS=UMB), MEM /C or MEM /D includes the UMA in
its report. Any areas not being managed by MS-DOS are labeled "SYSTEM" in
this report. For UMB information, type
mem /c | more at the MS-DOS command prompt. (Note that if you are using MS-DOS
6.0
or later, you can type
mem /c /p to view the memory report one screen at
a time.)
If MS-DOS is not managing the UMBs, MEM does not report on the UMA. Other
UMB managers typically have some means to determine what is loading high.
Check the documentation for your UMB manager for details.
MEM also includes information about extended memory (determined using the
Interrupt 15/VDisk header interface), the XMS (reported through the XMS
2.0
or 3.0 interface), and the EMS (reported through the EMS 3.2 or 4.0
interface) for your convenience.
How MS-DOS Uses Extended or Expanded Memory
As a whole, MS-DOS does not use extended or expanded memory for general
usage or for loading applications.
However, some MS-DOS utilities and drivers use extended or expanded memory
for data areas. In addition, MS-DOS versions 5.0 and later load most of
the
MS-DOS kernel, command interpreter, code pages (if used), and disk buffers
into the HMA, which is the first 64K of extended memory.
The table below outlines which MS-DOS utilities use extended memory
without
an extended memory driver, extended memory through an XMS driver, or
expanded memory through a Lotus-Intel-Microsoft (LIM) EMS driver.
These utilities load into conventional memory but use nonconventional
memory for data areas. Because different versions of many utilities that
ship with MS-DOS also ship with Microsoft Windows, the Windows versions
are
included in this table. Microsoft recommends that you do not mix versions
of these drivers that are included with different products.
Non-XMS
Conv. Extended XMS LIM 3.2/4.0 EMS
------------------------------------------
RAMDRIVE.SYS 3.3 Yes Yes No Yes
RAMDRIVE.SYS 4.x Yes Yes No Yes
RAMDRIVE.SYS Win30 Yes No Yes Yes
RAMDRIVE.SYS 5.x Yes No Yes Yes
RAMDRIVE.SYS Win31 Yes No Yes Yes
RAMDRIVE.SYS 6.0-6.22 Yes No Yes Yes
SMARTDRV.SYS 4.x No Yes No Yes
SMARTDRV.SYS Win30 No No Yes Yes
SMARTDRV.SYS 5.x No No Yes Yes
SMARTDRV.EXE All No No Yes No
HIMEM.SYS (1) All No Yes Provider No
EMM386.SYS(2) 4.x No Yes No Provider
EMM386.SYS(3) Win30 No No Yes Provider
EMM386.EXE(3) All No No Yes(4) Provider
(1) Uses extended memory to provide XMS memory
(2) Uses extended memory to provide EMS memory
(3) Uses XMS memory to emulate EMS memory
(4) MS-DOS 5.0 and later EMM386.EXE can also be configured to
provide UMBs according to the XMS. This causes EMM386.EXE
to be a provider of the UMB portion of the XMS.
In MS-DOS versions 4.x, you can place the disk buffers in expanded memory
by using the /X switch; however, this is not recommended because of
problems that may arise. SMARTDRV can provide much of the same performance
enhancements and is preferable to using BUFFERS /X. For more information
about BUFFERS /X, query in the Microsoft Knowledge Base on the following
words:
Loading the disk buffers in EMS memory is not supported in MS-DOS versions
5.0 and later. These versions support loading the MS-DOS kernel and, if
there is room, the disk buffers into the HMA. MS-DOS accesses the HMA
through the XMS protocol.
Available References
The official LIM EMS specification, "Lotus/Intel/Microsoft Expanded Memory
Specification Version 4.0," is available from Intel by calling (800) 538-
3373.
The official XMS specification, "Extended Memory Specification Version
3.0," is available free from Microsoft. To obtain the specification, see
the "Instructions for Downloading" section below.
The official MS-DOS program interface documentation, "Microsoft MS-DOS
Programmer's Reference," is available from Microsoft Press (by calling
[800] 677-7377), or internationally through Penguin Books.