TITLE: Stacker Initialization and Configuration DOCUMENT ID: TID14921 DOCUMENT REVISION: 1 DATE: 24FEB94 ALERT STATUS: Yellow README FOR: NA NOVELL PRODUCT and VERSION: Novell DOS 7 ABSTRACT: NA --------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ISSUE: This document is not designed to be an introduction to the Stacker portion of Novell DOS 7. Users who are new to Stacker should read the following references before reading this document: Novell DOS 7 User Guide: Chapter 12 "Disk Compression" Novell DOS 7 README.TXT Stacker section in the DOSBOOK online reference manual (Type DOSBOOK STACKER at the command line.) INITIALIZATION The Novell DOS 7 Stacker Disk Compression is the most sophisticated compression technology included as part of a Disk Operating System (DOS). One of Stacker's benefits is that its device driver, STACKER.BIN, is loaded as part of the DOS Kernel. This feature allows the Novell DOS 7 compression to be transparent to the user. In Novell DOS 7, compressed drives are loaded before CONFIG.SYS file which reduces the need for configuration editing. STACKER.BIN The STACKER.BIN file is the Novell DOS 7 compression device driver. The STACKER.BIN file is created by the SETUP program during the process of compressing your first partition or removable media. After being created, the STACKER.BIN file must remain in the root directory of the host or boot drive and should be marked with the read-only, system, and hidden attributes. Upon bootup, the STACKER.BIN file will be loaded as part of the DOS kernel after IBMDOS.COM. After it is loaded into conventional memory, the STACKER.BIN file references a file called STACKER.INI for information on how to configure your system and load your compressed drives. STACKER.INI The STACKER.INI file is STACKER.BIN file's information and configuration file. The STACKER.INI file contains configuration settings ranging from the compression tuning used by the STACKER.BIN file to the actual location of each of the compressed drives (STACVOL files). The STACKER.INI file is created when you compress your first partition or removable media. The STACKER.INI file must also remain in the root directory of the host or boot drive and should be marked with the read-only, system, and hidden attributes. A STACKER.INI file might look similar to the following: /P=1 /I- /DIR=C:\NWDOS /F=128 C:\STACVOL.DSK, RP Each line in the STACKER.INI file performs an individual function. Compressed drive letters are assigned in the order that their respective STACVOL.xxx files are listed in the STACKER.INI file. The following is an explanation of the contents that may appear in the STACKER.INI file. Examples of each of these switches will be provided in a subsequent section of this document. * The asterisk is used in the STACKER.INI file to reserve a drive letter. For example, if a user has two compressed partitions and decides to uncompress one, Stacker will insert an asterisk (*), in the STACKER.INI file at the same position that the previously compressed partition occupied. This is done to preserve the order in which drive letters appeared before uncompressing a partition. /BD=x This switch is used to specify the letter of your first Stacker drive (beginning drive letter). For example, Stacker will put this switch in the STACKER.INI file if a DoubleSpace drive is converted to a Stacker drive. This is done to maintain the same drive letter for the Stacker drive that was used previously by the DoubleSpace drive. /DIR= This switch specifies the directory for the overlays used by the Stacker utilities included in Novell DOS 7. This will preclude finding the wrong overlays in retail versions of Stacker. /F This switch controls the size of the array on diskette container files. /I- This switch prohibits Stacker from intercepting Stacker specific commands. The retail version of Stacker installs its own equivalents of DOS commands, such as DIR, which are written specifically to work with Stacker. The /I- switch is included in the STACKER.INI file because the Novell DOS 7 commands such as DIR and CHKDSK have been written to work on Stacker drives. Therefore, Stacker does not need to intercept these commands and run its own equivalents. /P=n This switch sets Stacker's compression tuning. Compression tuning is represented by a value ranging from 0 to 9. /P=0 This switch turns compression tuning off, which decreases the memory that Stacker uses by 4.4 KB, and it is the fastest speed setting for Stacker. /P=9 This switch is the slowest speed setting for Stacker; however, it allows for the best compression of files. SETUP allows you to choose from three compression tuning options: (/P=1 default) Fastest speed and standard compression (/P=5) More compression and a bit less speed (/P=9) Best compression, least speed /Q- This switch forces Stacker to display the Stacker drives and their associated uncompressed drives during bootup. /RP=n This switch sets the amount of removable disk that may be loaded along with the drive normally recognized by the computer (such as A and B). As an example, Stacker will recommend adding this switch before compressing a RAM drive that was created using the VDISK.EXE file. This is because RAM drives are treated similarly to removable disks by Stacker. DISK MOUNTING A line similar to the following will appear in the STACKER.INI file for each compressed drive on the system: C:\STACVOL.DSK,SW In this example, the C:\ represents the drive letter where the Stacker drive (which is actually a large file) resides before being loaded. STACVOL.DSK is the name of the Stacker drive or file. Finally, SW is the Stacker drive's mounting parameter. The following is a list of drive mounting parameters: SW Swap. This parameter tells STACKER.BIN to load the Stacker drive as the next available drive letter. After the Stacker drive is loaded its drive letter is replaced with the original drive letter (uncompressed drive) where the STACVOL.xxx file was. This option is the default for partitions that had their data entirely compressed by Stacker in SETUP. NS No swap. This parameter tells STACKER.BIN to load the Stacker drive as the next available drive letter. This option is the default for compressed drives created from free space. RP Replace. This parameter instructs the STACKER.BIN file to load the Stacker drive as the same drive letter that contained the STACVOL.xxx file. This option is the default for compressed removable media and RAM Disks. EXAMPLE: Loading of a Single Stacker Drive The system has two floppy diskette drives (A and B) and one hard disk with one partition (C). The C: drive is the only drive that has been compressed with Stacker. /P=1 ;fastest speed and standard compression /I- ;turn off Stacker interceptor /BD=F ;Stacker drive letter that contains ;STACVOL file will appear as F /DIR=C:\NWDOS ;Location of Stacker utilities' overlays C:\STACVOL.DSK,SW ;C was compressed and contains the STACVOL ;file before being loaded After this STACKER.INI file is processed by the STACKER.BIN file, the example system's drives will be as follows: A Floppy Diskette drive B Floppy Diskette drive C Stacker compressed drive F Uncompressed partition containing STACVOL file for Stacker compressed C: drive EXAMPLE: Loading of a Single Stacker Removable Drive The system has one floppy diskette drive (A) and one hard disk partitioned into one partition (C). /P=9 ;best compression /I- ;turn off Stacker interceptor A:\STACVOL.DSK,RP ;A is an automount Stacker removable drive After this STACKER.INI file is processed, the example system's drives will be as follows: A Automounting Stacker drive C Uncompressed partition Note: Drives are recognized as automount removable drives after a removable drive has been compressed. From then on, each time a removable is inserted in the automount drive, it will be checked for a STACVOL file. If a STACVOL file is found it will be mounted as a compressed drive occupying the same drive letter as before. EXAMPLE: Loading of Multiple Stacker Drives The system has two floppy diskette drives (A and B) and a hard disk partitioned into four partitions (C through F). The C: drive is uncompressed. The D: drive is entirely compressed with Stacker. The E: drive was compressed at one time; however, the user has used UNSTACK to uncompress it. The F: drive's free space is compressed. /P=5 ;more compression and a bit less speed /I- ;turn off Stacker interceptor D:\STACVOL.DSK,SW ;D was compressed and contains the ;STACVOL file before loading A:\STACVOL.DSK,RP ;A is an automount Stacker\ ;removable drive REM E:\STACVOL.DSK,SW ;E was compressed but now is ;uncompressed * ;inserted to retain the drive ;letter ;used by E: previously F:\STACVOL.000,NS ;F's free space was compressed After this STACKER.INI file has processed, the example system's drives will be as follows: A Automounting Stacker drive B Floppy diskette drive C Uncompressed boot partition D Stacker compressed drive E Uncompressed partition (was Stacker drive at one time) F Uncompressed partition containing STACVOL file for Stacker compressed I: drive G Uncompressed partition containing STACVOL file for Stacker compressed D: drive H Reserved drive letter for previously compressed Stacker E: drive I Stacker compressed drive (created from free space) STACHIGH.SYS As mentioned earlier, the STACKER.BIN file is loaded in conventional memory by the DOS kernel. The STACHIGH.SYS file may be loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file after a memory manager to move STACKER.BIN into upper or DPMS memory. Examples of each of these configurations follows: 1. Loading the STACKER.BIN File into Upper Memory DEVICEHIGH=C:\NWDOS\EMM386.EXE /F=NONE DEVICEHIGH=C:\NWDOS\STACHIGH.SYS This option will load approximately 42 KB of the STACKER.BIN file into upper memory, which leaves only a small portion of the device driver in conventional memory (approximately 2 to 3 KB). 2. Loading the STACKER.BIN File into DPMS Memory DEVICEHIGH=C:\NWDOS\EMM386.EXE /F=NONE DEVICEHIGH=C:=NWDOS\DPMS.EXE DEVICEHIGH=C:\NWDOS\STACHIGH.SYS This option will load approximately 41 KB of the STACKER.BIN file into extended memory, which leaves only a small portion of the device driver in conventional memory (approximately 3 to 4 KB). This option is the more beneficial of the two options, because conventional and upper memory are virtually unaffected. SUMMARY If you have Stacked any of your drives, your boot drive should contain at least the following files: IBMBIO.COM Hidden file IBMDOS.COM Hidden file NWDOS Subdirectory STACKER.INI Hidden file STACKER.BIN Hidden file STACKER.LOG Text file listing any exceptions that occurred during the Stacking process. STACVOL.DSK Hidden file. This is the container file for your stacked drive. If your C: drive is compressed, your boot drive will be your D: drive. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Any trademarks referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners. Consult your product manuals for complete trademark information. ---------------------------------------------------------------------