NOVELL TECHNICAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT

TITLE:              IDE driver supports Current Parameters
DOCUMENT ID:        TID021858
DOCUMENT REVISION:  A
DATE:               20SEP94
ALERT STATUS:       Yellow
INFORMATION TYPE:   Symptom Solution
README FOR:         IDE.EXE

NOVELL PRODUCT and VERSION:
NetWare 3.11
NetWare 3.12
NetWare 4.01
NetWare 4.02

ABSTRACT:

Novell Labs has certified these IDE drivers for NetWare v3.12 and v4.02.  This
version of the IDE driver provides enhanced support for Current Parameters. 
Current Parameters is a feature of some of the newer IDE drives.  A potential
problem with host computer BIOSes that translate IDE drive parameters (heads)
on drives which do not support Current Parameters is described.

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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.
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SYMPTOM

Symptoms may include ABENDs soon after the driver is loaded and the drive has
been accessed.  Other problems may be partition conflicts which will likely
result in DOS partition accesses overwriting NetWare or NetWare overwriting
DOS.  File loss or corruption or inability to mount volumes would be likely
symptoms.

NOTE: These symptoms and the solution apply in cases where the host computer's
BIOS translates the IDE drive geometry. BIOS manufacturers will be able to
verify that the BIOS translates drive geometries.


CAUSE

Previous versions of the IDE.DSK driver used the DOS partition table
parameters to define the drive geometry for NetWare.  This method was reliable
until host computer BIOSes implemented translation of the IDE drive geometry. 
Now, that the DOS parameters are unreliable, the IDE driver has been enhanced
to read "Current Parameters" from the drive.  The driver will use Current
Parameters (CP) if the drive supports them. Some drives do not support CP. 
This driver will give the following error message if it detects BIOS
translation and the drive does not support CP: 

IDE-040: Drive xx does not support current parameters.  Drive not registered
with OS.

Potential Problems:

If the drive does not support CP, then the IDE driver cannot be certain what
the actual used parameters are.  If the user desires, the driver may be loaded
with a "/c" parameter which will permit the driver to continue.  However,
Novell will not be responsible for any problems encountered when the driver is
used in the /c mode.  

When the IDE driver is loaded:  load ide /c port=xx int=x,  a message and a
warning will appear:

IDE-045: Drive xx does not support current parameters.

**WARNING** Novell does not recommend using this drive in this configuration.

If the translating BIOS does not set the drives parameters to other than the
native parameters, then even drives which do not support CP should work.  The
problem arises if the translating BIOS sets the drives parameters to other
than native and the drive does not support CP.  In that case, the IDE driver
has no method of determining what the used parameters are and in such a case
the potential for overlapping DOS and NetWare partitions exists.  Overlapping
partitions will lead to corruption, loss of data and/or inability to mount
volumes. 


SOLUTION

Use IDE.EXE.  Replace your current IDE.DSK with the appropriate 3.1X or 4.0X
IDE.DSK from IDE.EXE.  NOTE the potential problems in the CAUSE section above.

Self-Extracting File Name:  IDE.EXE     Revision:  A

Files Included     Size     Date      Time

\
     IDE.TXT         (This File)
\IDE31X\
     IDE.DSK      15850   09-02-94    6:13p
\IDE40X\
     IDE.DSK      15847   09-02-94    6:13p


Installation Instructions:

Replace previous IDE.DSK with this version of the IDE.DSK.


_Verified by customer
x_Verified by Novell

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