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1994-03-04
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NOVELL TECHNICAL INFORMATION DOCUMENT
TITLE: Stacker Initialization and Configuration
DOCUMENT ID: 014921
DOCUMENT REVISION: A
DATE: 24FEB94
ALERT STATUS: Yellow
INFORMATION TYPE: Issue
README FOR: NA
NOVELL PRODUCT and VERSION:
Novell DOS 7
ABSTRACT:
This document explains the use of the Stacker data compression
utility.
------------------------------------------------------------------
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.