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goahead.txt
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2006-10-20
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What is Go Ahead?
Qualitas's new Go Ahead increases Windows system resources. Since
Windows requires low DOS memory for DLLs for every single application
you open, you can run out of low DOS memory to open applications long
before your extended RAM is used. Go Ahead manages low DOS memory
more efficiently so that you can open more applications without
errors.
Go Ahead is a RAM-enhancing feature that takes control of low DOS
(that important first 640 KB) in Windows and allocates it more
efficiently. As a practical matter, this means you can open more
applications. Without Go Ahead, each time a Windows application
loads, Windows uses some of low DOS memory. Although most of the
applications could just as easily use other memory (usually extended
memory), Windows allocates low DOS first. This means, however, that
when an application comes along that uses only low DOS, there may be
no low DOS memory available for it.
Go Ahead deals with this allocation problem by grabbing all of low DOS
memory during bootup. Then when Windows needs to allocate memory for
an application, it finds none available in low DOS (because Go Ahead
has it all) and is forced to use the more plentiful memory beyond low
DOS. When an application loads that must use low DOS memory, Go Ahead
makes it available. Thus the limited amount of low DOS memory is
reserved for those applications that really need it; other programs
are diverted to alternate memory.
Go Ahead consists of two separate programs: GOAHEAD.DRV and
GOAHEAD.EXE. The .DRV is loaded in SYSTEM.INI with your system's
other drivers on the Drivers= line in the [boot] section. GOAHEAD.EXE
is simply a tool to monitor the status, activity, and configuration of
GOAHEAD.DRV; it can be added to your Startup group, to automatically
provide the monitoring feature.
A discussion of RAM Managers and Go Ahead
-----------------------------------------
The new "RAM Managers" manage RAM and system resources inside Windows
only. None actually double your physical RAM - an 8 MB machine does
not become a 16 MB machine. None provide benefit to DOS applications
running inside Windows or to your DOS environment outside Windows.
The goal for any of these RAM Managers is to allow Windows users to
open more applications at once without affecting system performance
and without having to part with large sums of money for hardware
memory upgrades.
There are two methods of managing memory inside Windows:
1. Windows memory (or the data in memory) can be compressed; or
2. System resource heaps can be "expanded" and managed more
efficiently.
Not enough information is available regarding the safety of RAM
compression techniques. However, RAM compression programs will not
allow you to open more applications concurrently. These programs
compress RAM or data in RAM or virtual disk space but have no affect
on system resources. While they may allow you to open larger
applications, you may still run out of free system resources to run
multiple applications at once.
Go Ahead technology more closely matches the system resource
management model. To understand how Go Ahead technology works
requires a knowledge of how Windows allocates memory using system
heaps. There are three system heaps available to Windows - the USER,
GDI and Global heap. The USER and GDI heaps are local heaps that
manage window placement, icons, buttons, menus and other graphical
components of Windows.
The Global heap consists of all available low DOS memory plus all
available extended memory. Low DOS memory can be used up in three
ways:
1. Any running program can request low DOS memory via the
GlobalDOSAlloc call.
2. When a program starts up, Windows allocates a small amount of
memory (called a TDB "Task Database") from the low DOS memory portion
of the Global Heap to manage the program.
3. When loading certain programs (typically DLLs), Windows allocates a
special type of memory called fixed memory, which the memory
allocation routine inside Windows always attempts to place at the
lowest linear address, usually low DOS. Fixed memory is non-pageable
memory required to be used by the interrupt handlers in DLLs since it
doesn't have to be paged in and out of memory addresses.
Eventually, if you load the right combination of DLLs (over which you
have little control) and other programs, Windows may run out of low
DOS memory for the TDB. When this happens, Windows displays a message
saying that there is insufficient memory to run another program.
This is the principal reason why Windows can't run a program even
though you might have plenty of extended memory in the Global Heap.
With Go Ahead in the system, the low DOS memory portion of the Global
Heap is managed more efficiently. Go Ahead separates out the low DOS
memory from the Global Heap by allocating it all to itself, and
parcels it out to programs which need low DOS memory specifically,
such as Windows itself when allocating a TDB. Because there is no
longer any low DOS memory in the Global Heap, fixed memory allocations
now occur from memory above 1 MB and there is always plenty of low DOS
memory to run programs.
Go Ahead scenarios
------------------
Results from Go Ahead are highly system and software specific. The
environments that will see the greatest benefits from Go Ahead are
Windows 3.1x machines running resident Windows tools since Windows
3.1x allocates system resources from below 1 MB, and since resident
Windows tools tend to be the largest users of global DOS resources.
System: Pentium PCI/32MB/loading drivers for SCSI, IBM OS/2 Lan
Requester/CD-ROM, MS Mouse and Sound Card/starting low DOS prior to
running Windows - 530 KB (with Qualitas MAX 8 maximizing memory
outside Windows)
Without Go Ahead With Go Ahead
--------------------------------------------------
WinMaster (PCKwik) WinMaster (PCKwik)
HawkEye (Number 9 HawkEye (Number 9
Imagine 128 graphics card Imagine 128 graphics card
utility) utility)
Whoop-it-Up! (sound Whoop-it-Up (sound
utility) utility)
ExpressIt! (mhs e-mail ExpressIt! (mhs e-mail
front end) front end)
MAXmeter (Qualitas MAXmeter (Qualitas
system resource tool) system resource tool)
QPOPUP (Qualitas QPOPUP (Qualitas
DOSMAX tool) DOSMAX tool)
Growstub Growstub
MS Word for Windows 6.0 MS Word for Windows 6.0
MS Excel 5.0 MS Excel 5.0
FAILURE! "Out of system Corel Draw 3.0
resources" message Lotus AmiPro 3.0
CompuServe WinCim 1.3.1D
SPF (PC DOS editor running in
DOSMAX session)
Second DOS session
Third DOS session
(Norton Commander 4.0 for DOS)
Avery LabelPro for Windows 2.0
Fourth DOS session
FAILURE! (GDI resources low; global
DOS still at 43% available)
A sampling of popular software is listed below. Many of these items
are run resident inside Windows and can take a substantial amount of
system resources prior to opening any applications.
Results below are an average of tests run on an 486/66 with 8 MB RAM,
DOS 6.2 and Windows for Workgroups 3.11; 386/33 with 8 MB RAM running
DOS 6.2, Windows 3.11; a 386/25 with 8 MB RAM, DOS 5.0, Windows 3.11
and a 486/66 with 16 MB RAM, DOS 6.2 and Windows 3.11
Program Low DOS Memory Used (KB)
----------------------------------------------------
PC Tools Anti-Virus 103
SofNet FaxWorks 3.0 82
Winsock 65
Lotus Organizer 50
AOL 2.5 35-90
Polaris Packrat 5.0 29
Symantec ACT! 2.0 25
Aldus PageMaker 5.0 23
Norton Screen Saver 20
Da Vinci Systems Mail 2.51 18
Laplink 6.0 17
Norton Desktop 17
Delrina WinFax 14
Borland Report Smith 2.02 13
cc:Mail 2.02 12
Lotus Ami Pro 3.1 12
PCTools desktop 11
MS PowerPoint 4.0 11
MS Word 6 11
Lotus Freelance 2.1 11
MS Excel 5.0 10
Intel Faxibility Plus 1.1 8
Corel Draw 5.0 8
LView (shareware) 7
Novell Groupwise 7
GrabIt (shareware) 6
Control Panel 5
MS Mail 3.2 2
Beyond Mail 2
Quicken 4.0 2
Dr. Watson 1
Programs typically open and running at all times such as Winsock,
Norton Utilities, anti-virus, Organizer tools, cc:Mail and faxing
software are the biggest users of low DOS resources and can prevent
you from running multiple applications simultaneously.