OS/2 Shareware BBS: 11 Util/11-Util.zip/mems400b.zip/mem4b.zip/OBJECTS.OS2/English.HLP

OS/2 Help File | 2000-07-08 | 23KB | 482 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Introduction ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This program displays several items related to system resources, and updates
the display once per second, providing it is given CPU time to do so.  The
items displayed are:

Date/Time - The current date and time, in the format called for in the default
country information for your system, as specified in the 'COUNTRY=' entry of
your CONFIG.SYS file.

Elapsed Time - The elapsed time since the computer was last restarted.

Messages Waiting - The number of messages waiting to be downloaded.

Physical Memory Free - The amount of system memory available, according to the
DosMemAvail function.

Note:   This function is part of the old 16-bit system, and only reports
physical memory below 16Mb, and was also altered just before OS/2 2.0 was
released to never report less than 512K.

Note:   If you have the IBM system analysis program Theseus/2 installed on your
system, this number will be completely accurate, though it will only update
itself once every ten seconds at most.

Virtual Memory Free - The amount of virtual memory available, according to the
DosQuerySysInfo function. This is the amount of free physical memory, plus the
amount of free space within the current swapping file, plus the amount of space
by which the swapping file could yet grow, less the amount of free space
reserved on the swapping drive.

Swap File Size - The current size of the system virtual memory swap file,
SWAPPER.DAT. To locate the file, the file CONFIG.SYS is scanned for its
SWAPPATH entry. That entry provides the full name of the swap-file's directory
and indicates the minimum free space that must be left on the swap-file's disk
drive.

Available Swap Space - The amount of free disk space on the logical disk drive
where the system swap file resides, less the mininum free space.  This is how
much more the swap file could expand, if necessary.

Unused Swap Space - The amount of free space within the currently allocated
system swap file.  When this drops to zero, the system swap file must be
increased in size, normally by one megabyte at a time.

Note:   If you have the IBM system analysis program Theseus/2 installed on your
system, this number will be completely accurate, though it will only update
itself once every ten seconds at most.

Spool File Size - The amount of disk space consumed by spool files.

CPU Load (%) - The approximate percentage of the CPU's available horsepower
that's being used at the moment.  It is averaged over the previous second.

Note:   Under versions of OS/2 before release 4.0, this function and PULSE do
not get along with each other. Why?

Note:   Under versions of OS/2 before release 4.0, if you have the driver
HRTIMER.SYS installed, this number will be more accurate. Why?

Average Load (%) - The approximate percentage of the CPU's available power that
has been used in the recent past.  The number of seconds to be averaged may be
configured by the user (see the Configuration dialog).

Battery - The current battery capacity remaining, or its status (Charging, AC)
is displayed.

Active Task Count - The number of entries in the system switch list, which is
the list displayed when you press CTRL+ESC.

Note:   Not all entries in the system switch list are displayed in the Window
List.  Some are marked for non-display.

Process Count - The number of processes currently loaded on the system.

Thread Count - The number of threads currently running on the system.  There is
at least one thread for each process.

Total Free Disk Space - The amount of free space on all the local non-removable
disks combined.

Drive X Free - The amount of free space on drive X.

The help facility is active, as you've already seen, and those program commands
that exist may be accessed via the window's system menu.  The following
commands are available:

      Reset Defaults
      Hide Controls
      Configure...
      Reset Load Meter
      Reset Average Load
      Reset Drives
      Launch E-Mail Reader
      Copy
      About
      Close

 In addition to those features already described, this program accepts commands
 from the OS/2 2.0 Font and Color Palette programs, and is a DDE server for all
 the currently displayed items.  The DDE application name is MEMSIZE, and the
 item names are the same as the default display item names (like Physical
 Memory Free).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Reset Defaults (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Selecting this menu option will reset the program's font and color attributes
to their default values.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Hide Controls (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu option, when selected, will cause the program's frame controls (the
system menu, the titlebar and the minimize button) to be hidden. This option
can be toggled with a double-click on either mouse button. Also, since I saw it
as very useful to be able to move the window while the controls were hidden,
the window has been set up so that you can drag it with either mouse button.

The key combination Alt+H will perform this function also.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Configure (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu option, when selected, will cause the program's configuration dialog
to be displayed. For more information, see Configure (Dialog)

Note:   The short-cut key to this option is Alt+C.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. Configure (Dialog) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This notebook dialog allows you to change all the configurable aspects of this
program's operations.  The configuration options are grouped by category on the
following pages:

      Items
      Options (Page 1)
      Options (Page 2)
      Colors
      Anchor
      Date Format
      E-Mail (Page 1)
      E-Mail (Page 2)

 All changes take effect immediately.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.1. Items (Configuration Page) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page displays a list of displayable items. You may select any or all of
the items in the Display Items list for monitoring and display. Simply click on
an item to highlight it, click again to remove the highlight. Highlighted items
are monitored. To change an item's default label, or to adjust its warning
and/or error thresholds, either double-click mouse button one on the item list
entry, or single-click mouse button two on the entry.  In either case, the Item
Attribute dialog will be displayed.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.2. Options (Page 1) (Configuration Page) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page shows a number of program options that may be activated or
deactivated.

Hide Controls When the program window is not iconized, it can be shown with or
without the usual title bar, system menu and minimize/maximize buttons.  If you
chose to hide these controls, the window may still be positioned by dragging
its center area.

Float to Top This button activates an window's float-to-top function. When this
button has been check-marked, the clock will float to the top of the window
stack, making itself visible all the time.

Animate This button activates the window open & close animation feature. When
this is active, the program window will open and close in the same way as the
folder objects do: with sound and motion. As with folders, animation will not
occur unless it has been enabled at the system level.

Dialog Border This button determines whether the main program window will have
a simple line border, or a more elaborate dialog border.  The line border
requires less space on the screen, but the dialog border can look better,
especially on OS/2 Warp 4.0 or later, which gives this border style a
three-dimensional appearance.

Table Format This button, when checked, causes the window to arrange itself in
table format, with the display items arranged in rows and columns. It will
optimize itself to use as little vertical space as possible. When this button
is not checked, the window will arrange itself with a single column of all the
displayed items.

Hourly Chime This button activates an hourly chime feature.  When active, the
program will beep twice at the top of every hour.

Show Disk Drives When this button is checked, disk drive free space is
monitored, subject to the restrictions placed on this monitoring by other
options. This control mainly exists as a way to disable disk monitoring.

Show Remote Drives When this button is checked, remote (network) drives that
are currently attached to the system are monitored in the same way as local
nonremovable drives are, except that they are not included in the Total Free
Disk Space item.

Show File System Names This button causes the individual drive free space
entries to show the type of file system in use with the drive.  Use of this
option results in a wider monitor window.

Show Disk Labels This button causes the individual drive free space entries to
show their disk labels.  Use of this option results in a wider monitor window.

Show Seconds This button causes the clock and elapsed time displays to include
the seconds of the minute.

Use Theseus/2 This button causes the program to make use of IBM's utility
program Theseus/2, if it is present, for such things where it provides more
accurate information than can be found otherwise.  Due to the large overhead of
using it, however, Theseus/2 never polled more than once every ten seconds.
Currently, this feature provides better measurement of free physical memory and
unused swap space.

Center Clock This button causes the clock display to be centered within its
allocated cell, rather than left-justified.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.3. Options (Page 2) (Configuration Page) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page shows additional program options that are more complex than simply
on/off.

Show 'K'ilobytes This group of radiobuttons allows you to select whether large
sizes are displayed in kilobyte notation always, never, or only when their
values exceed 512K. The default is to show all sizes over 512K in this way.
The 'K=1024' button, if checked, causes the numbers to be displayed in true K
(1024).  If not checked, the numbers are displayed in decimal K (1000).
The 'M'egabytes button, if checked, will cause the numbers to be displayed in
megabytes once their values exceed eight megabytes.

Monitor Priority This control allows you to set the absolute priority of the
monitoring thread of the program, within the time-critical priority class. You
may vary the priority from 0 to 31.  Priority 31 is the highest possible
priority in the system, short of physical interrupts. Priority 0 is simply the
lowest priority within the time-critical class. Normally, you should set this
to the maximum for more accuracy in system monitoring.  However, some have
complained that their communications programs occasionally miss data while this
program is running.  For that reason the priority is now variable.

Timer Interval This control allows you to set the interval between monitor
window updates.  It can be varied from 1.0 seconds to 30.0 seconds, in steps of
1/10 second.  The number displayed is in tenths of a second.

Averaging Interval This control allows you to set the interval over which
averages are computed.  It can be varied from 10 seconds to 3600 seconds (one
hour).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.4. Colors (Configuration Page) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page shows the three sets of colors associated with the Normal, Warning
and Error levels of those display items which support them.  You can set these
colors by dragging colors over from one of the system color palettes.

Note:   Under OS/2 Warp 3.0 or beyond, if you click on the color samples with
either mouse button, the system's Solid Color Palette window will be displayed
for your convenience.  The Mixed Color Palette can also be used, but must be
requested from the System Setup folder.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.5. Anchor (Configuration Page) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page contains a control with which you can set the corner of the monitor
window which remains fixed in position when the window size changes.  The
monitor window can change in size when items are added or removed from the
active list, and when the display font is changed from the Font Palette.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.6. Date Format (Configuration Page) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page allows you to specify the format with which the date & time item will
be displayed.  Any text you would like may be entered, and special function
codes can be included.  The entire list of valid function codes is provided in
a list at the bottom of the page, and by double-clicking on any item in that
list the item is immediately inserted into the current format text.  A sample
result text, with the function codes expanded, is given right below the format
text entry field.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.7. E-Mail (Configuration Page) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page allows you to specify the parameters by which the Message Count item
obtains its information.  You must specify a POP3 server name, the user name
and the password for the user.  You can optionally specify a POP3 port number
if your server uses a different one from the customary. You can also force the
usage of a specific IP address.

The option to use APOP allows you to use an enhanced password validation
protocol which reduces the exposure your ID and password get on the open
network.

Next Page...


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.8. E-Mail (Configuration Page) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This page allows you to specify the parameters by which the Message Count item
reacts to its information.

The Polling Interval field allows you to set the number of seconds to delay
between each check of the post-office for new mail.

The E-Mail Reader field is for specifying the command line to be used to launch
your preferred mailer program.

The Alert When Mail Arrives checkbox determines whether or not the program
sounds an audible alert when new mail arrives.

The Mail Alert Sound field is for specifying a .WAV file to be played upon the
arrival of new mail.  If no WAV file is specified, and sound is requested, then
an ascending sequence of tones will be generated from the speaker.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1.9. Item Attributes (Dialog) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This dialog box displays the current and default labels for a display item,
along with the current Warning and Error levels, if that feature is enabled for
the current item.  To change the label, simply type the new label over the
current one.  To change the error or warning levels, either enter a new level
in the entryfield, or move the slider associated with the level.

To restore all values to their defaults, click on the Default button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Reset Load Meter (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu option allows the user to reset the CPU Load meter, recalibrating it,
causing it to forget previous CPU activity in its calculations.

Note:   This menu option is not available when on Warp 4.0 or better, nor on
certain higher fixpack levels of Warp 3.0, as the newer load measuring
technique makes this command irrelevant.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Reset Average Load (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu option allows the user to reset the Average Load meter, causing it to
forget previous CPU activity in its calculations.

The short-cut key for this command is Alt+R.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Reset Drives (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu option allows the user to reset any drive errors that might be
present.  This will happen automatically over time, but the command allows the
user to reset the errors without delay.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Launch E-Mail Reader (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This option will launch the e-mail reader configured by the user. See E-Mail
for more information.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Copy (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu option copies the current window display to the system clipboard in
two formats: Text and Bitmap.  The text version shows all the currently
displayed items in a form suitable for pasting into a text editor.  The bitmap
version shows an exact copy of the current window, and can be used by graphic
editors and viewers.

The short-cut key for this command is Ctrl+Ins.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. About (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu option, when selected, will cause the program's About dialog to be
displayed. For more information, see About (Dialog).


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10.1. About (Dialog) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This dialog box displays the program name, icon and copyright information. To
exit the dialog, press the ENTER key, the SPACE bar or the ESCAPE key, or click
on the OK button with the mouse.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 11. Close (Menu Option) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This menu option, when selected, will cause the program to terminate.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 12. Keys Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following function keys have been defined for this program:

      F1 - Help
      F3 - Exit
      Alt+C - Configure
      Alt+H - Hide Controls
      Alt+R - Reset Average Load
      Ctrl+Ins - Copy


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 13. Set Profile Path (Dialog) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This dialog is displayed when the program cannot find its profile (INI) file,
and asks you where the file is or where it is to be created.

Only a valid existing directory name will be accepted. Once you have entered
the name, press the ENTER key or click on the OK button for the program to
continue.

If you wish to abort the program's initialization sequence, press the ESC key
or click on the escape button.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 14. HRTIMER - High Resolution Timer driver ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The high resolution timer device driver, HRTIMER.SYS, enables a program to
access a normally unused timer chip found on IBM PCs.  It has a resolution as
high as 840 nanoseconds, 64K times better than the normal timer resolution of
55 milliseconds.

The only places I know of right now that has this program available are
CompuServe, where the program can be found in the Device Driver Development
library of the OS/2 Developer's Forum I (OS2DF1), under the name TIMER.ZIP, and
on the anonymous ftp sites ftp.cdrom.com and hobbes.nmsu.edu. The file can be
found in the directory /pub/os2/dev16, as hrtimer.zip.

The source code for this device driver was obtained from the Fall 1991 issue of
IBM Personal Systems Developer magazine.  It is freeware, but the original
copyright belongs to IBM.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 15. What is the conflict with PULSE? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This program, as well as PULSE, CPULOAD, CPUMETER and similar programs, all
attempt to measure how busy the computer is by trying to see how much work they
can accomplish at the lowest possible priority.  Presumably, if one of these
programs can do anything at that priority, it must be using idle time.  If
there is no idle time, the computer is 100% busy.  The more this program can do
at system idle priority, the less busy the computer is assumed to be.

The problem with running more than one of these programs at the same time is
that they begin to compete for that idle time.  If you ran two copies of the
same program, and nothing else, they should both show about 50% CPU load.  If
you run two disimilar programs, like this one and PULSE, they would both be
affected, but usually to differing degrees.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 16. How does HRTIMER.SYS help? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

With HRTIMER.SYS installed, system overhead is included in the CPU Load.

The CPU Load is determined by comparing how much work could be done at idle
priority with the most the program has been able to do up to the present
moment.  Without more information, normal system background activity would
appear as zero load.  If HRTIMER.SYS is installed on your system, then this
program executes a calibration loop at startup, in which it determines just how
much work can be accomplished at the highest possible priority.  This amount is
then used for comparison.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 17. What is Theseus/2? ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Theseus/2 is a system memory analysis tool developed by IBM as part of a
product they once sold, called System Performance Monitor/2. Eventually, they
stopped selling the tool, and somebody in IBM packaged Theseus/2 for freeware
distribution early in 1997.  It can be found at:

      ftp://hobbes.nmsu.edu/pub/os2/util/system/t2spm.zip

 A newer version (Theseus/3) can be found at:

      ftp://ftp.boulder.ibm.com/ps/products/os2/fixes/v4warp/theseus3/thes3000.exe

 Theseus/2 has two things my program will probably never have: a deep internal
 knowledge of the structure of the OS/2 kernel, and a special device driver
 which allows it to inspect the kernel directly. These advantages have a price,
 however: the program takes a relatively long time to performs its analysis.
 For that reason, MemSize does not use it more than once every ten seconds, so
 as to not overburden the system.