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ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Copyright information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
Copyright information "IBM OS/2 Warp 1996 TechNotes" Copyright IBM Corp. 1996.
All rights reserved. Information current as of October 10, 1996
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. TechNotes Article #8 (February/March 1996) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #8 (February/March 1996)
Well, it's a new year, and there are new challenges to overcome and new things
to learn. Like you, I try to learn something new every day (or at least each
week). In this article, I'd like to cover some of the neat new things I've
learned since last time which I think you might find valuable.
1) Last fall, several of you asked a question about being able to assign a
different drive letter to your OS/2 CD-ROM drives. Unlike DOS(/Windows), OS/2
will default to the next available drive letter after the hard disks are
assigned. DOS commands normally used to re-assign device letters (such as
ASSIGN, SUBST, JOIN, etc.) are NOT part of OS/2 Warp/Connect. So, rather than
give you the 'official' IBM answer ("This is a current restriction and a known
requirement"), I decided to search a bit farther and found a program (written
by Mark Leitch of IBM Canada) known as TVFS or the "Toronto Virtual File
System". The latest version (2.09, dated 2/23/95) works fine with OS/2
Warp/Connect and may be downloaded as TVFS.ZIP from IBM's BBS (address at end
of article). With TVFS, local and remote file systems (FAT, HPFS, CD-ROM,
Network) may be combined into a single, virtual file system accessible via a
single drive letter. OS/2-based BBS operators may use TVFS to consolidate
multiple physical and network disk drive letters into a single drive letter for
users to access. By including a TVFS virtual drive letter in your PATH, DPATH,
and LIBPATH statements, you can dynamically add or delete items from these
paths without changing CONFIG.SYS and rebooting your system.
In its simplest use, however, TVFS allows you to access your CD-ROM as a drive
letter other than the one automagically assigned by OS/2. So, if under
DOS/Windows you use your CD-ROM as drive R:, TVFS will also allow you to use it
as drive R: even if OS/2 assigns it to drive E:. Here's how: I installed TVFS
into its own subdirectory D:\TVFS, and in CONFIG.SYS added "D:\TVFS;" to PATH,
DPATH, LIBPATH, BOOKSHELF, and added "IFS=D:\TVFS\TVFS.IFS" at the end. After
rebooting, the following commands (which can be used in any OS/2 CMD file like
STARTUP.CMD) allowed me to access my CD-ROM drive as R: in addition to E:
(TVFS does not "substitute", it just adds).
TVCTL -w
TVMOUNT R:
TVLINK - rd R:\ E:\
With these, an "R:" drive appears in the Drives folder. It looks and acts like
a 'network' drive. Use the command "TVKILL" or "TVUNMOUNT *" to delete the
drive; it (like all other TVFS drives) disappears from the drives folder. You
can then restart with the TVCTL command to change the mounting. Use VIEW TVFS
to see the online documentation for the program.
2) According to the latest new items, there are now some 135,000 Home Pages on
the World Wide Web (including mine!). Sometimes it seems as if most of them
are in my WebExplorer "Quicklist"(!), and it's becoming hard to locate pages I
wish to re-visit. The latest version of WebExplorer (1.03) gives you the
ability to 'drag' a URL from WebExplorer onto your desktop or into a folder.
This creates a URL object, which later may be dragged into WebExplorer for use.
However, IBM doesn't offer a way to convert existing Quicklists into URL
objects or vice versa. To the rescue comes Ini2URLs, a freeware program which
lets you create WebExplorer URL Objects from the information in your Quicklist,
or create a Quicklist from your URL Objects. With this program, you can
rearrange the URL objects into one or more URL folders, and import/synchronize
the organizational changes back into your Quicklist. Copies may be downloaded
from: http://www.compusmart.ab.ca/jroepcke
3) There's a new FixPak available for OS/2 Warp AND OS/2 Warp Connect.
Actually, new FixPak's are built every two weeks and may be released privately.
If no major problems are encountered, they become public. At time of writing,
FixPak 17 is available. In addition to bug fixes, there's a functional upgrade
for OS/2's SIQ or "Single Input Queue". This stores application messages and
instructions. However, this queue size had been limited to 10 entries, and was
not monitored (unless a user suspecting a system hang pressed CTRL-ESC several
times). With the latest FixPak, not only has the size of the queue been
increased to 3000 messages(!), but it is also monitored; if an application
doesn't respond within a definable amount of time, OS/2 will ask you if you
wish to terminate the offending application. AFTER you install OS/2
Warp/Connect Fixpak 17 (or later), you must MANUALLY enable the SIQ feature by
adding the following line to your CONFIG.SYS file: "SET
PM_ASYNC_FOCUS_CHANGE=ON 2000". The 2000 is a timeout value of 2000
milliseconds (that's 2 seconds to you and I). You may increase or decrease
this value (1000 milliseconds = 1 second), or use the OFF parameter (instead of
"ON 2000") to not use this feature. Some of you may be familiar with a program
known as "PMQSize" which performs a similar function. If you have PMQSize
installed, please deactivate it BEFORE you install the latest FixPak!
4) For those of you with limited RAM but huge hard drives, here's a trick which
you can use to improve overall performance. All versions of OS/2 contain a
feature known as Boot Manager, which allows you to boot your system with
multiple operating systems, OR multiple versions of OS/2 Warp. Reader Tom
Martin has configured his 8MB system with two partitions. One OS/2 installation
has everything installed, including OS/2 Warp's Internet Access Kit. Another
partition has only a minimum OS/2 installation, without all the device drivers.
This second partition takes less overhead, and therefore has more user RAM for
programs. Sounds like a sensible way to balance your system configuration until
you can add more memory. Thanks for the tip, Tom!
5) IBM has just released another NEW product known as OS/2 Warp Server. For
those of you not familiar with it, OS/2 Warp Server COMBINES a number of IBM
server applications into a single, easy to install and administer product which
takes care of small and departmental LANs, and fits easily into larger
enterprises, with a suggested retail price of $829 for the server and 10 client
licenses. So, what do you get in this marvelous bundle? You get OS/2 Warp
Connect, TCP/IP 3.1 (includes support for DHCP and IBM's exclusive Dynamic DNS
server), IBM LAN Server (with its advanced GUI drag/drop LAN Administration),
IBM SystemView for OS/2 (IBM's award-winning systems management product for
Windows and OS/2 systems -- Win95 and NT soon), Advanced Printer Services
(enables PostScript output on non-PostScript printers!), a Netware Gateway
(extend a 5-user Netware server to MANY more OS/2 Warp Server clients), and
IBM's own Personally Safe 'n Sound Server backup product. All these products
are not only included in one IBM SKU, they also have a completely integrated
installation routine. You've heard rumors about IBM's EAGLE Software Servers?
Well, OS/2 Warp Server is not only the platform on which all these can be
installed, it has a common installation routine for them! IBM BESTeam members
will receive free NFR copies of OS/2 Warp Server in March or April. If you've
been working with OS/2 Warp Server beta code, be warned that there's a 60-day
timeout from date of installation.
6) There are LOTS of rumors floating around about what's ahead for OS/2. Well,
OS/2 is STILL alive and well, and it will CONTINUE to get better in 1996!
According to IBM Executives, MERLIN will contain a further enhanced desktop
interface, complete OPENDOC capability, and IBM's Developer Extensions
built-in. You'll also see other new technology such as "DOS Trap Door" which
allows even greater compatibility with DOS applications and games. Coming this
summer to a PC near you! See Kris Kwilas' "Highly Unofficial OS/2 Rumor page"
on the Internet at "http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~kwilas/" for more
rumor-mongering.
7) Here's an unsolicited plug for something you should have. Walnut Creek
Software in California has an Internet FTP site (ftp-os2.cdrom.com) which
shadows the "Hobbes" OS/2 FTP site. Not only that, but they regularly publish
CD-ROMs which contain the complete contents of the FTP site. I recently bought
a copy of their "Hobbes OS/2 Archived" December 1995 Edition. It's a 2-CD set,
and has OODLES of goodies. All of these may be downloaded from the Internet
via FTP, but it's very convenient to have the CD-ROMs (they don't cost more
than $15-30 per edition). Goodie #1:iHPFS - a DOS TSR which allows you to
access OS/2 HPFS and LAN Server 386HPFS partitions (read-only) when you've
dual-booted to real PC-DOS. It runs in your AUTOEXEC.BAT (place it BEFORE your
MSCDEX CD-ROM driver), and you'll be able to read any local HPFS partitions on
your system. It's not perfect (may have some "long-file name problems), but it
works most of the time for me. Goodie #2 is "Xit" (XIT10.ZIP, since upgraded
to 2.0 on the FTP site) which adds an " X" box at the top of desktop
application windows which allows you to close the application with a single
click. With it, you may also place a mini-control panel in every application's
title bar to access the LaunchPad and other system facilities. Also included is
ZipStream (zs110.zip), an OS/2 utility which allows you to transparently
compress and decompress files, even on an HPFS partition, without having
dedicated container files like Stacker. Finally, the TVFS (Toronto Virtual
File System mentioned above) is also available on Hobbes.
8) Lest you think the Hobbes CD-ROM only has non-IBM shareware, well you can
also get IBM's Beta release of WIN32S version 1.25 for use with OS/2 Warp.
This allows OS/2 Warp to natively run WIN32S (32-bit single-threaded)
applications designed for Windows 3.1x or Windows 95. Look for W32S125B.ZIP.
Credits
As usual I owe thanks to many people for identifying and verifying information
gathered for this article. They include Bill Cook (IBM Chicago), Tom Martin
(Centreville, VA), Mark Leitch (IBM Canada), and Tim Erickson. The on-line
collection of these TechNotes can be downloaded from IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet at "http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/technote/technote.htm".
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. TechNotes Article #9 (April 1996) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #9 (April 1996)
You can tell it's Spring by all of the IBM Software products which have
sprouted! Up early is IBM's OS/2 Warp Server which promises to be a healthy
shade of green for users and resellers alike. Also coming soon to a LAwN (!)
near you is IBM's new Software Server series (previously code-named Eagle).
This column will be dedicated to server software, and next time I'll have more
on Merlin, IBM's next-generation desktop operating system.
1) OS/2 Warp Server became generally available on February 26th. The Entry
version (which can effectively support approximately 120 users) has a SRP of
$629 US. The Advanced version can support up to 1000 users, and sports
features such as Disk Mirroring, Fault Tolerance, High Performance Disk I/O,
and true user disk limits for a SRP of $1299 US. IBM has changed the way
clients are billed. Instead of charging for the client software, there's now a
user access fee -- similar, but not the same. This helps you and your
customers more easily keep in compliance with software licensing, by charging
for the number of employees (rather than the number of computers) when
accessing one or multiple servers. So, if you have 100 employees accessing 3
OS/2 Warp Servers (Entry or Advanced) from 100 office and 30 home or notebook
computers, instead of paying for 130 client fees, you only pay for 100 user
fees! SRP for user fees are $49 US for new systems, $20 US for competitive
upgrades, and FREE for OS/2 Warp Connect users!
And what OS/2 Warp Server users get! Not just file and print, but also
complete systems management (including hardware and software inventory),
software distribution, remote control, and remote access capabilities! Others
pay MORE to get LESS from competitive product offerings. All of these
functions are fully available not only for OS/2, but also Windows 3.1 systems.
Many functions are already available for Windows 95 (if anyone's really using
it), and optionally for Macintosh, with full NT support coming soon.
2) Many people don't understand when organizations should use file servers as
opposed to peer-to-peer networks. So, I thought I'd pass along a few rules of
thumb. An attractive feature of Peer Networks is that server machines don't
have to be dedicated (altho suprising number of them are). Generally peer
networks work well in a small office where all computers are within earshot of
one another. As networks grow to more users (say beyond 12), or users are
scattered on multiple floors (or multiple buildings), administering and
supporting a distributed peer network can be a problem (lots of running
around). With larger networks you typically start to have issues with network
and data security. These are some of the reasons why organizations will either
dedicate a Peer server, or use a more traditional NOS (Network Operating
System) from Novell, IBM, or Microsoft.
Dedicated Peer servers or traditional NOSs solve many of the problems of LAN
administrators running around administering the network. However, these can
either become performace-bound or too costly as the network grows. Performance
factors include the type of processor and amount of RAM on the server machine,
the server's bus architecture, and the type of LAN adapter (and LAN). As
networks grow larger, the file system software (16-bit or 32-bit) can boost
performance, or you may consider SMP (Symmetrical Multi-Processing) hardware or
more expensive platforms. Rather than growing one server very large (and
creating an expensive single point of network failure), you may consider
distributing tasks among multiple servers. However, now you have multiple
servers to administer, possible logon scripts to change for all users, and the
financial burden of paying multiple client fees for a single user (due to
server/client pricing packages).
Up until recently, Novell Netware (choose your flavor) has been the file/print
server of choice, due primarily (IMHO) to the army of CNE's out there pushing
the product. Well, when all you have is a hammer like Netware, every problem
looks like a nail! OS/2 Warp Server allows you to add a power screwdriver with
replaceable tips to your toolbag; in many cases it can cost LESS and provide
MORE usable features than either Novell or Microsoft! OS/2 Warp Server (Entry)
First Step includes the server software plus ELEVEN user fees for a SRP of only
$829 US! That's VERY competitive even with peer networks especially when you
consider all the added systems management and remote access funtion built-in
which would cost much more to add to peer networks. Additional entry servers
are just $599 US. There are no logon scripts to maintain; users logon once and
get access to resources across multiple servers. Plus, since remote systems
management is built-in, LAN Administrators and Helpdesk personnel won't have to
put on their sneakers everytime a server or a user has a problem! OS/2 Warp
Server is available pre-loaded from IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, and Unisys.
Check it out!
3) In the Computer Jargon department, I've found it necessary to define the
following FUT (a Frequently Used Term which many folks use, but not all know
its exact meaning). Some folks don't realize the difference between what the
software industry calls a "File Server" and an "Application Server". Well,
ignorance can't be excused, but it IS curable! A File Server is where you
store personal files and shared personal programs (such as a word processor or
spreadsheet) which run on a user's computer. "Application Server" refers to a
server machine which runs "back office" applications itself, and shares the
results with users. IBM's Software Server series allows you to build
Application Servers with IBM (and compatible non-IBM products). From IBM these
include: DB2 relational database, Communications Manager gateways, IBM Internet
Connection Server for Inter and intra-net Web Servers, Lotus Notes (premier
groupware product), IBM's enterprise-wide Directory and Security Services (or
DSS), Transaction processing (the plumbing which runs bank ATM machines and the
Olympics), and Systems Management. Other vendors supporting IBM's Software
Server series plan with their own products include Oracle, Vinca, Btrieve, and
Sybase.
While software servers such as Lotus Notes or DB2/2 may be installed on OS/2
Warp or OS/2 Warp Connect, OS/2 Warp Server provides a very inviting standard
platform to host these. Not only are features such as Backup and Disaster
Recovery standard, but you also get comprehensive systems management standard,
and (in Advanced) the 32-bit HPFS (High Performance File System) to boost
server throughput.
4) Interested in more education about IBM's Software Server series? Well, just
for BESTeam members we're offering the basic education FREE! For each server
there's a free sales education video. Just call BESTeam Member Services at
1-800-IBM-1822 (option 6, option 1) for information on having the videos you're
interested in sent to you. We also have developed a Study Guide for each
software server. Eventually these will be available on CD-ROM, but right now
these may be accessed from the Internet from
"http://www.education.ibm.com/usedu". BESTeam members may get the userid and
password required to access these study guides from 1-800-IBM-TEACh (ask about
the IBM Eagle Server study guides on the Interent). NOTE: These are NOT the
final versions; that's why we haven't made CD-ROMs yet. However, they should
be a good 'getting started' point for you today.
5) Just Released! Rather than charging for IBM's Internet Connection Web
Server software, it will be available free for downloading from the Internet,
(or a nominal $99 charge for CD-ROM and printed documentation). This is IBM's
response to Microsoft's announcement that their Internet Server will be bundled
free with their next release. So what's the rest of the story? Well, you have
to buy Microsoft's NT Advanced Server AND pay Microsoft's client access fees in
order to get their free Internet Server -- that'll cost a few dollars! IBM's
Internet Connection may be installed on top of OS/2 Warp Server or just OS/2
Warp Connect, saving you and your customers hundreds of dollars on each
Internet (or intranet) Web Server you setup. By registering on the Internet,
you may download your choice of IBM's Internet Connection Server for OS/2,
Windows NT, or AIX (IBM's RS/6000 UNIX)! Check it out at
"http://www.ics.raleigh.ibm.com"!
6) In the OOPS department, there is a small (and easily circumvented) problem
in the gold version of OS/2 Warp Server Advanced. Not surprising in so complex
a product! When you install the Advanced version of this product with HPFS
(High Performance File System), instead of the regular 16-bit HPFS, you get a
32-bit HPFS (aka 386HPFS). This gives OS/2 Warp Server Advanced a good
performance boost (helping it to handle more users than the Entry version).
Everyone who installs OS/2 Warp/Connect/Server should create the "OS/2 Utility
Diskettes" in the System Setup folder. OS/2 Warp Server Advanced users with the
386HPFS file system should also create the special 386HPFS Boot diskette to go
along with their utility diskettes, as the standard utilities cannot recognize
a 386HPFS file system!
The OOPS is in the creation of the 386HPFS diskette! The problem isn't the
program, it has to do with the CD-ROM's manufacture. During the OS/2 Warp
Server beta 2 (which was so gold that it glittered!), the CD-ROM's Volume Label
was "WARP SERVER". For the 'gold' release, the volume label was changed to
"WARP_SERVER" (adding the underscore between the words). Whomever made this
change, didn't check for any volume label dependencies (sigh), and broke the
386HPFS diskette creation routine. The fix is easy enough. The affected
program runs from the CD-ROM at \IBMLAN\NETPROG\WSBOOT.CMD. Edit this REXX
command file with the OS/2 E editor, and change the volume label check in line
54 to replace the "space" between the words with an "underscore". Since you
can't update the CD-ROM (it IS "Read Only", right?), use "Save As" to save the
modified program to the \IBMLAN directory on your hard disk, and then run the
modified command from an OS/2 Command Prompt and/or modify the 386HPFS Boot
Diskette icon to point to the modified WSBOOT.CMD on your hard disk.
I've seen at least one other manifestation of this problem. Folks who
installed SystemView Systems Management as part of the initial installation
shouldn't have trouble, but those who wish to add it will run into the same
problem; the SystemView Installation routine looks for a CD-ROM label of "WARP
SERVER" and the gold cd-rom has "WARP_SERVER". There may be other similar
problems, but I haven't run across them yet.
Credits
As usual I owe thanks to many people for identifying and verifying information
gathered for this article. They include Chris Pustowka and Larry Anbinder (IBM
Canada) and Mark Neumann (IBM Milwaukee). The on-line collection of these
TechNotes can be downloaded from IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet at " http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/technote/technote.htm".
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. TechNotes Article #10 (May 1996) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #10 (May 1996)
Welcome to yet another edition of TechNotes! As promised, I've got lots of
exciting information about Merlin, IBM's next version of OS/2 Warp Connect.
However, since you folks are really sending in the cards and letters, I also
have included some items penned by your fellow readers.
1) As I've been going around the US presenting OS/2 Warp Server, there's been a
LOT of interest in this product, and yes, it's selling very well (over 50,000
units in 60 days)! Since this is an Olympics year, I'm calling OS/2 Warp
Server the Decathlon champion of Network Operating Systems. This means it's
good at MANY events, not just THE BEST File/Print server. Recently PC Week
benchmarked NT 3.51 and Netware 4.1 on 4-way Symmetrical Multi-Processing (SMP)
versus OS/2 Warp Server on a single processor. OS/2 Warp Server had the
highest sustained throughput during this Fast (100Mbps) Ethernet test even
though it was 'handicapped' with a single processor! Not only that, but IBM
will ship a free SMP upgrade for Warp Server customers this fall! Visit PC
Week at "http://www.pcweek.com/archive/960401/pcwk0067.htm" for more details.
2) Folks are especially interested in Warp Server not just for setting up new
LANs, but also for ENHANCING existing ones. You see, many people are reluctant
to change what's currently working, even if it's not supported anymore. A
Netware 2.x/3.x to 4.x server upgrade requires you to put a second machine in
place to migrate TO, rather than upgrading in place as IBM's LAN Server 4 to
OS/2 Warp Server does. Well, if you have to get a second machine anyway, why
not just ADD OS/2 Warp Server and exploit its terrific Systems Management and
Remote User capabilities? OS/2 Warp Server also makes a great applications
server base for new capabilities, such as Lotus Notes, IBM's DB2 Database or
IBM's (free!) Internet Connection Web server. By the way, there are a number
of free 'applets' available for OS/2 Warp Server (force logoff one or all
users, graphically manage the network, limit logon attempts, and many more.
Check out "http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/wsapplic.html" for more
information.
3) In the "You Can't Tell the Players Without a Scorecard" department, I think
IBM holds a world record for "PC SystemView" as the name without a product.
Here's the story: IBM's PC Company created "NetFinity" (current version 3.05)
to help manage servers and workstations. The NetFinity "manager" ships free
with all IBM PC Servers, and the "services" client ships free with all IBM
Desktop systems. Last November, IBM's Network Software division released
SystemView for OS/2, which incorporated NetFinity 3.x "manager" capabilities
(ie managing NetFinity clients) and ADDED new features such as Software
Distribution and Remote Control. SystemView for OS/2 became the OS/2 Warp
Server Systems Management function. In an attempt to streamline brand names,
NetFinity's name for version 4 was changed to "PC SystemView". Shortly
thereafter IBM acquired Tivoli Software, who had their own Systems Management
suite of products (the Tivoli Management Environment or TME series). Tivoli
renamed "PC SystemView" to "TME 10" and a couple of months later decided to
refine it to (drum roll please!): "TME 10 NetFinity Manager (or Services) 4.0"
(let's use TME 10 for short, OK?). Announced part numbers for PC SystemView
are the same for TME 10, only the name changed. Additionally, the follow-on
to "SystemView for OS/2" (AKA IBM's "Eagle" SystemView server) is now known as
"TME 10 NetFinity Server 4.0". Clear? If you've got it straight, let ME know!
4) Why tell you all this? Well, if your customer currently has Windows
workstations accessing a Netware 3.1x server, an OS/2 Warp Server add-on
machine has the ability to manage, remote control, and distribute software to
them. By adding IBM P/N 78H5376 (the afore-mentioned TME 10 Services 4.0) to
each Netware server or Windows 95/NT machine, you can manage them as well. This
kit gives you client diskettes for all of the above systems. TME 10 will be
available in the US as of May 31, 1996 with a SRP of $39 US. OS/2 Warp Server
operates comfortably with any combination of IPX, TCP/IP, and/or NetBIOS.
Install the File/Print Netware Gateway and you'll be able to configure the IPX
protocol for Systems Management (and not have to change the client protocols).
If you have any NetBIOS or TCP/IP devices you wish to manage, ensure you
install these protocols on Warp Server, and configure them in Systems
Management.
5) TME 10's capabilities on Netware servers can be extended considerably with
the addition of BMC's Hawknet (part of IBM's "Partners in Management" program)
Netware product, called " Net Tune Pro". This integrates seamlessly with APC
Smart UPS monitors and extends information to over 75 monitors for a Netware
environment. Contact BMC Hawknet on the Internet at
"http://www.cts.com/~netinfo/corpback.html". You can download a 30-day trial
version of Net Tune Pro via FTP from
"ftp://hawknet.com/pub/netinfo/nt6000.zip".
6) Another consideration in enhancing a Netware network with OS/2 Warp Server
is tape backup. If the network already has tape backup software (such as
Cheyenne), contact the vendor to see about getting an OS/2 'agent' for the Warp
Server machine (Cheyenne is at "http://www.cheyenne.com/"). If not, (or it's
become unsupported or obsolete), you can use Warp Server's included PSnS backup
software in conjunction with the Netware Gateway services to backup the Netware
server. Warp Server's PSnS supports a wide variety of SCSI tape drives (but
alas NOT IDE or parallel-port ones).
7) Want a quick and easy way to keep updated on IBM announcements in categories
you're interested in? IBM now has an Internet ListServer for Announcements
which allows you and your customers to SUBSCRIBE to categories you're
interested in! The ListServer will notify you by e-mail with titles of the new
announcements in your categories. You then can request IBM's detailed
announcement letter. To get started, all you need to do is send an e-mail to
"announce@webster.ibmlink.ibm.com". Leave the subject blank, and put the
keyword SUBSCRIBE in the body of the note. By return e-mail you'll receive a
category form and detailed instructions for submitting your category
selections. Couldn't be easier to keep updated on specific IBM products you're
interested in!
8) Found an OOPS in OS/2 Warp Server's Systems Management. Just an
inconvenience and a misleading message, really. In the ship version of OS/2
Warp Server, if you installed the Systems Management component, after 50 days
you'll get a 10-day countdown that you need to 'register' your systems
management server. Ignore the message; it will continue for 10 days and then
cease. No time-out actually occurs, and the continued operation of OS/2 Warp
Server's Systems Management will require no additional action or intervention.
What happened, is that some license server code from SystemView for OS/2 was
supposed to be deleted (and wasn't) for the OS/2 Warp Server version. The
problem has been fixed with 296.pkg (actually a ZIP file) which can be
downloaded via Internet FTP from
"ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/ps/products/systemview/fixes/ english/warpserver".
Sorry about any unnecessary anxiety or inconvenience to you and your customers.
9) On to Merlin! The following item is penned by Kris Kwilas, owner/operator
of the "Highly Unofficial IBM OS/2 Beta FAQ page" on the Internet at
"http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~kwilas/". Kris updated this information
following IBM's Technical Interchange in Nashville and John W. Thompson's
second TeleSeminar on the OS/2 Warp Family. For the past couple of months, you
may have heard some rumors about IBM's next-generation OS/2 -- codenamed
Merlin. We have been working closely with many of our customers in preparation
for this exciting new product. As IBM gears up for the Merlin beta program, we
have begun to publicly disclose many of the new features which will be included
in Merlin.
You can find a lot of information on how Merlin fits into IBM's software
strategy by reading the transcripts from John W. Thompson's two OS/2 Warp
Teleseminars. These are available on the World-Wide-Web at
"http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/telesemi.html". Two interviews with Jeff
Dean, IBM's Merlin Product Development Manager, can be found in the January and
March editions of the OS/2 Warp Monthly Newsletter at
"http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/newsletters.html".
At press time, a general beta release is imminent (monitor
"http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/os2.html" for the latest info). Current
plans call for the release version to be available sometime in the second half
of 1996 (product quality determines final ship dates). If you want a sneak-peek
at Merlin's new User Interface (UI), some official screen shots are available
from "http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/merlin2.html". While not totally
representative of the final product, you'll see some things such as the new
Notebook control and the enhanced WarpCenter (an optional replacement for the
OS/2 Warp LaunchPad).
As part of IBM's focus on network-centric computing, all versions of Merlin
will be network enabled. IBM intends Merlin to be the best client environment
on the market, regardless of whose server you use. To further simplify the
product line, Merlin may only be available in the "Blue Win-OS/2" package
(however, this is not definitive yet). This reduction in the number of
different "flavors" will drastically simplify the packaging for OS/2 Merlin.
One of the most frequently asked questions about Merlin is "Will it support
Win32 applications?". As IBM executives have been stating since last year, the
answer is no. However, it is important to remember that at this point, very few
of the "Designed for Windows 95" applications on the market are really Win32.
Many (such as TurboTax 95) are simply renamed applications which can run on
Windows 3.1 (and OS/2 Warp!) as well.
To help alleviate concerns about Win32 binary support, as well as to facilitate
native application development, Merlin will include the IBM/Lotus Developers
API Extensions. These additions to the native OS/2 API set allow developers to
build native OS/2 and Win32 applications with a high degree of common code. In
conjunction with the SMART tools included on IBM's Developer Connection CD's,
several vendors were able to have more than 90% of their Win32 applications up
and running as native OS/2 apps in less than five days!
Merlin will also be the first OS to integrate OpenDoc runtimes and Java Virtual
Machine support. This release of OS/2 will also mark the first time that
speech recognition for navigation and dictation will be part of the base OS.
This speech recognition technology is based on a 'lite' version of IBM's
VoiceType Dictation technology which will run with any common OS/2-supported
sound card.
10) John W. Thompson, general manager of IBM's Personal Software Products
division says that Merlin will offer improved multimedia and game capabilities,
enhanced plug-and-play features, and an updated BonusPak. It will include
IBM's 'Just Add OS/2 Warp Upgrade Advisor' which simplifies the installation
process. For corporate users, Merlin will offer C-2 security extensions and
improved queue performance. You also get integrated OpenDoc runtime support
(a superset of OLE 2.0) which allows users to embed OLE 2.0 information in OS/2
Warp documents via OpenDoc components in their OS/2 applications. According to
Jeff Dean, IBM's OS/2 Warp Product Development Manager, Merlin also features an
integrated WebExplorer, and a Java virtual-machine runtime environment.
Instead of requiring Java applications to run from a Web browser window, IBM
has given them their own Virtual Machine (like DOS and Windows applications),
which means developers can build truly portable applications for their
customers.
11) Don't forget about IBM's Personal Software Services page on the Internet.
Checkout (and HOTLIST!) "http://ps.software.ibm.com". From here, you can
download all kinds of fixes and updates or read detailed technical tips and
hints. For example, if you have difficulty installing an original copy of OS/2
Warp (shipped in October 1994) on a brand new machine, your system may require
updated device drivers not on older installation diskettes. Never fear, you
can download from this site updates to your OS/2 Warp Installation diskettes,
the latest FixPaks AND the latest extensions (for example, instead of waiting
for Merlin, you can add IBM's Developer Extensions, OpenDoc runtime support,
and Security Extensions to an existing OS/2 Warp/Connect system).
12) Before fixes are posted for general use, they're made available privately
to those who report the problems. Now, generally speaking, you shouldn't try
other people's fixes, BUT if you take a peek at IBM's
"ftp://testcase.boulder.ibm.com/ps/fromibm/tcpip/" you'll stumble across
WEBXV11B.ZIP. I've been running this a week or so, and it's WebExplorer 1.1b.
Word has it this will soon (perhaps by the time you read this) officially
replace 1.03b. This is NOT to be confused with IBM's Secure WebExplorer (also
in a 1.1b version), NOR is it Java-enabled. Just a more stable version of
1.03b -- a list of additional fixes is included. If you're interested in Java,
IBM has a 'technology demonstration' of this available via
"http://www3.hursley.ibm.com/demos/index.htm". In addition to Java, you can
also experiment with IBM's Internet links to DB2, CICS, and Lotus Notes.
Credits
As usual I owe thanks to many people for identifying, verifying, As usual I owe
thanks to many people for identifying, verifying, and contributing information
for this article. They include Mark Neumann (IBM Milwaukee), Carolyn Easter
(IBM Austin), and Kris Kwilas (IBM Chicago). The on-line collection of these
TechNotes can be downloaded from IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet at "http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/technote/technote.htm".
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. TechNotes Article #11 (June/July 1996) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #11 (June/July 1996)
It's another HOT summer (in the Northern hemisphere!), and I've got more
sizzling items about IBM software products and support offerings for you.
1) If you check the previous TechNotes article, you'll recall that PCWeek did
some bench marking of single-processor OS/2 Warp Server versus 4-way SMP
Netware 4.1 and NT Server 4.0. Even with one processor, OS/2 Warp Server beat
the other two NOSs. Well, Warp Server SMP is almost ready, and according to
PCWeek, unlike Netware 4.1 which did NOT improve file/print performance with
multiple processors, OS/2 Warp Server showed 70-300% improvement with two-four
processors! Checkout "http://www.pcweek.com/archive/1328/pcwk0088.htm" for
more details.
2) An HTML version of current and past TechNotes is FINALLY available on the
Internet! While an INF version has been available for some time for FTP
downloading (see reference at bottom of note), you can now read these online,
including LIVE Internet links for URLs mentioned in the articles. Access these
from the BESTeam US home page at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/rebna.html". Choose the FAQ option, find
a pointer to TechNotes, and hotlist/bookmark it! Let me know if you find this
useful or if some links have become outdated (the Internet changes VERY
FAST!).
3) Here are some HOT Internet URLs for you! a) To keep up to date on the
latest IBM Java information, visit "http://ncc.hursley.ibm.com/javainfo/". b)
IBM provides information on the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games at
"http://www.atlanta.olympic.org" on the World Wide Web.
4) Things on the Internet (or In-TRA-net or Inter-NAL-net) aren't always what
they may appear to be! Software publishers such as IBM and Lotus are adding
Web interfaces to other kinds of systems as quickly as possible. So, when you
access a site (such as "http://www.lotus.com") with your favorite Web browser,
you're not necessarily getting information from a Web server, but a Lotus Notes
server instead! Notes 4.1 (now available) isn't the only type of web-enabled
software server out there. If you'd like to see what a web-enabled IBM DB2
database looks like, the New York Times is using it to provide a job search
capability on the Internet! Go to "http://www.careerpath.com/" and you can
search current newspaper employment ads in one to eight major US cities, by one
or more job categories for a job that meets your needs. Thus, the New York
Times can provide a better service to their classified ad customers (those who
pay for the ads) by offering the broadest coverage (online and print) of any
other job recruiting vehicle. IBM's DB2/WWW gateway allows the Web Page HTML
to be translated into an SQL query and converts the results back to HTML for
display by any web browser. This is a terrific example of IBM technology which
has great potential for corporate internal or public use.
5) IBMs Global Network (Advantis in the US) has finally seen the light about
being very competitive as an Internet Service Provider. Original pricing has
been DRASTICALLY reduced. Previously, the best rate was $30 for 30 hours per
month. Now, the best rate is $20 for UNLIMITED use. Subscribers to the old
30/30 plan will automatically be converted to the new plan. If you havent
subscribed to IBM previously, theres customer registration software built into
the BonusPak of OS/2 Warp, and standard with Warp Connect and Warp Server. If
you have an older OS/2 Warp, the telephone number list is probably obsolete.
Use FTP to access "ftp://ftp.ibm.net/pub/Advantis" and download the latest
PHONE.LST (and perhaps MODEM.LST) files. Copy these to OS/2s \TCPIP\ETC (or
\MPTN\ETC as appropriate) directory, and youll be all set. IBM Advantis now
has 600 world-wide local access numbers in 45 countries, and 330 of 350 US
local access numbers now support V.34 (28.8). Support for 33.6 is now
beginning to roll-out. See PHONE.LST (above) for current details. If you
travel, IBM/Advantis can be your best option for Internet Access (no
international traveling surcharges!). This also offers you use of IBMs
"Retrieve Software Updates" function for easily accessing updating Internet
software. Note: Even though you may be using \MPTN\ETC for configuration files,
Retrieve Software Updates MAY download phone list updates to \TCPIP\ETC
instead. So, check there in case you have problems, and copy/move files
appropriately.
6) Adobe now has available a beta of their popular Acrobat utility (and
NetScape plug-in) natively for OS/2. Download your copy of the Acrobat Amber
(3.0) PDF file viewer from "http://www.adobe.com/Amber".
7) Many users of OS/2s WebExplorer may not be aware that a customizable plug-in
capability exists for them. This allows you to define helper applications for
viewing non-HTML files from the Internet. A large number of popular file types
have been defined and are listed in the [viewers] section of the EXPLORE.INI
file in either \TCPIP\ETC or \MPTN\ETC. WebExplorers Configure-Viewers
pull-downs allow you to change any standard viewers to other applications you
may prefer. By the way, pre-configured multimedia browser programs such as
ab.exe (Audio Browser), vb.exe (Video Browser), and ib.exe (Image Browser) are
NOT installed automatically. These programs are part of the Multimedia Viewer
in the BonusPak (OS/2 Merlin WILL install these automatically).
8) The standard multimedia viewers may not work with the latest version of a
particular file type. One example may be QuickTime movies. Practice
Corporation recently announced QuickMotion for OS/2 (SRP 49.95 USD) which plays
QuickTime 1.0 movies. Install it as an OS/2 multimedia plug-in, and use
WebExplorers Configure-Viewers to point QuickTime file types to QuickMotion.
For more information, visit "http://www.practice.xo.com".
9) WebExplorers Configure-Viewers does NOT allow you to add NEW file types,
such as for RealAudio streams, or Acrobat PDF files. Rest assured, there IS a
way to do this with your favorite text editor (this is documented very well
with the Adobes OS/2 Acrobat readme file). Heres a summary. First of all, do
NOT add anything to the [viewers] section of EXPLORE.INI. Instead, first
determine whether your EXPLORE.INI resides in \MPTN\ETC or \TCPIP\ETC. Modify
the [advanced] section of EXPLORER.INI file (back it up first, please!) to
point to two new files (which youre about to create). Add lines for
MAILCAP.CAP and EXTMAP.EXT. For example:
mailcap=d:\mptn\etc\mailcap.cap
extmap=d:\mptn\etc\extmap.ext
(as two separate lines, where "d:\mptn\etc" is your EXPLORE.INI directory).
In this same directory, you now need to create MAILCAP.CAP and EXTMAP.EXT.
Here is a sample two-line MAILCAP.CAP file to define Adobe Acrobat and
RealAudio:
D:\AMBEROS2\ACROREAD.EXE
realaudio; d:\raplayer\rago.cmd %s
"d:" refers to the drive where these applications are installed).
Here is the corresponding two-line EXTMAIL.EXT file to define Acrobat and
RealAudio:
pdf pdf
realaudio ram ra
10) While you already have an excellent Web browser in OS/2s Web Explorer, some
of you have wanted to run NetScape Navigator instead. There have been a few
problems interfacing Navigator to OS/2s TCP/IP stack, for which updates are now
available from "ftp://ftp.ibm.net/pub". There are two separate updates, one
for OS/2 Warp Connect and the other for OS/2 Warp Server. DIFFERENT files are
modified (due to differing TCP/IP code bases), so if you need to apply this,
ensure you get the correct package. Advantis subscribers can get these via the
"Retrieve Software Updates" icon. NOTE: The only version of NetScape Navigator
currently supported is 2.02, the 16-bit Windows version. This does NOT support
JAVA applications. NetScape is reportedly working on a 32-bit version of
Navigator 3.0 (with JAVA support) for OS/2 which MAY be included in OS/2 Warp
Merlin when it ships this fall. Whichever browser ships, OS/2 Merlin will still
support JAVA applets and applications OUTSIDE the browser in an operating
system Virtual Machine (much like DOS or Windows applications today). Stand by
for more details.
11) After a successful OS/2 Warp Connect installation, a user recently got a
message that OS/2 cannot operate the hard disk drive! Well, this message can
be a result of using the FDISK utility on a multiple hard drive system.
Creating a PRIMARY partition on a second or third hard drive will CHANGE the
drive letters of any earlier EXTENDED partitions! Under DOS and OS/2 Warp, all
Primary disk partitions are assigned drive letters prior to any Extended disk
partitions. If an OS/2 Warp's drive letter changes after install, OS/2 will
not operate. Solution: Delete the offending primary partition via FDISK.
Prevention: Create all primary partitions on all drives prior to creating any
extended partitions and/or installing any operating system.
12) Did you ever have a user set an OS/2 desktop lockup password, and then
forgot what it was? It's a real pain, especially when you chose the "Lock on
startup" option! Well, since we're all human, there IS a way to clear it when
necessary without destroying any of your other desktop settings. When an OS/2
system starts, you'll see a white square next to "OS/2". Quickly press ALT-F1,
and you'll be taken to a blue "Recovery Choices" screen. Select option "C" to
go to an OS/2 command prompt and key: CD\OS2 (press enter), and then key:
MAKEINI OS2.INI LOCK.RC (enter). This will update your desktop's LOCKUP
resource (RC is an OS/2 resource compiler file type) to one with a blank
password. After this completes successfully, reboot the system. Don't forget
to then set a new desktop password which will be remembered!
13) Merlin Betas SHIPPED! Those of you who have been reading the past few
TechNotes have seen descriptions of included functions. BESTeam member Ed
March not only immediately installed his beta, but he used Merlins included
VoiceType Dictation to DICTATE a lengthy (and positive) e-mail message about
it. To help launch VoiceType Dictation with OS/2 Merlin, the actual
shrink-wrap will likely include a special noise-canceling headset. If youd
like a sneak preview of this microphone, visit Andrea Electronics at
"http://www.AndreaElectronics.com/" and checkout their ANC500 product. It
comes with power adapters and a battery pack ready for use with just about any
desktop or notebook computer. More info about IBMs award-winning VoiceType
Dictation product can be obtained from
"http://www.software.ibm.com/workgroup/voicetyp/vtarcade.html".
Credits
As usual I owe thanks to many people for identifying, verifying, and
contributing information for this article. They include Kris Kwilas and Michal
Milton (IBM Chicago) and Ed March. The on-line collection of these TechNotes
can be downloaded from IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet at "http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/technote/technote.htm".
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.
ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. TechNotes Article #12 (October 1996) ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ
TechNotes Article #12 (October 1996)
Well, the kids may have gone back to school, but things sure haven't quieted
down around here! IBM has been humming all summer working on OS/2 Warp Version
4 (now shipping), SMP and Tivoli Systems Management updates to OS/2 Warp
Server, and the NT versions of IBM's Software Server series. Believe me,
there'll be PLENTY of items stuffing your mailbox this fall! However,
TechNotes won't be one of them -- because we've gone electronic! Starting with
this issue, TechNotes will be published only on the World-Wide-Web at
"http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/technote/technote.htm". All back issues
are also available at this URL. Enjoy!
1) Now, a word on technical support. Per an announcement last January, ALL
BESTeam members (applicants as well as qualified) have enjoyed free, unlimited
support on all of IBM's DOS, Windows, and OS/2-related products. That promotion
expired September 30, 1996 for any BESTeam applicants who had NOT completed the
entry technical training or equivalent certification in your specialty area for
any of the BESTeam program levels (Software Member, Professional, and Premier).
If you've at least attended one of the hundreds of classes BESTeam has hosted
free around the US, you're set thru December 31, 1996. If you're not sure,
call BESTeam Member Services at 1-800-IBM-1822, option 6, option 1, to
check/update your status. BESTeam benefits increase as your membership level
does, so it behooves you to ensure you're getting what you're entitled to.
2) Last time I mentioned a fix which allows Netscape Navigator (16-bit WIN-OS2,
version 2.02) to work for users of OS/2 Warp and OS/2 Warp Connect. However, I
neglected to give a specific address on where to get this! Sorry! Kris Kwilas
(BESTeam CD Helpdesk summer intern) has provided a set of instructions that
detail how to get this working under Win-OS/2. Point your current web browser
to "http:// www.students.uiuc.edu/~kwilas/useful.html" and download the .ZIP
file linked in step 2 of the instructions.
3) Of course, since we're dealing at Internet speed here (1 'regular' year
equals FOUR Internet years!), this info is already outdated, as you can now
download from IBM or NetScape, beta version 2.02i of NetScape Navigator for
OS/2. Point your web browser at:
"http://www.internet.ibm.com/browsers/netscape/warp/" to get your copy. Since
the final version of this browser wasn't available in time for the release of
OS/2 Warp 4 (Merlin), that product has a desktop icon pointing to the above URL
for downloading the beta and release versions.
Netscape for OS/2 will run on OS/2 Warp and OS/2 Warp Connect, altho WITHOUT
Java support on these platforms. With OS/2 Warp 4 (which includes Java virtual
machine support), Java web pages should run fine. To use Java applications
under OS/2 Warp v3, you will have to purchase a Java Virtual Machine update kit
from IBM (or just upgrade to OS/2 Warp 4!).
During the NetScape for OS/2 installation, it will ask you two questions: a)
"Would you like to change your default URL from WebExplorer to NetScape
Navigator" and b) Would you like to convert your WebExplorer Quicklist to
NetScape Navigator Bookmarks?". The first means that if you click on a URL
object, would you like NetScape Navigator to be launched instead of
WebExplorer. For the second, on a NEW OS/2 Warp 4 installation, you may not
have anything in your Quicklist to convert! However, if you cut-n-paste the
quicklist section of an OS/2 Warp 3 EXPLORE.INI file (found in \TCPIP\ETC or
\MPTN\ETC) into the OS/2 Warp 4 file, NetScape will find all your items and
convert them!
4) After installing an OS/2 upgrade, FixPak, or some applications, you're
required to re-boot your system so that changes can take effect. Beware,
sometimes you need to reboot TWICE! Since OS/2 is running while the
installation or upgrade takes place, certain files which are in use are
'locked' and can't be updated right away. So, after an update re-boot, you may
see messages about the "Locked File Device Driver". OS/2 contains a procedure
where if certain required files can't be updated, they're placed in a temporary
directory, and a special device driver is placed at the top of the CONFIG.SYS
file. At the next re-boot, this special driver loads before most OS/2
subsystems, and updates all listed files. If 'Locked Files' are processed, you
should shut-down and re-boot AGAIN before running your system.
If you have several system updates to perform, you MIGHT be tempted to skip the
shut-down and re-boot step between updates. DON'T DO THIS! You see, if one
update prepared a list of files for the 'Locked File' device driver, a second
update prior to a re-boot might overwrite this list (causing an incomplete
first update) and/or invoke the 'Locked File' device driver a second time,
causing a system hang.
Moral of the story: If the system tells you to reboot before using, do it! If
during the reboot you see that the 'Locked File' device driver was used, after
it's finished booting, shut-down and re-boot one more time. This will ensure
that your updates are applied as IBM intended them, and you'll have fewer
headaches to deal with (take it from one who KNOWS!).
5) If you haven't cleaned up your disk drive lately, you may be able to reclaim
quite a few MEGABYTES of space in use by TEMPORARY files which weren't deleted.
Each time your system boots, CHKDSK is usually run, and occasionally 'lost'
clusters are found. These used to be placed in the root directory of the boot
drive; usually it's safe to erase any *.CHK files discovered. With OS/2 Warp
version 3, instead of putting these in the root directory, a special directory,
\FOUND.000 is created, and *.CHK files are located there -- clean 'em out if
you haven't missed them!
However, I found the MOST reclaimable space was generated by sloppy DOS and
Windows programs. You can usually find these unused temporary files by
searching for filenames which begin with a tilde "~" and that have a file
extension of *.TMP. Examine OS/2's AUTOEXEC.BAT file; you should find TWO
'temp' environment variables (one for DOS, and one for Windows), like these:
SET TMP=D:\
SET TEMP=D:\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\TEMP
In this case, "D:\" is the root directory of my boot drive. Since the DOS "TMP"
variable is set for the root directory of the boot drive, it's easy to spot
these files; if DOS applications aren't currently active, it's probably safe to
delete them. What I'd forgotten about, however, were any Windows 'temp' files;
they're BURIED in the subdirectory tree. I found that Freelance for Windows
had left a LOT of these laying around! Check yours out, and if no Windows
applications are currently in use, you should be able to safely erase any
"\OS2\MDOS\WINOS2\TEMP\~*.TMP files.
To make the job easier the NEXT time, edit the above lines in OS/2's
AUTOEXEC.BAT to read:
SET TMP=D:\FOUND.000
SET TEMP=D:\FOUND.000
(if it doesn't already exist, create the \FOUND.000 directory on your OS/2 boot
drive). This way, any temporary files generated by CHKDSK, DOS, or Windows
applications will all go to a single place which you can check on a regular
basis. Of course, via the OS/2 Drives object, you can create a 'shadow'
(shortcut, alias) of the \FOUND.000 directory, and place it somewhere you'll
look regularly (perhaps even on your desktop). Just drag any "~*.TMP" or
"*.CHK" files found there to the shredder (assuming you're sure you or any
running application doesn't need them), and you'll keep extra free space on
your drive.
6) You also may find an OS/2 'temp' environment variable in your CONFIG.SYS
file, like this one:
SET TMP=d:\tcpip\tmp
This one is used for OS/2's WebExplorer, for caching web documents (*.HTM) and
images (*.GIF, *.JPG, etc) for use during a WebExplorer session. The quantity
cached is set in WebExplorer Options. You should be able to safely erase all
of these (if WebExplorer isn't running) EXCEPT WEBMAP.HTM. While you CAN erase
this particular file, you MAY want to re-use it. WebExplorer usually
regenerates this file each session from your Quicklist. During your session it
adds to this file all the new URLs you visit, and you can display this list by
clicking on the 'world' icon on WebExplorer's button bar. If you'd like to
start a new WebExplorer session with the previous session's WEBMAP (just in
case you didn't hotlist everywhere you visited, ensure that your WebExplorer
icon has an 'association' setting for *.HTM and *.HTML. Now, use the Drives
icon to locate "\tcpip\tmp\webmap.htm", and create a 'shadow' (shortcut, alias)
of this. Place the shadow in your "Internet Connection" or "TCPIP" folder, or
wherever you normally start WebExplorer from. For future WebExplorer sessions,
click on this shadow instead of WebExplorer, and you'll start with last
session's map. Neat, eh?
7) If you saw IBM's "Beyond The Net" broadcast on October 8th, you probably
heard about IBM's new "Network Station". This is one of those 'network
computers' you may have heard about in the trade press. For those of you who
have heard some of the raging debates about the usefulness of these devices
versus full-fledged "Wintel" PCs, let me see if I can clarify where this device
fits and does not fit. IMHO, network computers are NOT designed to replace
existing PCs! At this point in time, these devices do NOT offer 'personal
productivity' applications (such as word processors, spreadsheets, etc) --
altho watch this space for word of these applications being developed for Java,
instead of Windows or OS/2! Rather, they offer a simpler upgrade path for the
MILLIONS of 'fixed function' (dumb) terminals currently installed around the
world. For $699 (USD) this device offers Java and X-Windows support, and
terminal emulation for 5250 and 3270-type terminals. This give your 'dumb'
terminal users a less expensive (and less complex) migration path to
'network-centric' computing. IBM's device includes a network adapter (token
ring or ethernet; no modem at this time), and uses a DHCP server (such as OS/2
Warp Server or NTAS) to provide it an IP address. All you have to do is add an
SVGA display, and users are ready to use their existing AS/400, S/390 or
X-Windows applications, as well as any corporate in-tra-net or World-Wide-Web
Internet facilities. For more information on this exciting device, checkout:
"http://www.internet.ibm.com/computers/networkstation/".
8) Sometimes it seems as if everyone talks about security on the Internet
(World-Wide-Web), but no one does anything about it. Until now. Some of you
may be familiar with the term 'firewall', which essentially is a security
gateway which allows internal in-tra-net users to access the World-Wide-Web,
but doesn't allow outsiders in. IBM's own firewall product is now available for
sale to customers. It's called the "Secured Network Gateway" (runs on IBM's
RS/6000 RISC computers), and in the EIGHT YEARS IBM has been using it, it's
NEVER been breached! In addition to this proven track record, now it has been
CERTIFIED by the National Computer Security Association (NCSA). Information
about NCSA's firewall certification testing procedures, as well as a list of
products currently certified is posted on the NCSA web pages at
"http://www.ncsa.com". For more information on the IBM's "Secured Network
Gateway" (or SNG for short), see "http://www.ics.raleigh.ibm.com/firewall/".
9) Occasionally I get the impression that more people have heard of Lotus'
DOMINO product than Notes itself! What many don't realize, are Domino's
implications. If you thought Lotus Notes was "Proprietary Groupware", you may
not realize that a free Domino download not only turns a Notes server into a
Web Server (by allowing Web Browser users instead of just Lotus Notes Client
users), but it can mean a SUBSTANTIAL reduction in the cost of implementing
Lotus Notes and/or a SUBSTANTIAL increase in the power and capability of a
corporate in-tra-net! Prior to Domino, a Lotus Notes network would about cost
$500 (USD, single-processor) for the server, and about $75 (USD) software
charge for each user's client software. Domino means that a Web Browser can be
used instead of the Notes Client software -- this not only reduces the layers
of software in each user's PC, but it significantly reduces costs! My math
says that a 40-user Notes network which would have cost $3,500 (USD) before
Domino, costs just $500 (USD) AFTER a free Domino download, since you aren't
required to purchase the Lotus Notes Client. You do still need a Web Browser
of some kind, but these are usually free downloads or bundled with operating
systems such as OS/2 Warp 4 or Windows 95. Further, in eliminating the client
software purchase requirement, Lotus did NOT implement a 'user access fee' for
Notes servers (like you find with Microsoft's NT Advanced Server). Take
advantage of the opportunity, and use Notes/Domino to power your customer's
intranets. As an added bonus, all Lotus Notes applications (including the
bundled ready-to-use templates) become intranet or Internet applications when
used through Domino! Check it out at "http://domino.lotus.com" !!!
10) You may already know "http://www.software.ibm.com" is the fastest, easiest
way to find anything you need to know about IBM software. However, if you'd
rather the information come to you (instead of you going to the information,
IBM's "Software News Alert" can bring you a summary of the latest news about
IBM software, along with World Wide Web URLs you can access for more
information. If you want to receive issues automatically, send an e-mail to
"majordomo@mail.software.ibm.com" with the following command as the first line
of the note:
subscribe swnews-alert
That's all you need to do to have our software 'listserver' add you to our
bimonthly mailing list. Recent issues featured articles and URLs on all kinds
of IBM Software products. For example:
a) "Transaction", IBM's quarterly newsletter for Transaction Server, is
available on the Internet at "http://www.hursley.ibm.com/cics/trans.html".
b) A Business Research Group comparison of network operating systems found that
OS/2 Warp Server outperformed Windows NT and NetWare in tasks crucial to
managing a network. OS/2 Warp Server also had the lowest average cost of labor
at large LAN sites. See "http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/costbrg.html" for
more details.
c) Three new multimedia database extenders for DB2 support video, audio, and
image data types. For the latest information, access
"http://www.software.ibm.com/software/news96.html".
d) IBM's MQ Series was named "best middleware" in receiving a "Well-Connected
Award" from Network Computing magazine's editors. You can find "MQ", the
magazine of MQ Series, on the Internet (in three languages!) at
"http://www.hursley.ibm.com/mqseries/mq".
e) AS/400 Web Connection (part of OS/400 V3 R2) transforms an AS/400 midrange
computer into a Web server, integrates Lotus Notes, offers more built-in
security against hackers and viruses, and now supports Windows 95 and Apple
Macintosh clients. See "http://www.as400.ibm.com/announce/announce.htm" for
more details.
f) Tivoli announced two channel-ready solutions for managing workgroup and
enterprise environments -- TME10 NetFinity Server for OS/2 V4, and TME10
Management Server for AIX. The OS/2 version is also included in the OS/2 Warp
Server SMP update (free for Advanced owners). See
"http://www.tivoli.com/corporate/News/tme10svr.html" for more product details.
Biggest news is that you can now manage a server or clients from a Web Browser;
don't have to have special management software installed!
11) Last, but not least, Michal Milton of the BESTeam CD Helpdesk in Chicago,
found a solution to a problem irritating myself and others. Your CD-ROM drive
letter assignment can change due to adding a hard drive or by re-partitioning
an existing one. However, the next time you wish to install a printer driver
or Selectively Install or change something from the OS/2 CD-ROM, it always
prompts you for the original installation drive letter! How do you fix it?
Well, you need to edit some OS/2 *.INI files. Unlike Windows, however, these
are binary, not plain text. OS/2 doesn't ship with an INI file editor, but
there are a number of them available shareware (I've included one of them,
INITOR11.ZIP as part of the TECHNOTE.ZIP file, for your convenience).
Start INITOR, and choose "Profiles - User Profile". In the "Application" box,
scroll down to "PM_INSTALL". Next, in the "Key Name" box (to the right) select
"PDR_DIR", and in the box at the bottom you should see the ASCII text of your
original CD-ROM (or LAN drive) assignment, along with the path "\OS2IMAGE".
Select "Edit Application" from the menu bar, make your desired changes, and
from the menu bar select "Save - Changes".
Now from the menu bar choose "Profiles - Open Other" and select "REINSTAL.INI"
(from the \os2\install directory). Application Name is "InstallWindow", Key
Name is "SOURCEPATH". Again "Edit Application from the menu bar, make your
desired changes, and from the menu bar select "Save - Changes". That's it,
shut down, re-boot, and you're all set.
Note: While you MAY have originally installed from your local CD-ROM drive, if
you've permanently mounted the OS/2 Warp (Connect) version 3 or 4 CD-ROM in a
network server CD-ROM drive which is always attached at the same drive letter
(say R: for example), you can use the above procedure so that you'll always
default to the LAN CD-ROM drive instead of your local one. If the LAN's not
available, you can still mount the CD-ROM locally and override the path name at
installation/update time.
Credits
As usual I owe thanks to many people for identifying, verifying, and
contributing information for this article. They include Kris Kwilas
(University of Illinois), Kim Lockwood (IBM BESTeam Dallas), and Michal Milton
(BESTeam CD Helpdesk, Chicago). The on-line collection of these TechNotes can
be downloaded from IBM's BBS.
Miscellaneous
If you have any OS/2 Warp TechNotes of your own which you'd like to share with
others, please send them to me by email at CJNOVAK@VNET.IBM.COM or FAX to
1-312-245-2069. Submissions cannot be acknowledged individually, but will be
recognized in the column they are used in. Thanks for your help and support!
You'll find TECHNOTE.ZIP on IBM's BBS (1-919-517-0001) in the "OS/2 Text Files"
section. Or, you can FTP it via the Internet from "ftp://ftp.pcco.ibm.com" in
the directory "/pub/pccbbs/os2_text_files". For membership information about
IBM's BESTeam program and the benefits VARs and Integrators can receive, please
call 1-800-IBM-1822, Option 6, Option 1 (in Canada that's 1-800-IBM-CALL x371).
An index of HTML versions of current and past TechNotes are available on the
Internet at "http://www.software.ibm.com/sw-sell/technote/technote.htm".
Author Information
Chris Novak is a Senior Technical Development Manager with IBM in Chicago. A
Certified OS/2 Warp Engineer, he works with IBM Software Channel customers.