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1993-08-17
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Fast Load - Version 1.50
Copyright 1993 Omega Point, Inc. All rights reserved
& Copyright 1991-2 Microsystems Software, Inc.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
WHAT IS FAST LOAD ?
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Fast Load (FL.EXE) is a unique productivity tool which makes maximum
use of available EMS or XMS on your computer to provide instant
Execution Loading of .EXE, .COM, and .OVL type files. Additionally,
it can cache DAT, BAT and other data files. Since Fast Load provides
user control over which files are kept in the EMS/XMS memory it
enhances the disk i/o even if you use disk cache programs.
Simply put FL.EXE in your autoexec.bat file and a list of the executable,
data or bat files in an FL.DAT file (same subdirectory as FL.EXE) or
on the command line. Any time that DOS (or any of your applications)
attempts to load these programs, they will be loaded from EMS or XMS
instead. The UNREGISTERED version is limited to a maximum of 7 files.
The REGISTERED version ($39) is limited only by your available EMS/XMS.
Advantages of Fast Load vs. RAM Disk
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. The file sizes on the RAM disk are rounded up to cluster size
(typically 1-2K), thus wasting on average of 1/2 cluster per file or
more for lots of small files.
Fast Load packs files tightly one after the other wasting no XMS/EMS
memory. It also preprocesses the EXE header and relocation table which
reduces the size even more (you'll find space taken is often smaller
than the EXE file size - use /C (calculate) option to display this
info).
2. In order to vary the number of programs stored on RAM disks, you
need to edit config.sys and change obscure command line arguments for
the device driver. That requires calculation of exe file sizes that
one needs. Otherwise you have to allocate lots of spare space, which
will often leave lots of unused RAM.
With Fast Load, you just place program names into the FL.DAT file, all
size calculation is done by Fast Load. Adding a few more programs on
one time basis can be done on the FL command line via the /P switch,
without even editing FL.DAT.
3. Many applications use the directory (drive) they were executed from
to find associated data files. This requires copying of such files to
RAM disk and back before your machine gets turned off, which can be
unsafe in case of a system crash.
Fast Load simulates execution from the original drive and path, thus
the applications can properly locate their data files.
4. With RAM disk the exec processing is done by DOS which searches RAM
drive directories, FAT, clusters, calls device driver, processes EXE
information,...etc.
Fast Load keeps all files in contiguous memory blocks and does no
directory searches (it uses fast hash-lookup). By eliminating two
layers of processing (DOS and RAM driver) as well as by preprocessing
EXE relocation info (at Fast Load load time) the execution is much
quicker than from RAM disk.
5. The Resident Size of Fast Load is 5K which is half or less than a
typical RAM Disk driver would take.
6. Fast Load can be unloaded at any time to release XMS/EMS and the 5K
used by the TSR. RAM drivers require reboot to release memory.
Advantages of Fast Load vs DISK Cache
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Disk cache uses sector granularity (1/2K per sector). This wastes
XMS/EMS memory similarly to cluster granularity with RAM disks.
2. Disk cache has to flush its RAM buffers as the new disk i/o occurs,
thus a large file copy will remove all previous content of the cache.
With Fast Load you decide which files are kept in the RAM and these
files are read from the disk only once, at load time. With regular
disk cache, the same files may be reloaded from the disk many times
since the cache driver cannot predict as well as you can which files
you need more often.
3. Disk CACHE drivers add another layer of processing (cache
management) compared to RAM disks, thus they are three layers of
processing less efficient than Fast Load.
4. Disk CACHE drivers are much bigger than even RAM Disk drivers due to
complexity and large tables of fast cache management, thus much more
resident memory (or UMB's) is taken by cache drivers than by Fast Load.
5. The cache drivers are often loaded as device drivers, thus they
can't be unloaded (to release cache memory) without rebooting.
6. Disk CACHE drivers access hard disk at low level to fill/flush
cache. This can easily destroy ALL hard disk data in case of any
errors, bugs, conflicts, lockups in the cache drivers, and other
applications.
Fast Load is perfectly safe for the hard disk since it accesses disk
only at load time, using high level DOS and read only access of the
executable files. Thus it can't do any harm in any system state.
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
REGISTRATION, PRICING & OPERATION
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Files in the Fast Load package
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
FL.EXE - Fast Load Executable Program
FL.DAT - Example file containing Fast-Loadable files
REGFL.EXE - Program to Register and Unlock FL.EXE for more than
7 executable files. CALL Omega Point at (508) 877-1819
$39 MasterCARD, VISA, AMEX accepted. After registering,
you may use this for re-register of any Updates etc.
MTRAP.COM - Speeds up Mouse Resetting (see below)
LWATCH.EXE - LOGs EXEC calls to a file LWATCH.DAT (in current dir) to
allow analysis of Most Frequently EXECuted programs.
Normally loaded only for testing unless you are the Pay-
Per-View type of person.
SETFL.COM - Use in Batch files to turn on/off Fastload as follows:
(SETFL + or SETFL -)
FL.VER - FL.EXE Revision History File
MM.COM - Display Resident Memory Map or MM X for EMS/XMS usage
FASTLOAD.DOC - This file
REGISTRATION
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Fast Load (FL.EXE) is NOT a public domain program. It is copyright
(c) 1993 by Omega Point, Inc. All rights reserved.
This software and accompanying documentation are protected by
United States and international copyright and/or patent law.
You are granted a limited license to use this software for evaluation
purposes for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days. If you intend to
continue using this software after this period, please register your
copy by calling Omega Point and obtaining an Unlock Code.
After you have used FL for this reasonable evaluation period, you should
either discontinue use of the program or purchase a licensed copy from
Omega Point. Your support is important and greatly appreciated. With it,
shareware authors are encouraged to design and distribute new products.
Without it, a great deal of high quality, low cost software will cease to
be available.
SUPPORT & REGISTRATION may be obtained from:
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Omega Point, Inc.
25 Birch Road
Framingham, MA 01701
TEL (508) 877-1819 Sales, Registration
(508) 877-4853 Technical support
FAX (508) 877-0915
BBS (508) 875-8009 1200/2400 N-8-1
BBS (508) 626-2481 9600 HST-Dual
Please leave any support BBS questions to username: RATKO TOMIC
PRICING (per order basis)
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