ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÂÄ¿ ÚÄÄÄ¿ Â Â ÚÄ¿ Â ÚÄÄÄ¿ ÚÄÂÄ¿ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ³ ³ ³ ³ Á ³ ÃÄÄÄÙ ³ ³ þþþ ³ ³ ³ ÃÄ ³ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÀÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÙ Á Á Á ÀÄÄÄÙ Á ÀÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÙ Á ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÚÄÄ¿ ¿ ÚÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄ¿ ÚÄÄ¿ Ú ¿ Â Â Â Â ÚÄÄ¿ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÚÄÄÙ ³ Ä´ Ä Ä´ ³ ³ ÃÄÄ¿ Ä ³ ÀÄÄÅ ÀÄÄÅ ³ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÀÄÄÙ Á ÀÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÙ Á Á Á Á ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉ ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ Compliments of The P e r S t o r S u p p o r t B o a r d FidoNet 1:102/523 AlterNet 7:401/523 213-306-1447 RELEASE DATE: 9/9/88 TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM #1 INTRODUCTION This technical memorandum describes compatibility with certain operating systems and machine combinations. It is intended to provide the installer, dealer, VAR, and OEM with the technical information necessary to install these operating systems. This memo also contains examples of known incompatibilities. FIXDOS The PERSTOR PS180-8XT and PS180-8AT utiliziny the XT9-1.03 and AT9-1.05 BIOS are compatible with PC- and MS-DOS versions 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, and 4.0. The Perstor diskette has been revised to include the new batch program called FIXDOS40 to correct the patch present in and intended only for original IBM AT systems with a motherboard BIOS dated 01/10/84. FIXDOS40 is available on the Perstor Bulletin Board System as well as on the diskette. Users may access the BBS by dialing (213-306-1447). After gaining entry to the BBS, the user should download FIXDOS40.ARC and the necessary de-archiving software. Next, the user should perform the FIXDOS procedure of the operat- ing system diskette. Again, this is only necessary for those users having the PS180-8XT/-8AT Controller in a true IBM AT system with a BIOS dated 01/10/84. There are various corrections and anomalies contained within PC- and MS-DOS version 4.0 and earlier which should be addressed to Microsoft or IBM directly instead of Perstor Systems, Inc. Those corrections deal with the performance and operating consis- tency of DOS, and they are unrelated to the Perstor Controllers. MICROSOFT WINDOWS 386 Windows 286 and 386 versions 2.0³ and 2.± are compatible with the PS180-16F Controllers. In addition, Windows 286 and Windows 386 are compatible with the PS180-8XT and PS180-8AT Controllers. PLEASE NOTE that Windows software must first be copied into a separate subdirectory (such as WINDOWS), and the setup program should be performed from there. This will build the subdirectory known as WIN386, where the actual program will be executed from. Any attempt to build or run thr setup program from the execution subdirectory, WIN386, will result in a failure of setup completion. This problem is related to the nature of Windows 386 and its installation procedure rather than any Perstor product. SCO XENIX SYSTEM µ XENIX, UNIX, and all variations are complex multi-user operating systems which do not perform BIOS calls, but rather deal directly with the controller input and output ports and are therefore highly time dependent. The correct functioning of the operating system depends upon a combination of motherboard architecture, processor speeds, disk subsystem, controller, and operating system. The installer should have sufficient knowledge of these differences to successfully install these systems. Perstor Systems, Inc. has performed tests with SCO XENIX 2.² and found it to be compatible. However, Perstor cannot be responsible for all possible motherboard/BIOS and timing relationships. SCO XENIX 2.2 INSTALLATION 1) Prepare the subsystem, initialize it utilizing the setup program provided on the Perstor diskette, and perform the low-level format using the Perstor ATFLFMT program. 2) Choose the correct drive configuration utilizing the on-board BIOS tables on the PS180-16F Controller. 3) Perform the surface scan function provided within the ATFLFMT program and mark any marginal or defective sectors recorded on the drive before the actual installation of XENIX. 4) Begin the installation procedure contained within the XENIX guide, making all necessary backups and diskette copies as advised. Boot from the installation diskette as described on page 2.¸ of the guide. This page discusses the invocation of the HDINIT program and its subsequent invocation of DKINIT. The DKINIT program will have recognized the 3± sector per track value on the Perstor controller and may be executed as described in the XENIX installation guide. WARNINGº DO NOT attempt to low level format the hard disk attached to the PS180-16F Controller utilizing ANY low level formatting software other than the PERSTOR ATFLFMÔ program. After completing the XENIX installation procedures, your XENIX system will be usable and operational in the standard manner as described by the XENIX software. AT&T UNIX/MICROPORT UNIX/INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS CORPORATION UNIX We believe that the Perstor PS180-16F Controller is compatible with the WD100³ controller in timing characteristics. However, the implementation of the device drivers for various UNIX systems may be different. Though it is our belief that these operating systems will operate and function properly, we cannot assure that the software driver developers have not relief of some different characteristis or timing relationship. NOVELL NETWARE VERSION 2.0 Novell Netware is, again, a highly complex multi-user operating system which is timing dependent upon the instruction execution speed of the host machine, the machine in which the operating system has been generated, the bios contained within the machine, the operating system itself, and the disk drive and controller combination. The user should be thoroughly familiar with these characteristics before attempting an initialization. If a Novell system is generater of one machine and operates on a machine which has a higher execution speed, various errors and false reports or errors will occur. This results from the Novell software performing instruction time-dependent timing of various operations and reporting errors which do not exist. Novell ELÓ and Advanced Netware 28¶ version 2.° do not support any controllers allocating more than 1· sectors per track to the hard disk, without first patching the Novell software. 1) Setup and define the disk utilizing the SETUP program supplied by Perstor Systems, Inc. choosing the correct drive table entry from the menu provided on the screen. 2) Perform the low-level format using the Perstor ATFLFMT program, scan the surface, and mark any defective sectors labeled by the manufacturer, whether they have been detected by the initial scan using ATFLFMT or not. 3) You may use COMPSURÆ on other network preparation programs such as Disk Manager Î to prepare the disk for operation, but do NOT format the disk at this point. 4) After performing the COMPSURÆ operation, proceed with the SYSLOAÄ procedures. PLEASE NOTE that if you are using Novell ELÓ or Advanced Netware version 2.° you will need to utilize the patches provided in the attached addendum and available through the Perstor BBS. These patches overcome the 1· sector per track limitation of the Novell software. NOVELL NETWARE 286 VERSION 2.11 This program must be generated on the machine utilizing the generation parameters prescribed by Novell. Again, this develops a highly timing dependent operating system which can be successfully installed and operates providing the installing contractor is knowledgeable of the timing related software issues discussed above. 1) Setup and define the disk utilizing the setup program supplied by Perstor Systems, Inc. choosing the correct drive table entry from the menu provided on the screen. 2) Perform the low level format using the Perstor ATFLFMT program, perform the surface scan and mark any defective or marginal sectors labeled by the manufacturer, whether they have been detected by the initial scan using ATFLFMT or not. 3) You may Use COMPSURF or other network preparation programs such as Disk Manager Î to prepare the disk for operation, but do not format the disk at this point. Again, you must have a machine with the correct operating characteristics for COMPSURÆ to properly operate. 4) After completing the surface analysis and disk initialization segments of COMPSURF, you may proceed with the actual NETGEÎ operation and installation. You will notice that the COMPSURF and NETGEÎ programs will have recognized the 3± or 3´ sector per track characteristics on the Perstor controllers. After this procedure is completed as defined by Novell, the system will operate in the prescribed manner. NOVELL 86 The Perstor PS180-8XT and PS180-8AT controllers are compatible with Novell Netwarr 86, providing that the low level format has been performed using the PS2FMT program supplied by Perstor Systems, Inc. TECHNICAL MACHINE DIFFERENCES AND COMPATIBILITY ISSUES The test process on the PS180-8XT, PS180-8AT, and PS180-16F products has included a variety of equipment, ranging from the original IBM AT (1/10/84) to the COMPAQ 386, various clones, and various hard disk drives. These tests rely on the Ê (or higher letter designations level microcode and the REÖ 1.³ (or higher artwork level of the PS180-16F. If you have a REÖ 1.² board, utilizing the Ê microcode, certain ECÎ changes musy be made to the board to ensure that it retains the compatibility in all of the above cases. old BBS text Comments