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Date:	Wed, 17 Sep 2003 20:11:02 PDT7
From:	Steve Carter <scarter@vcnet.com >
Reply-To:	scoug-help@scoug.com
To:	scoug-help@scoug.com
Subject:	SCOUG-Help: HPFS386 How-To (1997)

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Saved from a Usenet post, now six years old ....
I've not tried it. You're on your own here....

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From: mdemooij@xs4all.nl (M.M.L. de Mooij)
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.setup.storage
Subject: Re: HPFS386
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 00:34:13 GMT
Message-ID: <3304be7f.43092735@news1.xs4all.nl>
References: <5cbkdb$l85@netnews.ntu.edu.tw>
Reply-To: mdemooij@xs4all.nl

On 25 Jan 1997 00:33:47 GMT, jplin@tvlsi (Jeng-Ping Lin) wrote:
>I've got an I/O intensive program to run. The current HPFS shipped
>with Warp 4 still has the limit 2MB to cache data. I remember
>someone has posted before that HPFS386 in Lan Server could be used
>in Warp and has the capability to cache data more than 2MB.
>Unfortunately, I lost the data I collected. Could someone be kind
>enough to instruct me where to find the info?
>
>--

HPFS386 howto

It took some tinkering, but here goes:

1. get either LS30HPFS.ZIP or LS40HPFS.ZIP. The LAN Server 3.0 version
is easier to install and does not require an HPFS386.INI. Speed
differences are marginal anyway (law of diminishing returns in action,
keep that law in mind when you set your cache size). Both versions
seem (I repeat SEEM) to work well in Warp 4.0, both in a stanalone
situation as well as a networked (peer) situation. As is always
suggested and never done, backup before getting into this kind of
tweaking. I did warn you in time.

I continue on the assumption you got LS30HPFS, which is on Hobbes, I
think. I have the 12/12/95 version.

2. After unzipping and LOADDSKF-ing on a Super Virtual Disk, no time
wasted on floppy disks, you get four files that count: HPFS386.IFS,
CACHE386.EXE and two .MSG files.

3. Create C:\IBM386FS directory and put in the .IFS and .MSG files.
Put CACHE386.EXE into C:\IBMLAN, on the assumption that's your LANroot
directory. Copy the file HPFS200.386 from there into the IBM386FS dir.

4. From the .MSG and the .INF files, you can easily deduce the
parameters you need or want.

5. Use lazy write on the cache.

6. Add these two lines to your CONFIG.SYS BEFORE (I repeat BEFORE) the
existing HPFS.IFS line.

IFS=C:\IBM386FS\HPFS.IFS C:\IBM386FS\HPFS200.386 [+ other options]
RUN=C:\IBMLAN\CACHE386.EXE /lazy:on

7. Do not REM the regular HPFS line yet, as it functions as a safety
catch: should HPFS386 fail for some reason, the normal HPFS will
start, providing acces to your harddisk (which is definitely useful in
such a situation).

8. Reboot, check and enjoy. Now you can REM.

On the following notes, please correct me if I'm wrong, as these
observations are a mixture of fact and assumption.

Afterthoughts
- if you are not going to use more than 2 Mb of cache, it may not be
worth the hassle or that insecure feeling when tampering with such
central issues. Keep those boot diskettes at hand.
- if you can afford something like 8Mb or even 12 for the cache, you
should really notice the change.
- I don't know what HPFS200.386 is good for, please enlighten me.
- Cache eats away RAM for applications. If you run disk-intensive
programs, you'll love the change. If you run RAM hoggers, that's
another matter. If you have RAM in quantity, it won't hurt.

Interesting:
- as the HPFS386 supposedly is a ring 0 driver, versus ring 3 for
HPFS, the 386 version is better in principle.
- even better: as a ring 0 driver with built-in SMB-networking, there
are definite advantages when used in an SMB network environment (i.e.
Win95 and Warp peer networking). The network disk access passes by the
ring 3 stuff, which would otherwise control disk i/o on the Warp peer.
So you gain on two accounts: less CPU work in your OS/2 peer and
faster disk access from the Win95 peer.
- Speaking of which, check your NIC's for full duplexing. Make sure
you use it if your NIC's support it.
- I installed HPFS386 in conjunction with the Intel BusMastering
PIIXide (triton) IDE driver (v.2.06) which itself proved a speed gain,
as it was easier to configure for speed than the standard IBM1s506.ADD
driver.

It works for me. MAYBE it works for you, too.

As disk i/o is not Warp's best feature, any speed gains are welcome.
You may not like this, but even with HPFS386 installed, Win95 still
feels more responsive. Ah well, what can you do.

Cheers/2 you all.

M.M.L. de Mooij
mdemooij@xs4all.nl

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