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                                 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 2.0 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   

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. 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.  

WARNING   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 ATFLFM 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 WD100 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  EL  
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 COMPSUR on other network preparation  programs  
    such as Disk Manager  to prepare the disk for operation, but  
    do  NOT  format the disk at this point. 

4)  After  performing  the COMPSUR operation,  proceed with  the  
    SYSLOA procedures.  PLEASE NOTE that if you are using Novell  
    EL 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  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  
    COMPSUR to properly operate. 

4)  After completing the surface analysis and disk initialization  
    segments of COMPSURF,  you may proceed with the actual NETGE  
    operation and installation. You will notice that the COMPSURF  
    and NETGE 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  (or  higher  
letter  designations level microcode and the RE 1. (or  higher   
artwork  level of the PS180-16F.    If you have a RE 1.  board,  
utilizing  the   microcode,  certain EC changes musy be made to  
the  board to ensure that it retains the compatibility in all  of  
the above cases.

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