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NWPA.TXT
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INSTALLATION GUIDE FOR THE SDMS DRIVERS: SYM8XXNW.HAM V4.08.00
SYMHINW.HAM V4.08.00
LSI_U3NW.HAM V5.01.00
This file describes the features and use of the Symbios SDMS NWPA device
drivers for the Novell NetWare v4.11 operating system environment. It
is divided into the following sections:
Introduction
Features
Description
ASPI Support
Installing Your NWPA NetWare Driver
Preparing Your System for NWPA Drivers
For NetWare 5.XX New Installations
For NetWare 4.XX New Installations
For NetWare 4.XX SFT-III Installations
Reconfiguring Driver Options
Command Line Options
Information Options
Using the Help Mode Option
NetWare NWPA Driver Customizable Options
Using the Tagged Queuing Option
Using the Synchronous SCSI Option
Using the Wide SCSI Option
Using the Elevator Threshold Option
Important Additional Information
For Information Pertaining to a Specific Driver
DOS Access Dependencies
Supported DOS Configurations
When Using the SDMS 4.XX BIOS
When Using ASPI8XX.SYS
Supported DOS Drivers
ASPI8XX,SYS
SYMCD.SYS
MSCDEX.EXE
SYMDISK.SYS
When Using No SDMS BIOS
************************* Symbios NWPA Driver *************************
The SDMS NWPA driver for the Novell NetWare operating system allows
you to utilize a Symbios SCSI controller or processor, which is controlled
by the Symbios SCSI BIOS version 4.11, with NetWare. This driver along with
a Symbios SCSI controller or processor and an appropriate Custom Device
Module (CDM), provide a SCSI solution within the NetWare environment.
A single driver is provided for the Novell NetWare versions 4.XX and 5.XX
environments. This document explains how to install and use the Symbios
NWPA SCSI Host Adapter Module (HAM) driver for NetWare.
* * * * * * * * * * * Features * * * * * * * * * * *
o Supports Ultra3 Data Transfers (for chips that support this feature)
o Supports Domain Validation (for LSI_U3.SYS driver only)
o Synchronous negotiation (including Fast SCSI/Ultra SCSI/Ultra2 SCSI)
o Supports multiple host adapters
o Supports multiple Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs)
o Large LUN support (larger than 7.844 Gbytes)
o Supports disconnect/reselect
o Supports tagged command queuing
o Supports simple and ordered queue tags
o Supports scatter/gather
o Supports shared interrupts
o Supports wide SCSI (single-ended and differential)
o Supports NetWare 4.11 SFT-III
o Supports SDMS 4.14 or earlier BIOS (only with ASPI8XX.SYS version
4.08 or greater)
o Supports SDMS 4.15 or later BIOS (without ASPI8XX.SYS)
o Supports SDMS 4.XX DOS drivers
o Handles target initiated negotiation (wide and synchronous)
o Support for SCSI Magneto Optical devices by using NetWare's
SCSI MO.CDM
In conjunction with Novell software:
o Supports the ASPI interface by using NetWare's NWASPI.NLM
o Support for SCSI CD-ROM devices by using NetWare's SCSICD.CDM
o Support for SCSI-2 Tape devices by using NetWare's SCSI2TP.CDM
In addition to the Release Definitions, the following restrictions apply:
o Symmetric Multiprocessing (SMP) under NetWare 4.11 requires the following
files: SCSIHD.DDI, SCSIHD.COM, and NWPA.NLM 2.32f.
o The SCSIHD.COM and SCSIHD.DDI files should be dated 5MAR1998 and version 1.34
or newer for all environments.
o NWPA.NLM must be dated 9FEB1998 and version 2.32f or newer in SMP
environments.
1. To upgrade to SMP after NetWare has been installed and while you are in
the server prompt, type:
load install
A menu appears.
2. Select the Multiprocessor selection.
Then, another menu appears.
3. Select the default:
MPS14
4. Follow the remaining prompts and then exit load install.
5. Down the server, and reboot the system.
Note: Other third party CDMs may also support these devices.
Important Note: Netware may fail to install and operate on systems that
have SYM53C8XX devices on the motherboard that are not directly supported
by Serial EEPROM. For these drivers to operate under these conditions,
"disconnects" must be disabled in the BIOS. Once this issue is resolved
and new drivers are released, the user may access the LSI Logic web site
and download the new drivers.
* * * * * * * * * * Symbios Devices Supported * * * * * * * * *
The SYM8XXNW.HAM supports the following devices and associated Symbios host
adapters:
o SYM53C810, SYM53C810A, SYM53C810AE (SYM8100S, SYM8100ASP)
o SYM53C815 (SYM815XS, SYM8150SP)
o SYM53C825, SYM53C825A (SYM8250S, SYM8251S, SYM8251D, SYM8250ASP, SYM8251ASP,
SYM8251AD)
o SYM53C860, SYM53C860AE (SYM8600SP)
o SYM53C875, SYM53C875E (SYM8750SP, SYM8751SP,SYM8751SPE, SYM8751D)
o SYM53C876 (SYM22801, SYM22802)
o SYM53C885
o SYM53C895 (SYM8951U, SYM8952U)
o SYM53C895A (SYM8953U)
The SYMHINW.HAM supports the following device and associated Symbios host
adapters:
o SYM53C895A (SYM8953U)
o SYM53C896 (SYM22910, SYM21002)
The LSI_U3NW.HAM supports the following device and associated Symbios host
adapters: SYM53C1010 (SYM8955U)
* * * * * * * * * * * Description * * * * * * * * * *
The SDMS NWPA solution consists of the device drivers, SYM8XXNW.HAM,
SYMHINW.HAM, LSI_U3NW.HAM and the NetWare NWPA installation files
SYM8XXNW.DDI, SYMHINW.DDI, LSI_U3NW.DDI.
SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM and LSI_U3NW.HAM are NWPA Host Adapter Modules
(HAMs). In order to support SCSI devices, you must load the HAM module in
conjunction with a SCSI Custom Device Module (CDM). Novell has developed
generic CDMs to support SCSI Hard Drives, SCSI CD-ROM devices, SCSI Magneto
Optical devices, SCSI tape devices, and SCSI changer devices. In addition,
third party vendors are developing CDMs to support their specific devices.
* * * * * * * * * * * ASPI Support * * * * * * * * * *
NWPA ASPI support is provided by using NetWare's NWASPI driver. NetWare, or
third party applications, may use this interface to communicate with a SCSI
device attached to a Symbios controller, including SCSI-2 tape devices.
******************** Installing Your NWPA NetWare Drivers *******************
Install NetWare as described in the Novell NetWare Installation Manual. The
following information is provided to assist in the installation.
The SDMS NWPA NetWare driver must be loaded once for each Symbios controller
SCSI channel present in the system.
* * * * * * * Preparing Your System for NWPA Drivers * * * * * *
The SDMS NWPA drivers, SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM and LSI_U3NW.HAM support the
following DOS drivers:
o ASPI8XX.SYS (Version 4.08 or greater)
o SYMCD.SYS
o SYMDISK.SYS
These drivers do not support the older SDMS 3.XX DOS drivers (DOSCAM.SYS,
MINICAM.SYS, CDROM.SYS, and SCSIDISK.SYS).
The BIOS version 4.15 is the minimum SDMS BIOS required for NetWare when
not used with ASPI8XX.SYS. ASPI8XX.SYS (version 4.08 or greater) is required
for any earlier BIOS versions.
Please see the section titled "When using the 4.XX BIOS" regarding 8XX_32.ROM
with SCAM enabled before upgrading the BIOS.
To Upgrade the BIOS ( boot ROM) from 3.XX,4.XX to 4.15:
1. Load FLASH8X5.EXE
2. Select the appropriate BIOS file (that is, 8XX_64.ROM). You must
use BIOS version 4.15.
To Check the Status of DOS drivers:
1. Edit the CONFIG.SYS file.
2. If any of the following lines appear, you may remove or delete these lines.
Use the REM command to comment them out in case these lines are needed later.
DEVICE=<path>\DOSCAM.SYS
DEVICE=<path>\MINICAM.SYS
DEVICE=<path>\CDROM.SYS /d:<name>
DEVICE=<path>\SCSIDISK.SYS
DEVICE=<path>\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=<path>\EMM386.SYS
3. If CD-ROM support is required, then add the following:
DEVICE=<path>\ASPI8XX.SYS
DEVICE=<path>\SYMCD.SYS /d:<name>
4. Add the following line to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
DEVICE=<path>\mscdex /d:<name>
Note: The /d: is not a drive letter designation; it indicates the name you
wish assigned to your CD-ROM. You must include the NAME, which can
use any combination of up to 8 characters.
* * * * * * * * * NetWare 5.xx New Installations * * * * * *
1. Begin the file server installation according to the instructions in the
file server installation chapter in the Novell NetWare Installation
Manual.
2. When the NetWare installation procedure prompts you for a driver disk,
insert the Symbios device drivers diskette into drive A: or B:. Then
use the INS key to select an unlisted driver. A dialog box appears. If
the driver diskette is in the A: drive, press Enter to continue. If
the driver diskette is in the B: drive, press F3 (to specify the
path to search for the driver), and enter the drive letter:
B:
and press Enter.
The SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM or the LSI_U3NW.HAM driver will appear as
a selection.
Note: If the INS key option does not appear during the installation, choose
Server Drivers to go to the Summary page.
3. Highlight Disk and CD-ROM Drivers (e.g., IDEATA). Press Enter and load an
additional driver. Then press the INS key. The system always defaults to the
A: path. Highlight the HAM driver and press Enter. Select Yes to save and move
the driver into the operating system. Press Enter for the system to copy the
files.
The system prompts the user with the available command line options for
loading the driver. A description of each option appears in the box at the
bottom of the installation screen. Refer to the Command Line Options section
for more information. Modify any option values as needed for this installation.
4. Load a separate instance of the driver for every Symbios controller SCSI
channel or host adapter present in the system.
5. When prompted for a slot number, accept the slot numbers displayed. Make
sure to write these slot numbers down for future reference.
6. When asked to edit the STARTUP.NCF file, make sure the SYM8XXNW.HAM (or
SYMHINW.HAM or LSI_U3NW.HAM) is loaded once per Symbios controller SCSI
channel present in the system. Add the statement SLOT=<slot number> to each
load line in the STARTUP.NCF, by specifying the slot numbers written down
in step 5 above, with only one slot number per load instance. The HAM
driver(s) are loaded for each Symbios controller SCSI channel from the first
LOAD statement to the last LOAD statement.
* * * * * * * * * NetWare 4.xx New Installations * * * * * *
1. Begin the file server installation according to the instructions in the
file server installation chapter in the Novell NetWare Installation
Manual.
2. When the NetWare installation procedure prompts you for a driver disk,
insert the Symbios device drivers diskette into drive A: or B:. Then
use the INS key to select an unlisted driver. A dialog box appears. If
the driver diskette is in the A: drive, press Enter to continue. If
the driver diskette is in the B: drive, press F3 (to specify the
path to search for the driver), and enter the drive letter:
B:
and press Enter.
The SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM, or the LSI_U3NW.HAM driver will appear as
a selection.
Note: If the INS key option does not appear during the installation, choose
Server Drivers to go to the Summary page.
3. Highlight Disk and CD-ROM Drivers (e.g., IDEATA). Press Enter and load an
additional driver. Then press the INS key. The system always defaults to the
A: path. Highlight the HAM driver and press Enter. Select Yes to save and move
the driver into the operating system. Press Enter for the system to copy the
files.
The system prompts the user with the available command line options for
loading the driver. A description of each option appears in the box at the
bottom of the installation screen. Refer to the Command Line Options section
for more information. Modify any option values as needed for this installation.
4. Load a separate instance of the driver for every Symbios controller SCSI
channel or host adapter present in the system.
5. When prompted for a slot number, accept the slot numbers displayed. Make
sure to write these slot numbers down for future reference.
6. When asked to edit the STARTUP.NCF file, make sure the SYM8XXNW.HAM (or
SYMHINW.HAM) is loaded once per Symbios controller SCSI channel present
in the system. Add the statement SLOT=<slot number> to each load line in
the STARTUP.NCF, by specifying the slot numbers written down in step 5 above,
with only one slot number per load instance. The HAM driver(s) are loaded
for each Symbios controller SCSI channel from the first LOAD statement to the
last LOAD statement.
* * * * * * * * NetWare 4.xx SFT-III Installations * * * * * *
1. Install your primary server following procedures for the native 4.11
installation.
2. Begin the SFT-III installation as instructed by NetWare installation
procedures.
3. While installing the secondary server, you have the option of copying the
SYM8XXNW.HAM driver from the primary server. Press F10 to accept.
* * * * * * * * * Reconfiguring Driver Options * * * * * * *
To reconfigure driver options, follow these steps:
1. To unload all instances of the driver, type:
unload SYM8XXNW.HAM
-or-
unload SYMHINW.HAM
-or-
unload LSI_U3NW.HAM
2. To reload each instance of the driver with the desired option settings,
type:
load SYM8XXNW.HAM slot=<slot number> <options>
-or-
load SYMHINW.HAM slot=<slot number> <options>
-or-
load LSI_U3NW.HAM slot=<slot number> <options>
3. If the changes made to the load options of one or more load instance are
permanent, and the driver is loaded automatically at server boot time, you
must specify these options in the STARTUP.NCF or AUTOEXEC.NCF file.
*************************** Command Line Options ****************************
The SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM and LSI_U3NW.HAM drivers have many tuning
options. A list of tuning options is available below that include the default
option along with a list of valid options. Each option has a description of
when to use it, the syntax used, and any impact its use may have on the
system.
If an option is specified but the assignment is not valid, then the default
value is used.The options described below are used by placing the specified
characters on the load command line for the NWPA driver. For example, if the
Wide SCSI Option on the command line is desired, the load command line should
look like this:
load SYM8XXNW.HAM wide=off
-or-
load SYMHINW.HAM wide=off
-or-
load LSI_U3NW.HAM wide=off
Note: No spaces are allowed within a specific command line option, but spaces
are required between different command line options.
* * * * * * * * * * * Information Option * * * * * * * * *
The information option described below is: Using the Help Mode Option.
* * * Using the Help Mode Option * * *
Command line option: ? or h
Function: Display the options available in the driver.
Possible Impact: The driver will not load with ? or h specified.
This option is specified on the command line for a brief description of
each of the options available in the driver, as well as valid values for
each option. If the ? or h option is specified along with other
options, the help screen is invoked, the other options are ignored, and
the driver is not loaded.
* * * * * * NetWare NWPA Driver Customizable Options * * * * * *
* * * Using the Slot Option * * *
Command line option: slot=<option>
Default value: None
Valid options: 0-10099
Function: Specify the slot instance number of the Symbios
controller the load instance applies to.
Possible Impact: This information may not be known to the user at
load/install time.
The slot option specifies which Symbios controller SCSI channel (embedded
chip or host adapter) the current load pertains to. This information is
required to load the driver. If this information is not specified on the
load line, the driver will prompt for the slot number.
* * * Using the Tagged Queuing Option * * *
Command line option: qtags=<option>
Default value: on
Valid options: on, off
Function: Enable/disable tagged queuing for the devices.
Possible Impact: Tagged queuing may result in improved I/O throughput in
devices that support such an option.
Enabling this option causes the driver to issue tagged I/O requests
to the devices that support tagged queuing. Devices that do not support
tagged queuing are not issued tagged requests. Depending on the drive
controller, throughput of the device is increased by the use of queue
tags. However, the optimal number of queue tags is based on the specific
device type.
* * * Using the Synchronous SCSI Option * * *
Command line option: sync=<option>
Default value: 80 (maximum)
Valid options: 0, 5, 10, 20, 40, or 80
Function: Enable/Disable support of synchronous SCSI.
Possible Impact: Could cause a device to operate slower than
its maximum speed.
This synchronous SCSI option allows the user to enable/disable support of
Fast, Ultra, Ultra2 and Ultra3 SCSI synchronous data transfers when using
a Fast, Ultra, Ultra2, or Ultra3 SCSI controller. Synchronous data transfers
increase the I/O performance of a system, but there are a few non-SCSI compliant
devices that may cause problems on a system. If this option is disabled, and sync
is enabled, the controller performs up to 10 Mbytes/s with any device capable
of synchronous negotiations.
The valid options are referred to as Mbytes/s, which equals mega transfers
per second when using an 8-bit SCSI bus. On a 16-bit (wide) SCSI bus,
Mbytes/s = 2 times mega transfers per second.
* * * Using the Wide SCSI Option * * *
Command line option: wide=<option>
Default value: on
Valid options: on, off
Function: Enable/Disable support of wide SCSI.
Possible Impact: No wide SCSI support available.
This wide SCSI option allows the user to disable support of wide SCSI when
using a wide SCSI controller. Set this option to "off" to disable a wide
SCSI device when present on the system, but an 8-bit SCSI cable is
connected somewhere on the bus between the wide SCSI host adapter and the
wide device, thus prohibiting the transfer of wide data. If this option is
set to "off", the wide device still works, but all data transferred to or
from the device is narrow (8 bit). The driver does not initiate a wide SCSI
transfer request negotiation.
* * * Using the Elevator Threshold Option * * *
Command line option: elev=<option>
Default value: 4
Valid options: 0-250 (0=disable)
Function: Specify the maximum number of I/Os the HAM should queue before
allowing NWPA to filter and organize requests.
Possible Impact: Varying the elevator threshold value may affect
performance.
Elevator queues are used by NWPA to determine how many I/Os are queued
to the HAM before organizing requests and generating scatter-gather
lists. If this number is set too low, then adapter I/O starvation may result.
If the number is too high, then sorting of I/Os and/or generation of
scatter gather lists may not occur.
* * * Using the No Negotiation Option * * *
Command line option: noneg=<option>
Default value: none
Valid options: 0-15
Function: Specify the target ID of the device that does not accept the
sync or wide negotiation.
Possible Impact: Device will always operate in asynchronous and narrow mode.
Initially during the scanning phase, the driver begins by negotiating
asynchronous and narrow mode settings with each device found. Once target
communication is established, the desired synchronous and wide settings are
renegotiated. However, some devices have a problem with the initial negotiation
such as the new SAF-TE chip from another vendor, and older or non-standard,
non-INT13h devices.
********************* Important Additional Information **********************
* * * * * For Information Pertaining to a Specific Driver * * * * *
This document addresses options available on the SDMS NWPA NetWare driver,
versions 4.02.00 or later. For information pertaining to a specific driver,
please do one of the following:
1. For NetWare version 4.11, consult the *.DDI file for options available
for the LSI HAM driver. This is accessed by using the NetWare Install
utility.
-OR-
2. Load the driver specifying the ? option on the command line of the
LSI HAM driver. The driver does not actually load, but available options
are displayed.
* * * * * * * * * * DOS Access Dependencies * * * * * * * *
Typically, NetWare requires access to the DOS partition (perhaps to load a
file, or to down the system). The SYM8XXNW.HAM and/or SYMHINW.HAM drivers support
several SDMS DOS configurations.
The SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM, and LSI_U3NW.HAM drivers detect whether an
SDMS 4.XX BIOS is present. They also detect if the SDMS ASPI8XX.SYS 4.08 DOS
driver is loaded. If you are using the unsupported SDMS 3.XX BIOS or using the
supported SDMS 4.14 or older BIOS, then ASPI8XX.SYS 4.08 or greater DOS driver
must also be loaded.
Note: SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM, and LSI_U3NW.HAM drivers do not support the
SDMS 3.XX DOS drivers--DOSCAM and MINICAM.
* * * * * * * * * Supported DOS Configurations * * * * * * * *
The DOS configurations supported by the HAM drivers are:
SDMS 4.15 or greater BIOS, No DOS Drivers
SDMS 4.XX BIOS, ASPI8XX.SYS*
No SDMS BIOS, ASPI8XX.SYS*
*In addition to ASPI8XX.SYS (version 4.08 or greater), SYMCD.SYS and/or
SYMDISK.SYS may be optionally loaded for DOS CD-ROM and DOS Magneto Optical (MO)
support. SYMCD.SYS and SYMDISK.SYS are NOT required for CD-ROM or MO support
under NetWare.
* * * * * * * * * * When Using the 4.XX BIOS * * * * * * * *
If the SDMS 4.14 or older BIOS is present, load ASPI8XX.SYS (version 4.08
or greater) in the CONFIG.SYS file. SCAM must be disabled in the 4.XX BIOS.
If SCAM is enabled, then the SDMS NWPA driver will fail to load.
* * * * * * * * * * When Using ASPI8XX.SYS * * * * * * * * *
SCAM support defaults to off in ASPI Manager version 4.08 and later.
* * * Supported DOS Drivers * * *
The SDMS 4.14 or older BIOS are supported by the SDMS ASPI8XX.SYS (version 4.08
or greater) DOS driver. Support for CD-ROM and MO devices under DOS is provided
by SYMCD.SYS and SYMDISK.SYS. Neither SYMCD.SYS nor SYMDISK.SYS are required for
NetWare support of CD-ROM and MO devices, but for SCSI CD-ROM installation,
ASPI8XX.SYS and SYMCD.SYS are required.
A list of DOS drivers currently supported by the Symbios NWPA drivers,
SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM, and LSI_U3NW.HAM, are described below.
* * ASPI8XX.SYS * *
The ASPI8XX.SYS driver provides an ASPI layer interface for disk and non-disk
devices. ASPI8XX.SYS is required for NetWare support if the SDMS 3.XX BIOS or
SDMS 4.13 or older BIOS are used. If NetWare is being installed from a
SCSI CD-ROM device on a Symbios controller, SYMCD.SYS is required with
ASPI8XX.SYS.
* * SYMCD.SYS * *
To install the NetWare operating system from CD-ROM, load the SYMCD.SYS driver
with ASPI8XX.SYS. Once the NetWare operating system installation is complete,
SYMCD.SYS is not needed. The NetWare NWPA environment provides support for
SCSI CD-ROMs through the NetWare driver interface.
* * MSCDEX.EXE * *
The MSCDEX.EXE driver (provided with DOS) is required in conjunction with
SYMCD.SYS to install NetWare from a CD-ROM.
* * SYMDISK.SYS * *
The SYMDISK.SYS driver provides support for removable media and large sector
size devices under DOS. This driver is not required for NetWare support of
these devices
Note: The NetWare drivers can function independently of any DOS drivers, with
the following exceptions:
1. The installation of NetWare is from a SCSI CD-ROM,
2. The unsupported SDMS 3.XX BIOS or supported SDMS 4.14 or older
BIOS are being used.
* * * * * * * * * * When Using No SDMS BIOS * * * * * * * *
The SYM8XXNW.HAM, SYMHINW.HAM, and LSI_U3NW.HAM drivers operate properly on a
system when no SDMS BIOS or SDMS DOS drivers are present. In this case, DOS
must reside on a device that is not connected to a Symbios controller-based
host adapter. As an example, DOS could reside on an IDE drive.
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.