I am getting mixed messages re Arev running on an NT network without the Network Performance Pack (NPP).

Has anyone got this to work in an NT multi-user environment?

Any help appreciated, thanks.

Jocelyn Amon

finsol@ts.co.nz

Jocelyn,

The program will function, but the problem becomes

caching. NT effectively read-caches and write-caches,

which means that if you save a record which spans

the LK and OV portions of an AREV file, then if the

LK is cached but the OV is written to disk, the next

person to read that record from disk gets a GFE, as

the file is only half-updated.

The NPP ensures that file writes/commits are

resolved properly.

Steve

The Network product requirements (NPP/NLM) are only valid if the workstation operating system is not pure DOS. Any GUI type OS requires one of these products. They eliminate incompatiblities with netwrok software and features added to current operating systems.

Of course, loading these up on DOS workstations will not be harmfull, it's just not required.

The only relevance to the server is whether you load the NT Service or the NLM. I'm sure it should go without saying that the NT Service runs best on NT Networks and the NLM runs best on a Novell network. Some people seem to feel otherwise about the best network to run these on, but I'm sticking with my gut instincts and am going with these guidelines.

akaplan@sprezzatura.com

Sprezzatura Group

So do I need NPP or NLM? I'm not sure what you're trying to say here.

All these acronyms are confusing and the Revelation site documentation is all over the place. Is there a concise description of how to run Arev on NT, what is needed and the risks if additional software is not installed?

I have a problem with NT leaving files open that have been written to. Will one of these acronyms solve my problem?

Let me try this one more time, since it can get very confusing.

The Revelation NT Service is a service with runs on an NT Server.

The Revelation NPP (Network Performance Pack) is an enhanced DOS 3.1+ byte-range driver, faster, tighter and more secure. The NPP is also known as the All Networks Driver, since it was meant to be the only driver installed on your system. Unfortunately, technical issues came up and this has yet to be realised.

Since it is the all networks driver, it is the network driver installed to talk to the service, if the service has been loaded.

All of this confusion and product requirements came about because of changes in workstation operating systems. Your servers are irrelevant to the main discussion, at this level anyway. The problem is that currently shipping (I hate to use the term modern) operating systems are doing things and handling things very different from plain DOS. Part of this involves data caching and network calling functions. Because of this, the basic drivers shipped with Advanced Revelation can run into troubles.

Revelation resolved all of these issues and placed them into the workstation side driver, the NPP.

The NT Service is an additional bonus, in that it coordinates locking, eliminates network trafic and drastically reduces GFEs. It's not a requirement, since the problems are solved by the NPP. However, I would strongly recommend it based on all the advantages the NT Service gives you.

As for the NT Service leaving files open, that makes sense, since it's handling all access for all stations and just because you logged out, doesn't mean others aren't around. If you are using the NT Service, no workstation should be opening any files in the first place. If that's happening, then the real problem isn't that the files are being left open, it's that the files never should have been open at all!

akaplan@sprezzatura.com

Sprezzatura Group

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