Win2000Server and Dos Apps

Hi,

Take a look at the NTVDM options you have. From memory, a right click, properties on the exe will give you options like the amount of memory allocated to the 16bit app and whether it runs in its own memory space. Play with those.

Do performance monitoring on the machine to see what happens on it when the application starts up and runs. Specifically monitor the "process" counter and look at the ntvdm process(es).

Cheers,
Tim.

Couple of suggestions:

1. The DOS app may be optimized for running under IPX instead of TCP/IP because you were running it on Novell. Check with the software co. (hopefully they still support this older app!!) and see if they have any suggestions. They may tell you to install and run IPX for this particular app instead of TCP/IP (or in addition to it).

2. Have you changed anything on the workstations other than, I would guess, basic network setups? If so, check any other changes you might have made that might affect memory available for the DOS app.

3. Ignore the previous post about the NTVDM - you don't have any such thing on your 98 and ME workstations. However you do have settings for memory management in the .pif files for the app on these workstations - make sure that you have done whatever the software co. recommends as far as optimizing the memory settings. Also, there may be config.sys and/or autoexec.bat commands that are recommended to maximize the environment for the app - make sure you check these issues, too.

4. Lastly, consider upgrading your workstations to Win2K Pro or XP. Either of these OS's will run faster in general with a Win2K server and will likely run your DOS app faster, too.

Hope this helps!

Can not find the process NTDVM, where I am suppossed to look to change these settings, I was looking in task manager? Also upon checking the open apps on the server, I noted that although they execute the start up file from the server they seem to be running from the the workstations, only saving data to the server.

I was also told to check config.nt and autoexec.nt
although I dont know what effect this will have, if I am actually running off the workstations. and does share.exe still apply for windows2000?

Okay, this will include a registry edit. Here is the ususal caution on editing the registry. Back it up before making any changes.

1. On the server, open up the properties to the share, select sharing, then click on the 'caching' button near thebottom. Turn off all caching.
2.Open the registry using 'regedit'. Go to the following key......
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Para meters
Add or edit the following item...
Value Name: CachedOpenLimit
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 0 (the default is 5) Change it to 0 (zero)

Add or edit the following item...
Value Name: OplocksDisabled
Data Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 0 (zero)

3. from a command prompt, type the following....
net config server /autodisconnect:-1
(between 'autodisconnect' and '-1' is a colon. It sometimes does not show up in these QA screens.

Reboot your server. This should take care of your problem. Please let me know the results.

Best of luck