Automatic connection to the network
To automate the connection process these steps can be included in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and
then when the workstation is rebooted, the process will occur automatically. Alteratively we can create
a workstation boot diskette. This must have the DOS system on it, any files that workstation requires
to start up and work properly and IPX and NETX. (See Appendix 1 for an IPXODI boot disk configuration.)
For Example
The DOS files SETVER.EXE, EMM386.EXE, MMOUSE.SYS and HIMEM.SYS and any
other files that are mentioned in CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT that are executed
before you login.
IPX.COM and NETX.COM - the files needed to add networking to the workstation
operating system and so connect to and work with, the network
CONFIG.SYS - the DOS workstation configuration file.
The contents of this CONFIG.SYS are:
DEVICE=SETVER.EXE
DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE NOEMS 384
/Y=SYS:PUBLIC\MSDOS\V6.22\EMM386.EXE
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICEHIGH=MMOUSE.SYS /A7
FILES=99
BUFFERS=40
STACKS=9,256
LASTDRIVE=E:
The /Y=SYS:PUBLIC\MSDOS\V6.22\EMM386.EXE parameter in the line loading the
Extended Memory Manager is to tell the operating system where to find this file on the
network when the connection is made.
AUTOEXEC.BAT - the DOS batch file used to automate the DOS boot process
The contents of this file are:
@ECHO OFF
CLS
PROMPT $P$G
REM Set the subdirectory where temporary files will be written
SET TEMP=H:\
SET TMP=H:\
LOADHIGH IPX
REM The /PS switch in the next line is necessary if you require the workstation
REM to boot from the server called PCEDUG on a multi-server network
LOADHIGH NETX /PS=PCEDUG
REM Change to the network drive and execute the login command.
F:
LOGIN
SHELL.CFG - this file is similar in function to CONFIG.SYS on DOS computers. It
customises the Network environment for our particular workstation. We will also cover
the meaning of some of the items in a later session if time permits.
CACHE BUFFERS = 60
FILE HANDLES = 99
SHOW DOTS = ON
SPX CONNECTIONS = 60
LOCAL PRINTERS = 1
With these files copied to the diskette (‘Network Workstation Boot Diskette’), we can now use it to
create a Boot Image - one file that contains an image of this diskette. This Boot Image is stored on
the LOGIN subdirectory of the the Fileserver. If your NIC has a special chip in it called a Boot ROM
it can use this image to start up the workstation as if it was starting from the Network Workstation
Boot Diskette.
Note To create a remote boot disk image you:
- Login to the Fileserver as a supervisor or supervisor equivalent
- Change to the LOGIN subdirectory
- Run the DOSGEN program, which is in the SYSTEM subdirectory, to create the image. To do this you
type F:\SYSTEM\DOSGEN A: <boot image name> (boot diskette is in drive A)
- Finally run the program RPLFIX to modify the boot image to work with DOS 5 and above (this is
done by typing RPLFIX <boot image name>)
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