User's Guide

Appendix E. Token.lan and LAN Client Driver Parameters

In addition to the standard Novell keywords (such as slot, port, int, and frame), a number of custom keywords are available in the driver. This list is dynamic: it changes as support is added for new hardware as ODI specifications change. If it is known, the driver revision level in which the keyword is available is included. This list describes those keywords that are available and useful to users. All of these keywords are optional unless otherwise noted.

Note:

Some parameters, if misused, can cause problems with adapter operation and must be set with a thorough understanding of adapter operations.

Custom Keywords

NOFULLDUPLEX

By default, the driver will first try to open on the ring in full-duplex mode (connected to a switched Token-Ring network) on those adapters that are capable of this function. Otherwise, it will try to open in half-duplex mode (a traditional shared-media LAN). The presence of this keyword will prevent the attempted open in full-duplex mode.

NOSHALLOWMODE

Shallow-mode operation is fast-path transmit, fast-path receive, and no LLC processing (802.2) by adapter firmware. NoShallowmode is fast-path transmit, standard receive, and 802.2 processing. Shallowmode is the default on turbo-class adapters and is designed for higher performance. Including this keyword will disable fast-path receive and enable LLC processing on the adapter.

AUTORINGSPEED

This PCMCIA-specific keyword is used to enable autoringspeed detection of the adapter on the ring when the ring speed is not known or changes because of mobility needs (for exampke, with a laptop). The first adapter that opens on the ring must define the ring speed, and therefore cannot use the autoringspeed keyword. Adapters opened subsequently can automatically adjust to the ring speed by use of the autoringspeed keyword. If the first adapter to try to open on the ring has the autoringspeed keyword specified, the opening will fail.

EXPRESSMODE

Valid in shallowmode operation only. During normal (shallowmode) receive processing, the host is interrupted after every buffer is received. Use of this keyword reduces the number (and processing overhead) of interrupts per frame, but lowers overall receive performance. Use this keyword on slower machines or on fast machines that are heavily loaded.

Keywords with Parameters

SAPS

Default: 1
Range 0-125
 

The numbef of adapter service access points that can be open at one time. This parameter is not used in the ODI environment and should not be used unless an application specifically requires it.

LS

Default: 0
Range: 0-255

The number of adapter link staaaations that can be open at one time. This parameter is not used in the ODI environment and should not be used unless an application specifically requires it.

TBZ

Default: (ring speed, mode, adapter dependent)
Range: 96-17960

The transmit buffer size, expressed in bytes. The value must be a multiple of 8 and must not exceed 4464 in a 4-Mbps environment, or 17960 in a 16-Mbps environment. This value is the size of a transmit frame in non-fast-path transmit mode and the maximum frame size in fast-path receive mode. Generally, this value is set automatically by the driver as the minimum of the LSL, hardware, and this value. In normal operation this parameter can be ignored.

PCMCIA_INT

Default: none
Range: 2-F in hexadecimal (Version 3.32 and higher)

The interrupt assigned to a PCMCIA Token-Ring adapter. Since PCMCIA adapters are handled differently from other bus types, this parameter also indicates to the driver that a PCMCIA adapter is being initialized. On a point-enabled card, the only way the driver can determine the interrupt vector that the card is using is to get it from the command line. This parameter is required on PCMCIA cards that are point-enabled.

MEM0

Default: CC000
Range: 0-100000h in hexadecimal (Version 3.21 and higher)

This parameter indicates the shared-RAM base address to the driver since in some cases the driver cannot determine the shared-RAM base address without getting it from the command line. This parameter is required on point-enabled PCMCIA cards, especially if more than one is in the system. The value given must be on the proper boundary depending on shared-RAM size. See the table below.

Shared-RAM Size                  Address must be a multiple of
--------------------------------------------------------------
4 KB or 8 KB                                 8 KB
16 KB                                        16 KB
32 KB                                        32 KB
64 KB                                        64 KB

PORT

Default A20h
Range: A20 or A24 in non-enhanced mode, 200-0FFFCH in enhanced mode. 

The base address of the I/O port the adapter uses. The adapter requires 4 contiguous I/O ports.

NIC_UAA

Default: None
Range: hexadecimal string 1-FFFFFFFFFFFFh (Version 3.21)

This parameter selects the adapter to initialize by its universally administered address (UAA), which is in read-only storage on the card. Enhanced-mode adapters can be located at most addresses and can be selected by either their UAA or ofdinal number (1=lowest UAA, 2=highest UAA).

RECEIVEBUFFERSIZE

Default: Varies with mode.
Range: 192-2048 (Version 3.33)

Changes the adapter shallow-mode receive buffer size. Allows tuning of receive buffers to more closely match the LAN traffic environment. This parameter is not needed for normal operations. Value must be a multiple of 8 bytes. Smaller values increase performance and processor utilization while larger values decrease performance and lower processor utilization.

DATARATE

Default: varies
Range: 4 or 16 (Version 3.36b and higher)

Used to set the adapter data rate for dual-speed adapters. Some dual-speed adapters, notably MCA adapters, might not support this keyword. If the speed selected does not match the ring speed, the open will fail. On PCMCIA adapters, see the complementary keyword, autoringspeed.

SRAMSIZE

Default: 4
Range: 4, 8, 16, 32 or 64 (Version 4.01 and higher)

PCMCIA only in the Windows 95 environment. Allows setting the shared-RAM size in compatibility modes in a card services environment.