Madge Utilities

Introduction

This document describes the utilities that ship with Madge Smart Ringnodes.

Driver version utility

MVER.EXE reports the version number of any Madge driver from LSS 4.3(0) and later. The version of MVER.EXE that ships with LSS 5.0 reports additional information such as the name of a Madge text file that documents the driver.

Operating System Support: DOS and OS/2; Unix.

Ringnode configuration

TRCFGC.EXE configures any of the software-configurable Madge Ringnodes. For example, it will configure the interrupt number, DMA channel, I/O location and ring speed on a Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnode.

Note that under OS/2 the program does not detect which interrupts and memory windows are already in use.

Operating System Support: DOS and OS/2.

Smartrom configuration

SMARTROM.EXE programs the Smartrom on a Madge Ringnode and configures the booting options that Smartrom offers. For example, it can be used to set the timer that governs when the computer stops trying to boot from the network and starts trying to boot from a local device instead.

Smartroms are factory-fitted on some Ringnodes and are available as options on others. Some Ringnodes do not support Smartroms.

Operating System Support: DOS.

Password protection

PWSET.EXE is a facility for password protecting Ringnodes. Password protection prevents unauthorized users from reconfiguring a Ringnode or its Smartrom. For example, a network administrator might have disabled promiscuous receive mode on the Smartrom to prevent a user from running network analyzer software. If so, password protecting the Ringnode will prevent an unauthorized user from re-enabling promiscuous receive mode and then running a network analyzer.

Operating System Support: DOS.

Diagnostics

DIAG.EXE and DIAG_NT are diagnostic tools for testing Madge Ringnodes. They test an adapter's hardware and internal data paths. They also test the network cable that it uses for it connection to the hub.

DIAG.EXE and DIAG_NT can be configured to test communication between the adapter in the host station and a particular adapter elsewhere on the network.

Operating System Support: DOS and NT.

Madge Card Services Emulation (PCMCIA)

MADGECS.EXE and MADGECS.SYS emulate Card Services in PCMCIA computers that do not have Card Services installed. They will also emulate Socket Services if necessary. They support Madge PCMCIA Ringnodes only.

Operating System Support: DOS; OS/2.

Plug and Play (PnP) Ringnodes

PNPENABL.EXE and PNPENABL.OS2 are utilities that run at startup in Plug and Play (PnP) computers. They can be used when the computer's BIOS does not perform the configuration that PnP adapters require.

These utilities configure Madge Ringnodes only.

Operating System Support: DOS; OS/2.

Adapter identification (a utility for use in system files)

The IFADAP software recognizes which network adapter is installed inside a PC.

For DOS systems, the network administrator can use it to program CONFIG.SYS so that the driver the system file loads depends on the adapter that IFADAP identifies. This is a useful tool for network administrators whose networks include a variety of adapters. IFADAP recognizes all Madge adapters, many other manufacturers' EISA, Micro Channel, PnP, PCI, and PCMCIA adapters, and some manufacturers' ISA adapters.

For DOS systems, if the utility is run from AUTOEXEC.BAT it returns a specific system error level for the adapter that is present in the PC. This enables the network administrator to write AUTOEXEC.BAT files that, for example, load drivers from a particular LSS release for one type of Madge Ringnode and from another LSS release for another type of Madge Ringnode. (IFADAP returns system error levels for other manufacturers' adapters too.)

For OS/2 systems the IFADAP software is also called IFADAP.EXE. The network administrator can use it in a two-stage process:

He or she first runs a batch file that uses IFADAP to identify the adapter in the PC. Depending on the particular adapter that IFADAP discovers, the batch file also copies a particular CONFIG.SYS file over the PC's existing CONFIG.SYS. The new one will contain the commands that load the correct driver for the Ringnode in that PC.

The network administrator then boots the PC again, and it connects to the network

The version of IFADAP.EXE that is written for OS/2 sometimes needs an auxiliary driver called MDGHLP.SYS to enable it to recognise particular Ringnodes, for example, the PCI Ringnodes.

Local ring information

RINGUSER.EXE inspects a ring and reports which Ringnodes are on the ring and which drivers they are running. It uses MAC frames to discover the information it reports; it provides no means of viewing data that is being transported over the network.

Operating System Support: Windows (RINGUSER.EXE needs a DOS LLC interface).

Throughput

W32PERF.EXE measure a Ringnode's throughput in a Windows NT station.

Operating System Support: Windows NT.