PARADOX NETWORK INSTALLATION GUIDE ---------------------------------- The information in this file supplements the network-specific installation instructions contained in other online files. The network-specific files are on the first program disk and are copied to the directory where the program files are stored (usually PDOX45) during the installation process. See Section 2 for a list of these files. TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- 1. Upgrading to Paradox 4.5 2. Paradox Network Concepts 3. Installing Paradox on a Network 4. Configuring Paradox for Network Workstations 5. Updating Your Installation with NUPDATE 6. Improving Network Performance 7. Troubleshooting 1. UPGRADING TO PARADOX 4.5 --------------------------- We strongly recommend that you upgrade all copies of earlier versions of Paradox to Paradox 4.5. If you choose not to upgrade all copies of earlier versions, a network user running Paradox 4.5 or 4.0 and a network user running Paradox 3.5 (or an earlier version) can't access the same file or even the same directory concurrently. The benefits of upgrading to Paradox 4.5 on a network include - Improved performance - Improved concurrency for multi-table relationships - The ability of different installed copies of Paradox 4.5 to use different network drive letters to specify the location of the same PDOXUSRS.NET file and data directories - The ability to create read-only directories in Paradox with Tools|Net|Lock|DirLock, which improves performance by making use of disk-caching - The ability to host 300 concurrent users (Paradox 3.5 can host up to 150) Upgrading from Paradox 3.5 to Paradox 4.5 ----------------------------------------- Suppose you have a six-count Paradox 3.5 network installation, and you've purchased Paradox 4.5 and five single-count Paradox License Packs as an upgrade. With your upgrade, you keep your total user count of six users. The Paradox license agreement allows you to install Paradox in one of two configurations: the server-only or the combined server-local installation; see "Possible network configurations" in Section 3 for details. In either case, follow the instructions for your particular network to install Paradox 4.5 to share data on a network. The advantage to the combined installation is that one user has exclusive rights to one user count and is therefore guaranteed access when he or she starts Paradox from the workstation on which Paradox is installed. Additionally, that user can run Paradox without being connected to the network (for example, if the workstation is a portable computer or if the user wishes to use Paradox without the network memory overhead). Integrating earlier versions of Paradox with Paradox 4.5 -------------------------------------------------------- A user running Paradox 4.5 or 4.0 can't access the same file or even the same directory as a user running an earlier version of Paradox on the network; therefore, we do not recommend that you integrate versions 3.5 or earlier of Paradox with Paradox 4.5. However, if you do integrate earlier versions with Paradox 4.5 on a network, you must be aware of the following things: - Paradox 4.5 and 4.0 keep track of multiple users on a network with PDOXUSRS.NET, while earlier versions of Paradox keep track of multiple users on a network with PARADOX.NET. - Paradox 4.5 no longer requires serial numbers for installation, and it doesn't restrict the number of users currently running the program. To restrict the number of users running Paradox, purchase a program that restricts access for all software on your network. - Tables created in earlier versions of Paradox can be opened in Paradox 4.5. When you open tables created in version 3.5 or earlier, they can be opened again in those earlier versions if they are not restructured in Paradox 4.5 and saved as standard 4.5 files. You can save them as compatible files, and continue to open them in earlier versions. From the Restructure menu, choose FileFormat|Compatible if you want to continue using the table in both Paradox 4.5 and earlier versions. Choose FileFormat|Standard if you want to upgrade the table to Paradox 4.5 format. If you upgrade to Paradox 4.5 format, you can add memo fields to the table. See Chapters 10 and 11 in the "User's Guide" for details about FileFormat on the Create and Restructure menus, respectively. Also see Chapter 23 in the "User's Guide" for a complete discussion of compatibility issues. 2. PARADOX NETWORK CONCEPTS --------------------------- This section provides an overview of the network concepts you should understand before you install Paradox on a network file server. It also helps you follow the Paradox configuration procedures described in Section 3. If you're an experienced network administrator, you probably only need to browse this section. It covers - Installation preparation - The PDOXUSRS.NET file - Init scripts - Directories - Paths and network drive assignments - The workstation CONFIG.SYS file - Precautions Installation preparation ------------------------ You need to structure your user environment so that Paradox operates correctly and efficiently. Plan your network installation before you install, by following these steps: - Prepare a list of network resources, including - servers (RAM, hard disk, location) - workstations (RAM, hard disk, location) - printers (network/local, location) - other output devices (network/local, location) - Prepare a list of potential Paradox users, including - name, department - user name, private directory - access levels, passwords - Prepare a list of Paradox directories, including - Paradox system files directory: name (for example, PDOX45), drive letter, subdirectories, location - Paradox shared data files directory: name (for example, PDOXDATA), drive letter, subdirectories, location - Users' private directories: name (we suggest creating a directory called PDOX45 on the user's local hard disk, if available, or in the user's network home directory on the network drive), drive letter, location - Prepare a list of Paradox products you currently own, including - version (Paradox 3.0, Paradox 3.5, Paradox 4.5, Paradox OS/2, Paradox 386, Paradox Multi-Pack, Paradox License Pack) - current or planned installation location (hard disk, subdirectory name) This worksheet will help you administer your network installation of Paradox. The PDOXUSRS.NET file --------------------- You designate the location of PDOXUSRS.NET, the network control file, when you install Paradox for shared network use. (Users running Paradox version 3.5 or earlier on the network will be using a PARADOX.NET file.) Specify a single location, in a shared data directory on the network server to which all Paradox users have read/write/create rights, so Paradox can find it in the same place each time a user starts it. The location you specify must be entered from the point of view of the eventual user at a workstation. The PDOXUSRS.NET file is session-specific. When the first user starts Paradox on the network, Paradox searches for the file in the location you specified. If Paradox can't find PDOXUSRS.NET, it creates it in the specified location. Subsequent users will find that the file has already been created. If the file is accidently erased, Paradox re-creates it. You can specify different drive letters for the location of PDOXUSRS.NET if your network system allows it; however, the path name--everything after the drive letter--must always be the same. NOTE: You can override the designated location of PDOXUSRS.NET with the command-line option -net , where is the override location you want. See Chapter 23 of the "User's Guide" for details on using command-line options when you start Paradox. Init scripts ------------ When you start Paradox, it looks for and plays, if it exists, an Init script. An Init script that is used by everyone on the network can be stored in every private directory or in the directory containing PARADOX.EXE. If a user has an individual Init script, it must be stored in the private directory searched when that user starts Paradox. For more on Init scripts, see Chapter 18 of the "User's Guide." Directories ----------- Paradox uses three types of directories: - Paradox system files directory (suggested name: PDOX45) - Paradox shared data directories (suggested name for the main directory under which these fall: PDOXDATA) - Paradox private directories The Paradox system files directory ---------------------------------- If you're installing Paradox on a network file server, the directory containing the Paradox system files must be a shared directory. We recommend you name this directory PDOX45, make it a subdirectory of a network shared applications directory, and make it read-only, or make the Paradox systems files themselves read-only. Some networks don't allow multiple users to execute programs concurrently if the program's files aren't read-only. If you install the optional software, the INSTALL program copies the files to the following subdirectories of the Paradox system files directory: - SAMPLE, for Paradox sample tables and other sample objects - SAMPAPP, for the PAL sample application - WORKSHOP, for the Paradox Application Workshop - VIDEO, for the Paradox Application Workshop sample application \ 쳐컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴커 � � \PDOX45 \PDOXDATA � 쳐컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴컴컴쩡컴컴컴컴컴� � � � � \SAMPLE \SAMPAPP \WORKSHOP \VIDEO � \CFG Shared data directory --------------------- During installation, you create at least one Paradox shared data directory used to store Paradox tables and objects that more than one user at a time can access. The description of the installation process for each network (in other online files) discusses ways you can organize data directories. We recommend that the initial shared data directory be named PDOXDATA and that it be used to store the PDOXUSRS.NET control file. In most cases, each Paradox user must have read/write/create rights to all directories that contain shared Paradox data. The exception is a shared data directory that has been locked through Paradox with Tools|Net|Lock |DirLock. For consistency, whoever places a DirLock on a shared data directory should also make this directory read-only in DOS. To place a DirLock on a directory, you must have read/write/create rights to it. CAUTION: DirLock doesn't prevent users with read/write/create rights to the directory from copying tables from it to one that isn't locked with DirLock, modifying the tables, and then copying them back to the original directory. Individual Paradox users must have read/write/create rights to shared data directories containing the Paradox data they need to modify. They must have full access rights for Paradox to create the special lock files (extension .LCK) that control access to shared objects. Additionally, each user must have read/write/create rights to the directory containing the PDOXUSRS.NET file. NOTE: You set access rights to network directories with your network software, not with Paradox. Private directories ------------------- Every person who uses Paradox on the network must have a unique private directory. Paradox stores each user's temporary Paradox objects, such as Answer tables and Instant scripts, in the user's own private directory. If no private directory is specified, Paradox attempts to establish a private directory for a user but might not be able to if the user's environment has not been set up correctly: - If a user's workstation has a local hard disk, the private directory should be located there (for example, C:\PDOX45). - If a user's workstation has no local hard disk, the private directory should be the network home directory on the file server. If the private directory is located on the file server, the user must have read/write/create rights to the directory. - You can't use a floppy disk drive as a private directory. - If a user performs queries on large tables, his or her private directory should be located on a drive with adequate disk space. Every private directory should contain a PARADOX.CFG file that tells Paradox that this directory is the private directory. If Paradox can't locate PARADOX.CFG when a user starts the program (or if the file doesn't contain a valid private directory designation), Paradox automatically tries to designate a private directory for the user: - If the user's workstation has a drive C, Paradox makes the current directory on that drive the private directory. - If the workstation doesn't have a drive C, Paradox tries to make the network directory on the current drive the private directory. If this happens to be a shared directory that is currently in use by others or is a directory to which the user has insufficient rights, the user can't start Paradox. If the directory is a shared directory that no one else is using at the time, all other users are then prevented from accessing that directory. Because of these problems, the network administrator should designate explicitly each user's private directory in the user's PARADOX.CFG file. See the description of private directories in Chapter 15 of "Getting Started" for more details. Paradox working directories --------------------------- A Paradox working directory is the directory containing the Paradox tables and objects with which a user is currently working. While any user can access Paradox data stored in any drive or directory, the working directory permits access to objects stored in it without the user having to specify a drive or directory location. If a Paradox working directory is a network shared directory, multiple users can access its data concurrently. If a user designates a network directory as a Paradox private directory, this prevents all other users from working with objects stored there. Paradox informs other users of the name of the user who made the directory private. Paths and network drive assignments ----------------------------------- Multiple users on a network run Paradox and access shared Paradox data concurrently. To make sure everything works smoothly, the network administrator should make sure that each user sets up his or her path correctly and starts Paradox properly. Drive assignments ----------------- Although each user on a network can have an individual system of assigning network drive letters to directories, administering your network will be easier if each user has a consistent pattern of network drive assignments. You can use any pattern you want, but the most useful are - The three-drive pattern: - One drive is linked to the directory (and subdirectories) containing all shared application programs. - A second drive is linked to the user's home directory. - A third drive is linked to a directory containing shared data. - The four-drive pattern: - One drive is linked to the directory (and subdirectories) containing DOS and network systems software. - A second drive is linked to the user's home directory. - A third drive is linked to a directory containing shared data. - A fourth drive is linked to a directory containing the application program in use at the moment. The specific drive letters assigned to these directories aren't important and vary from network to network. Each user does not have to have the same drive letter assigned to each directory. These drive patterns are similar but have significant differences. The three-drive pattern uses fewer network drive letters but requires more complex paths because each application is stored in a subdirectory of the shared applications directory. Because the path can be used to locate the directory containing the application software, the three-drive pattern doesn't require a special batch file for each application. The four-drive pattern can have simpler paths, but the path and the link to the directory containing the application currently in use must be changed each time the user calls up a different application. As a result, if you use the four-drive pattern, you have to create a batch file for each application that links the correct directory to the fourth drive and sets the correct path. IMPORTANT: When making drive assignments, you should always consider disk space. If a shared table in a shared drive is 3MB, then the private directory disk of a user accessing that table needs at least 10MB of free space to process queries on that table. The workstation CONFIG.SYS file ------------------------------- Each computer or network workstation that runs Paradox must have a CONFIG.SYS file that sets the FILES and BUFFERS parameters. The CONFIG.SYS file must be stored in the root directory of the workstation's hard disk (or on the boot disk if the workstation is started from a floppy disk). The required parameters are FILES=40 BUFFERS=40 If another application requires a higher number of files, you can set your CONFIG.SYS file to that higher number without causing any problems for Paradox. Depending on what kind of operation you're doing, setting the number of buffers higher than 40 might or might not improve performance. See Chapter 23 of the "User's Guide" for complete details about how Paradox manages memory and when, if at all, you should adjust these DOS parameters. Precautions ----------- This section contains information about potential hazards to Paradox data. The DOS COPY command -------------------- Caution users against using the DOS COPY command to duplicate Paradox objects on a network. Doing so circumvents the protection that Paradox provides against data loss or corruption. Urge users to use the Tools|Copy command to duplicate Paradox objects. The DOS APPEND command ---------------------- When setting up a path for Paradox, you should not mention any directories containing Paradox objects in the DOS APPEND path. Doing so might cause confusion when Paradox searches for and stores objects. Dual links ---------- On a network, Paradox identifies tables by their drive letter, path, and table name. For example, suppose the PDOXDATA\SALES directory contains a table called Orders. Now suppose PDOXDATA is linked to drive F. To Paradox, the full name for the table is F:\SALES\ORDERS. Now suppose you also link drive G to the SALES directory without unlinking drive F. Paradox will also identify the Orders table as G:\ORDERS. This dual link means that Paradox has two different names from the same user for the same table. This could result in serious problems. To avoid problems, never refer to the same table from one workstation in one session using two different network drives. This problem occurs only when the same user is referring to the same table in two different ways. Different users at different workstations can access a table with whatever path names they choose without problems. Changing the sort order ----------------------- The sort order used by Paradox is first determined by the country group you choose when you install Paradox; see Chapter 22 of the "User's Guide" for details. You have the option during installation of overriding that country group's default dictionary sort order with the ASCII sort order. The INSTALL program then creates the PARADOX.SOR file based on your country group and override sort order choices. The PARADOX.SOR file controls the sort order. On a standalone system, you can change the sort order by merely substituting one .SOR file for another. However, this method should not be used in a network environment, nor should the sort order be changed by an individual user. The network administrator should be the only person to change the Paradox sort order used on the network. To do so, run the INSTALL program. See Section 3 for more information. NOTE: If you decide to change the sort order after you've installed Paradox and also have already installed optional Paradox software, such as the sample tables, then you must reinstall this optional software when you run INSTALL again to change the sort order. 3. INSTALLING PARADOX ON A NETWORK ---------------------------------- This section contains information about - Where to find network-specific installation instructions - Multiuser system requirements - Possible network configurations - Installation instructions Network-specific installation instructions ------------------------------------------ This section contains general instructions for installing Paradox on any network. Because you might need additional instructions specific to your network, Paradox comes with network-specific installation instructions in their own text files on the first program disk. You should read the instructions for your network before you install. The following table lists the networks Paradox supports and the corresponding file names. NETWORK FILE CONTAINING INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS --------------------------------------------------------------------- 3COM 3+ Share 3CSHARE AT&T StarGROUP ATTSTAR Banyan Vines BANYAN DEC Pathworks DECPATH IBM PC LAN IBMPCLAN IBM Lanserver 3.0 LANSRVR Microsoft LANMAN MSLANMAN Novell Advanced NetWare NOVELL To display a network installation file a screen at a time, insert the first program disk in a floppy disk drive and go to that drive by typing A: at the DOS prompt (or B: for drive B). Type DIR *. to get a list of all the text files. Then type README , where is the name of the file for your network, such as NOVELL. To print a network installation file, bring it up in your favorite text editor and print, or type PRINT at the DOS prompt, where is the name of the file you want to print. Multiuser system requirements ----------------------------- To use Paradox 4.5 or Paradox License Pack on a local area network, you need one of the following configurations: - A 3Com 3+ Share network, version 1.5.1 or higher - An AT&T StarGROUP for DOS, version 3.1 or higher - A Banyan Vines network, version 2.10 or higher - A DEC Pathworks network, version 1.0 or higher - An IBM Token Ring or PC Network with IBM PC Local Area Network Program, version 1.12 or higher - An IBM Lanserver network, version 3.0, with DOS workstations - A Microsoft Local Area Network Manager, version 2.0 or higher - A Novell Advanced NetWare network, version 2.0A or higher - Other networks that are 100% compatible with DOS 3.1 and one of the networks above You also need one or more personal computers to serve as workstations. Each workstation must have - Any combination of hard and floppy disk drives (including no drives at all, provided it has access to a network drive) - Protected-mode capable machine (80286 or higher microprocessor) usually a machine with 640K RAM and 384K extended memory, although some machines with this base memory still aren't protected-mode capable - DOS 3.1 or higher - A monochrome or color monitor with an adapter; to display graphics you need a CGA, MCGA, EGA, VGA, or Hercules monitor with an adapter SQL NOTE: The network requirements for Paradox with SQL Link differ from those listed here. See the SQL Link "User's Guide" for more information. Possible network configurations ------------------------------- The basic network configurations are server-only, combined, and local-only installation. The exact configuration you choose depends on the needs of your users. In any configuration, to share data on a network, each copy of Paradox must be installed for network (shared) use, and the location of the PDOXUSRS.NET file must be specified. - You can use Paradox to access shared data, whether Paradox is installed on the network file server or on a workstation hard disk. - Any computer attached to the network (including portable computers) can access shared Paradox data, provided that Paradox has also been installed properly on that computer for shared use. - Even if you don't have a network currently installed, you can integrate your current standalone copies of Paradox into a network configuration in case you decide to connect your workstations to a network in the future. Thus, your investment in Paradox is protected when you upgrade your hardware. If you install a copy of Paradox on a workstation's local hard disk, you can use that copy of Paradox on the network regardless of how many other people are using Paradox on the network. Server-only installation ------------------------ In the server-only configuration, Paradox and a one-count or ten-count Paradox License Pack are installed on a network file server. In this configuration, users can run Paradox from any workstation connected to the network. Users can access data stored on network servers, plus data stored on the local hard disk of the machine they're using. To improve performance, you can copy some of the Paradox system files from the network server to workstations that have local hard disks; see Section 6 for more information. If you do this, however, you can run Paradox from that workstation only when connected to the network. You can't run Paradox if the workstation (including portable computers) is operating as a standalone machine. Combined installation --------------------- In a combined installation, Paradox is installed both on the network file server and on one or more workstations' hard disks. In this type of installation, users can access Paradox either from the server or from the local workstation. Section 6 explains the performance advantages of installing Paradox locally. Local-only installation ----------------------- You can install Paradox on one or more workstations or computers connected to the network and share data over the network without installing any copies of Paradox on the network server. In this configuration, users can run Paradox only from the computers on which Paradox is installed. Installing Paradox for use on a network --------------------------------------- Although the specific steps for installing Paradox can vary from network to network, each installation follows the same basic sequence. Read the separate network file for installation instructions specific to your network. If you need more information about network concepts, see Section 2. Pre-installation steps ---------------------- To prepare your network for server-only or combined Paradox installation, complete the following steps: 1. Create a shared, read-only directory to contain the Paradox system files. We recommend you name this directory PDOX45. To protect the network software settings, only the network administrator should have read/write/create rights to this directory. Other users should have read-only rights to this directory. 2. Create a shared network directory for Paradox data. We recommend you name this directory PDOXDATA. This directory will contain Paradox tables and applications to be used by more than one person, and it will also be used to store the Paradox network control file, PDOXUSRS.NET, while Paradox is active on the network. Users need read/write/create rights to this directory to modify data and to create or update the PDOXUSRS.NET file during the Paradox session. Installing the system files --------------------------- Use this section in conjunction with the network-specific installation instructions in text files located on the first program disk. 1. Go to the Paradox system files directory, usually PDOX45. 2. Insert the first program disk in drive A and type A:INSTALL to run the INSTALL program. Follow the onscreen instructions and refer to the following notes for further assistance: - Choose Network Installation from the INSTALL menu. This permits users to access shared data files on the network, even if you're installing Paradox on a local hard disk. - If INSTALL can't copy files to the network drive, make sure you're logged on as the network administrator and have read/write/create rights to the network directory (PDOX45) where you're trying to install Paradox. - You must fill out all of the screens in INSTALL. If you press Esc part way through, installation is incomplete. Once the installation process is complete, you should see the onscreen message "Paradox has been successfully installed." If installation wasn't successful --------------------------------- Check these items: - Lack of sufficient storage space on your hard disk. This is the most likely cause of installation trouble. You need at least 6MB of free space on your server to install Paradox without the optional software. Once installed, Paradox occupies less than 5MB. To install all the optional software, you need an additional 1MB. If you need more disk space, remove the files you don't need to free up enough room to repeat the installation process. - If you have sufficient disk space, review the instructions to make sure you followed them correctly. Technical support ------------------ - If you can't determine the cause of the problem, you can contact Borland Technical Support. Refer to the "Borland Support and Services Guide" included with Paradox for instructions on how to contact Borland Technical Support. Additional installation steps ----------------------------- After you install Paradox on your network server as part of a server-only or combined installation, you must set up each workstation or computer that will be running Paradox: 1. Modify workstation CONFIG.SYS files where necessary. The CONFIG.SYS file in the root directory of each workstation or computer must contain the following statements: FILES=40 BUFFERS=40 2. Create a private directory for each Paradox user. Paradox requires a specific location, unique to each user, to store that user's temporary objects (for example, Answer tables). The user must have read/write/create rights to this directory. For performance reasons, we recommend creating this private directory on the workstation's local hard disk, if it has one. Otherwise, the private directory should be the user's home directory on the network drive. 3. Modify the user's search path. The user's path must specify that DOS will first search the user's private directory (to locate the personal configuration file, PARADOX.CFG), then the Paradox system files directory. 4. Set up the Paradox network environment for the user: - Modify each user's login script, or create a Paradox startup batch file that establishes paths for the user prior to starting Paradox. - Verify that each user has been assigned proper access rights to each Paradox directory. 5. Configure Paradox for the network and for each user, as described in Section 3. 6. Test and document your work. Log on to the network from each workstation and for each user and verify that Paradox works properly. Distribute written instructions for starting Paradox and keep written records of your installation for future reference. 7. If you need to increase the number of concurrent users on the network, purchase more single or License Pack copies of Paradox. 4. CONFIGURING PARADOX FOR NETWORK WORKSTATIONS ----------------------------------------------- This section describes how to configure individual workstations to use Paradox on a network. This is the final step in Paradox network installation. This section covers - Network configuration requirements - Configuration and the private directory - Creating a default network configuration file - Creating individual user configuration files Overview -------- The Custom Configuration Program (CCP) lets you customize Paradox for each user's particular needs. By playing a Paradox script called Custom, you choose options from a series of menus, then save your custom configuration in a file called PARADOX.CFG. When each user starts Paradox, it searches for and uses a PARADOX.CFG file to set configuration options. The installation program automatically copies Custom to the server directory containing the Paradox system files (PDOX45). In terms of network operation, the most important function of a PARADOX.CFG file is to designate the location of each user's private directory. Every Paradox user must have a separate private directory. Paradox uses the PARADOX.CFG file to discover the location of the private directory a person will be using while working with Paradox. The PARADOX.CFG file is also used to - Specify report formats and printer defaults for shared printers on the network - Specify default graph settings, printers, and screens - Tell Paradox the name of each user (on networks where the user name can't be determined from the network operating system) - Set other user- or workstation-related parameters such as monitor type and autorefresh interval See Chapter 15 of "Getting Started" for complete information on the Custom Configuration Program. The default PARADOX.CFG file ---------------------------- In creating a default Paradox configuration file, you must decide on the generic configuration settings that best apply to all Paradox users on the network. This file serves two purposes: - You can use it as a template to help you set up individual PARADOX.CFG files for each workstation. - It serves as a fallback configuration file if a user happens to use a workstation that doesn't have its own PARADOX.CFG file. The settings you can manipulate through the Custom script can be classified into three types: - Network settings apply to the entire network. For example, everyone should use the same settings for the default network shared printer. - Workstation settings apply to a particular workstation. For example, on the same network you might have some workstations with color monitors and others with monochrome monitors. - Individual settings are those that pertain to a particular user. For example, users might have individual preferences for default report formats. Also, on networks where Paradox can't determine a user's name from the operating system, Paradox gets the user name from that user's PARADOX.CFG file. The default configuration file should contain the most general settings --those that apply to the greatest number of users or workstations. By choosing the generic settings, you have fewer changes to make when customizing individual PARADOX.CFG files for each user or workstation. Configuration steps ------------------- Before configuring individual workstations, you should complete all the installation steps for your specific network as described in Sections 2 and 3 of this file and in specific network installation files located on the first program disk. This includes setting up the correct path, login script, or batch file for each workstation. To create the default PARADOX.CFG file and configure Paradox for each workstation, follow the steps in the next sections. CREATING THE DEFAULT PARADOX.CFG FILE ------------------------------------- 1. Log on to the network as the administrator and access the Custom Configuration Program to create a default PARADOX.CFG file for the network. You must have a network drive linked to the Paradox system files directory (for example, PDOX45) with read/write/create rights. You can access the CCP from the DOS prompt or from within Paradox: - From the DOS prompt, type PARADOX CUSTOM. For example, if the PDOX45 directory is linked to drive G, and G is the current drive, type PARADOX CUSTOM. - From Paradox's Main menu, choose �|Utilities|Custom or choose Scripts|Play and choose Custom as the script to play. 2. Choose Network from the Custom Main menu to set the default private directory. You should enter the private directory name from the point of view of the eventual user at a workstation. You should enter the most common private directory location for your network as the default. For example, on a network in which the majority of workstations have local hard disks, you should type C:\PDOX45. 3. Enter other default settings as appropriate. NOTE: For the default PARADOX.CFG file, you should leave the User Name text box blank. 4. After you enter your network settings, return to the Custom Main menu and press F2 or choose DO-IT! from the menu. 5. Paradox displays a menu with the choices HardDisk and Network. Choose Network. 6. Paradox displays a dialog box with the prompt "Directory:" and with the name of the directory you entered as the private directory. Since you're creating the network default PARADOX.CFG file, you should delete the suggested entry by pressing Ctrl-Backspace and enter the drive letter of the PDOX45 directory. You then exit to Paradox. 7. Change the access rights of the PDOX45 directory back to read-only. Creating workstation and individual configuration files ------------------------------------------------------- Every private directory should contain a PARADOX.CFG file that tells Paradox that this directory is the private directory. For workstations with local hard disks, follow these steps: 1. Go to each workstation and log on to the network as the network administrator. 2. Create a C:\PDOX45 directory on the local hard disk. 3. Copy the default PARADOX.CFG file from the network Paradox system files directory, PDOX45, to C:\PDOX45. 4. If you want to specify individual or workstation-specific parameters for a particular workstation PARADOX.CFG file, access the CCP (see step 1 of the previous section). 5. Choose Network from the CCP Main menu. 6. Change the private directory setting to C:\PDOX45. 7. On networks where the user name isn't automatically recognized, enter the user's name in the User Name text box. 8. Create or modify any other settings as appropriate and choose OK to return to the CCP Main menu. 9. Press F2 or choose DO_IT! from the CCP Main menu when you're finished. 10. Choose Network from the HardDisk/Network menu. 11. You see a dialog box with the prompt "Directory:", followed by what you entered as the private directory. Press Enter or choose OK to accept this and store the PARADOX.CFG file in the user's C:\PDOX45 hard-disk drive and directory. For workstations without local hard disks, 1. Copy the default PARADOX.CFG file from the network Paradox system files directory, PDOX45, to the network home directory of each person who will run Paradox from a diskless workstation. 2. Make each of those network home directories your current directory and access the CCP (see step 1 of the previous section). 3. Choose Network from the CCP Main menu. 4. Change the private directory setting to the network drive linked to the user's network home directory. 5. On networks where the user name isn't automatically recognized, enter the user's name in the User Name text box. 6. Create or modify any other settings as appropriate and choose OK to return to the CCP Main menu. 7. Press F2 or choose DO-IT! from the CCP Main menu when you're finished. 8. Choose Network from the HardDisk/Network menu. 9. You see a dialog box with the prompt "Directory:", followed by what you entered as the private directory. Press Enter or choose OK to accept this and store the PARADOX.CFG file in the user's private directory. You can modify any or all of the PARADOX.CFG files by rerunning Custom from the appropriate directory and making the necessary changes. IMPORTANT: You must always save these individual PARADOX.CFG files by exiting Custom with DO_IT! and then by choosing Network from the HardDisk/Network menu and specifying the directory containing the PARADOX.CFG file. (If you save PARADOX.CFG with HardDisk, Custom tries to save it to the system files directory and fails if you don't have read/write/create rights to this directory.) 5. UPDATING YOUR INSTALLATION WITH NUPDATE ------------------------------------------ This section describes how to update or modify your Paradox network installation. You can update the information you entered when running INSTALL by running the NUPDATE program, which is stored in the Paradox system files directory (for example, PDOX45). NUPDATE lets you change the following information: - The name of the network administrator - The location of the PDOXUSRS.NET file - The network type NOTE: Paradox no longer keeps track of user count. CAUTION: Use NUPDATE to modify Paradox network installation parameters only when no Paradox users are on the network. Use Tools|Info|Who on the Main menu to see if anyone on the network is using Paradox. To modify network installation parameters with NUPDATE, 1. Make the PDOX45 directory your current directory. You must have read/write/create rights to this directory. 2. Type NUPDATE. 3. NUPDATE displays the Personal Signature screen with your current company, network administrator, and user names. - If you want to change the network administrator name (or user name, if you're installing on a local hard disk for network access), move to that field, erase the existing name by pressing Ctrl-Backspace, and then type the new name. When the new name is correctly entered, press F2 to proceed. - If you don't want to change the network administrator name, press F2 to proceed. NOTE: If you want to change the company name displayed on the Personal Signature screen, you must reinstall Paradox. 4. Paradox displays the Network Type screen, showing the currently installed network type and the location of PDOXUSRS.NET. - To modify the information on this screen, move to the field you want to change, then press Ctrl-Backspace to erase the existing information. Next, type the new information and press F2 to continue. NOTE: If you change the location of PDOXUSRS.NET, you need to do the following things: for each network and workstation installation, run NUPDATE in that installation's system files directory (usually PDOX45) and change the location of PDOXUSRS.NET. You also have to make sure that when users start Paradox, they're linked to the new directory containing PDOXUSRS.NET. - To skip this screen without changing anything on it, simply press F2 or choose DO-IT! from the menu. 6. IMPROVING NETWORK PERFORMANCE -------------------------------- This section tells you how to improve Paradox performance on a network, using the following techniques: - Adding extra extended memory - Running Paradox from a local hard disk on a network - Using a local hard disk for the user's private directory - Storing data on a local hard disk - Reducing unnecessary read and write requests Overview -------- The best way to improve performance--on either a standalone computer or on a network--is by adjusting the way Paradox allocates memory. To learn how Paradox manages memory and how to adjust it, see Chapter 23 of the "User's Guide." You can also improve Paradox network performance by using, wherever possible, a workstation's local hard disk instead of the server hard disk for your storage requirements. The network server must process requests to read from and write to its hard disk one at a time. As the number of network users increases, the possibility of a backlog of read/write requests also increases. Since only one user can access the network server at any given instant, other users must wait their turn to access the server's hard disk. This delay results in a small loss of performance for Paradox on the network. By using your workstation to process read/write requests on a local hard disk rather than through the server, however, you reduce the number of requests the network server needs to process, and therefore increase the speed with which Paradox functions on the network. Improving performance through efficient use of memory ----------------------------------------------------- The efficient use of memory becomes more important when using Paradox on a network rather than on a standalone because of the memory used by network services. One way to improve performance is simply to add more memory in the form of extra extended memory. You can also improve performance by using extended memory to best advantage. See "How Paradox manages memory" and "Memory allocation options" in Chapter 23 of the "User's Guide" for complete details about how to configure Paradox for optimal use of memory. IBM Token Ring users -------------------- Token Ring cards use some of the same memory address space as the AST Rampage card. If the network cards installed on your workstations are IBM Token Ring cards, you can prevent this conflict by modifying the workstation's CONFIG.SYS file. Token Ring cards use one of two address spaces: CC00-CFFF or D800-DBFF (consult your Token Ring documentation to find out which your card uses). The CONFIG.SYS file contains a line that begins DEVICE=REMM.SYS, which was added during the EEMS card installation. If the Token Ring card uses CC00-CFFF, add the parameter /X=CC00-CFFF to this line. If the Token Ring card uses D800-DBFF, add the parameter /X=D800-DBFF. Efficient use of memory for PAL applications -------------------------------------------- Network software reduces the amount of memory available for Paradox to use. Thus, while the efficient use of memory in Paradox applications is important on a standalone system, it becomes imperative on the network. PAL applications optimize memory management when you - Use the PRIVATE keyword in procedures instead of global variables - Hand-code literal strings rather than assign them to variables - Use arrays sparingly and judiciously - Use RELEASE PROC for procedures that are used only once - Use procedures, especially closed procedures - Keep the size of procedures under 4K - Use AUTOLIB instead of READLIB to load procedures from libraries Using workstation hard disks to improve performance --------------------------------------------------- You can improve Paradox's performance on a network by using the hard disks of local workstations to run Paradox and to store Paradox data. Installing paradox on a local workstation ----------------------------------------- The best way to reduce network delays is to purchase a separate copy of Paradox and install it on a local hard disk. The user loads Paradox from a local hard disk rather than the server's hard disk. This substantially eliminates network delays caused by Paradox accessing the server for software yet still allows access to shared data on the network. Assuming you've properly followed the installation instructions in this file, you've set up the user's search path so that Paradox looks first to the user's private directory before looking to the system files directory. If Paradox can read system files from the local hard disk rather than from the server hard disk, server delays are reduced, and the speed of Paradox is increased. NOTE: Under the Paradox license agreement, you are not permitted to violate the "one count, one user" rule. If you download the Paradox system files to your local hard disk, you can operate Paradox only when you are logged on to the network. Copying system files to workstation private directories ------------------------------------------------------- Short of purchasing and installing a separate single-user copy of Paradox on a workstation hard disk, you can copy the following system files from the Paradox system files directory on the network (for example, PDOX45) to the workstation private directory on the local hard disk (for example, C:\PDOX45): PARADOX.IDX PARADOX.AUX PARADOX.OV1 PARADOX.OV2 PARADOX.HLP PARADOX.MSG You should verify that the user's search path is properly set up to search the private directory on the local drive before searching the system files directory on the server hard disk. NOTE FOR NOVELL USERS: Because you can't list a local drive before a network drive on the Novell search path, you will have to set up a DOS path using the PATH command to take advantage of this strategy. Storing data on a local workstation ----------------------------------- If a user is working with personal Paradox tables not shared with any other network users, you can reduce network delays by storing these tables and their related objects on a local hard disk. Another good method for improving performance on a network is to designate a directory on a local hard disk as the private directory for temporary objects. This eliminates network delays caused when Paradox creates or accesses temporary objects and provides significant performance improvements if you're working with large objects or many objects at the same time. For more about private directories on a network, see Section 2. Other performance tips ---------------------- If you're experiencing noticeable slowness in performance after doing the things suggested in the previous sections of this chapter, try reducing unnecessary read and write requests. If you have tables that you want users to have only read rights to, you can store them in a separate shared directory and place a DirLock (directory lock) on that directory by choosing Tools|Net|Lock|DirLock. Placing a DirLock on a shared data directory lets Paradox disk-cache that directory's files, thereby providing faster viewing access of those objects. In general, the more you restrict access, the faster Paradox works. For example, a table with a write lock gets better performance than a table with no locks; a table with a full lock gets better performance than a table with just a write lock. Check other explicit table-locking features available to you to limit users' access to Paradox data in "Lock" and "PreventLock" under "Net" in Chapter 17 of the "User's Guide." Also see Chapter 21 of the "User's Guide" for further details on network issues. For shared data directories containing objects users must be able to write to, you can do the following: - Have users increase their autorefresh intervals or turn autorefresh off completely. (Choose Network from the CCP Main menu, or in Paradox, choose AutoRefresh from the CoEdit menu or Tools|Net|AutoRefresh from the Main menu.) - If you need to run big queries on a periodic basis (to sum up a day's sales activities, for instance), run them at times of low activity. 7. TROUBLESHOOTING ----------------- This section examines potential network problems: - Insufficient disk space on the network server - A workstation malfunction that causes a file to be incorrectly locked - PDOXUSRS.NET problems - Private directory problems - Directory access-denied problems Insufficient disk space on the server ------------------------------------- Before Paradox begins an operation, it checks to make sure enough disk space is available to complete the task. If enough space isn't available, Paradox cancels the operation and displays a "Not enough disk space" message. However, Paradox can't predict what other users at other workstations on the network might do while the operation is underway. If a second user fills up server disk space while the first user is performing a disk-intensive Paradox operation, the first user might not have enough disk space to complete the task. For example, suppose that one user decides to sort a table to a new file. Paradox checks the server disk space, verifies that enough room is available for the new table, and begins the sort. Now, at another workstation, a different user starts copying large files from his or her local hard disk to the server hard disk, and Paradox discovers that it no longer has enough room for the newly sorted table. When this problem occurs, Paradox temporarily returns to DOS so that the first user can clear space on the server by erasing unneeded files. Paradox displays a message indicating how much disk space it needs to proceed. - If users choose not to delete files to free up disk space, they can type EXIT to return to Paradox. Paradox cancels the operation, clears the desktop, and returns to Main mode. - Users can free up disk space by deleting as many unneeded files as they can and then typing EXIT to resume the operation. The amount-of-space-needed message only indicates the minimum Paradox needs to proceed with the very next step. If you clear only the minimum requested, Paradox proceeds with its next step but then might find itself unable to proceed with the following step. It then returns you to DOS, where you have to repeat this process. Because of this, when you're placed in DOS to free up disk space, free up as much as you possibly can, regardless of the amount requested. The network administrator should caution users against deleting any Paradox files or objects that they or others might need. In this situation, no one should ever delete the PDOXUSRS.NET file or any of the following Paradox file types: - PARADOX*.* - SORT*.DB - *.LCK - *.T* - Z*.* Network administrators should regularly monitor server disk space to prevent this potential problem. Workstation crashes and file locking ------------------------------------ If a workstation crashes while working with shared Paradox tables, the network operating system might lock the table or record to all users. This is a network problem, not a Paradox problem. It can be solved only by logging the workstation back on to the network. Once the workstation is logged back on, the network operating system automatically removes the locks. It is not necessary for the workstation to reload Paradox. In this situation, some or all of the work done at the workstation immediately before it crashed could be lost. The existing Paradox tables and objects aren't harmed, but they remain as they were when they were last saved to disk--a good reason to save to disk often. If the workstation is damaged and can't be logged back on to the network, you have to tell the network that the damaged workstation has been logged off. All networks provide some method of doing this when a workstation malfunctions. Consult your network documentation. Paradox directory and table locks are controlled by files of the file type .LCK. In the normal course of Paradox operation, .LCK files are created, modified, and deleted automatically by Paradox in every directory containing Paradox data. Since Paradox automatically deletes or modifies unneeded or incorrect .LCK files, you should not have to use DOS to delete any .LCK files. NOTE: In rare situations, you might need to delete .LCK files. Only the network administrator should do so. You might want to call Borland Technical Support to assist you, if you think you're in a situation that requires you to delete .LCK files. See the "Borland Support and Services Guide" for instructions on calling Borland Technical Support. PDOXUSRS.NET problems --------------------- Several error messages indicate a problem with the PDOXUSRS.NET file: -- " locked by PDOXUSRS.NET in " (your PDOXUSRS.NET is in ) This message indicates more than one PDOXUSRS.NET file is on the network. Users who are using one PDOXUSRS.NET file are unable to access data being locked by a second PDOXUSRS.NET file. The only way to solve this problem is to have only one PDOXUSRS.NET file on the network that everyone uses. To find the cause of duplicate PDOXUSRS.NET files, 1. Have everyone on the network exit Paradox. No one should be using Paradox while you perform step 2. 2. Make sure all copies of Paradox specify the same directory for the PDOXUSRS.NET file. 3. Verify that the user's batch file for loading Paradox sets up the proper path to PDOXUSRS.NET. See the instructions for creating batch files on your particular network in the online text file for your network (in the system files directory, which is usually PDOX45). When Paradox is installed, a directory is specified as the location of the PDOXUSRS.NET file. If two copies of Paradox are running on the network with different directories specified for the PDOXUSRS.NET file, each will have a different PDOXUSRS.NET file. This kind of problem most frequently occurs when a local copy of Paradox is installed with an incorrect directory specified for PDOXUSRS.NET. It also occurs when a standalone computer (such as a portable computer) is temporarily plugged into the network, and its copy of the PDOXUSRS.NET file doesn't have the correct network directory specified. To determine the directory specified as the location of the PDOXUSRS.NET file, run NUPDATE for all server-installed copies of Paradox and INSTALL for all copies of Paradox installed on local hard disks. If a copy of Paradox has an incorrect specification for PDOXUSRS.NET, correct it while in NUPDATE or INSTALL. See Section 3 for more information on running INSTALL or Section 5 for running NUPDATE. -- "Can't start Paradox: unable to access PDOXUSRS.NET" This message indicates a problem with locating the PDOXUSRS.NET file. For example, G: is specified as the location of PDOXUSRS.NET, but this user has no directory linked to logical drive G. Other reasons why the file can't be accessed include - Inability to perform record locking. The PDOXUSRS.NET file has been found, but it is unable to perform record locking. Check to make sure that - The directory is a shared directory (that is, the network allows concurrent access to multiple users) - The directory grants all users read/write/create rights - The correct network type was specified during installation - Inability to read the PDOXUSRS.NET file. The PDOXUSRS.NET file has been found, but Paradox is unable to read it. - Check the network-level access rights. The directory containing the PDOXUSRS.NET file must grant read/write/create rights. - If directory access rights aren't the problem, the PDOXUSRS.NET file might have somehow become corrupted. Have everyone on the network exit Paradox, then use DOS to delete the existing PDOXUSRS.NET file. When you restart Paradox, a new PDOXUSRS.NET file is created. - Inability to write to the PDOXUSRS.NET file. The PDOXUSRS.NET file has been found, but Paradox is unable to write to it. Check the network-level access rights. The directory-level access rights must be read/write/create. If the directory-level access rights are correct, use DOS to delete the existing PDOXUSRS.NET file. When you restart Paradox, a new PDOXUSRS.NET file is created. If none of these suggestions solves the problem, call Borland Technical Support. Refer to the "Borland Support and Services Guide" for information on how to do this. -- "Can't access shared from single-user workstation" This message indicates that the user is trying to access network data with a copy of Paradox that hasn't been properly installed for network use. The user's copy of Paradox fails to specify a network type, specifies the wrong network type, or fails to specify the location of the PDOXUSRS.NET file. In most cases, this type of problem occurs with copies of Paradox installed on workstation local hard disks or on standalone computers that are temporarily connected to the network. To correct the problem, run NUPDATE for this copy of Paradox and specify the correct network type and location of the PDOXUSRS.NET file. See Section 5 for more information on running NUPDATE. Private directory problems -------------------------- Error messages similar to the following ones indicate that one user has tried to access data in a directory being used by someone else as a private directory: -- "Directory is in use by " -- " is the private directory of " When a Paradox user designates a particular directory as a private directory, Paradox prevents all other users from accessing any tables or objects stored in that directory. For example, if a Paradox user incorrectly designates a shared data directory as a private directory, other legitimate users are prevented from accessing data in that directory. This problem can occur when a user - Starts Paradox without a PARADOX.CFG file - Starts Paradox with a PARADOX.CFG file that specifies the wrong private directory - Starts Paradox with an incorrect path so that the wrong PARADOX.CFG file is loaded (or no file at all is found) The user name and directory named in the error message tell you the source of the problem. Depending on your network, the user name shown in the message can be - A network user name that identifies a particular person - A workstation machine name that identifies a particular workstation - A name that has been entered as a user name in a PARADOX.CFG file that might identify either a person or a workstation If the error message indicates that someone is using an incorrect directory as a private directory, you must tell that person to change his or her private directory. This can be done on a temporary basis by having that person use Tools|Net|SetPrivate to set a different private directory. However, you should check the user's path and PARADOX.CFG file to find out why an incorrect private directory was designated and correct the problem. The error message "Working directory from .CFG file doesn't exist, trying current directory" usually means that Paradox can't find the directory specified in the PARADOX.CFG file. For example, a network directory has been specified but isn't linked to the designated drive. Directory access problems ------------------------- The error message "Access to directory denied" indicates that the user isn't properly linked to the directory he or she is trying to access. This is a network problem, not a Paradox problem. Check to see that the user is correctly linked to the necessary directories. NOTE TO NOVELL USERS: On the Novell network, this message might mean the user doesn't have read/write/create rights to the directory in question.