This README file of IDE286.ZIP accompanies IDE.OBJ and IDE.DSK for NetWare 
v2.x.  The following files are included for this revision:

            IDE   OBJ   5705  8-09-91     11:39a
            IDE   DSK    963  9-05-91      3:07p

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Format a DOS diskette and use the DOS label command to label it "DSK_DRV_030"
(without the quote marks).  Next, copy the entire contents of the .ZIP file 
to this diskette.

NOTES:

Several people have asked questions about the new IDE driver.  Here are 
some of the questions and answers:
 
 1. Q. What drives does the IDE driver support?
    A. Most all IDE/ATA drives.

 2. Q. Does the IDE driver support the IBM Model 35 and Model 40 in a file
       server configuration?
    A. Until a driver is available to fully support the IBM 8535 and 8540 
       IDE drives, this driver can be used in the dedicated mode.  The driver
       will not operate properly in the non-dedicated mode on the IBM 8535 
       and 8540.
 
 3. Q. Does this driver fix the problem that ISADISK had with "user
       definable" drive types?
    A. Yes.  The ISADISK driver used the INT41 and INT46 vectors to find the
       location of the drive or ROM parameter table.  ISADISK would abend if
       the pointer to the table was below segment C800.  BIOSs which support
       UD drive types typically put the table below C800:.  For example, AMI 
       uses address 0300 and apparently other BIOS manufacturers use the same
       address.  The IDE driver queries the drives for drive information.  It
       does not use the ROM-BIOS services.
 
 4. Q. Given that the IDE driver obtains drive information from the drives, 
       will Ztest create problems? 
    A. No.  Since the drive parameters are located in sectors inaccessible to
       a write command, Ztest cannot write over them.

 5. Q. How should the user set up his IDE/ATA drives if he is using the IDE
       driver?
    A. If the user has a single paddleboard or is connected to a port on the
       system board and is using one or two drives, then he may define those
       drives as any type in the BIOS or as UD if he desires.  Two cases 
       which would require a legitimate definition are 1) a drive having a 
       DOS partition or 2) a drive from which the user expects to cold
       boot NetWare.  In either case, the best definition would be an exact
       definition.  However, a definition which matches heads, sectors per 
       track and has fewer than or equal to the actual cylinders would 
       suffice.

 6. Q. Does the IDE driver support multiple paddleboards?
    A. Yes, two paddleboards.  However, the paddleboards must be designed
       with jumpers to configure IRQ and Base I/O (primary 1F0, secondary
       170).  The set-up would be analogous to any other dual controller AT 
       configuration.  The IDE driver must be linked only once.  It will find
       all drives when it initializes.  The drive/s attached to the secondary
       paddleboard will not be defined by the machine's CMOS.
 
 7. Q. Does the IDE driver address the problem of data verification on the
       extended AT bus (40 pin cable which connects the paddleboard or 
       system board to the IDE/ATA drives)?
    A. Yes. In the VERIFY ON mode, it will read and compare data to ensure
       integrity across the cables.  The cost is performance.  With verify
       ON, performance will be degraded significantly.  Mirroring drives on 
       a single paddleboard will not improve integrity because the cable in 
       question, is common to both drives.  With drives mirrored (duplexed)
       on separate paddleboards, a higher level of data integrity would be 
       achieved without setting verify ON.  


The following limitations should be noted:

      * The drive type number reported by the INSTALL program is generated by 
        the IDE disk driver at initialization time and is useful only to the 
        NetWare operating system.

      * The IDE disk driver will not work with ISA bus controllers (i.e. 
        ST506/412 and ESDI).  The IDE/ATA, ST506, and ESDI interfaces look 
        similar to the system software,  however, they are handled 
        differently by the disk driver.
