What You Need

To prepare your network location, you must


Hardware Requirements

You need the following hardware for installing a NetWare v3.12 file server.


Ensure Proper Power and Power Conditions


Procedure

  1. Check the operating environment and power requirements for your equipment.

    Consult the documentation provided with your computer for specific requirements in the following areas:

    Temperature/humidity
    Maximum altitude
    Power source
    Power frequency
    Power requirements
    Power consumption
    Heat dissipation

  2. Use dedicated power lines and grounded outlets.

    Use dedicated power lines for all hardware components on your NetWare network (file servers, workstations, printers, etc.). Connect only network components to these lines.

    Electrical outlets should be standard 3-wire (NEMA 5-15R) grounded outlets, with the ground wire connected to an earth ground. (If you connect the ground wire to conduit ground, be sure that the conduit ground is an earth ground.)

  3. Install power conditioning equipment.

    Because network hardware components are sensitive to power fluctuations, use some kind of power conditioning equipment on all power lines connected to components:

    • Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). These protect server hardware from power fluctuations with a regulating uninterruptible power supply.

      In addition to protecting server hardware from damage caused by power surges and voltage spikes, a UPS protects data held in RAM during a power failure.

      IMPORTANT:  We strongly recommend that you also use UPS protection for network workstations and other peripherals.

    • Other power conditioning devices. If using a UPS is not feasible, try to equip your network hardware with power conditioning devices.

      Many devices are available that protect equipment from various irregularities, such as electrical noise and voltage spikes.

      These devices include line-surge suppressors (also called power conditioners and line filters) and ferro-resonant isolation transformers.

      Connect network hardware through at least one of these devices to protect them from minor power surges such as those resulting from common electrical power fluctuations.

      These devices offer some protection and are inexpensive, although they have the following disadvantages:

    • They do not protect hardware components from large power surges such as lightning strikes.

    • Data held in RAM is lost if there is a power failure.

    • Network maintenance costs are higher with line-surge suppressors and ferro-resonant isolation transformers than with uninterruptible power supplies.

      However, network maintenance costs are lower with suppressors and transformers than with no power conditioning devices at all.

      For more information on power conditioning devices, see Concepts.

  4. Protect network equipment from static electricity.

    Take the following protective measures:

    • Treat carpets with anti-static chemicals (available in spray form from most computer stores).

    • Use protective covers for carpets, such as the anti-static type or conductive covers connected to an earth ground.

      Don't use plastic or other synthetic carpet protectors near network equipment because such protectors generate large amounts of static electricity.

    • Ground equipment through a one megaohm resistor to bleed off the static slowly and avoid a static discharge from conductive surfaces.

    • Make sure that personnel working on open equipment chassis take precautionary measures, such as wearing grounded wrist straps.


Set Up Hardware

NetWare v3.12 file servers can operate on many kinds of hardware. To ensure that there are no conflicts, use unique interrupt request (IRQ) settings on file server boards.

NetWare prompts you to enter your board settings, gives you available alternate settings, and determines if your settings are valid. (If you don't need the prompts, see "Load Disk Drivers" and "Load LAN Drivers" in System Administration.)


Calculate Necessary Server RAM

To calculate your file server's total RAM requirements, perform the following steps. (NetWare v3.12 can support up to 4GB of RAM and up to 32TB of disk storage space.)


Procedure

  1. Make sure that you have a minimum of 4 MB of RAM for loading the operating system, disk and LAN drivers, and INSTALL.NLM.

  2. Add 2 MB to install one or more of the following:

    • Additional NetWare products (such as NetWare for Macintosh, NetWare for NFS, etc.).
    • A print server on this server (PSERVER.NLM).
    • Any of the following NetWare loadable modules: CLIB.NLM, STREAMS.NLM, BTRIEVE.NLM. (Many systems need these NLMs.)

  3. Multiply the amount of your system's disk space (in megabytes) by 0.008 and add this number to the number arrived at in Step 1 and Step 2.

    For example, multiplying 200 MB by 0.008 results in 1.6 MB.

  4. Add 1 to 4 MB for additional cache buffer RAM to optimize performance.

    The more RAM you can allot to cache buffers, the better your system's performance will be.

If you have an EISA file server that contains more than 16 MB of RAM, do not use 8-or 16-bit AT busmastering or DMA boards in the server. For more information, contact the manufacturer.

NOTE:  If you have a 386 computer manufactured in 1987, it may not carry out some 32-bit instructions. This could adversely affect the functioning of NetWare.

If a problem exists, NetWare displays a message. You may be able to correct the problem by replacing a ROM chip on the board. For more information, see your computer reseller.


Install and Configure Your Hardware


Procedure

  1. Record the following hardware information on the File Server Worksheet found at the end of this manual.

  2. Install hard disks and network boards.

    1. If necessary, set switches or jumpers on hard disks and network boards.

      Set each address and interrupt according to the worksheet you completed in Step 1.

    2. Install internal hard disks and check for proper jumper settings and termination.

      See your hard disk documentation, or see "SCSI Bus" in Concepts.

    3. Place each board in a slot in the file server.

      IMPORTANT:  If you install Token-Ring boards, cable the boards in the file server to the MAU before installing the operating system. Otherwise, the TOKEN driver will not load.

    4. Connect peripheral equipment to the file server and check jumper settings and termination.

      See the documentation for each peripheral, or see "SCSI Bus" in Concepts.

  3. Configure the hardware by using the hardware's setup (reference or configuration) program.

    For details on the setup or reference program, see the documentation that came with your computer.

    • If your hardware supports it, use a power-on password to secure the file server from unauthorized use.

    • Do not select "Set network server mode" if your hardware has it listed in its setup program.

      This mode disables keyboard input after DOS executes an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. As a result, you could not use the keyboard after the file server booted.

      Instead, use the keyboard protection feature in MONITOR. See "MONITOR" in System Administration.

    • Do not change the arbitration level of the MFM or ESDI fixed-disk driver from the factory default setting. NetWare requires the default setting.

  4. (Conditional) Install the CD-ROM either as a network device or as a DOS device, according to manufacturer's instructions.

  5. (Conditional) If you are using an IBM® PS/2® computer, do not set it to SERVER mode.

  6. Record the setup information on the File Server Worksheet.

    For microchannel machines: make sure you record the type of controller in microchannel machines. You need this information when you load disk drivers later.

    NOTE:  When installing two or more of the same type of network board, check your network board documentation to avoid address conflicts.

    If you have problems getting your hardware to run, see "Troubleshooting Guide" in System Administration.

  7. (Conditional) If you will be using a DCB disk driver for a disk subsystem, run DISKSET.EXE before installing your NetWare server.

  8. Install your NetWare v3.12 file server by following the procedures under Install Server Software.

    During installation, you are advised of optional procedures that you can perform, such as disk mirroring, disk duplexing, partitioning, etc.


Make Working Copies of the NetWare Diskettes

Before you install software, make working copies of the NetWare diskettes. Use only the working copies.


Procedure

To make working copies of the NetWare diskettes,

  1. Boot a personal computer with DOS.

  2. Use the DOS DISKCOPY command to format and copy each NetWare diskette to a high-capacity diskette.

  3. Label each copied diskette with the same name that appears on the original diskette.

  4. After making working copies, store the original NetWare diskettes in a secure place.

    HINT:  Throughout the installation, when you are instructed to insert a specific diskette, use the working copy.


Making 5.25-Inch Working Copies

For 5.25-inch diskettes, use XCOPY to copy the files to a hard disk and then copy them to 5.25-inch diskettes. You must have a PC or existing NetWare file server with 30 MB of available disk space.


Procedure

  1. Create a network directory called NETWARE.

  2. Change to the newly-created directory.

  3. Insert the Install diskette into a disk drive and type

    XCOPY A: /S/E <Enter>

  4. Repeat Step 3 for each diskette.

  5. When all NetWare diskettes have been copied to the NETWARE directory, format a 5.25-inch, high-density diskette and make it bootable by typing

    FORMAT A:/S

  6. Label the diskette Install.

  7. For the remaining diskettes, insert each 5.25-inch, high-density diskette into the disk drive and type

    FORMAT A:/V

    Label each diskette with the disk name that corresponds to the 3.5-inch diskette.

  8. Change to the directory that corresponds to the appropriate diskette label.

  9. Insert a diskette and type

    XCOPY *.* A: /S/E

  10. Repeat Step 7, 8, and 9 until all diskettes in the NetWare directory are copied.