SOFTWARE RELEASE NOTES PC-SPIRS v3.33 ERL CLIENT ---------------------- ------------------------ INTRODUCTION ------------ This copy of the PC-SPIRS v3.33 ERL Client has been preconfigured to login to SilverPlatter's ERL Guest server through a GUEST user account. The recommended hardware requirements for the PC-SPIRS v3.33 ERL Client, include a 80386 IBM-compatible PC, 4 MB RAM, 500 KB (512,000 bytes) conventional memory available and 2.5 MB (2,621,440 bytes) of free hard disk space. There are five different PC-SPIRS clients available: Network Network Package Protocol --------------- -------- Novell LAN WorkPlace for DOS TCP/IP FTP Software's PC-TCP TCP/IP Waterloo TCP/IP (Packet Drivers) TCP/IP Sun PC/NFS TCP/IP Novell Netware IPX/SPX Below are instructions for installing the PC-SPIRS client, changing the preconfigured username and password, and a list of helpful hints and know bugs which may occur when installing and using the software. INSTALLING THE PC-SPIRS v3.33 ERL CLIENT --------------------------------------- 1. Change into the SPIRSTMP directory C:\> cd spirstmp 2. Decompress the PC-SPIRS V3.33 ERL Client installation program. C:\SPIRSTMP> pcinstal.exe 3. Install the PC-SPIRS v3.33 ERL Client. C:\SPIRSTMP> install.exe CHANGING THE PRECONFIGURED USERNAME and PASSWORD ------------------------------------------------ If you have been assigned an ERL username and password, you will need to change the preconfigured setup by following the steps below. 1. Change to the subdirectory where SPIRS is located. For example, if SPIRS is located in the subdirectory c:\spirs, type: C:\> cd spirs 2. Start the reconfiguration program by typing: C:\> reconfig spirs 3. Select the ERL Configuration option from the Main Configuration Menu. 4. Select the Automatic Login Configuration option from the ERL Configuration Menu. 5. Remove the preconfigured Username and Password, by moving the cursor to the Add/Remove prompt, select remove and press . 6. Type your assigned Server ID, Username and Password after each prompt. Please note: a server ID is only required if you are logging into multiple ERL servers. 7. Add the new Server ID, Username and Password, by moving the cursor to the Add/Remove prompt, select add and press . 8. Save the changes and exit. 9. Using a DOS text editor, open the ERLCLNT.CFG file. For example: C:\> edit erlclnt.cfg 10. Place a comment mark (/*) in front of the the first server_addr1 line (erl2.silverplatter.com/416). Remove the comment mark from the server_addr1 line for the ERL server that you are authorized to use. For example: change server_addr1 = /2/erl2.silverplatter.com/416 /* server_addr1 = /2/erl3.silverplatter.com/416 /* server_addr1 = /2/erl4.silverplatter.com/416 to /* server_addr1 = /2/erl2.silverplatter.com/416 server_addr1 = /2/erl3.silverplatter.com/416 /* server_addr1 = /2/erl4.silverplatter.com/416 11. Save the changes and exit. DELETING THE SPIRSTMP DIRECTORY ------------------------------- 1. Delete the contents in the SPIRSTMP directory C:\> del spirstmp 2. Remove the SPIRSTMP directory. C:\> rd spirstmp MEMORY CONFIGURATION --------------------- PC-SPIRS v3.33 requires 500 KB (512,000 bytes) of free conventional memory and 2.5 MB (2,621,440 bytes) of free hard disk space. In addition, the software works more efficiently if there is at least 1 MB (1,048,576 bytes) of free expanded (EMS) memory. If the workstation does not have available EMS memory, edit the SPIRS.CFG file and set the virtual memory desired parameter to 4 MB (i.e., MM.VM_DESIRED=4194304). This should improve PC-SPIRS performance and eliminate possible near and far memory system errors. LAN WorkPlace for DOS --------------------- The environment variable EXCELAN must be set to the LWP installation directory. For example: SET EXCELAN=C:\NET If this environment variable is not set, name resolution services will not work. LWP v4.01 sets the environment variable in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. LWP v4.1 does not. Waterloo TCP/IP (Packet Drivers) -------------------------------- The wattcp client is based on a public domain TCP/IP produced by the University of Waterloo. After installation, the WATTCP.CFG file must be edited to indicate the TCP/IP address of your computer. Edit the WATTCP.CFG file and configure the following parameters: my_ip= the PC's TCP/IP address netmask= the mask indicating number of subnet bits gateway= the ip address of the machine providing Internet connection nameserver= the ip address of a name resolution server domainlist= the domain part of this machine's name For example: my_ip=10.10.20.30 netmask=255.255.255.0 gateway=10.10.10.1 nameserver=10.20.30.40 domainlist=xyz.edu If a wattcp.cfg file is being used, it must reside in the current directory or in the directory containing the SPIRS.CFG file. The environment variable (WATTCP.CFG) should be set to the directory containing the configuration file. The same is true for the hosts file. For example: SET WATTCP.CFG=C:\NET If the my_ip= line is omitted in the wattcp.cfg file, the presence of a gateway= line in the file can produce a "stack overflow" error message. When the my_ip= line is omitted in the wattcp.cfg file, the client will default to bootp. If bootp is used, the WATTCP.CFG file can be eliminated. If you supply a hostname in the ERLCLNT.CFG file without setting up a nameserver, the PC-SPIRS client will produce the following message: != NULL sharedso.c line 277 Setting up a nameserver or replacing the hostname in the ERLCLNT.CFG file with the ERL Server's IP address will solve this problem. SUN PC/NFS ---------- The resident transport module (RTM) and the resident name service (RNMFILE or RNMNIS) should be loaded before running SPIRS. Otherwise, edit the SPIRS.CFG file and set: MM.FAR_LEAVE=55000. Novell Netware -------------- The Novell Netware client is only available for ERL Servers running on the SCO UNIX platform. The Novell Netware client requires that SCO IPX/SPX runtime be installed on the server. The Netware client requires 507K (519,168 bytes) of free conventional memory. If this is not available, the client will fail with the following error: System Error FB86 NW_TCONNECTERR - t_connect (0) failed (AlongHexStringhere) It may be corrected by increasing the MM.FAR_LEAVE value in the SPIRS.CFG file by 1000. STARTING THE PC-SPIRS CLIENT ----------------------------- 1. Change into the SPIRS directory C:\> cd spirs 2. To start the PC-SPIRS client, enter at the DOS prompt: C:\SPIRS> spirs NO RESPONSE FROM SERVER ----------------------- The following message may appear immediately after starting the PC-SPIRS program: No response from server "/2/erl2.silverplatter.com/416" Do you want to retry? (Press Y or N to continue) This may be solved by specifing the ERL Server's IP address in the erlclnt.cfg file instead of the Server's name. The following steps explain how to replace the ERL Server's name with its IP address. 1. Change into the SPIRS directory C:\> cd spirs 2. Using a DOS text editor, open the ERLCLNT.CFG file. For example: C:\> edit erlclnt.cfg 3. Replace the active server name (the one which appears in the server_addr1 line without a comment mark (/*)) with the its server IP address. For example: change server_addr1 = /2/erl2.silverplatter.com/416 to server_addr1 = /2/192.80.71.114/416 4. Save the changes and exit. ERL TIME-OUT CONSIDERATIONS --------------------------- The PC-SPIRS client must have a time-out value set to at least 5 minutes less than that of the ERL Server. The client sends a two minute warning message when it has reached its specified inactivity time-out. ERL will apply the inactivity time-out to a client waiting at the database selection menu. If a user selects a database from a client that has been at the database selection menu for 30 minutes or more, the client will receive a "connection lost" message followed by an FC27 error. It is recommended that the client be configured to return to DOS rather than cycling back to the database selection menu. THESAURUS --------- Some SilverPlatter discs contain more than one database, with only one database containing a thesaurus. When searching the database that does not use this thesaurus, PC-SPIRS will allow the user to access and search from the thesaurus. However, it will either return the user to the FIND prompt without searching the term or the search will result in zero hits. SEARCH HISTORY -------------- Search history files are listed in the order they appear within the SPIRS directory, instead of alphabetical order. Intermediate results will slow down performance when a search history file is run. Before saving a history to file, clear all intermediate search lines. If these search lines are contained in a refer back statement, PC-SPIRS will remove the search line and retain the search term in the refer back statement. When running search histories, PC-SPIRS v3.33 does not include parentheses that were saved in search histories from PC-SPIRS v3.1x. To include these parentheses run the search history in PC-SPIRS v3.3, save it under a new file name, then edit the new search history file and replace the missing parentheses. The new software saves search history files in ASCII format that can be edited. XCHANGE ------- Selecting "Xchange" when only one database is available to the user will generate the following message: Remove the disc(s) for the current database from the CD-ROM drive(s). To override this message enter the PC-SPIRS Reconfiguration program (RECONFIG SPIRS) and set the "Display Xchange Message" option to YES. PC-SPIRS will then display the following message when "Xchange" is selected: There is only one database available. Therefore, Xchange does not apply. If you need further assistance please contact SilverPlatter's Technical Support Department through our Internet E-Mail address or via the telephone or fax numbers listed below. ======================================================================= SilverPlatter Information, Inc. SilverPlatter Information,Ltd 100 River Ridge Drive 10 Barley Mow Passage Norwood, MA 02062 Chiswick, London W4 4PH Phone: 800-343-0064 (US/Canada) Phone: 0800-262-096 (UK) 617-769-2599 +44-81-995-8242 Fax: 617-769-8763 Fax: +44-81-995-5159 Internet: support@silverplatter.com ======================================================================= LT-ERL-023 03-05-1996