Console Commands in NetWare 5.1: SPOOL, START PROCESSORS, STOP PROCESSORS, SWAP, TIME
Articles and Tips: article
Senior Research Engineer
Novell AppNotes
01 Dec 2001
This section is one in a series that intends to describe each of the NetWare 5.1 console commands (both normal and hidden) in alphabetical order and to tell when, why, and how to use them properly. To see a list of the commands that you can perform at the sever console, type HELP<Enter> at the server console prompt. To use the commands described here, simply type the command at the server console prompt followed by the <Enter> key.
SPOOL
The SPOOL console command is part of the NetWare legacy print functionality starting with NetWare 2.x and made popular with NetWare 3.x. This command allows you to create, change, or display spooler mappings. These mappings are needed to set up default print queues for the legacy NPRINT and CAPTURE print utilities. They also support applications that make calls to printer numbers rather than to print queues. With the release of Novell Distributed Print Services (NDPS) in NetWare 5.x and Novell iPrint in NetWare 6, NetWare legacy printing has all but been forgotten. The syntax for the SPOOL command is:
SPOOL spool_number [TO] [QUEUE] queue_name
If you are running NetWare 5.x or 6, typing SPOOL on the server's console will return the following message:
No spoolers are active
START PROCESSORS
NetWare 5.1 and NetWare 6 has the ability to support multiple processors. The NetWare Operating System takes advantage of the number of processors available on the server hardware. Several of the NetWare utilities have been updated to utilized multiple processors when they are available.
You can use the START PROCESSORS console command to start one or more of the secondary system processors (1, 2, n ...). The NetWare Operating System utilizes processor 0 as a base for running essential processes such as the scheduler, but the OS can schedule processes to run on additional processors when available. As a result, the START PROCESSORS command will not work with processor 0. If it did, you would have the power to immediately bring down your NetWare server.
The syntax for the Start Processors command is:
START PROCESSORS [n...]
|
Parameter
|
Use
|
|
(no parameter) |
Start all secondary processors. |
|
n... |
Specify by processor number, which secondary processors to start. |
For example, if you have a five-processor server system, you could issue any of the following commands:
START PROCESSORS 1
This would bring Processor 1 on line. The following confirmation message will be displayed at the server console prompt:
Processor 1 is ONLINE.
You can start two or more processors as follows:
START PROCESSORS 2 3
The following confirmation message will be displayed:
Processor 1 is ONLINE. Processor 2 is ONLINE. Processor 3 is ONLINE
To start all available system processors, enter the following command:
START PROCESSORS
The following confirmation message will be displayed on the server console (if you have a five-processor machine):
Processor 1 is ONLINE.Processor 2 is ONLINE.Processor 3 is ONLINE.Processor 4 is ONLINE.
If you decide to start the secondary processors when NetWare boots, make sure you place the following command in the STARTUP.NCF file:
Set Auto Processors = OFF
To stop secondary processors, see the STOP PROCESSORS command explained next.
STOP PROCESSORS
Since NetWare has the ability to start secondary processors, it only makes sense that there should be a way to stop secondary processors. Thus the STOP PROCESSORS console command.
You can use the STOP PROCESSORS at the server console prompt to stop one or more secondary processors. You will not be able to stop Processor 0, since this is the processor that is homebase to the NetWare Operating System. Trying to shut down Processor 0 would give you a free ticket to a violently downed NetWare sever.
The syntax for STOP PROCESSORS is:
STOP PROCESSORS [n...]
|
Parameter
|
Use
|
|
(no paramters) |
Stop all secondary processors. |
|
n... |
Specify by number the secondary processor(s) to stop. |
For example, lets say you have the same five-processor system that we used in the START PROCESSOR example.
Note: Run the DISPLAY PROCESSORS command, covered previously in the October 2000 AppNote, before stopping a secondary processor to determine the processor's status and its number.
When you stop a processor, the threads that were running on the processor are automatically migrated to another processor. If you run STOP PROCESSORS without specifying the identifying number of the processor(s), all secondary processors are stopped and all threads are migrated to Processor 0.
To stop secondary processors 1 and 4, enter:
STOP PROCESSORS 1 4
A confirming message is displayed on the server console:
Processor 1 is OFFLINE. Processor 4 is OFFLINE.
To stop all secondary processors in the system:
STOP PROCESSORS
The confirming message is displayed on the server console:
Processor 1 is OFFLINE. Processor 2 is OFFLINE. Processor 3 is OFFLINE. Processor 4 is OFFLINE.
To start secondary processors, see the START PROCESSORS command as explained earlier in this article.
SWAP
The SWAP console command adds or removes the swap file from a NetWare volume and sets MIN, MAX, and MIN Free parameters with the command. If no parameters are given, then all swap file information is displayed.
The swap file is used with the NetWare Virtual Memory System (VMS), which allows you to extend your NetWare Server's memory and is only limited by the amount of disk space you have on your server. This swap file is used to store the least frequently-used information that is presently in NetWare memory. However, this information will be swapped into RAM when it is requested. The syntax for the SWAP command is:
SWAP [ADD vol_name [parameter = value]] [DEL vol_name] [PARAMETER vol_name parameter = value]
|
Parameter
|
Use
|
|
(no parameter) |
Display a screen containing all information about swap files. |
|
ADD vol_name Parameter = value |
Creates a swap file on the named volume. You can specify the following optional parameters when you create a swap file: MIN = , MAX =, and MIN FREE=. These parameters specify the minimum and maximum size of the swap file and the minimum free space that must be left on the volume. The values are in millions of bytes (MB). If you don't specify parameters, the following default values are used: MIN = 2 MAX = Free volume space MIN FREE = 5 |
|
DEL vol_name |
Delete a swap file from the named volume. If you are using protected address space, the Novell JVM for NetWare product, or any other application that uses virtual memory, be sure to keep at least one swap file available. (Per Sun's Java specification, a swap file is required for the JVM.) By default, a swap file is created on the SYS volume whenever you start the NetWare server. If you do not want a swap file on SYS, place the SWAP DEL command in the startup.ncf file before the command to mount volumes and create a swap file on a different volume. |
|
PARAMETER = vol_name parameter = value |
Change the parameter values for a swap file on the named volume. You can specify the following parameters: MIN=, MAX=, and MIN FREE=. There parameters specify minimum and maximum size of the swap file and the minimum free space that must be left on the volume. Values are in millions of bytes (MB). Here again, the default values are: MIN = 2 MAX = Free volume space MIN FREE = 5 |
Some hints on using the SWAP command follow:
If a swap file is being used when it is deleted, then the swapped data is moved to another swap file. If there is no other swap file, an error message is displayed and the swap file is not deleted.
You can create one swap files per volume. The swap file for the SYS volume is created by default; you can delete it if necessary.
Data moved to disk by virtual memory will be stored in any available swap file; it does not matter which volume the swap file is on. Generally, you will place swap files on the fastest volume or the one with the most available space.
You can add a swap file to a volume by executing the SWAP ADD command, even if the volume is not mounted. Once you've added the swap file, the file will be created when you mount the volume.
When you dismount a volume, the swap file is deleted. To keep a swap file on that volume, you must create the swap file again. The exception is the SYS volume swap file, which is created by default. For convenience, place the commands to create swap files in the AUTOEXEC.NCF file so the files will be created each time the server is started.
Swap files are dynamic; they change size as data is swapped in and out of memory.
Usage examples are presented below:
SWAP SWAP ADD VOL2 SWAP ADD VOL3 MIN = 5 MAX = 100 MIN FREE = 10 SWAP DELETE VOL3 SWAP PARMETER VOL1 MIN = 2 MAX = 1000 MIN FREE = 100
TIME
The TIME server console command has one very simple purpose: display the server time, and a little bit more information. TIME is used at the server console to display:
Date and time kept by the NetWare server's clock.
Daylight saving time status.
Time synchronization information.
The syntax is elementary:
TIME
When you execute TIME, information similar to the following appears on the server's console screen.
Note: The output displayed on the server's console is formatted to your loacal time and date configuration.
Time zone string: "MST7MDT" DST status: OFF DST start: Sunday, April 7, 2002 2:00:00 am MST DST end: Sunday, October 27, 2002 2:00:00 am MDT Time Synchronization is active. Time is synchronized to the network. Wednesday, October 31, 2001 12:55:06 pm UTC Wednesday, October 31, 2001 5:55_06 am MST
For more information on modifying the NetWare server's time, see the November issue of Novell AppNotes at: http://developer.novell.com/research/
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Console Command
|
Function
|
Example
|
|
SPOOL spool_number [TO] [QUEUE] queue_name |
Create, change or display spooler mappings. |
SPOOL 1 TO QUEUE LASER SPOOL |
|
START PROCESSORS [P# P# P# ...] |
Starts secondary processor(s) on a NetWare MPU server. |
START PROCESSORS START PROCESSORS 1 3 |
|
STOP PROCESSORS |
Stops secondary processor(s) on a NetWare MPU server. |
STOP PROCESSORS STOP PROCESSORS 1 3 |
|
SWAP [ADD|DELETE volume_name] |
Adds or removes the swap file from a volume and sets MIN, MAX, and MIN Free. If no parameters are given then swap file information is displayed. |
SWAP SWAP ADD VOL2 SWAP ADD VOL3 min = 5 max = 100 min free = 10 SWAP DELETE vol3 SWAP PARAMETER vol2 min = 2 max = 1000 min free = 100 |
|
TIME |
Displays the file server current date and time. |
TIME |
* Originally published in Novell AppNotes
Disclaimer
The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.