DISKLESS ANGEL Client Configurator Tools – Virtual Disk Manager
5.1
DISKLESS ANGEL Client Configurator provides tools to facilitate setting up the DOS boot-up environment [Chapter 3] and the preparation of DISKLESS ANGEL Client that matches with the DOS boot-up environment [Chapter 4]. As discussed in Chapter 2.4.1 these tools are grouped under the Tools Menu, including Virtual Disk Manager, Ramdisk Manager, Partition Editor, Image Copier, Disk Image Builder, Partition Image File Creator, MBR/BS Manager, Image Directory Setter, DISKLESS ANGEL Driver Importer, Global Option Setter.
These tools are coordinated to work together to facilitate the above two jobs under the main DISKLESS ANGEL Configuration Form as discussed in Chapter 2.4.2. So before looking at how these two jobs are done with the help of DISKLESS ANGEL Configuration Form, a description of these tools is useful and necessary. This Chapter discusses the Virtual Disk Manager.
5.2
As mentioned in previous chapters, a virtual disk drive is useful for storing Windows Swap File and the use of virtual disk drive for running a ramdisk-based Windows 9X in a diskless computer is necessary for providing the stability that is required for any purposeful operations. Without such a virtual disk drive for storing Windows Swap File, a diskless computer running ramdisk-based Windows 9X will hang if some hardware or software is installed or attached or used or run.
Besides, a virtual disk drive created in ram provides a good place for storing temporary files for super fast disk access. This is useful for application that is intensive in disk operations.
With sufficient ram, one can create a large virtual disk drive that can be used to store an image of files such as a DISKLESS ANGEL Client, a system image of Windows 9X. With the use of the Image Copier, one can copy the virtual disk drive with its contents as a partition image file or as a normal disk partition or a DISKLESS ANGEL VFS partition.
One can also use the Virtual Disk Manager to create a virtual disk drive of the size of standard floppies, including 1.44Mb and 2.88Mb. This is useful for preparing standard floppy image files for network remote diskless booting such as using Etherboot.
5.3
One can open the Virtual Disk Manager by clicking the “VDisk Manager” item under Tools Menu of DISKLESS ANGEL Client Configurator. The Virtual Disk Manager Window opens as follows:
The above Window is used to configure 32-bit virtual disk. It is only useable in Windows 9X
The above Window shows that an 80Mb virtual disk drive is created and assigned with a drive letter V:. It uses fixed ram memory rather than swap space with an internal ID No. 3. It is not a compressed drive and has no host.
5.4
The following is a brief description of the controls and labels of the above Windows Dialog:
5.4.1
Drive Size
The size of the virtual disk drive to be created.
One can input the size of the virtual disk drive in the box to the right or by pressing the control button to the right, another standard window for inputting disk size pops up as follows:
This is a standard “Input Disk Size” Windows Dialog.
Here, one can input the size of disk drive. In the case of floppy, one can choose the size from the combo box. But for harddisk, one must enter the desired value. The size can have different suffixes: K, M, G, meaning KB, MB, GB, respectively. If none of the suffix is applied; the unit would be a sector, which is 512 bytes long.
The other two suffixes need more explanation, which is more technical that one can skip.
'C' stands for cylinder, the size of which depends on the disk parameter. The formula is:
Cylinder = number of heads * sectors per track
For example, if number of heads is 255, sectors per tack are 63, and then one gets a cylinder size of 16065 (in unit), which is about 7.8 MB.
'D' is used to specify the size of the first partition in hard disk. One 'D' unit equals one 'C' unit minus sectors per track, thus the formula is:
'D' = number of heads * sectors per track - sectors per track = (number of heads -1)* sectors per track
If number of heads is 255, and sectors per tack is 63, then 1 D is 16002 sectors long, which is about 7.8MB.
If one does not want to do the mathematics, one can just input the size one wants, and then use the alignment radio button.
“None” means no alignment is necessary.
"Cylinder" means rounding up to the nearest 'C', while "First Partition On The Disk" means rounding up to the nearest 'D'.
One last note here, the number of heads and sectors per tack can be changed using the Global Options Setter. The default value is 255 and 63.
5.4.2
Drive Letter
The drive letter of the virtual disk drive one is about to create.
5.4.3
Use fixed memory for the ramdisk
If checked, the content of the virtual disk drive will always be on ram; that is the virtual disk will be created in ram only without using swap space. If not checked and without sufficient fixed ram, the virtual disk drive could be swapped out into Windows Swap File. So if the Windows Swap File is put on a hard disk, then a larger virtual disk drive than ram available can be created. In a computer with 640Mb ram and a hard disk with Windows Swap File on it like the one being used for preparing this documentation, about 800Mb of virtual disk drive has been created successfully.
5.4.4
Restore original settings after operation
If checked, the settings when one first opens Virtual Disk Manager will be preserved. These are the settings that Windows 9X are using and will use next time it starts. If not checked, the settings one chooses will take effect when the next time Windows 9Xstarts. The settings include the number of virtual disk drives one create and their sizes and the drive letters they use.
If one wants to create virtual disk drive(s) for use next time when Windows 9X starts, one should remember to uncheck this box before making the desired setting change.
5.4.5
Use smart saving for compressed volumes
For DBLSPACE compressed drive, only save the compressed volume.
5.4.6
Create
Create a new Virtual Disk Drive ID. Virtual Disk Drive ID can range from 0 to 9. By default, only 4, from 0 to 3, are created. If it is not enough, one can use this button to increase the number.
If one wants to create a virtual disk drive, one should first create, if not present, a Virtual Disk Drive ID and select it before taking other steps, such as inputting disk drive size and assigning drive letter, etc. as follows:
5.4.7
Delete
Delete the selected Virtual Disk Drive ID.
5.4.8
Mount
Create a new virtual disk drive, taking parameters from controls like “Drive Size” and “Drive Letter”.
5.4.9
Unmount
De-allocate the selected virtual disk drive.
5.4.10
Load
Create a new virtual disk drive using the selected Virtual Disk Drive ID and load its image or contents from a partition image file. All parameters except “Drive Size” are used, and the virtual disk drive size is calculated according to the partition image file read.
5.4.11
Save
Save the content of the selected virtual disk drive to a partition image file.
Compress
Compress the selected virtual disk drive using Windows 9X Drvspace Manager, so one should install Windows 9X Drvspace Manager first.
5.4.12
Adjust
For a DBLSPACE compressed volume, this button adjusts the free space left out in the host drive.
5.4.13
Refresh
Refresh the virtual disk drive list box
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