 ReadMe File for NetSqueeze "Data Compression for NetWare 3.x"
 =============================================================

 March 28, 1995

 Welcome to NetSqueeze!  NetSqueeze is an NLM-based data compression product
 for Novell NetWare 3.11 and 3.12 file server.  Using only an NLM (no TSRs)
 NetSqueeze will transparently compress and decompress files as they are 
 opened and closed on the file server.  All files are compressed and 
 decompressed individually as required for complete safety.

 Using NetSqueeze's configuration utilities, the administrator may choose 
 which existing files and directories are to be compressed, as well as setting
 global rules for directory names (such as "BACKUP*" for any directory 
 beginning with the word "BACKUP") or file names (such as *.OLD, *.DOC,
 *.BAK, *.BK?, or *.PCX).

 Compression is enabled via two separate modes: Continuous and Sweeper mode.
 Continuous mode will compress each eligible file as soon as it is written to 
 disk, while sweeper mode will sweep the file server during specified off-hour
 times (default is between 10:00PM and 5:00AM) and compress any files that
 have been marked for compression files via one of the several methods 
 available.

 This ZIP file contains Beta# 12 of NetSqueeze.  This product has been in beta 
 test for over six months, and this is the next to last beta to be released.
 The product has been extremely well tested and is extremely reliable, but as 
 with any beta product, should be  used with caution.  The results of any final
 user comments based on this beta will be implemented in the final beta.

 The "Top 20" beta testers (based on comments received by April 17, 1995) will 
 receive free copies of NetSqueeze when the product ships. All other beta 
 testers who report any confirmed bugs in the product by April 17th will
 be entitled to purchase NetSqueeze for $199 per file server.

 Once NetSqueeze becomes a shipping product, your license to use this beta
 release will continue until May 31, 1995. After this date you must obtain
 a valid NetSqueeze server license to continue using NetSqueeze.

 
 The limitations of this beta are as follows:

 1.  This beta copy will stop compressing files on May 31, 1995.  It will
     continue to decompress files after this date, but will no longer compress
     files.

 2.  This beta copy will not work on volumes with any name spaces other than
     DOS and OS/2 loaded. Specifically, this beta release will not compress
     files on any volumes with the Macintosh or Unix name spaces loaded.

 3.  On-Line help is not available in this beta release. On-Line help will
     be available in the final beta release, which will be placed on
     CompuServe to replace this beta release. This will happen sometime
     during the week of April 3rd.

 4.  This beta release does not automatically put the NETSQZ command in your
     AUTOEXEC.NCF file. You must manually perform this step if you want
     NetSqueeze to automatically load whenever you re-boot your file server.
     If you do not do this, NetSqueeze will not be able to automatically
     decompress files as users open them.

     NOTE: We recommend that you put the NETSQZ command at the end (bottom)
     of your AUTOEXEC.NCF file. NetSqueeze should be the last NLM loaded
     to ensure maximum compatibility with other NLMs. This is required
     for many anti-virus, software metering, and tape backup NLMs which
     "dirty hook" NetWare. NETSQZ must run after any NLM's that dirty-hook
     the NetWare file system. NetSqueeze is fully compatible with the
     Novell FSHooks available in CLIB version 3.12f or higher; however,
     NetSqueeze should work with all CLIB versions on NetWare 3.11 & 3.12.     

 5.  NetSqueeze requires that the Btrieve NLM be loaded. If you don't have
     the Btrieve NLM loaded on your server, you can download it from the
     BTRIEVE forum on CompuServe: Library section#3 (Current Upgrades), 
     file name BTR610.EXE. This is a self-extracting archive.


Ŀ
Installation  


 NetSqueeze has a very quick and simple installation program.  Simply run
 the INSTALL.EXE included in this ZIP file and follow the on screen 
 instructions. Total installation time should be about two minutes.

 The installation program consists of three major parts:
 
	  1) Four NLMs, which are copied to the SYS:SYSTEM directory on your 
             file server;
		  
	  2) a series of command line utilities which are copied to SYS:PUBLIC 
             for easy access; and

	  3) the program files for the NetSqueeze interface which are installed
             to a directory of your choice.

 The NetSqueeze NLMs (NETSQZ.NLM, NETSQZX.OVL, YFSMON.OVL, NFSMON.OVL) are 
 loaded at the file server console (or by RCONSOLE) by typing "NETSQZ" 
 which runs the NETSQZ.NCF file created by the installation program.  
 The NCF file also automatically loads Btrieve (by calling the BSTART.NCF) 
 if it is not already loaded. If the file server gives you a note that "BSTART"
 is an invalid command, please see the "Btrieve Notes" section at the end of 
 this README file.

 NOTE: Before running NETSQZ at the server console, you must configure and
       install the NetWare Btrieve NLM.

 
Ŀ
Configuration and Setup 


 After installing NetSqueeze, the NetSqueeze NLM will be configured with
 some default parameters. If you wish to change the configuration of
 NetSqueeze, it can be done quite easily.

 All NetSqueeze configuration is performed through the NetSqueeze menu 
 interface. To run NetSqueeze, change to the program directory where you
 chose to install the application files, and run NS.BAT.

 For this beta release, by default NetSqueeze will not compress ANY files.
 You must go into the NetSqueeze console and configure which files you want
 to compress. We recommend that you first go to the "Mark for Compression"
 menu and then go to "Server-Wide Rules". From there you can specify rules
 for file and directories, such as files named like "*.BAK" or "*.DOC" or "*.PCX".

 In addition to setting-up server-wide rules, you may also want to create some 
 test directories and manually flag them for compression with NSFLAG. Then copy
 some files into that directory and see how much they get compressed (after the delay
 time you specify at install time for continuous mode) by running NSDIR. Try to
 open the files with your favorite applications (or just use the DOS "type" command
 to view them on the screen) to see how fast NetSqueeze automatically decompresses
 the file.

 Here is some basic documentation for the NetSqueeze DOS-based Console, which
 you run by typing NS from the DOS prompt. The Main Menu options are:

 1. Setup

		  Setup is used to configure the default operating parameters for the
		  operation of NetSqueeze.  The most commonly used option is 
		  "Compression Mode" (for choosing Continuous and/or Sweeper mode for 
		  compression).  This option also allows the administrator to set the 
		  minimum "compression gain" that is deemed useful to bother using 
		  compression on a file.

 2. Mark for Compression

		  Mark for Compression is the common "day-to-day" utility used by the 
		  administrator to choose which files and directories are to be 
		  compressed.  It consists of two sub-options: "Explicit File/Dir Flags"
		  and "Server-Wide Rules".  Explicit File/Dir Flags is used to actively mark
		  existing files and directories for compression.  This function is very
		  similar to using the NetWare flag command for assigning file 
		  attributes.

		  Global Rules are "wildcards" used to select for compression all files 
		  and directories (currently existing or to be created later) that match
		  certain "rules".  There is only one default rule for this test version,
		  and that is "*.*".  This rule means all files will be compressed when
		  written to disk or detected during Sweeper mode.
		

 3. Volume Statistics

		  Volume statistics is used by the administrator to analyze the benefits 
		  of NetSqueeze's data compression.  Activating a volume scan will direct
		  the NLM to gather and update the statistics chart to reflect the current
		  status of the volume in question.


Ŀ
Special Notes  

 
 NetSqueeze is only designed for DOS and OS/2 name spaces. Future releases 
 of NetSqueeze will be compatible with other name spaces. When you load 
 NetSqueeze, it will refuse to compress files on any volume where it detects
 that name spaces other than DOS and OS/2 are be loaded.  If only some of the
 volumes on your server contain other name spaces, NetSqueeze will not compress
 files on those volumes, but will still work on the volumes which only have
 the DOS and OS/2 name spaces loaded.

 NetSqueeze will not compressed/decompress Btrieve Files. Due to the way 
 that NetSqueeze uses Btrieve, there would be a conflict when NetSqueeze 
 tried to decompress Btrieve files.
 
 NOTE: If the requirements or installation of Btrieve prevents you from 
       deploying NetSqueeze, please let us know. We are considering a future 
       release of NetSqueeze which will not use Btrieve and will be able to 
       compress Btrieve files.

Ŀ
Command Line Utilities 

 
 These command line utilities are copied to the SYS:PUBLIC directory by 
 the installation program.  To discover their exact syntax, type 
 <COMMAND> /? at the DOS prompt.

 NSFLAG.EXE   - Utility for flagging files and directories for compression
                by the NetSqueeze NLM.  Flagging a file will make only that 
                file eligible for compression.  Flagging a directory will make
                all files within that directory eligible unless it is 
                superseded by a file flag.


 NSDIR.EXE    - Utility for doing a "directory" of compressed file to find 
                their compressed, and "natural" size.

 NSEXPAND.EXE - Utility for uncompressing files from the command line.

 NSRDRAW.EXE  - Utility for reading files in their "raw", or uncompressed,
                format. This is useful for copying compressed files to
                floppy, local hard disks, or other servers.


Ŀ
Btrieve Installation Notes 


 NetSqueeze uses Btrieve as it's database layer for both the Console and 
 NLM.  For this reason, it is necessary to run the Btrieve NLM at the file
 server, and load the Btrieve Requester at the workstation when running the
 NetSqueeze menu interface (NS).  Since Btrieve is shipped with NetWare and is
 required by many applications, this should cause no inconvenience.

 If you don't have the Btrieve NLM loaded on your server, you can download 
 it from the BTRIEVE forum on CompuServe: Library section#3 (Current Upgrades),
 file name BTR610.EXE. This is a self-extracting archive.

 If Btrieve is already running on your file server, running the NETSQZ.NCF 
 to load the NetSqueeze NLM. There should be no need to reconfigure Btrieve 
 to support NetSqueeze as its needs are very minimal.

 If Btrieve has never been loaded on your file server, it may be necessary
 to create the BSTART.NCF file for Btrieve before loading NetSqueeze.  This
 can be done by loading the Btrieve Setup NLM at the file server ("LOAD
 BSETUP").  Accepting the default configuration and exiting will create the
 BSTART.NCF file and will allow the loading of Btrieve automatically by 
 NetSqueeze.


Ŀ
 Technical Support Information 

 This general release beta is not supported through our standard technical
 support channels.  For technical support, please contact The LAN Support 
 Group, Inc. via our CompuServe forum, CompuServe Mail, Internet Mail, or 
 Fax at:

 1. FAX: (713) 977-9111
 2. Internet Mail: Support@LSG.COM or bkellogg@lsg.com
 3. CompuServe Mail: 74171,246

 If you need to download Btrieve for use with NetSqueeze, download the file
 named BTR610.EXE from the BTRIEVE forum on CompuServe.

 Thank you very much for contributing to the NetSqueeze Beta program!  To
 help make this product the best it can possibly be, please forward your
 comments and suggestions back to the LAN Support Group (attn: Bill Kellogg).
 We welcome all comments and suggestions whether positive or negative.

 Your feedback is crucial to us!

 Sincerely,

 Eric Pulaski
 President
 The LAN Support Group, Inc.


