X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.2 PL16]
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.sas-l
Date:         Wed, 6 Jan 1993 14:38:39 CST
Reply-To:     "R. Snyder" <rsnyder@LOBBY.TI.COM>
From:         "R. Snyder" <rsnyder@LOBBY.TI.COM>
Subject: Re: MS-DOS 5.0 and Expanded Memory
Comments: To: 75046.1627@compuserve.com
Comments: cc: sas-l@uga.cc.uga.edu
              6, 93 11:23 am

SUBJECT:   6.04 and exPANDed memory.
SUMMARY:   I talked to SI Tech Support.
REL/PLTF:  6.07/HP300
E-ADDR:    rsnyder@lobby.ti.com
NAME:      Bob Snyder
COMPANY:   Texas Instruments, Sherman, TX
PHONE:     (903) 868-5799
FAX:       (903) 868-7240

Michael Davis (correctly) says:

> You also asked about expanded memory under release 6.04.  I don't
> know the theorectical limit but there is very little benefit to
> going beyond 2MB of expanded memory for this release.
>
> If I were you, I would not invest any more money on this computer
> system or purchase the MS-DOS upgrade.  Sooner or later, the
> 6.04 release will be "orphaned" and you will have to choose to run
> SAS under Windows, OS/2 or some other platform.  At that point, you
> will have to get a new machine and the operating system will be part
> of the deal.

Instead of seeing how far I could shove my foot into my mouth I decided to
get with SI Tech Support.

Their wisdom is that exPANDed is a kludge and that SAS's use of it is also
a kludge. Roughly 60% of the 6.04 SAS program modules can be loaded into
expanded memory. Some modules are non-deletable once loaded and some will
be purged when not needed. The only way you would need more than 2M of
exPANDed memory is if you run enough diverse applications in one session to
load 2M of non-deletable code. SAS does not put any data into expanded
memory. Data is put only in conventional memory. DOS 5.0 helps here.

SAS provides two commands for memory management, cde and cdm. cde executed
from the SAS command line will tell you how much conventional memory is
available. cdm will list the modules loaded into expanded memory, their
starting addresses, and if they're non-deletable.

Tech support gave me two ideas for making use of extended/expanded memory
beyound the 2M of expanded used by SAS directly. One is to make a RAM disk
and use a batch file to load the modules that cdm shows you use
the most onto the RAM disk. The path commands in the config.sas
file will have to be modified to have SAS look on the RAM disk first for
this to be effective. You may also put the SASWORK directory on RAM disk
which would speed up access to tempory data. The hazard of placing the
SASWORK directory on RAM disk is that running out of space causes a complete
system crash. Some folks use both methods.

Another suggestion is to use a product like QEMM which can allow you to
borrow from video memory. This creates more conventional memory just as
DOS 5.0 does by relocating part of the kernal.

In general, I agree with Michael, the AT is becomming obsolete and SAS 6.04
is a stagnant product which SI will not upgrade for the new technologies.
The Windows solution, just as OS/2 and UNIX, is expensive but is the way that
the user community is going. I would recommend putting your energies into
justifying a new system. There is little that can be done to improve the
old significantly.

Regards,
Bob
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU