       
       
     AMI System Configuration Utility 3.09 and "Overlay Lite"
       
     
     The  AMI  SCU operates in Real Mode and is  limited  to
     using  the 640KB memory space associated with DOS.   In
     some  configurations,  users  of  the  PCI/EISA  server
     systems  may  experience "Out of  Memory"  errors  when
     attempting to configure certain combinations of adapter
     cards.
     
     In  the  unlikely  event  of  this  error  being  seen,
     "Overlay  Lite" has been developed.  By implementing  a
     paging scheme in the AMI SCU 3.08, the available amount
     of  memory  for  add-in  card  OVL/CFG files  dramatic-
     ally doubled.  However, even with  115K-130KB available
     for the add-in card's OVL/CFG files  it is  mathematic-
     ally  possible  to  produce  system  configurations  to
     exceed this limit.  The  "Overlay Lite"  program  frees
     approximately  130KB of additional  memory for  use  by
     ISA/EISA/PCI  adapter  card  OVL/CFG  files.  This  ad-
     ditional memory is useable  by the  elimination of  the
     very  large  server  baseboard  overlay  file. The con-
     sequences  of eliminating the baseboard overlay  is the
     effective  "locking"  of   the  baseboard's   resources.
     Locking the baseboard's resources does not produce  any
     immediate  problems, but it does prevent the user  from
     changing  any  of the choices provided by the  standard
     AMISCU  overlay.  The use of "Overlay Lite" can  reduce
     memory  requirements  for system  configuration  to  an
     extent  that  virtually  no EISA/ISA/PCI  configuration
     will be affected by the 640KB memory limitation.
       
     
     This  document  provides easy-to-perform  instructions,
     functional  considerations, and some  special  features
     for  the use with "Overlay Lite."  The special features
     related to the  AMISCU 3.09  are implemented  to assist
     sophisticated users  to  monitor available  memory  and
     determine  when  "Overlay  Lite" should be used.
     
     Main Menu for SCU 3.09
     
     Perform the following steps to obtain a working version
      of Overlay Lite:
     1)   Format and `sys' a new diskette with DOS 6.22.
     2)   Copy the contents of the provided System Configuration
           Diskette onto the newly created bootable diskette.
     3)   Boot the server system using the diskette.
     4)   When the system boots, the user will be presented a main
           menu with a number of choices:
     
          1. Execute AMISCU
          2. Execute AMISCU (baseboard configuration only)
          3. Execute AMISCU using the Overlay Lite
          4. Execute SCSISelect (TM) Utility  (int31A0 baseboard only)
     
     The  user  has ten seconds to make a selection or menu  item
     (1) will be automatically selected.
     
          In order to help our customers determine when memory
     problems might occur, the AMISCU 3.09 includes two  new
     features*:
     
           Pressing <CTRL-M> at the main menu will display the largest
          free memory block (this value is effectively the amount of free
          memory in the system.)
       
           Pressing <CTRL-F> at the main menu will toggle-on (or toggle-
          off) a dynamic memory meter that appears in the upper left-hand
          corner of the screen.  This "gas gauge" meter will be erased at
          every screen update by the AMISCU and is sometimes covered up.
          Asking for "Help (F1)" will usually provide a menu that displays
          this meter without being "covered up" right away.
       
            *The <CTRL-M>  and <CTRL-F> features are only
             available at the main menu.
     

Execute AMISCU Selection:
--------------------------
     The  majority  of  system  configurations  should  work
     without incident.  By selecting this option, the AMISCU
     will  automatically  locate all  EISA/PCI  devices  and
     configure them into the system per the Plug-N-Play  and
     PCI  specifications.  If this is  the  first  time  the
     system  has been configured after shipment or  after  a
     "clear  NVRAM" the user should choose "Execute AMISCU."
     The vast majority of OEMs are not expected to ever have
     a problem during the configuration of ISA/EISA/PCI add-
     in  cards  when executing this selection.  However,  if
     "Out  of  Memory" errors occur, the user should  reboot
     using  the  System  Configuration  Utility  and  choose
     either  "Execute AMISCU (baseboard configuration only)"
     if   this  is  the  first  time  the  system  has  been
     configured  since  shipment  or  a  "clear  NVRAM"   or
     "Execute  AMISCU Using the Overlay Lite" if the  system
     has  been successfully configured since the last "clear
     NVRAM" or initial receipt of the system.
     
Execute AMISCU (baseboard configuration only) Selection:
---------------------------------------------------------
     The  user  should configure the baseboard  as  desired,
     save the configuration, exit the AMISCU, and reboot the
     system  using  the AMISCU diskette and  choose  Execute
     AMISCU Using the Overlay Lite.  Note: choosing "Execute
     AMISCU  (baseboard configuration only)" will result  in
     the  configuration of the baseboard only; the  previous
     settings of any adapter cards will be lost.
     
Execute AMISCU Using the Overlay Lite Selection:
-------------------------------------------------
     If  configuring the system through the "Execute AMISCU"
     selection   is  unsuccessful  (i.e.  "Out  of   Memory"
     errors),  the user may with to execute "Overlay  Lite".
     This  option  locks the system baseboard  configuration
     and increases the available  memory by  eliminating the
     very large server baseboard overlay file.  Locking  the
     baseboard's  resources does not produce  any  immediate
     problems,  but  it does prevent the user from  changing
     any  of  the  choices provided by the  standard  AMISCU
     baseboard  overlay.   Any  future system  configuration
     changes/additions/deletions  must  be  performed  using
     this selection.  The total time to configure the system
     will  be approximately 5 minutes in some cases.   Note:
     "Execute  AMISCU  Using  the Overlay  Lite"  will  only
     provide  a  reliable configuration if  either  "Execute
     AMISCU"  or  "Execute  AMISCU (baseboard  configuration
     only)" has been  run successfully since the last "clear
     NVRAM" or initial receipt of the system.
     
     
Execute SCSISelect(TM) Utility Selection:
------------------------------------------
     This  option  is  only for use  on  the int31A0  system
     platform.   This  option was installed  to  select  the
     onboard   AIC-7870  fast/wide  SCSI  controller.    The
     SCSISelect utility enables and configures the  AIC-7870
     SCSI controller  on  the ALTServer platform.  The SCSI-
     Select  configuration  menu  can  be  enabled on either
     Xtended Xpress  system  platforms by pressing  <CTRL-A>
     during system initialization.
     
     
     
     
       
       
