=====================================================================
        README file for NetSoft NS/Router for AS/400 Access
                    Copyright 1996 NetSoft
=====================================================================

This file contains information about:

        NS/Router for AS/400 Access
        Version 1.12


The following information is covered in this README.TXT file:

1. System Requirements
2. Physical Link Special Requirements
3. Running 16-Bit APPC Applications Under Windows 95
4. Active Link Time Out
5. Using NetSoft Dynamic Link Libraries
6. Known Problems

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                            System Requirements
                            -------------------

- System with Windows 95 or Windows NT (v3.51 or later) installed.
- Network adapter (Token Ring or Ethernet) installed in the network
  settings.
- Approximately 6Mb of free disk space on drive C.
- Although 8Mb of RAM is minimum, 12Mb or 16Mb is recommended.

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                      Physical Link Special Requirements
                      ----------------------------------

The 802.2, NetWare for SAA and Microsoft SNA links have the following
special requirements:


802.2 LLC  (TOKEN RING OR ETHERNET)
-----------------------------------
In order to use the 802.2 LLC link type, you should have Microsoft's
32-bit DLC Protocol installed on your PC. Although NetSoft's NS/Router
works with the 16-bit DLC protocol, using the 32-bit DLC protocol is
recommended.

NOTE: The Microsoft 32-bit DLC diskette included in this product is for
use with Windows 95 only and not with Windows NT.  Microsoft ships
DLC support with the Windows NT product, and those drivers should be
used in that environment.  The user should not install the NetSoft-supplied
Microsoft 32-bit DLC on Windows NT. Also, the MSDLC 32-bit driver
included in this product is the Gold version. If you previously installed a
beta (included with NS/Elite v1.10) or any previous version of the 32-bit
driver, install the Gold version. Read the readme file on the Microsoft 32-
bit DLC diskette before installing the new version.


NS/Elite will work with the following DLC stacks:

- IBM's LAN Support Program
- Microsoft DLC or MSDLC (16-bit or 32-bit version)


Installing Microsoft's 32-Bit DLC Protocol

1. From the Start menu, click Settings/Control Panel.
2. From the Control Panel, launch the Network applet.
3. Click Add.
4. Select Protocol.
5. Click Add.
6. Click Have Disk

   NOTE: If "Microsoft/RRC" is listed in the Manufacturer's list box,
   select it before selecting the Have Disk button.)

7. A dialog will appear that asks for an installation disk. Insert
   the diskette containing the 32-bit driver and specify d:\dir  where d
   is the diskette drive and dir is the directory containing the driver
   files.
8. Select Browse to find the protocol. The program will automatically
   search for the appropriate file it needs to install the protocol.
9. Select OK and the install will begin.


The 32-bit protocol will now be installed. If you installed NS/Elite
prior to having installed the 32-bit protocol, you will need to reboot
your PC before launching NS/Elite.


Installing Microsoft's 16-Bit DLC Protocol

Microsoft is currently shipping a beta of their 16-bit DLC protocol.
This must be installed before using NS/Elite for Mainframe Access.

1.  Insert the program CD into the drive.
2.  From the Start menu, click Settings/Control Panel
3.  From the Control Panel, click Network
4.  Click Add.
5.  Select Protocol.
6.  Click Add.
7.  From the Manufacturers list box, select Microsoft.
8.  From the Network Protocols list box, select Microsoft DLC.
9.  Click OK.


The 16-bit protocol will now be installed. If you installed NS/Elite
prior to having installed the 16-bit protocol, you will need to reboot
your PC before launching NS/Elite.



NETWARE FOR SAA
---------------
In order to use the NetWare for SAA server link, you must first have
installed:

- The IPX/SPX transport protocol.  (Version 1.12 does not support
  TCP/IP. Version 1.2 will. Mainframe product does support TCP/IP.)



MICROSOFT SNA SERVER
--------------------
The Microsoft SNA Server Client software is installed by the
NS/Elite setup program. You will be presented with an option to
install the client software at the end of the NS/Elite installation.
These drivers can be installed under Windows 95 and Windows NT
3.51.  Also, there is an SNA Server NT Client on the SNA Server CD
that can be installed as well with Windows NT.


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              Running 16-Bit APPC Applications Under Windows 95
              -------------------------------------------------

In order to allow you to run your existing 16-bit APPC applications
under Windows 95, and to provide compatibility with NetSoft's 32-bit
NS/Router, the NetSoft setup program allows you to replace the
existing 16-bit EHNAPPC.DLL and EHNRTRW.DLL modules in your Window 95
System directory with new 16-bit to 32-bit modules of the same name.
These modules accept 16-bit application calls and convert them to 32-
bit mode (this process is called "thunking").


If You Choose to Install the 16- to 32-Bit Modules:

If you choose to replace your existing 16-bit modules with the 16- to
32-bit modules, the setup program first saves the existing 16-bit
modules with a new extension. If the existing 16-bit modules in your
Windows 95 System directory are NetSoft modules, they will be saved
with an extension of .16B (i.e., EHNAPPC.16B and EHNRTRW.16B). If the
existing 16-bit modules are not NetSoft modules, they will be saved
with an extension of .OLD (i.e., EHNAPPC.OLD and EHNRTRW.OLD).

The setup program then copies the 16- to 32-bit modules into the
Windows 95 System directory (i.e., EHNAPPC.DLL and EHNRTRW.DLL) as
well as two other modules (NSEHNTH.DLL and NSEHNTH.EXE) that are also
required for "thunking."

The setup program also copies all four of the 16- to 32-bit modules
into the EHNTHUNK subdirectory under your NetSoft installation
subdirectory (default is NETSOFT\ELITE\EHNTHUNK) where they can be
used in the future, if necessary (refer to the Installing a Windows
16-Bit Application at a Later Date section below for more
information).


If You Choose NOT to Install the 16- to 32-Bit Modules:

If you choose NOT to install the 16- to 32-bit modules, the setup
program copies them into the EHNTHUNK directory along with two other
modules (NSEHNTH.DLL and NSEHNTH.EXE) that are required for
"thunking."

If you decide at a later date that you want to use the 16- to 32-bit
modules, you must manually copy all four of these modules into your
Windows 95 System directory. NOTE: It is recommended that you first
save the existing 16-bit modules in the Windows 95 System directory
with a new extension.


Installing a Windows 3.1 16-Bit Application at a Later Date

If, at some later date, you install a Windows 3.1 16-bit NetSoft
product (for example, the NS/Midrange Bundle) the 16-bit modules
contained in this product will overwrite the 16- to 32-bit modules in
the Windows 95 System directory.

If you want to use the 16- to 32-bit modules, you must manually copy
all four of the modules (EHNAPPC.DLL, EHNRTRW.DLL, NSEHNTH.DLL and
NSEHNTH.DLL)  from the EHNTHUNK directory into your Windows 95 System
directory. NOTE: It is recommended that you first save the existing
16-bit modules with a new extension.



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                            Active Link Time Out
                            --------------------

A new control on the Link page of the Properties for NS/Router property sheet
is the Active Link Time Out spin box.  When using the 802.2 LLC link, you can
specify the amount of time, in seconds, that the router will continue to try the
connection when there is a failure to link to the host system.  The default time is
10 seconds, and the option is dimmed when any other link is selected.

If the link is successful but the AS/400 is busy (creating a controller or response
time is slow), this timer is ignored and the link may take longer than the
specified time to activate.  This timer is only in effect until the link to the host is
established.

If the router fails to connect as a result of this time out expiring, the following
message is written to the event log:

Cannot establish a physical connection.  This may be caused by a configuration
error.


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                    Using NetSoft Dynamic Link Libraries
                    ------------------------------------

If you develop Dynamic Link Libraries that call NetSoft DLLs (or DLLs from
any other party), in order to avoid any potential access violations during
termination processing, you should observe the following about how the
operating system manages DLLs in Win32.

There are two ways that a process can unload a DLL from its address space:

- by calling FreeLibrary, or
- by calling ExitProcess

FreeLibrary is called explicitly from within your application.  ExitProcess can
either be called explicitly by your application or implicitly (when the primary
thread of the process returns or a console process receives a Ctrl+C or
Ctrl+Break signal).  FreeLibrary can only be called for a DLL that is linked to
dynamically (using LoadLibrary and GetProcAddress).  When a DLL is linked
to statically (i.e., with an import library) the DLL can only be unloaded by
calling ExitProcess.

FreeLibrary causes a single DLL to be unloaded, whereas ExitProcess unloads
each and every DLL loaded by the process, in no particular order.  For example,
let's say that DLL (A) loads another DLL (B).  If DLL A gets unloaded by
FreeLibrary, it can still call DLL B in its termination processing.  If DLL A gets
unloaded by ExitProcess, it can not rely on DLL B still being loaded, and
attempting to call it could cause an invalid page fault.

Win32 distinguishes these two process exit conditions (when it calls a DLL's
DllMain function with dwReason set to DLL_PROCESS_DETACH ) by setting
the lpReserved parameter to NULL for normal process exiting, such as a call to
FreeLibrary.  If the process makes a call to ExitProcess, lpReserved is set to a
non-NULL value.  By checking this parameter in your DLL's exit processing,
you can avoid causing an access violation.  If lpReserved is non-NULL, you
should not attempt to call any DLLs that you have loaded.

An example of dynamic linking with E32APPC.DLL can be found in
E32EXAMP.C, in the C:\NETSOFT\ELITE\LIB folder.


--------------------------------------------------------------------

                            Known Problems
                            --------------


Uninstallation of NS/Elite
--------------------------
In uninstalling an NS/Elite product(s) (released or beta versions),
several known problems should be noted.  Each of these issues will be
addressed in the next version of this product.

1.  The uninstallation of an NS/Elite product may or may not conclude
successfully (this is indicated at the bottom of the uninstall dialog
at the end of the uninstall process).  To remove the NS/Elite product
completely, the user should follow the steps in the section below
entitled "Complete Removal of an NS/Elite product."

2.  There is an uninstall problem regarding shared files when multiple
NS/Elite products reside on the same machine.  If you want to
uninstall one product with shared files, ALL NS/Elite products must be
removed, and appropriate ones reinstalled.  The user should follow the
steps below in the section entitled "Complete Removal of an NS/Elite
Product" until no NS/Elite products are listed in the Add/Remove
Programs portion of the Control Panel.

3.  Some uninstallations (depending on how the product(s) were
installed) will require the user to click "Yes" on between 20 and 55
shared file removal dialogs.  This issue is related to the shared
files problem mentioned in #2 above.


Complete Removal of an NS/Elite Product
---------------------------------------
To remove all parts of an NS/Elite product manually, follow these
steps:

1.  Inside the Windows 95 Control Panel, double click on the
Add/Remove Programs icon.  In the Add/Remove Programs dialog,
highlight the NS/Elite product to be removed and then click on the
Add/Remove button (or double click on the NS/Elite product to be
removed).  After the uninstall is complete (note the result at the
bottom of the dialog), click OK and then OK again to exit the
uninstall and the Control Panel.

2.  Manually delete the Netsoft directory and all of its folders/files
using Explorer or File Manager.  Manually delete the NetSoft fonts
under the \windows\fonts subdirectory.  Also, delete the NS Elite
folder (subdirectory) under \windows\startmenu (or startm~1)\programs.

WARNING! ONLY EXPERIENCED SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS SHOULD PERFORM
THE NEXT TWO STEPS REGARDING REGISTRY EDITING, AND IT SHOULD BE
DONE ONLY WITH GREAT CAUTION. EDITING THE REGISTRY CAN CORRUPT
YOUR OPERATING SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT.

3.  Under the Start menu, click Run and type "regedit" in the dialog
field, and click OK. The registry editor will be launched.  The user
should then double click on HKEY_CURRENT_USER, and then double click
on the word Software.  If a Netsoft item appears in the subsequent
list, then the user should highlight that item, click Edit and then
click Delete.  After confirmation, that item will be removed.  The
User should then double click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and then click
SOFTWARE.  If a Netsoft item appears in the subsequent list, then the
user should highlight that item, click Edit and then click Delete.
After confirmation, that item will be removed.

4.  Click on Edit and Find in the Registry drop-down menus and search
for NETSOFT.TTF.  In the same location, delete three fonts:
NETSOFT.FON, NETSOFT.TTF and NSOIA.TTF.


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                            End of ReadMe File
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