LOAD

Purpose

Use LOAD to link loadable modules to the operating system. Loadable modules include disk drivers, LAN drivers, NLM^TM programs, platform support modules, and name space modules.

Use the LOAD command to load application modules to a protected address space, a region of logical memory in user mode (ring 3). Protected modules operate in their own execution environment. You can also mark a protected address space for restart after cleanup.

IMPORTANT: LAN and disk drivers or the MONITOR utility are not candidates for protected address space because they must run in the kernel. For example, MONITOR makes system calls that the call gate doesn't allow between protected space and the kernel.

Use the LOAD command at the server console to load server NLM programs. You can also use LOAD at a workstation running the Novell^® Client^TM to load client modules. Client NLM programs used by Novell Client load without parameters.

HINT: In most cases you can load an NLM program by simply entering the name of the NLM program at the server console prompt. LOAD is implied. For example, to load monitor.nlm, just enter MONITOR.

The exception is if there is an .ncf file of the same name as the utility. In this case, you must use the LOAD command. Using LOAD tells the server to load the utility instead of executing an .ncf file with the same name.

The following information explains the loading process and load parameters, whether or not you actually use LOAD as part of the command string.

Syntax

[LOAD] [PROTECTED | RESTART | address_space_name] [path]loadable_module_name [parameter...]

Option	Use to
path	Specify the path to the loadable module if you moved it from the default directory.
loadable_module_name	Specify the name of the loadable module. To determine the name, see the documentation for the loadable module.
parameters	Include parameters for the module you are loading. Parameters that can be used with most modules are explained in the following tables. Individual modules may have specific parameters of their own; see the documentation for the loadable module.

Option

Use to

path

Specify the path to the loadable module if you moved it from the default directory.

loadable_module_name

Specify the name of the loadable module. To determine the name, see the documentation for the loadable module.

parameters

Include parameters for the module you are loading. Parameters that can be used with most modules are explained in the following tables.

Individual modules may have specific parameters of their own; see the documentation for the loadable module.

Memory Protection Parameters

Parameter	Use to
protected module_name	Load one module into a new protected address space. By default the space is named ADDRESS_SPACEn, where n is a number. If you want to load more than one module into the same address space, use the address space parameter instead of the protected parameter.
restart module_name	Load one module into a new protected space with restart functionality. By default the space is named ADDRESS_SPACEn, where n is a number. Restart functionality means that if the protected space abends, the system closes the space, cleans up its resources, restarts the space, and reloads modules into it.
address space = address_space_name module_name	Load one module into a new protected address space with a user-defined name. Use this command when you want to define your own name for the space and when you want to load more than one module into the same address space. You can specify only one module at a time to load into the address space, but you can repeat the command for each module you want to load into the space.

Parameter

Use to

protected module_name

Load one module into a new protected address space. By default the space is named ADDRESS_SPACEn, where n is a number.

If you want to load more than one module into the same address space, use the address space parameter instead of the protected parameter.

restart module_name

Load one module into a new protected space with restart functionality. By default the space is named ADDRESS_SPACEn, where n is a number.

Restart functionality means that if the protected space abends, the system closes the space, cleans up its resources, restarts the space, and reloads modules into it.

address space = address_space_name module_name

Load one module into a new protected address space with a user-defined name. Use this command when you want to define your own name for the space and when you want to load more than one module into the same address space.

You can specify only one module at a time to load into the address space, but you can repeat the command for each module you want to load into the space.

Using LOAD

When a module is loaded, it links itself to the operating system and allocates a portion of the computer's memory for its use, thus using system resources. When modules are unloaded, allocated resources are returned to the system.

Some modules, such as LAN drivers and disk drivers, need to be loaded every time the server is booted. To load modules automatically when the server boots, include LOAD commands in the autoexec.ncf or startup.ncf file. (See Using Server Batch Files.)

Other modules, such as MONITOR, can be loaded, used, and then unloaded. Refer to the documentation for the specific module.

You can load modules in protected address space. Because NetWare supports NLM programs running in user mode (ring 3), server-based network applications, such as GroupWise^® or Lotus* Notes* can have their own execution environment.

You can also load shared libraries such as CLIB in more than one space (point one copy to two places). Multiple instances share code but have different data. Because each instance of the module must be loaded at the same logical address in each address space, that place is reserved across application spaces when you load the shared library in the first address space.

When you install system and public files on the server, any .nlm and .lan modules are copied to sys:system. The .ham and .nam modules are copied to the boot directory of the server.

The installation of LAN drivers can be best accomplished with NWCONFIG. This means that NWCONFIG can load, bind, and configure the drivers and add the LOAD command to the autoexec.ncf file. See Loading and Binding LAN Drivers and NWCONFIG.

Examples

To load the NE3200^TM driver (without parameters), enter

[LOAD] NE3200

To load the NWCONFIG module, enter
[LOAD] NWCONFIG

To load a module called database.nlm in a protected address space, enter
[LOAD] PROTECTED DATABASE.NLM

To load a module in a protected address space and flag the address space as restartable, enter
[LOAD] RESTART GRPWISE

The PROTECTED option is not necessary if either RESTART or ADDRESS SPACE are specified on the command line.

Additional Information

Topic	See
Loading disk drivers	Loading Disk Drivers
Loading LAN drivers	Loading and Binding LAN Drivers
Loading name space modules	Storing Non-DOS Files on a Traditional Volume
Loading modules	Loading and Unloading NetWare Loadable Modules
Using protected address spaces	Loading Protected Address Spaces Using Protected Address Spaces Unloading Protected Address Spaces