The DP4 System loader program for Win32 platforms. For historical reasons the name is different on each platform. It would be better if this were not the case, because the program is essentially the same on all platforms. This program accepts as a command tail anything that can be specified in the DP4 configuration file that is relevant to it, or to the error log program. The list of command tails below is therefore not exhaustive and only includes options that are frequently useful. Command tails that are options that can only take values 0 or 1 can be specified two ways:
−tail=n where n is 0 or 1, or
simply−tail which corresponds to setting
the option to 1Values specified on the command line over−ride the settings in the DP4 configuration file.
The behaviour of srvw32 is rather different on Windows NT based operating systems (NT and Windows 2000) from Windows 9x based systems, and some command tails behave differently. In particular if SRVW32 is started without a command tail that selects how it should run (−load, −unload, −start, −stop, −install, −uninstall), then on Windows NT it asks if the DP4 System should be installed as a service (usually after an annoyingly long delay while it tries and fails to become a service process), whereas on Windows 9x it behaves as though srvw32 −load was specified.
Generally speaking there is no need to start the DP4 system by running SRVW32. The auto-load mechanism can usually start the DP4 system in the correct configuration if a DP4 program is run when the DP4 System is not running.
The DP4 loader starts DP4 by executing programs listed in the [preload] and [startup] sections of the DP4 configuration file.
| Command Tail | Description |
|---|---|
|
−debug_echo |
Causes the error log program, if loaded, to display a viewable window contain the diagnostics. |
|
−install |
On Windows NT SRVW32 creates the registry information required for running the DP4 system as a Windows NT Service, and also defines the DATAFIT environment variable. This facility is not available on Windows 9x machines. Local administrator rights will be necessary to be able to do this. |
|
−load |
Attempts to start the DP4 System as an application. |
|
−load_errlog |
Causes SRVW32.EXE to load the DP4 error log program. This command tail is a useful alternative to having to edit the DP4 configuration file to load error logging. |
|
−preload=section |
Causes SRVW32.EXE to process the named section of the DP4 configuration file as a replacement [preload] section. This can be useful where DP4 must be run in a variety of configurations on the same machine. |
|
−start |
On Windows NT srvw32 attempts to start the DP4 System as a Windows NT Service (which usually requires local administrator or Server Operator rights on Windows NT, or "Power Users" on Windows 2000 or later rights). On Windows 9x −start is synonymous with −load. |
|
−startup=section |
Causes SRVW32.EXE to process the named section of the DP4 configuration file as a replacement [startup] section. This can be useful where DP4 must be run in a variety of configurations on the same machine. |
|
−stop |
On Windows NT platforms causes SRVW32.EXE to attempt to stop the DP4 System service. This is how you should stop DP4 on Windows NT/2000 where DP4 is run as a service (for example by running srvw32 −start). On Windows 9x platforms −stop and −unload are synonymous. On Windows NT family operating systems you will usually need the same user rights as described for the -start option above. |
|
−uninstall |
On Windows NT SRVW32 removes the registry information required for running the DP4 system as a Windows NT Service. Local administrator rights will be necessary to be able to do this. |
|
−unload |
Unloads the DP4 system when it is running as an application. This is how you should stop DP4 on Windows NT/2000 where DP4 is not run as a service (for example by running srvw32 −load). On Windows 9x platforms −stop and −unload are synonymous. |
Please refer to the Guide to DP4 Configuration for information on how to configure the DP4 System for Windows.
On 64-bit versions of Windows srvw64 and srvw32 are almost interchangable. For example, if your startup section specifies that you should use dp4srvr.w64 as the database manager, both srvw32.exe and srvw64.exe will happily load it. Furthermore if you run srvw32 -start it is not necessarily the case that the DP4 service will be run by srvw32.exe. The service process is determined by the registry, so if you have previously run srvw64 -install, it is that program that will run the DP4 service, no matter whether you use srvw32 -start or srvw64 -start. By contrast, if you run DP4 as an application then, the program that you start with -load is the program that will control the background DP4 applications. Therefore, when installing 64 bit DP4 on 64-bit Windows it is important to make sure your dp4.ini is set up correctly. For example, you should make sure that the loader section in the [win32] section is set to use srvw64.exe and not srvw32.exe. Note that there is no [win64] section in dp4.ini. Both 32-bit and 64-bit DP4 use the [win32] section for Windows specific configuration options.