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StarterPak/!Newsbase/Docs/Tuning
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Recent acquisitions » Acorn ADFS disks » adfs_AcornUser_199508.adf » !Internet |
| Filename: | StarterPak/!Newsbase/Docs/Tuning |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 0972 bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
Tuning ------ This file describes the parameters which can be altered to tune Newsbase's behaviour. Most of these are concerned with memory management. The bulk of newsbase is written in BASIC, which doesn't exactly have wonderful memory management facilities. Large memory demands by Newsbase, such as when debatching, are handled by claiming extra memory above HIMEM and using this for direct storage. However, other memory demands are not so easily handled; in particular the arrays of information kept about the group database. Newsbase attempts to handle this by claiming almost all available memory on startup, setting up the data structures at a size it decides will be sufficient, then returning as much memory as possible to the system. The major factor here is how many groups are present. Newsbase attempts to count the current number, then add some more to allow for group creation. The minimum number allocated, and the additional number to allow for creation, can be controlled by editing parameters in the tuning file. The tuning file, !NewsBase.support.newsbase.!nbsys, contains a list of parameter names with their associated values. If a parameter is not set in this file, a default will be used. Parameters are: max_usr (default 20, minimum 5). The maximum number of usernames handled by newsbase. min_grp (default 40, minimum 10). The minimum number of groups allocated by newsbase at startup. add_grp (default 20, minimum 10). The number of extra groups allocated to allow for creation. max_rdr (default 5, minimum 1). The maximum number of newsreader clients that can be handled at once by newsbase. min_cpu (default 7). Minimum CPU timeslice used by newsbase when processing data (normal mode). max_cpu (default 15). Minimum CPU timeslice used by newsbase when processing data (fast mode). deb_buf (default 16) Size of debatch input buffer, in Kbytes. dbg_exp (default 3) Expiry time in days for batch files kept in debug area. min_flt (default 10) Minimum number of filters allowed. At startup, newsbase will allocate this number, plus any already defined. chk_tim (default 10, minimum 5). Time in seconds between checking for newly-arrived batch files. Default time of 10 secs is good for most purposes; a longer delay might be wanted when checking files over NFS, which is generally slower. ** These settings will probably be made obsolete in future versions ** of Newsbase!
00000000 54 75 6e 69 6e 67 0a 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 0a 0a 54 |Tuning.------..T| 00000010 68 69 73 20 66 69 6c 65 20 64 65 73 63 72 69 62 |his file describ| 00000020 65 73 20 74 68 65 20 70 61 72 61 6d 65 74 65 72 |es the parameter| 00000030 73 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 61 |s which can be a| 00000040 6c 74 65 72 65 64 20 74 6f 20 74 75 6e 65 20 4e |ltered to tune N| 00000050 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 27 73 0a 62 65 68 61 76 69 |ewsbase's.behavi| 00000060 6f 75 72 2e 20 4d 6f 73 74 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 |our. Most of the| 00000070 73 65 20 61 72 65 20 63 6f 6e 63 65 72 6e 65 64 |se are concerned| 00000080 20 77 69 74 68 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 6d 61 6e | with memory man| 00000090 61 67 65 6d 65 6e 74 2e 20 54 68 65 20 62 75 6c |agement. The bul| 000000a0 6b 20 6f 66 0a 6e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 20 69 73 |k of.newsbase is| 000000b0 20 77 72 69 74 74 65 6e 20 69 6e 20 42 41 53 49 | written in BASI| 000000c0 43 2c 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 64 6f 65 73 6e 27 74 |C, which doesn't| 000000d0 20 65 78 61 63 74 6c 79 20 68 61 76 65 20 77 6f | exactly have wo| 000000e0 6e 64 65 72 66 75 6c 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 0a 6d |nderful memory.m| 000000f0 61 6e 61 67 65 6d 65 6e 74 20 66 61 63 69 6c 69 |anagement facili| 00000100 74 69 65 73 2e 20 4c 61 72 67 65 20 6d 65 6d 6f |ties. Large memo| 00000110 72 79 20 64 65 6d 61 6e 64 73 20 62 79 20 4e 65 |ry demands by Ne| 00000120 77 73 62 61 73 65 2c 20 73 75 63 68 20 61 73 20 |wsbase, such as | 00000130 77 68 65 6e 0a 64 65 62 61 74 63 68 69 6e 67 2c |when.debatching,| 00000140 20 61 72 65 20 68 61 6e 64 6c 65 64 20 62 79 20 | are handled by | 00000150 63 6c 61 69 6d 69 6e 67 20 65 78 74 72 61 20 6d |claiming extra m| 00000160 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 61 62 6f 76 65 20 48 49 4d 45 |emory above HIME| 00000170 4d 20 61 6e 64 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 74 68 69 73 |M and using this| 00000180 0a 66 6f 72 20 64 69 72 65 63 74 20 73 74 6f 72 |.for direct stor| 00000190 61 67 65 2e 20 48 6f 77 65 76 65 72 2c 20 6f 74 |age. However, ot| 000001a0 68 65 72 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 64 65 6d 61 6e |her memory deman| 000001b0 64 73 20 61 72 65 20 6e 6f 74 20 73 6f 20 65 61 |ds are not so ea| 000001c0 73 69 6c 79 20 68 61 6e 64 6c 65 64 3b 0a 69 6e |sily handled;.in| 000001d0 20 70 61 72 74 69 63 75 6c 61 72 20 74 68 65 20 | particular the | 000001e0 61 72 72 61 79 73 20 6f 66 20 69 6e 66 6f 72 6d |arrays of inform| 000001f0 61 74 69 6f 6e 20 6b 65 70 74 20 61 62 6f 75 74 |ation kept about| 00000200 20 74 68 65 20 67 72 6f 75 70 20 64 61 74 61 62 | the group datab| 00000210 61 73 65 2e 0a 4e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 20 61 74 |ase..Newsbase at| 00000220 74 65 6d 70 74 73 20 74 6f 20 68 61 6e 64 6c 65 |tempts to handle| 00000230 20 74 68 69 73 20 62 79 20 63 6c 61 69 6d 69 6e | this by claimin| 00000240 67 20 61 6c 6d 6f 73 74 20 61 6c 6c 20 61 76 61 |g almost all ava| 00000250 69 6c 61 62 6c 65 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 6f 6e |ilable memory on| 00000260 0a 73 74 61 72 74 75 70 2c 20 73 65 74 74 69 6e |.startup, settin| 00000270 67 20 75 70 20 74 68 65 20 64 61 74 61 20 73 74 |g up the data st| 00000280 72 75 63 74 75 72 65 73 20 61 74 20 61 20 73 69 |ructures at a si| 00000290 7a 65 20 69 74 20 64 65 63 69 64 65 73 20 77 69 |ze it decides wi| 000002a0 6c 6c 20 62 65 0a 73 75 66 66 69 63 69 65 6e 74 |ll be.sufficient| 000002b0 2c 20 74 68 65 6e 20 72 65 74 75 72 6e 69 6e 67 |, then returning| 000002c0 20 61 73 20 6d 75 63 68 20 6d 65 6d 6f 72 79 20 | as much memory | 000002d0 61 73 20 70 6f 73 73 69 62 6c 65 20 74 6f 20 74 |as possible to t| 000002e0 68 65 20 73 79 73 74 65 6d 2e 20 54 68 65 0a 6d |he system. The.m| 000002f0 61 6a 6f 72 20 66 61 63 74 6f 72 20 68 65 72 65 |ajor factor here| 00000300 20 69 73 20 68 6f 77 20 6d 61 6e 79 20 67 72 6f | is how many gro| 00000310 75 70 73 20 61 72 65 20 70 72 65 73 65 6e 74 2e |ups are present.| 00000320 20 4e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 20 61 74 74 65 6d 70 | Newsbase attemp| 00000330 74 73 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 75 6e 74 0a 74 68 65 20 |ts to count.the | 00000340 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 2c 20 |current number, | 00000350 74 68 65 6e 20 61 64 64 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 6d 6f |then add some mo| 00000360 72 65 20 74 6f 20 61 6c 6c 6f 77 20 66 6f 72 20 |re to allow for | 00000370 67 72 6f 75 70 20 63 72 65 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e 20 |group creation. | 00000380 54 68 65 0a 6d 69 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 6e 75 6d 62 |The.minimum numb| 00000390 65 72 20 61 6c 6c 6f 63 61 74 65 64 2c 20 61 6e |er allocated, an| 000003a0 64 20 74 68 65 20 61 64 64 69 74 69 6f 6e 61 6c |d the additional| 000003b0 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 74 6f 20 61 6c 6c 6f 77 | number to allow| 000003c0 20 66 6f 72 20 63 72 65 61 74 69 6f 6e 2c 0a 63 | for creation,.c| 000003d0 61 6e 20 62 65 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f 6c 6c 65 64 |an be controlled| 000003e0 20 62 79 20 65 64 69 74 69 6e 67 20 70 61 72 61 | by editing para| 000003f0 6d 65 74 65 72 73 20 69 6e 20 74 68 65 20 74 75 |meters in the tu| 00000400 6e 69 6e 67 20 66 69 6c 65 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 20 |ning file...The | 00000410 74 75 6e 69 6e 67 20 66 69 6c 65 2c 20 21 4e 65 |tuning file, !Ne| 00000420 77 73 42 61 73 65 2e 73 75 70 70 6f 72 74 2e 6e |wsBase.support.n| 00000430 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 2e 21 6e 62 73 79 73 2c 20 |ewsbase.!nbsys, | 00000440 63 6f 6e 74 61 69 6e 73 20 61 20 6c 69 73 74 20 |contains a list | 00000450 6f 66 0a 70 61 72 61 6d 65 74 65 72 20 6e 61 6d |of.parameter nam| 00000460 65 73 20 77 69 74 68 20 74 68 65 69 72 20 61 73 |es with their as| 00000470 73 6f 63 69 61 74 65 64 20 76 61 6c 75 65 73 2e |sociated values.| 00000480 20 49 66 20 61 20 70 61 72 61 6d 65 74 65 72 20 | If a parameter | 00000490 69 73 20 6e 6f 74 20 73 65 74 20 69 6e 0a 74 68 |is not set in.th| 000004a0 69 73 20 66 69 6c 65 2c 20 61 20 64 65 66 61 75 |is file, a defau| 000004b0 6c 74 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 62 65 20 75 73 65 64 2e |lt will be used.| 000004c0 20 50 61 72 61 6d 65 74 65 72 73 20 61 72 65 3a | Parameters are:| 000004d0 0a 0a 6d 61 78 5f 75 73 72 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 |..max_usr (defau| 000004e0 6c 74 20 32 30 2c 20 6d 69 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 35 |lt 20, minimum 5| 000004f0 29 2e 20 54 68 65 20 6d 61 78 69 6d 75 6d 20 6e |). The maximum n| 00000500 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 75 73 65 72 6e 61 6d |umber of usernam| 00000510 65 73 20 68 61 6e 64 6c 65 64 20 62 79 0a 6e 65 |es handled by.ne| 00000520 77 73 62 61 73 65 2e 0a 0a 6d 69 6e 5f 67 72 70 |wsbase...min_grp| 00000530 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 34 30 2c 20 6d 69 | (default 40, mi| 00000540 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 31 30 29 2e 20 54 68 65 20 6d |nimum 10). The m| 00000550 69 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 |inimum number of| 00000560 20 67 72 6f 75 70 73 20 61 6c 6c 6f 63 61 74 65 | groups allocate| 00000570 64 20 62 79 0a 6e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 20 61 74 |d by.newsbase at| 00000580 20 73 74 61 72 74 75 70 2e 0a 0a 61 64 64 5f 67 | startup...add_g| 00000590 72 70 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 32 30 2c 20 |rp (default 20, | 000005a0 6d 69 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 31 30 29 2e 20 54 68 65 |minimum 10). The| 000005b0 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 65 78 74 72 61 | number of extra| 000005c0 20 67 72 6f 75 70 73 20 61 6c 6c 6f 63 61 74 65 | groups allocate| 000005d0 64 20 74 6f 0a 61 6c 6c 6f 77 20 66 6f 72 20 63 |d to.allow for c| 000005e0 72 65 61 74 69 6f 6e 2e 0a 0a 6d 61 78 5f 72 64 |reation...max_rd| 000005f0 72 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 35 2c 20 6d 69 |r (default 5, mi| 00000600 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 31 29 2e 20 54 68 65 20 6d 61 |nimum 1). The ma| 00000610 78 69 6d 75 6d 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 6f 66 20 |ximum number of | 00000620 6e 65 77 73 72 65 61 64 65 72 20 63 6c 69 65 6e |newsreader clien| 00000630 74 73 0a 74 68 61 74 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 68 |ts.that can be h| 00000640 61 6e 64 6c 65 64 20 61 74 20 6f 6e 63 65 20 62 |andled at once b| 00000650 79 20 6e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 2e 0a 0a 6d 69 6e |y newsbase...min| 00000660 5f 63 70 75 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 37 29 |_cpu (default 7)| 00000670 2e 20 4d 69 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 43 50 55 20 74 69 |. Minimum CPU ti| 00000680 6d 65 73 6c 69 63 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 62 79 20 |meslice used by | 00000690 6e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 20 77 68 65 6e 20 70 72 |newsbase when pr| 000006a0 6f 63 65 73 73 69 6e 67 0a 64 61 74 61 20 28 6e |ocessing.data (n| 000006b0 6f 72 6d 61 6c 20 6d 6f 64 65 29 2e 0a 0a 6d 61 |ormal mode)...ma| 000006c0 78 5f 63 70 75 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 31 |x_cpu (default 1| 000006d0 35 29 2e 20 4d 69 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 43 50 55 20 |5). Minimum CPU | 000006e0 74 69 6d 65 73 6c 69 63 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 62 |timeslice used b| 000006f0 79 20 6e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 20 77 68 65 6e 20 |y newsbase when | 00000700 70 72 6f 63 65 73 73 69 6e 67 0a 64 61 74 61 20 |processing.data | 00000710 28 66 61 73 74 20 6d 6f 64 65 29 2e 0a 0a 64 65 |(fast mode)...de| 00000720 62 5f 62 75 66 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 31 |b_buf (default 1| 00000730 36 29 0a 20 53 69 7a 65 20 6f 66 20 64 65 62 61 |6). Size of deba| 00000740 74 63 68 20 69 6e 70 75 74 20 62 75 66 66 65 72 |tch input buffer| 00000750 2c 20 69 6e 20 4b 62 79 74 65 73 2e 0a 0a 64 62 |, in Kbytes...db| 00000760 67 5f 65 78 70 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 33 |g_exp (default 3| 00000770 29 0a 20 45 78 70 69 72 79 20 74 69 6d 65 20 69 |). Expiry time i| 00000780 6e 20 64 61 79 73 20 66 6f 72 20 62 61 74 63 68 |n days for batch| 00000790 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 6b 65 70 74 20 69 6e 20 64 | files kept in d| 000007a0 65 62 75 67 20 61 72 65 61 2e 0a 0a 6d 69 6e 5f |ebug area...min_| 000007b0 66 6c 74 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 31 30 29 |flt (default 10)| 000007c0 0a 20 4d 69 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 |. Minimum number| 000007d0 20 6f 66 20 66 69 6c 74 65 72 73 20 61 6c 6c 6f | of filters allo| 000007e0 77 65 64 2e 20 41 74 20 73 74 61 72 74 75 70 2c |wed. At startup,| 000007f0 20 6e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 61 | newsbase will a| 00000800 6c 6c 6f 63 61 74 65 20 74 68 69 73 0a 20 6e 75 |llocate this. nu| 00000810 6d 62 65 72 2c 20 70 6c 75 73 20 61 6e 79 20 61 |mber, plus any a| 00000820 6c 72 65 61 64 79 20 64 65 66 69 6e 65 64 2e 0a |lready defined..| 00000830 0a 63 68 6b 5f 74 69 6d 20 28 64 65 66 61 75 6c |.chk_tim (defaul| 00000840 74 20 31 30 2c 20 6d 69 6e 69 6d 75 6d 20 35 29 |t 10, minimum 5)| 00000850 2e 20 54 69 6d 65 20 69 6e 20 73 65 63 6f 6e 64 |. Time in second| 00000860 73 20 62 65 74 77 65 65 6e 20 63 68 65 63 6b 69 |s between checki| 00000870 6e 67 20 66 6f 72 0a 6e 65 77 6c 79 2d 61 72 72 |ng for.newly-arr| 00000880 69 76 65 64 20 62 61 74 63 68 20 66 69 6c 65 73 |ived batch files| 00000890 2e 20 44 65 66 61 75 6c 74 20 74 69 6d 65 20 6f |. Default time o| 000008a0 66 20 31 30 20 73 65 63 73 20 69 73 20 67 6f 6f |f 10 secs is goo| 000008b0 64 20 66 6f 72 20 6d 6f 73 74 0a 70 75 72 70 6f |d for most.purpo| 000008c0 73 65 73 3b 20 61 20 6c 6f 6e 67 65 72 20 64 65 |ses; a longer de| 000008d0 6c 61 79 20 6d 69 67 68 74 20 62 65 20 77 61 6e |lay might be wan| 000008e0 74 65 64 20 77 68 65 6e 20 63 68 65 63 6b 69 6e |ted when checkin| 000008f0 67 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 6f 76 65 72 20 4e 46 53 |g files over NFS| 00000900 2c 20 77 68 69 63 68 0a 69 73 20 67 65 6e 65 72 |, which.is gener| 00000910 61 6c 6c 79 20 73 6c 6f 77 65 72 2e 0a 0a 2a 2a |ally slower...**| 00000920 20 54 68 65 73 65 20 73 65 74 74 69 6e 67 73 20 | These settings | 00000930 77 69 6c 6c 20 70 72 6f 62 61 62 6c 79 20 62 65 |will probably be| 00000940 20 6d 61 64 65 20 6f 62 73 6f 6c 65 74 65 20 69 | made obsolete i| 00000950 6e 20 66 75 74 75 72 65 20 76 65 72 73 69 6f 6e |n future version| 00000960 73 0a 2a 2a 20 6f 66 20 4e 65 77 73 62 61 73 65 |s.** of Newsbase| 00000970 21 0a |!.| 00000972
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