3C90x - Netware - What is PIPELINE in the NET.CFG file?

Question: What is PIPELINE in the NET.CFG file for the 3C90X NIC?

Answer: Novell implemented a new feature in its IPX protocol that allows a faster and robust hand-off from the driver to the protocol stack. This feature is known as pipeline mode. This means with the Parallel Tasking€ feature, even if the frame length of the packet is unknown because it has not been read yet, the driver can still pass up a 'no known frame length' value to the protocol, and have the protocol allocate a set buffer for the packet. This is implemented by setting the PB register to -1, which allows Novell's IPX protocol to take full advantage of 3Com's integrated Parallel Tasking feature.

Since pipeline is relatively new, only Novell's IPX protocol supports it. Other implementations of IPX from Microsoft, or from ODIPKT, ODINSUP, as well as older versions of LSL, IPXODI, do not support this feature and pipeline needs to be turned off in order for it to work.

A routine in the driver checks to see if you are running Windows or not. If the pipeline feature is commented out in the NET.CFG file, the pipeline mode will be active until the user enters into Windows. At that point, pipeline mode is dynamically disabled until the user exits Windows. If the pipeline feature is turned off in the NET.CFG, pipeline is disabled whether the you are in DOS or Windows.