A mapped search drive allows you to execute program files even if these files are in a directory other than the one in which the user is currently working. When a directory containing one or more executable program files is search-mapped on to a given drive, then these programs can be executed from any directory. If there is a program file called FOX.EXE that resides in the subdirectory FOXPRO in the directory PUBLIC in the volume SYS, you would need to search-map the directory SYS:PUBLIC\FOXPRO onto a search drive. NetWare looks for the program file FOX.EXE (which is in SYS:PUBLIC\FOXPRO) in the current directory and, in case it does not find it there, it would look for the file in all the search drives that have been mapped till the file FOX.EXE is found. In NetWare, the 16 alphabets from K to Z are designated as search drives. Thus, theoretically, you can assign search drives to search for program files in as many as 16 directories.
If you want to search map the file FOX.EXE in FOXPRO on to a search drive, you need to give the MAP command
MAP SEARCH1: = SYS:PUBLIC\FOXPRO
Now the command FOX can be given to execute the file from your current directory. NetWare assigns search drives, in reverse order of alphabets, i.e. drive Z is search mapped first, then drive Y, and so on.
Again, search drives are not drives in the DOS sense. They are pointers that help you point to a directory that contains program files so that you can access these files quickly.
It is not necessary that drives H to Z need to be used only for mapping search drives. They can be used for mapping network drives too, in case you run out of drives for mapping network directories. In case you have mapped all these drives, you can assign K, L, M and so on, to map directories.
Note: As soon as the user logs out, NetWare erases the mappings.