marco@hpmcaa.HP.COM (Marco Dalla-Gasperina) (12/30/88)
AAAAAHHHHHH! I've got the Microsoft Programmers reference library on CD-ROM. What I'd like to do is put it on a server to the rest of my group can use it as a reference. Assuming I can do it technically, how does one go about the licensing arrangement? It seems ridiculous to have to spend $1500 or so per workstation so we can each have a seperate disk and CD drive. Microsoft, however, does not offer site licensing for the PRL. My contact there mentioned something about OPTINET (sp?), though I have no idea what that means. Any assistance will be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks! Marco "Licensing,Shmlicensing" Dalla Gasperina marco@hpmcaa.HP.COM
leefi@microsoft.UUCP (Lee Fisher) (12/31/88)
In article <200012@hpmcaa.HP.COM>, marco@hpmcaa.HP.COM (Marco Dalla-Gasperina) writes: > > I've got the Microsoft Programmers reference library on CD-ROM. What > I'd like to do is put it on a server to the rest of my group can use > it as a reference. Assuming I can do it technically, how does one > go about the licensing arrangement? It seems ridiculous to have to > spend $1500 or so per workstation so we can each have a seperate disk > and CD drive. Microsoft, however, does not offer site licensing for > PRL. My contact there mentioned something about OPTINET (sp?), though > I have no idea what that means. The MS-DOS CD-ROM Extentions currently do not allow the sharing of a CD-ROM disc drive over a network. Thus, with the DOS, CD-ROM Extentions, and Programmer's Library software, it is not possible to share the Progammer's Library CD-ROM disc form data over a network. Programmer's Library does not rely on the presense of it's data on a CD-ROM drive. The application performs simply DOS file i/o with it's data files. Since the data files are very large, they exist on a CD-ROM disc. It is possible to transfer all of the data from the CD-ROM drive that comes with Programmer's Library and move it to a hard drive. All that would requre changing to get Programmer's Library to work would be to update the drive references in the ASCII file MSL.INI. So, in such a case, it's possible to use Programmer's Library on systems that don't support CD-ROM drives, provided you have sufficient storage abilities (~150MB), and a way to transfer the CD-ROM disc data to this environment in the first place. [You should read the licensing information before attempting this, since it may violate some licensing restriction.] Another alternative to this is to use the third party applications to enhance the functionality of a CD-ROM drive over a network. There are currently two such third party applications. One such application is Opti-Net, made by On Line Systems. This optical network software will allow a CD-ROM drive to be shared with any NETBIOS compatible LAN software, including MS-NET and Novelle networks. To get more information on Opti-Net, contact them at: Opti-Net, Online Computer Systems, +1 (800) 922-9204 [I think I recall seeing someone at OnLine Computer Systems in the newsgroup comp.unix.xenix talking about XENIX CD-ROM drivers; the path to their system was uunet!ocsmd, I believe. Perhaps you can reach someone at OnLine Computer Systems through this means.] The other currently available solution is CDNet, by meridian Data Systems. This consists of CD-ROM hardware and additional software which allows the CD-ROM drive to be shared over a network. To get more information from Meridian Data Systems, contact them at: CD-Net, Meridian Data Systems, +1 (408) 476-5858 The terms of the Programmer's Library license agreement are included with the packaged, require that a copy of the User Guide be dedicated to each workstation on the network that is set up to run PL. Each node pack includes the necessary User Guide, so you'd need to order 1 server copy of PL plus N workstation copies of PL to hook up N+1 workstations. Try calling Microsoft Customer Service at +1 (206) 882-8088. They can give you price information for retail products, and could give you information about server/workstation copies. (I think that it is $395 for the server version, and $65 for each additional workstation version, but I may be thinking of another product.) If you've got a corporate account, have your purchasing agent call the Microsoft Corporate Accounts Customer Service number at +1 (800) 227-6444. I'm not sure what the prices are for corporate accounts, but I assume they differ. I guess I should do some disclaiming... :-) I have not used CD-Net or Opti-Net, and am just regurgitating this stuff from the Programmer's Library box. And I am NOT conversant in licensing/legal issues with Microsoft (or any other) software... -- Lee Fisher - Microsoft Corp. - leefi@microsof.UUCP leefi%microsof@uw-beaver.MIL - leefi@microsof.beaver.washington.EDU {uw-beaver,decvax,decwrl,sun,tikal,uunet}!microsof!leefi Ka nama kaa lajerama. This stuff is all MY fault.
jms@prism.TMC.COM (01/06/89)
OPTI-NET is a product of Online Computer Systems, Germantown,
MD. 800-922-9204. Support for three Programmers Library users cost
$295. Other hw/sw options are available.
{mit-eddie, pyramid, harvard!wjh12, xait, datacube}!mirror!jms
Mirror Systems Cambridge, MA
--
Jim Shaw
Mirror Systems, Cambridge Massachusetts jms@mirror.TMC.COM
(617)-661-0777
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -