jb@aries5.uucp (James Bruyn) (01/16/90)
In article <581@gargoyle.uchicago.edu> dawyd@gargoyle.uchicago.edu.UUCP (David Walton) writes: >AppleShare could really use better facilities for keeping track of and >communicating with users. To wit: > >* The ability to send messages to any or all users at any time, > instead of only when the server is about to shut down. > >* Some form of accounting, by which I mean basic information about > when users log on and for how long. > I have read with some interest the comments on desires for better features for the AppleShare of the 90's. There is an alternative product that has many of these features that you desire. This product is MacJANET, and further information can be obtained by contacting Mike Paola at 519-886-3700. Some of the features of MacJANET include: If a connection is broken with the server, either because a cable is kicked out, or the server is shut down, the next time the workstation attempts to access the server, the workstation displays a message that it is unable to locate the server, with a Restart / Resume option. This is independent of application software. If the server goes down because of a power failure, etc. when the server starts up it checks which workstations are still on the network and re-establishes a connection with them. On the server screen, as well as optionally to disk a log of all users logging on, logging off, launching applications, quitting applications, spooling and printing is maintained. Userid creation can be done from a disk file, by a pattern ie. useraa, userab, userac... All this is done from the workstation. New features in the next release (availability date not yet known, but soon) include page accounting for the laser printer -- setting a limit on the number of pages people can print. Integrated message and mail facility. Ability to set logon messages for everybody and classes of users. MacJANET has taken a different approach then AppleShare with regards to users. Instead of giving users folders on one or more hard disks. Each users is assigned a partion (network disk) of the servrs hard disk for his/her own private storage. This can optionally be no disk space. Applications and other software are then also stored on other network disks. When a user logs on, the Administrator can configure the userid so that the user automatically has access to the network disks with the applications on. The new release will allow automatic access at logon time across multiple servers. The network disks for applications are shared in read/only mode. This means that even for applications that are not appleshare compatible you still only need one copy of the application on the server. MacJANET also has the ability to set a quota on the number of people concurrently running an application, and encrypting applications so that they will only run on the network. For further info. contact myself or Mike Paola at 519-886-3700 Jim Bruyn Computer Systems Group University of Waterloo Home of MacJANET - The educational network for the Mac Disclaimer: I am involved in the development of MacJANET. AppleLink D0365 BITNET jb@watcsg UUCP jb@aries5