ajq@mace.cc.purdue.edu (John O'Malley) (12/18/88)
In article <995@uvm-gen.UUCP> wardwell@uvm-gen.UUCP (Les Wardwell) writes: > >I'm seeking information and advice on how to go about setting up a small >network of about half a dozen macs (IIs,SEs,Pluses). The scenario that >I'm aiming for is to have a single HD that can be multishared with multi- >shared files of course and to have some sort of security on those files >so that they can be used but not copied. > >Les Wardwell wardwell@uvm-gen.uvm.edu This seeks like a general-interest type question, so I thought I'd post my response. It sounds like you need what some call a "disk server". There are two popular disk server packages (software that lets Macs on a net share one or more hard disk drives without a dedicated file server Mac) that are available today ... TOPS and MacServe. TOPS allows each Mac on the net to make its hard drive available to each other Mac, and it costs ~$150 per Mac. Some call this "distributed file serving." MacServe makes one Mac's hard drive(s) available to all other Macs and costs ~$150 per server machine. Since you only want to share one hard drive, MacServe sounds like the solution. That plus a LocalTalk Locking Connector Kit (the cables that Apple sells to build an AppleTalk-protocol network) for each Mac and you'll be in business for the least amount of money possible. Using file server software, such as AppleShare File Server or (soon) Novell Netware, is the other way to do things. But it's prohibitively expensive for a small network because the file server software requires that you dedicate a Mac to it. Here's a summary of the possibilities, from what I'd consider the least flexible to the most flexible systems: LocalTalk connectors ~$ 50 x 6 = $ 300 MacServe software ~ 150 x 1 = 150 Total = $ 450 LocalTalk ~$ 50 x 6 = $ 300 TOPS software ~ 150 x 6 = 900 Total = $1200 LocalTalk ~$ 50 x 7 = $ 350 AppleShare software ~ 400 x 1 = $ 400 Mac Plus + HD20 ~ 2000 x 1 = 2000 Total = $2750 The AppleShare solution could be considerably more expensive depending on what Mac hardware you buy. I haven't verified these prices ... but the basic principle is the same. I've used MacServe and AppleShare extensively. Write me for more details. John O'Malley / Macintosh / Purdue University / (317) mace.cc.purdue.edu!ajq / Project Specialist / Computing Center / 494-9944
irawan@apple.cis.ohio-state.edu (hindra irawan) (12/18/88)
Just a follow-up question. Can MacServe coexist with TOPS in a single network? -hindra Irawan-