larry@focsys.UUCP (Larry Williamson) (06/07/88)
I need to know if it is possible to access the hard disks on a
ms-dos machine that is on a network of Unix and msdos machines. The
dos disk is to be accessed while the dos machine is busy with other
work. The dos machine is running a dedicated application (that we
wrote).
The dos machine is reading data from a number of input devices and
archiving this data to a unix file system. A unix workstation is
processing this data and at random intervals, data is sent to a dos
machine for output. The input and output dos machines may or may not
be the same. The input data may or may not ever be output. All input
data will be put on a unix file system.
Getting the data to the Unix file system seems easy enough. Its
the other direction that seems a little difficult.
The problem: To get the data to the dos hard disk. Will I have to set
up the dos machines to poll the unix workstations for data? I would
rather have the unix station dump the data to the dos hard disk and
the dos machine would then only poll its own hard disk for the
existance of the data.
I assume that I will need some advanced network software. I
expect to use something like ftp, tcp/ip, and whatever else is
necessary. What do I need to run on the dos end? Is the Netbios
software necessary?
I've done a bit of research on this but it seems that all the
books that I've seen assume you are setting up a Novell network. And
of course, they answer the questions you might have in such a
situation. These books have been no help to me.
I have not been able to get a straight answer from anyone I've
talked to recently about this. The salesmen promise you anything.
The technical people that I know have never done this, so they are
not sure.
--
Larry Williamson Focus Automation Systems
UUCP: watmath!focsys!larry 608 Weber St. N, Waterloo, Ontario N2V 1K4
+1 519 746 4918jack@turnkey.TCC.COM (Jack F. Vogel) (06/10/88)
In article <179@focsys.UUCP> larry@focsys.UUCP (Larry Williamson) writes: > > I need to know if it is possible to access the hard disks on a >ms-dos machine that is on a network of Unix and msdos machines. The >dos disk is to be accessed while the dos machine is busy with other >work. The dos machine is running a dedicated application (that we >wrote). [...details omitted....] First off you do not say just what sort of network it is you are using. Assuming it is ethernet I have a few suggestions. If you use something like Desqview or DoubleDos on the Dos machine you should be able to both run your dedicated application and a tcp/ip package concurrently. You might consider looking into the KA9Q tcp package, it is limited but is functional and public domain, it has support for ethernet (3com), point to point async. or various packet radio setups (which I don't think would be relevant here). The source and pc-dos objects are available on turnkey. The source has a makefile for SysV and BSD as well. We have successfully compiled and used it between an SCO Xenix system and DOS system using point-to-point async. What I would suggest as a scenario is this. You run one of the above-mentioned so-called DOS multitasking packages, then with the KA9Q package running as one task the system would accept ftp put's of data whenever you desired. On the UNIX side you could have cron set up to check for data and then do an automatic ftp to the DOS system whenever necessary. I suspect this would work out nicely for you, as well as being very inexpensive. Send me some email if you have further questions or need more detail. turnkey has an anonymous uucp account if you wish to obtain the archive mentioned. Login as nuucp, no password; ph# (714)662-7450 request the file: /usr/spool/uucppublic/files and you should be on your way. Let me know of your success. Best of luck, -- Jack F. Vogel Turnkey Computer Consultants, Costa Mesa, CA UUCP: ...{nosc|uunet}!turnkey!jack Internet: jack@turnkey.TCC.COM
alen@cogen.UUCP (Alen Shapiro) (06/11/88)
In article <179@focsys.UUCP> larry@focsys.UUCP (Larry Williamson) writes: > > [ details of DOS<->UNIX file transfer ] Sorry not to be able to answer your questions directly, I'm going to commit the most serious net-related crime and ask you if you are really asking the right question - or rather you seem to be making an assumption that to manipulate DOS files under MSDOS you have to be on a different shared disk than the one on the UNIX system. You may be locked into this because of existing hardware so please excuse me if the following is inappropriate. Have you considered the following 3 hardware organisations which neatly bypass the technical questions you raised. 1) Sun 386i connected via NFS to the Unix environment 2) Sun server with IPC (internal PC) card (faked internal Ethernet with NFS) 3) Native DOS running PC connected via ethernet to a >= 4.2BSD UNIX via NFS Note: if you run an ethernet/NFS network all the above configurations make data transfer a native copy or cp command (depending on who initiates them). If you target the Unix data-generation at the DOS-mounted partition - no copy is needed. Getting the data back for processing (printing or other manipulation) on the Unix side is just a matter of calling the relevant Unix utility and targetting the relevant file - also visible as a Unix file. You also gain Unix "dump" incremental backup of all dos files placed on the NFS partition. 1 above) gives you many DOS machines on one bitmap screen, integrated into a UNIX workstation, together with a shared filestore accessible from both DOS and UNIX simultaneously - all from the same screen (different windows) and on a single piece of hardware. cost about $10000 including local disk, screen and keyboard 2 above) If you already have a Sun server - < $2000 gives you a single DOS window on any of the connected Sun machines. 3 above) If you already have a PC $890 buys you PC-NFS including an ethernet card for the PC. You may then mount files from an existing NFS server on the ethernet (a number of Unix's other than Sun have implemented NFS capability) We have a Novell here as well as NFS and are seriously considering scrapping the Novell due to lack of utility when coupled with a Unix development environment. Hope this is of some help --alen the Lisa slayer (it's a long story) ...my opinions only I have no connection with Sun except as a happy customer (if anyone at Sun reads this I expect our discount rate to increase!! :-))
larry@focsys.UUCP (Larry Williamson) (06/17/88)
In my original article I wrote > > I need to know if it is possible to access the hard disks on a >ms-dos machine that is on a network of Unix and msdos machines. The >dos disk is to be accessed while the dos machine is busy with other >work. The dos machine is running a dedicated application (that we >wrote). I received a number of email items with suggestions and ideas. It seems that the consensus is that I have one of three options. 1. use doubledos or desqview to provide psuedo multitasking and run a tcp/ip application (such as KA9Q's ) on one window and our application on another window 2. use a package such as ftp sofware's development kit that gives us tcp/ip function calls. We would then call these functions at strategic points from our application. This is sort of a multitasking function that we would be responsible for writing 3. run one of the 386 unix systems and vp/ix or locus' dosmerge and run our application in this environment. Of these three, number 2 seems to be the best solution to the problem as I had defined it. It is not without problems, but it seems to be a good idea. But it turns out that we might be able to simplify our requirements. I had originally thought that the output device HAD to be connected to the SAME computer that had input devices. This is not completely true. As it turns out, although there will be output devices on these input systems, the output device that is to made available to the network may be on a dedicated output computer. This same computer, because of relaxed throughput requirements, need not be a dos machine. If it is a dos machine, then it can poll the network for data. I would like to thank all those how sent in the cards and letters. It was very kind of you. Thanks, larry -- Larry Williamson Focus Automation Systems UUCP: watmath!focsys!larry 608 Weber St. N, Waterloo, Ontario N2V 1K4 +1 519 746 4918