peiffer@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (Tim J. Peiffer) (07/02/88)
I have a rather unique request to make of the lan community. I am looking for information from users and system adminstrators about combined apple/ibm/*nix networks. My only experience deals with IBM netbios and its network structure. I am interested in combining IBM/apple and possibly unix for it's nfs capability. What are the various networks that are available to combine these; are Tops, Paradox, Novell, and Sun PCNFS the only ones to really consider? How do these networks differ in concept and how do they appear to the user? How are they from an administrators point of view? I need this information so that I may make an informed recommendation to another department (users) regarding a planned pc network. If the response to this is not something that needs to be discussed on a net level, please email all recommendations/flames. Tim Peiffer Comp Sci Systems Group University of Minnesota, Mpls MN peiffer@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (ding a ling net 612-625-0876)
sob@cortex.neuro.bcm.tmc.edu (Stan Barber) (07/22/88)
In article <6064@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu> peiffer@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu (Tim J. Peiffer) writes: >What are the various networks that are available >to combine these; are Tops, Paradox, Novell, and Sun PCNFS the only ones to >really consider? How do these networks differ in concept and how do they >appear to the user? How are they from an administrators point of view? Paradox is NOT a network. It is a PC-database product that allows con-current database access (after a fashion) from multiple PCs. It will work on top of PC/NFS and TOPS. I don't know, but assume that it will work on top of Novell and 3+ as well. If you are looking for a TCP/IP-based solution, only PC/NFS (of the ones you mentioned) will do. TOPS and Novell are both based on vendor-specific protocols. Novell has available a TCP/IP gateway that allows ftp and telnet (no SMTP, though). TOPS has a SUN implementation that allows a SUN to "bridge the gap", but it not a gateway. Novell has "accounts" that an administrator has to set up. TOPS publishes directories that certain other TOPS users can mount ( it is probably the most relaxed of the ones you mentioned). It does prompt for passwords and such in the SUN version. PC/NFS uses all the standard TCP/IP-type administrative details to make things happen plus a password authentication on the server before remote disks can be mounted (if you set it up that way). PC/NFS requires a NFS SERVER to work (such as a SUN). Novell requires a dedicated PC server. All Tops clients cans be servers as well. Stan Barber, Baylor College of Medicine sob@tmc.edu Stan uucp:{shell,rice,seismo}!soma!sob Opinions expressed here Olan domain:sob@rice.edu or sob@soma.bcm.tmc.edu are ONLY mine & Barber CIS:71565,623 BBS:(713)790-9004 noone else's.