com217v@monu1.cc.monash.oz (Mr. S Dart) (03/20/90)
This is a request for information on optical storage devices that allow multiple users access the data therein. Is it possible to mount several CDROMs on a single fileserver. Our current solution is to dedicate a workstation to each CDROM and allow users to access them via something like LANassist(tm), NETremote(tm) and CarbonCopy(tm). Which is fine for one DB, awkward for two and absolutely %$#$%^@ unmanagable for more. We would be interested in some system that manages a library of n CDs on x drives, where n is greater than x. Also an unclaimed winning lottery ticket would come in handy :-) Stephen a Dart, MONASH UNIVERSITY COMPUTER CENTRE, Clayton, Victoria, AUSTRALIA. com217v@monu1.cc.monash.oz | They pay me, I try not to say silly things.
motti@ocsmd.ocs.com (Motti Bazar) (03/20/90)
In article <1920@monu1.cc.monash.oz> com217v@monu1.cc.monash.oz (Mr. S Dart) writes: >This is a request for information on optical storage devices that >allow multiple users access the data therein. > >Is it possible to mount several CDROMs on a single fileserver. >Our current solution is to dedicate a workstation to each CDROM and >allow users to access them via something like LANassist(tm), >NETremote(tm) and CarbonCopy(tm). Which is fine for one DB, awkward >for two and absolutely %$#$%^@ unmanagable for more. > >We would be interested in some system that manages a library of n >CDs on x drives, where n is greater than x. Its not a comercial forum but I'll try to answer. We at Online are developing (and selling) a few versions of solutions for Optical drives (CD-ROM) networking. For Novell networks, we have our Opti-Net package that can run on one of the workstations on the net and serve as an optical server for up to 64 drives. It supports up to 100 users per server etc.... We are comming around May with a new version that runs as a VAP (Value Added Process) inside the Novell server ..... I don't want to put commercial/propaganda stuff here so anybody that is interested, please send me e-mail plus your mailing address and I can send more info. Have fun ... Motti uunet!ocsmd!motti
lim@cwlim.CWRU.EDU (Hock Koon Lim) (03/21/90)
In article <1920@monu1.cc.monash.oz> com217v@monu1.cc.monash.oz (Mr. S Dart) writes: >Is it possible to mount several CDROMs on a single fileserver. >Our current solution is to dedicate a workstation to each CDROM and >allow users to access them via something like LANassist(tm), >NETremote(tm) and CarbonCopy(tm). Which is fine for one DB, awkward >for two and absolutely %$#$%^@ unmanagable for more. > >We would be interested in some system that manages a library of n >CDs on x drives, where n is greater than x. > Yes, it is possible. I have a CD-ROM server on the campus Novell network that support 7 CD-ROM Drives. Users login to a Novell server and select the CD-ROM entry from the menu. The Novell server redirect the CD-ROM drives from the CD-server through IPX and map it as one of your local drive. There are number of vendor out there that have CD-ROM server products. The once that I am using here is from CBIS. The CBIS's CD Connection software has a version that is based on Novell IPX. You can use a 286 or 386 PC tower to be your CD server. The tower that I use can mount upto 7 CD-ROM Drives. The CD connection software can support upto 21 drives on one CD-server(3 towers) and link with SCSI cable. The CD-ROM drive that I use is make be Toshiba which uses the ISO 9660 format. It work pretty well for us here. Let me know if would like to have more information about our setup. PS. I have no relation with CBIS. -- Hock-Koon Lim, Information Network services Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland, Ohio, USA 44106 (216) 368-2982 lim@ins.cwru.edu