breu@unipas.fmi.uni-passau.de (Michael Breu) (06/19/89)
Hello Netlanders! We are planning to connect our Macintoshes (with Mac-OS) and our Unix-Workstations tighter than just by simple kermit file transfer. To get a good basis for a decision, we would like to hear experiences from other sites, that have already connected Macs and Unix-Systems. Our final goal is to connect our Macintoshes to Unix-machines, so that we can do local and external email, rlogin, fileserving, remote back up, and perhaps use them as X-window server with the Exodus package. We are interested in answers for the following questions: - Which connection between Appletalk and ethernet do you use? Do you have experience with fastpath and/or gator box (for german readers: are dealers in West Germany for the gator box?) - Is the throughput of apple talk sufficient for this connections or is one ethernet card per Mac preferable? - Which software packages do you use? Where can one get it? How much does it cost? (Is service for it available in W-Germany? As far as I know Helios offers AppleShare server software for suns and sonys) Thank you Michael Breu (breu@unipas.fmi.uni-passau.de)
kilian@pac.UUCP (Kilian Golm) (06/20/89)
In article <512@unipas.fmi.uni-passau.de>, breu@unipas.fmi.uni-passau.de (Michael Breu) writes: > Hello Netlanders! > > We are planning to connect our Macintoshes (with Mac-OS) and our > Unix-Workstations tighter than just by simple kermit file transfer. To > get a good basis for a decision, we would like to hear experiences from > other sites, that have already connected Macs and Unix-Systems. > > Our final goal is to connect our Macintoshes to Unix-machines, so that > we can do local and external email, rlogin, fileserving, remote back > up, and perhaps use them as X-window server with the Exodus package. > > We are interested in answers for the following questions: > > - Which connection between Appletalk and ethernet do you use? Do you > have experience with fastpath and/or gator box (for german readers: > are dealers in West Germany for the gator box?) > > - Is the throughput of apple talk sufficient for this connections or is > one ethernet card per Mac preferable? > > - Which software packages do you use? > Where can one get it? > How much does it cost? > (Is service for it available in W-Germany? As far as I > know Helios offers AppleShare server software for suns and sonys) > > Thank you > > Michael Breu (breu@unipas.fmi.uni-passau.de) We currently finished the development of an add-on board for Sony workstations. The board - called SISSI (Sony Intelligent Super Serial Interface) - has 4 Macintosh compatible (RS422, SCCs, ...) serial lines. It can be directly connected to Sony NWS 1500 and NWS 1700 workstations. The serial lines are driven by a 68070 (= 68010+MMU+DMA+...) 512KB RAM, 128KB EPROM, 64KB Dual Ported RAM, 2*Z85C30 combination. RAM and EPROM are further expandable. Until now we have support for using the lines for terminals. In the next step we will add the AppleTalk-LocalTalk Link Access Protocol (ALAP) to the board. This will allow the use of (slighty modified) Columbia Appletalk Package (CAP) and the Helios AppleShare software. The workstation then can serve _directly_ Macs (and PCs) which are connected to a LocalTalk network. The board comes whith the source code (and the execs, too (:-)) of a cross development package based on GNU cc. Header files to access all hardware on the board are included, too. So it is possible to add further protocols for the user. If you want to contact Sony, which distributes the board, you may contact: Prof. Dr. Matthias Blumenfeld Director Product Management Sony Microsystems Europe Bleriotstr. 1-3 D-5000 Koeln 30 Phone: +49 221 59 30 42 Fax: +49 221 59 35 42 Email: bluf@sonycgn.uucp For technical reasons you may contact me. Kilian / Kilian Golm / pyramid!tub!pac!kilian / PAC Hardware GmbH / kilian@pac.UUCP (last resort) / Kurfuerstenstr. 112 / kilian%pac%tub.BITNET@MITVMA.MIT.EDU / D-1000 Berlin 30 / \ Germany \ fax: +49 30 213 92 55, phone: +49 30 213 92 00 \ \