[comp.os.vms] apple-talk and microvax II

FSIMMONS@UMNDUL.BITNET (06/04/87)

I am expecting a VAXLAB system sometime this summer. It will come with a single-
user license.  Is it possible to have my apple-talk network share the disk on
the microvax II? IF so (and I believe it is possible) what are some vendors and
costs invloved?

Secondly, we have an ethernet cable on campus and thru it access to many large
main-frames etc. If I want my micro-vax system to be a node on this network, wil
l
I have to obtain an additional port (and hence a multi-user license from DEC) to
do this?  I already know of a source for the board and software necessary to tal
k
to the network but I would like to access the microvax from home by dialling up
the network.

Thanks for any help



Frank Simmons
UMD Computing Services
Univ of Minn,Duluth
10 University Drive
Duluth MN 55812
ATT    : (218) 726-8841
BITNET : FSIMMONS@UMNDUL
CSNET  : FSIMMONS@UB.D.UMN.EDU

cetron%ced@CS.UTAH.EDU.UUCP (06/06/87)

as I recall, the standard vaxlab configurations come with a deqna and will
be able to access the network.  The single user license means only one user
logged on a time.  VMS doesn't care where the user is logged on from but it
used to check the number of users.  I don't remember whether that has been
changed in v4.6 which will likely come with the vaxlab if it takes more than
another month (at least we HOPE v4.6 will be out then)...oh yes, the vaxlab
DOES come with end node decnet.

as for appletalk to ethernet the best approach is to use the kinetics fast
path appletalk to ethernet interface. if the vaxlab runs vms (which i assumed)
you can use the following software:

From cetron Mon Mar 30 11:41:16 1987
Received: by utah-ced.ARPA (5.31/4.40.2)
	id AA02331; Mon, 30 Mar 87 11:41:14 MST
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 87 11:41:14 MST
From: cetron (Ed Cetron)
Message-Id: <8703301841.AA02331@utah-ced.ARPA>
To: sr16@andrew.cmu.edu
Subject: vms fileservers for mac's
Cc: cetron
Status: R


Seth,

	We are using the appletalk for vms software provided by alisa systems
in pasadena..... Much more info can be gotten from them directly:

Alisa Systems, Inc.
221 E. Walnut St., Suite 230
Pasadena, Ca  91101
818 - 792-9474

(if you call please mention that you got there info via me on the arpanet, this
is NOT for kickbacks - I have no association 'cept as satisfied customer - but
I am trying to convince them to get an internet/usenet link of some kind....)

	Any way a quick summary:

1. fileserver - somewhat slower than a local floppy, but adequate...allows up
to 15 volumes (floppy equivalents) per server (and you can have multiple 
servers per vax).  Each volume appears to the mac user as a seperate volume 
icon on the desktop.  Volumes can be password protected, or marked as readonly.
Additionaly, 'temp' files (such as word temps, excel resume files, etc) are 
coded by the 'username' picked in the chooser upon startup.  Desktop files are
also coded this way so different people can have different format desktops in 
the same partition.

2. File Server Utility - allows files to be imported/exported from the vms
file system.  This allows dir of the various files on the mac volumes and 
manipulation of them..... I have been able to have out sect'ys compose letters
under word 3.0, then save them on the fileserver volumes, picked them up, and
brought them over to vms and subsequently sent them over the arpanet.....I have
also been able to use fsu to recover word temp files when word 3.0 crashes.

3. laser spooler support - you can set up several laser spoolers which look 
just like laserwriters to the mac's but will spool the output and then send
it back out to laserwriters out on the appletalk network.  Utilities also exist
to allow users on other decnetted machines (or even the actual server vms 
machine) to spool files out to the appletalk laserwriters.  An option exists to
spool files that are already postscript.  Additionaly, we have a unix vax send
via ftp postscript output from the Adobe Transcript package to out vms file
server and have it spool these files out to the laserwriters.

	All is all, it is a very good package, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the people
at alisa will a) answer the phone, and b) talk to you and help you.  As the
administrator of a facility, the service after the sale is as critical as the
sale itself - and these people are good....

( in the future, they will support remote decnet login from the mac, as well as
remote decnet task 'linking' - maybe for mail type stuff.....)

-ed cetron
Computer Services Manager
Center for Engineering Design
Univ of Utah
cetron@utah-cs.arpa



\

-ed cetron
computer systems manager
center for engineering design
cetron@cs.utah.edu
cetron@utahcca.bitnet