[comp.protocols.tcp-ip] LM/X

sharon@asylum.SF.CA.US (Sharon Fisher) (01/22/91)

I'm working on a story for Unix World about LAN Manager/X, or LAN
Manager for Unix.  How many implementations of it are there?  Is
anybody actually using it?  I'd be interested in hearing from users or
vendors.  For now, I'd like to ask people to email me or post, rather
than call, because I don't have a firm assignment yet; I need to do a
little research and then do a proposal.  Thanks...

BDK@unb.CA (01/22/91)

Please post to the list. There are many of us interested.


On  Mon, 21 Jan 91 18:01:52 GMT  Sharon Fisher <asylum!sharon@DECWRL.
DEC.COM> writes:

> I'm working on a story for Unix World about LAN Manager/X, or LAN
> Manager for Unix.  How many implementations of it are there?  Is
> anybody actually using it?  I'd be interested in hearing from users or
> vendors.  For now, I'd like to ask people to email me or post, rather
> than call, because I don't have a firm assignment yet; I need to do a
> little research and then do a proposal.  Thanks...

mco@slimer.UUCP (Mark C. Otto) (01/24/91)

In article <13285@asylum.SF.CA.US> sharon@asylum.SF.CA.US (Sharon Fisher) writes:
>I'm working on a story for Unix World about LAN Manager/X, or LAN
>Manager for Unix.  How many implementations of it are there?  Is
>anybody actually using it?  I'd be interested in hearing from users or
>vendors.  ... [rest deleted] ...

I use it every day.  I use LM/X (by Hewlett-Packard) on my HP 9000/375
workstation and access it from my HP RS20C personal computer under OS/2
version 1.2 with Lan Manager 2.0.  I can also run MS-DOS 4.01 and get at
the LM/X server via HP Officeshare (wonderful stuff, this backward
compatability).  What would you like to know?  Oh, by the way, ignore
the Orgganization line and my .sig, since Versatile Systems no longer
exists; I work for Hewlett-Packard, but not for the division that makes
LM/X so I think I can remain objective.  Be that as it may, I sysop the
375 and have a group of approximately 10 R&D engineers and support personnel
that share the drives and printer offered up through LM/X and have had *NO*
problems and *NO* maintenance hassles ever since I installed it almost a
year ago.  It seems to be a fine well-designed product in keeping with
the high quality of workstation software (as compared to that of the PC
world) in general.  What else would you like to know?
 


-- 
Mark C. Otto   EMail: mco@slimer, {teemc | hpftc}!slimer!mco
Voice: 1-313-441-4264    USnail: 5133 Heather #208, Dearborn, MI. 48126
Quote: "Yeah. Right. Kermit my a*s." - Mark C. Otto, '90

WARD@CC.UMontreal.CA (01/25/91)

> Date: Mon, 21 Jan 91 18:01:52 GMT
> From: Sharon Fisher <asylum!sharon@DECWRL.DEC.COM>
> 
> I'm working on a story for Unix World about LAN Manager/X, or LAN
> Manager for Unix.  How many implementations of it are there?  Is
> anybody actually using it?  I'd be interested in hearing from users or
> vendors.  For now, I'd like to ask people to email me or post, rather
> than call, because I don't have a firm assignment yet; I need to do a
> little research and then do a proposal.  Thanks...

Last summer, we tested HP LAN Manager and HP LM/X (on a HP 9000) and
found that solution very interesting. We now have one lab of 20 PCs
running LAN Manager and connected to an LM/X server (HP 9000) where
are stored WINDOWS 3.0, LOTUS, WORD PERFECT and even DOS. The lab
is connected to the campus network so that we can upgrade the server
from the network. We can also run LAN Manager on a PC not on the same
subnet.

BTW, anyone one the net is running LAN Manager/packet driver combination ?
We would like to do so (and then use NCSA Telnet with LAN Manager).
We are also interested in adding a mail service in this configuration.
Any experience someone ?

Patrick Ward                       e-mail : Ward@CC.UMontreal.CA
Services informatiques             voice  : (514)343-6111 ext.5259
Universite de Montreal             fax    : (514)343-2155
2900 boul. Edouard Montpetit
Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7, CANADA

rob@disk.UUCP (Rob Miracle) (01/27/91)

In article <2576@slimer.UUCP>, mco@slimer.UUCP (Mark C. Otto) writes:
> In article <13285@asylum.SF.CA.US> sharon@asylum.SF.CA.US (Sharon Fisher) writes:
> >I'm working on a story for Unix World about LAN Manager/X, or LAN
> >Manager for Unix.  How many implementations of it are there?  Is
> >anybody actually using it?  I'd be interested in hearing from users or
> >vendors.  ... [rest deleted] ...
> 
> I use it every day.  I use LM/X (by Hewlett-Packard) on my HP 9000/375
[rest deleted]

Also, AT&T has a Unix based Lan Manager product called StarGROUP 3.3 and 3.4.
This version works fairly well, though I am still learning some of its
'features'.  They have support for Unix Servers and DOS, half an operating 
system (OS/2), and Macintosh (w/ 3.4).  

We are just migrating toward using it.  We have a "test" 3.3 server up.  We
are installing two LANs based on it now and have three more that will arrive
around the first of Feburary.  

By the By, I work for the University of Louisville, Computing &
Telecommunications Department in LAN support.  Our "news" has been down for a
while so I am posting it from here.

Rob Miracle

-- 
##   Rob Miracle     ## Call DISK (Multi-User Unix)   (502) 968-5401   1200-8N1
##   rob@disk.uucp   ## Available through Starlink!   Louisville, KY   24 Hours

"Egos are for those who need a mental crutch."  -- Anton Devious

martino@logitek.co.uk (Martin O'Nions) (01/28/91)

sharon@asylum.SF.CA.US (Sharon Fisher) writes:

>I'm working on a story for Unix World about LAN Manager/X, or LAN
>Manager for Unix.  How many implementations of it are there?  Is
>anybody actually using it?  I'd be interested in hearing from users or
>vendors.  For now, I'd like to ask people to email me or post, rather
>than call, because I don't have a firm assignment yet; I need to do a
>little research and then do a proposal.  Thanks...

So far as I am aware, there are a number of players committed to LM/X, but
rather fewer shipping. Hewlett-Packard have implementations for their 9000
series, and I believe for SCO Unix. SCO have pledged a native implementation
for Q191, and already ship the client side as part of their Open Desktop
system (LM/X is a part of the ODT spec.). Data General, Altos, and NCR have
all stated that they will have LM/X in their portfolio, but I have no info
as to when, although I understand that most implementations are planned to
appear this year.

For any one looking for a good reference on the LM/X system, I strongly
recommend reading chapter 8 of Unix Networking (Kochan & Wood - Hayden Books).
This goes into some depth on the history and structure of LM/X, including
a description of the ESMB structure. You also get discussions on UUCP, TCP/IP,
RFS, NFS, X, News and god knows what else, but that can be considered incidental

to this posting........

As to usage, whilst we don't actually use LM/X in the normal course of business,
we did test the SCO client against 3Com's Lan Manager. This used the 3Com
RFC NetBIOS protocol interface, as SCO don't yet ship NetBEUI/DLC support,
and it did work within certain limitations (we couldn't get it to run over
bridges, as there are no datagram forwarding or name service handlers with
either SCO or 3Com at this time - see RFC1001 for more details, or mail me
and I'll post a summary).

If other people have more info., PLEASE POST! I need more info too....

Martin

--
DISCLAIMER: All My Own Work (Unless stated otherwise)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin O'Nions            Logitek Group Support      martino@logitek.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Down the drinking well / Which the plumber built her
             Aunt Mathilda fell / - We should buy a filter....
         (Harry Graham - Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes)

martino@logitek.co.uk (Martin O'Nions) (02/06/91)

WARD@CC.UMontreal.CA writes:

>BTW, anyone one the net is running LAN Manager/packet driver combination ?
>We would like to do so (and then use NCSA Telnet with LAN Manager).
>We are also interested in adding a mail service in this configuration.
>Any experience someone ?

We don't use the packet drivers regularly with LM, largely because we have
the 3+ Open TCP software kicking around everywhere, but we did run PC/TCP
with LM for test purposes. There is a Packet Driver to NDIS TSR which feeds
the packet driver requests into the NDIS stack, and feeds the response
back up the chain. We had problems with early versions of this when doing
repeated loads/unloads of the driver, (it crashed the machine) but I believe
that this has been addressed (comments anybody?)

Martin

--
DISCLAIMER: All My Own Work (Unless stated otherwise)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin O'Nions            Logitek Group Support      martino@logitek.co.uk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Auntie did you feel no pain / Falling from that willow tree?
     Could you do it, please again / 'Cos my friend here didn't see.
         (Harry Graham - Ruthless Rhymes for Heartless Homes)

leo@unipalm.uucp (E.J. Leoni-Smith) (02/08/91)

martino@logitek.co.uk (Martin O'Nions) writes:
>We don't use the packet drivers regularly with LM, largely because we have
>the 3+ Open TCP software kicking around everywhere, but we did run PC/TCP
>with LM for test purposes. There is a Packet Driver to NDIS TSR which feeds
>the packet driver requests into the NDIS stack, and feeds the response
>back up the chain. We had problems with early versions of this when doing
>repeated loads/unloads of the driver, (it crashed the machine) but I believe
>that this has been addressed (comments anybody?)

It has Martin - long time no hear? Perhaps that 3COM TCP/IP is the reason!

leo