peiffer@umn-cs.CS.UMN.EDU (Tim J. Peiffer) (07/06/89)
In article <433@thunder.UUCP> raday@thunder.UUCP (Alan Day) writes: > >A problem occurs since the Macintosh network we want to connect to the MIPS >machine must be, due to local practises, located at some distance from the >beast. The best solution, for future expansion, seems to be an Ethernet >cable running between the buildings [the interstate highway] with LocalTalk >"ramps" attached at either end. [A MIPS Tech Support person seemed to think >that uShare could run directly off the MIPS Ethernet connection but could >not confirm beta soft/hard-ware configurations. If so, only one "ramp" >would be needed.] > >From the literature we've collected, it seems that FastPath and GatorBox come >equipped with their own file server software, something that, with uShare, is >unnecessary. Similarly, it seems that the Kinetics card for the SE will only >allow that machine to be connected [hence not an Etherenet "server"] > >Question: Could some more knowledgeable souls verify if our understanding of >the above is correct? Could someone suggest an alternative solution with an >Ethernet "backbone"? [Our dep't has 13 Macs on two, faculty & student, >networks at present.] We have some experience with Ether/Local talk. We have a network of macs and printers that number about ~3000 on kinetics fastpaths. With the Fastpaths in place, the ethernet is for all intensive purposes transparent, we have sites in Minneapolis that print out on printers in Duluth, and we have both Minneapolis and Duluth providing appleshare file service to clients on opposite campuses. It seems that the Cayman Gator box will do this and more, such as their version of TOPS - a sun NFS server for appletalk. We haven't gotten a copy, because of production backlog. For our UNIX hosts, we run Columbia Appletalk Protocol (CAP) software which will allow our unix hosts to be appleshare hosts - effectively another Large appletalk device. This has two beneficial side effects. We now run UNIX spooled printing on appletalk to postscript printers. We can now also dump our Mac harddrives to the UNIX hosts. This saves time on backups, and the aggravation of having to deal with hundreds of those little floppy discs. I hope this helps - I don't have any experience with the MIPS.xxx machines. Tim Peiffer peiffer@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu or Comp Sci Dept ...!rutgers!umn-cs!peiffer U of Minnesota, MPLS MN
peiffer@umn-cs.CS.UMN.EDU (Tim J. Peiffer) (07/07/89)
>you mentioned Columbia Appletalk Protocol software for Unix, or some >such name. I suppose that's PD or otherwise freely redistributable >stuff available from Columbia? Is it ftp'able? In other words, how >would one get it? ----------- >This is exactly what we want to do. Where does one find CAP? and what >unix hardware supports the connection? ----------- >In your posting you mention a UNIX program called CAP that acts as an >appleshare server. Would you please send me info on where or how to get >more info on this program. Thanks Because of the numbers of letters I have received regarding my previous response about CAP software, I am posting excerpts from the CAP release notes to the newsgroup. CAP is available under annonymous ftp from cucca.columbia.edu and is located in the ~ftp/cap directory under cap50.tar.Z. Tim Peiffer peiffer@umn-cs.cs.umn.edu or Comp Sci Dept ...!rutgers!umn-cs!peiffer Univ of Minnesota >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> CAP - Columbia AppleTalk Package for UNIX (4.2 BSD). (For use with AppleTalk/Ethernet bridge) This distribution should allow asp, atp, pap client and server applications to be developed. -- Portions are of the CAP distribution are public domain software. The specific item is: extras/att_getopt.c Portions of the CAP distribution are contributed by other sites including: Rob Chandhok, Computer Science Department, Carnegie Mellon University Paul Campbell ABSTRACT -------- CAP is written for BSD 4.2 Unix and derivatives. CAP implements a library containing a portion of Apple Computer's AppleTalk protocols. In order to use this package you need an AppleTalk/Ethernet bridge (e.g. Kinetics FastPath box). CAP includes a number of applications that can be used to print to a LaserWriter, spool for a LaserWriter, and act as Unix based AppleShare compatible file server (no support for AppleShare PC). CAP also includes a number of sample programs and contributed software. CAP library routines are structured, for the most part, the same as the Apple routines described in "Inside AppleTalk" and "Inside LaserWriter." Refer to the Apple documents and the procedure comments for a complete description of the routines and how to call them. Prerequisties ------------ o Kinetics FastPath box running the 10/86, 2/87, 9/87, or 1/88 Revision of the UDP software, known as "KIP", developed by Bill Croft at SUMEX, Stanford University is required. o baseline host system: Ultrix 2.0-1. Most will work under BSD 4.2, BSD 4.3, Ultrix 1.0-1.2, Sun OS 3.2 or higher, ACIS 4.2, A/UX, and other systems with BSD like networking facilities with varying levels of functionality. Under certain systems, only portions will work. Information ----------- There is no CAP mailing list. Instead, notices and information about CAP are posted to the mailing list info-appletalk which is gatewayed with the USENET news group comp.protocols.appletalk. If you don't have access to comp.protocols.appletalk and have access to the ARPANET, you can get on the mailing list by sending mail to info-appletalk-request#@andrew.cmu.edu. [The '#' part of the address is currently optional, but it helps speed up delivery.] Important documentation resides in: NOTES - installation notes: READ THIS BEFORE STARTING INSTALLATION PORTING - notes on porting CAP to machines it doesn't know about MANIFEST - a list of files that comprise CAP doc/installation.ms - stepwise installation document: assumes you have read NOTES and this document What's in CAP ------------- The Columbia AppleTalk Package consists of a number of libraries, a number of programs, and associated documentation. Following is a list of the main parts along with a brief description. o NOTES for a general overview of installation and some overview material. o PORTING for information about making CAP work on systems not listed in NOTES netat - general header files used by various parts of CAP man - man pages for some of the programs doc - documentation lib/cap - main appletalk libraries: ASP, PAP, ATP, NBP, DDP lib/afp - generic AppleTalk Filing Protocol (AFP) routines lib/afpc - AFP client libraries etc - support programs: only atis - support program for NBP extras - code and materials not necessarily related to AppleTalk samples - sample programs: allow simple interaction with lw, appleshare server, etc. See README there. contrib - contributed programs applications - main applications. The following programs in applications are in regular use at Columbia and are a main part of the reason we work on CAP: papif - UNIX lpd "input" filter for spooling to appletalk - also includes sample "output" filter and printcap entry - Note: this is a very bare bones filter lwsrv - Simple LaserWriter spooler suitable for extension aufs - AppleTalk Filing Protocol Unix File Server - Note: does NOT support AppleShare PC NOTE: You must have the AppleShare 1.0 or 1.1 client code installed in your Macintosh to use this. You must obtain this from Apple - we do not and do not plan to supply this. The client code is a lot of work and Apple's already done an excellent job here - well worth paying for.
chris@cayman.COM (Chris North) (07/08/89)
In article <8907061935.AA02272@aquarium.ecn.purdue.edu>, moyman@AQUARIUM.ECN.PURDUE.EDU (Mike "appletalk" MacMoya) writes: > I had an evaluation GatorBox to test on > my network and found it to *currently* be an inferior appletalk to > ethernet gateway. The NFS was nice, I liked it...it was slower, > however, to Aufs (CAP) running on a Sun3 or Sun4 through a > *FastPath 4*, every time...this was especially true under heavy > traffic and very large transfers. > > The FastPath supports KIP (and it works), where the GB says it does > but I never got a chance to to test it since it could not read in > /etc/atalkatab from atalkad...(It doesn't support atalkad which is > a part of KIP??...currently)...The GB assumes you use ethertalk, which > I think is where the GB gets it's zone information...we *don't* use > it, and therefore the GB never did *know* of any of the 13 other > zones on the net (definately not a good thing in our case). Another > thing that annoyed me was because it assumed you use ethertalk, it > went ahead and broadcasted a zone by that name (or whatever you called > it when configuring it)... > > NCSA Telnet works *very* well with the Kinetics box, I have configured > a K-box wrong before, but NCSA Telnet would still work...and it is > very fast...The entire couple of months that I had the Gator Box, NCSA > telnet never did work *correctly*, after spending several hours with > their tech support, we did *rig* it to work, but it was still much > slower than a K-4...and a pain (they never did tell me what the > problem was??). There tech support service is excellent (much > better than kinetics), they are very knowledgable to configuration > problems and very prompt. I am not sure that is a fair comparison, > however, since I am *sure* their are *many* more Kinetics customers > out their than GB's... Admittedly, version 1.25 of our software was not up to our own standard for quality. It was slow and it did not perform well under a number of situations. We realized this and rather than push on with our printing and mail packages, we stepped back and made a serious effort to make sure that our base software functioned as our customers expected it to. Thus the newest version (1.4.0) is a much more reliable product. It does contain some speed enhancements but it will get even more in our next release (Oct. '89). In response to the specific issues that you did raise : It is true that we do not currently support atalkad. You can enable it, and the GatorBox will take in the atalkad packets but it won't do anything with them. A number of users have asked for this so we are going to make a serious effort to put atalkad support in our next release. From the Ethernet side of the world, the GatorBox does only speak Ethertalk. Our next release will also contain IP encapsulation and decapsulation for routing via IP (and thus through IP gateways). As far as your problems with Telnet are concerned, we are not aware of telnet not working in any environment. If anyone has any problems with setting up Telnet, I urge them to call our Tech Support (number below) and we will make sure that everything works ok. -chris -- Chris North chris@cayman.COM Cayman Systems 26 Landsdowne Street Cambridge MA 02139 617-494-1999