GDENNIS@NTIVAX.BITNET (01/07/91)
Hi everyone. I need some advice and comments on the various commercial
TCP/IP and NFS products for PCs and PS/2s. I intend to purchase one of them
to solve the following problem.
The network:
I have a token ring with six IBM PS/2s (running OS/2) on it. I also have an
ethernet with a couple of Ultrix workstations attached. These workstations
run both TCP/IP and DECnet. I'm thinking of buying a Proteon P4100+ router,
or something similar, to connect these two LANs together.
The task:
The people I'm helping are trying to set up an automated manufacturing
shopfloor. The PS/2s run IBM's DAE software and are controllers for various
CNC machines, bar-code readers, and other stuff. They need to download files
(eg. part lists) from my Ultrix workstations and send status information back
to the workstations.
I intend to have the PS/2s NFS mount a file system from the Ultrix machines
containing the files to be downloaded, and write status information in another
NFS mounted file system which will be periodically scanned by the Ultrix
workstations. Alternatively, the PS/2s could establish a direct connection
to the application on the Ultrix machine to send the status information.
Operators of the PS/2s will also need to telnet and ftp to my Ultrix
machines for some interactive sessions.
My problem:
I've heard of FTP Software's PC/TCP, Sun's PC-NFS, Beame & Whiteside's BWNFS,
and Wollongong's WIN/TCP. I'm not sure which would be best for our needs, or
if there are any others that are more suitable.
* The package should be able to do things interactively (in manual
mode), as well as from a script file (in automatic mode).
* What are the strong and weak points of each product?
* How do they compare in terms of file transfer performance, ease of
use, reliability, flexiblity, memory usage, cost, etc... ?
* Has anyone out there used them with IBM's DAE software? If so, any
comments?
* Do they all come in an OS/2 version? (I know Unix, TCP/IP & NFS but
have never touched OS/2)
Thanks in advance for any help. I'll summarize if there is interest.
=========================================================================
Dennis Sng Internet: gdennis%ntivax.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
GINTIC Institute of CIM Bitnet: GDENNIS@NTIVAX
Nanyang Technological Institute Fax: (65) 265-6377
Singapore 2263 Tel: (65) 660-5548