greggt@VAX1.CC.UAKRON.EDU (Gregg Thompson) (02/21/89)
PLEASE REPLY VIA MAIL, PLEASE DO NOT WASTE "BANDWITH" ON DISCUSSING THIS MESSAGE I have been asked by a government organization to do some consulting for them. They need to set up a network so I thought I would ask here (Usenet) first to start. PLEASE reply to me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. They need the information and prices for the network soon so they can bring it up in the next "network committee" meeting next month. EMAIL: greggt@vax1.cc.uakron.edu or greggt@[130.101.2.2] USMAIL Gregg F. Thompson 426 Janes Lane Macedonia, Ohio 44056-1820 I need to network the following type of configuration: AT&T 6386 3B2 IBM PC/XT (Maybe a Macintosh or Sun 386i need something for Desktop Publishing that will network easily with TCP/IP. Any DP WYSIWYG (as you are typing) for the Sun 386i??? Will NeXT sell to local, state, and federal gonvernment agencies?) All of the machines have at least a 20 megs. I need to have a network that will support TCP/IP AND NFS so that ALL the hard disks in the above list will be shared on both DOS and Unix levels. There will also be a need of allowing DOS and Unix to "access each other" in the sense of Unix must be allowed to access DOS data files and DOS must access data files on Unix. The 386 will be running both Unix and DOS if possible (preferred) and we need the ability for the PC to telnet to the Unix "server" (the 386 or 3B2). The network will start off with at least one or 2 of each of the above list and will eventually be networked with several other "offices" of the same configuration and then eventually networked to Internet. The Unix operating system is from AT&T SYSV. NEED NETWORK! Cards and software for Unix and DOS! Thank You!! GRegg P.S. They will eventually need the desktop publishing soon too. -- To live is to die, to die is to live forever; GRegg Thompson Where will you spend eternity? greggt@vax1.cc.uakron.edu
snorthc@RELAY.NSWC.NAVY.MIL (02/21/89)
In response to "GRegg Thompson's" request: 1.) I am replying by EMAIL, there is no waste of bandwidth, many of us face similar requirements and can use the info. 2.) Unless I missed something obvious... you have already decided on TCP and NFS. 3.) If 2 then the question is simply which vendors: - for MSDOS I think the only game in town is SUN PC NFS, I wish there was an option, I detest single source products. - for the 3B2... I am no expert on SYS V, but I would start with Wollongong and Lachman. That Air Force contract might have stimulated some 3B2 development (AFCACs or some such). - for the ATT box, I know western bell sells an NFS for UNIX SYS V rel. 3.2 try calling 1 800 for unix. - MACs can be NFS'd with the gator box, I am sure there is a more elegant solution somewhere. NFS could care less if the file is a DOS or UNIX file so sharing disks in one sense is trivial. File naming can be sticky, but what are a few tildes among friends? PC NFS is client only, you will have to share those PCs "virtual disk". The bigger issue will be administration. Solutions like Novell, allow for administration. This can be very important to novice users (keep them in a menu shell). It has security implications, will you require audit trails??? Trivia: Will next sell to gov't agencies? We have all read that they won't, but I suspect this is subject to change if universities do not overwhelm them with orders. Desktop publishing... that is a sw question. Aldus Pagemaker is tolerable and can (sort of) interchange files PC <-> MAC. Good luck, let us know how your solution works out. Stephen Northcutt (snorthc@relay.navy.mil) Disclaimer: I speak only for Stephen, am not in bed with any vendor.
jbvb@VAX.FTP.COM (James Van Bokkelen) (02/25/89)
Steve: We announced our implementation of NFS at the Connectathon last week. In addition, Beame & Whiteside had a DOS NFS there also. Ours should ship sometime in early April. For the 3B2, you could also try Spider Systems (U.S. office in Burlington, MA). James B. VanBokkelen 26 Princess St., Wakefield, MA 01880 FTP Software Inc. voice: (617) 246-0900 fax: (617) 246-0901