rich@aoa.UUCP (Rich Snow) (05/02/91)
Well, now we're trying to cut down on software pirating so I need to know if I can use an file server to supply applications to my Mac users, and thus control software liscencing. I want to be able to check out applications from a common file server to Macintosh users. This is not such a big deal to PC Netware users of Wordperfect I understand. But what about MS Word/Excel on the Mac? I can set up an AFS fileserver (Novell advanced netware 2.2). But is there a way to trick the system so that it will allow users to check out only as many copies of Word/Excel as I buy liscences? Or, does everyone know about MY blind spot? A more basic question... Is application sharing a reasonable thing to do on Appletalk? I have about 70 users split into two zones over 7 Shiva bridges. Are the appletalk users going to get fast enough performance openning Applications which live on the LAN server? On the one hand this could be a really good excuse to go ethernet :-) but up to now we haven't really needed to ethernet all the Macs. The LAN server would be on Ethertalk bridged to each Zone by a Fastpath. any help appreciated! -Rich . -- * Rich Snow AOA-----------------* * (617)864-0201 * rich@aoa.utc.com * aoa!rich@bbn.com
LEO@PINE.CIRCA.UFL.EDU (Leo Wierzbowski) (05/03/91)
"But is there a way to trick the system so that it will allow users to check out only as many copies of Word/Excel as I buy liscences?" I would recommend using either LaunchBreak from U. Mich. or LabLaunchers (ftp from sumex-aim.stanford.edu). I think you can ftp the docs for LaunchBreak from freebie.engin.umich.edu. Both packages are freeware. "I have about 70 users split into two zones over 7 Shiva bridges. Are the appletalk users going to get fast enough performance openning Applications which live on the LAN server? On the one hand this could be a really good excuse to go ethernet :-) but up to now we haven't really needed to ethernet all the Macs. The LAN server would be on Ethertalk bridged to each Zone by a Fastpath." Going through a FastPath is much slower than going over LocalTalk alone. You MUST put your Macs on EtherNet if your server is on EtherNet, otherwise your users will avoid your server like the plague. It would be slower than using floppies! Sincerely, Leo Wierzbowski CIRCA Univ. of Florida leo@pine.circa.ufl.edu
jqj@duff.uoregon.edu (JQ Johnson) (05/07/91)
>"But is there a way to trick the system so that it will allow users to >check out only as many copies of Word/Excel as I buy liscences?" It should be noted that Microsoft has traditionally taken the position that they sell licenses on a *per machine* not *per simultaneous user* basis. So if you have 70 machines all of which occasionally use Word, Microsoft would argue that you need 70 licenses EVEN IF YOU CAN GUARANTEE NO MORE THAN 10 SIMULTANEOUS USERS. Other software vendors take a different postion. -- JQ Johnson Director of Network Services Internet: jqj@oregon.uoregon.edu University of Oregon voice: (503) 346-1746 250E Computing Center BITNET: jqj@oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1212 fax: (503) 346-4397
bdahlen@zephyr.cair.du.edu (Robert L. Dahlen - U. of Denver USA=) (05/07/91)
In article <1525@aoa.UUCP> rich@aoa.UUCP (Rich Snow) writes: >I want to be able to check out applications from >a common file server to Macintosh users. This is not such a >big deal to PC Netware users of Wordperfect I understand. But >what about MS Word/Excel on the Mac? I can set up an AFS >fileserver (Novell advanced netware 2.2). But is there a way >to trick the system so that it will allow users to check out >only as many copies of Word/Excel as I buy liscences? Or, does There are a couple of license counter for Appleshare networks available but I don't know their names, both were recently compared in a trade rag, again I'm not sure which :-( >Is application sharing a reasonable thing to do on Appletalk? >Are the appletalk users going to get fast enough performance >openning Applications which live on the LAN server? On the one >* rich@aoa.utc.com We are running applications from a Novell Netware for Mac server and while it is pretty slow, if users don't know what fast is, they are not too disappointed. It takes about 15-20 seconds to load a WP/SS application from a 486 server with 16 Macs and 50 PC's running from it. We will certainly switch to ethernet before investing in FastPath's, etc. The cost becomes comparable, now that mac ethernet cards are becoming less expensive. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert L. Dahlen - Director, Information Systems & Technology University of Denver - Denver, Colorado 80208 (303) 871-4385 INTERNET:bdahlen@du.edu BITNET:bdahlen@ducair
bdahlen@zephyr.cair.du.edu (Robert L. Dahlen - U. of Denver USA=) (05/07/91)
Check MACWEEK, April 16, 1991 for a comparison of KEYSERVER from Sassafras Software, Hanover, NH and a competing product for Mac software licensing applications. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert L. Dahlen - Director, Information Systems & Technology University of Denver - Denver, Colorado 80208 (303) 871-4385 INTERNET:bdahlen@du.edu BITNET:bdahlen@ducair