Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!lll-winken!uunet!mcvax!cernvax!jmg
From: jmg@cernvax.UUCP (john gerard)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: Re: PC access to Appleshare server
Message-ID: <1034@cernvax.UUCP>
Date: 6 Jul 89 15:26:00 GMT
References: <1029@cernvax.UUCP> <32800@apple.Apple.COM>
Reply-To: jmg@cernvax.UUCP (john gerard)
Organization: CERN European Laboratory for Particle Physics, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Lines: 47

In article <32800@apple.Apple.COM> shoemake@Apple.COM (Mike Shoemaker) writes:
>AppleShare PC version 2.0 from Apple was announced June 12 with delivery in
>the 3rd Quarter.  It allows access to AFP compatible servers (AppleShare,
>AlisaShare, PacerShare, Netware with the AFP add-on, etc.), plus
>it also allows a DOS application to do transparent printing to LaserWriters
>or networked ImageWriters.  The DOS application outputs Epson command
>codes they get translated to PostScript or ImageWriter commands.
>AppleShare PC also works with applications that output postscript --
>It just passes the postscript straight to the LaserWriter.
>
>Version 2.0 supports DOS 4.0 and now works with other network cards besides
>our own LocalTalk card.  It currently works on Ethernet, LocalTalk, or
>TokenTalk using:
>	Apple's LocalTalk PC card (for traditional bus)
>	3Com EtherLink II MC card for microchannel
>	3Com's EtherLink II (3C503) card for traditional bus
>	IBM's TokenRing card (Microchannel & traditional bus)
>
>The interface between the protocol stack and the network driver is 'open'
>(it adheres to the Apple/Novell Open Data-Link Interface specification)
>so drivers can be written for nearly any card to work with AppleShare PC.

This is (almost) exactly what I want. However, we are still at the stage
where entropy is increasing and each answer brings more than one question
or problem.

For various reasons of history we have many PCs with Ethernet cards.
Almost none are 3C503!
We like a multiprotocol approach, so we run either a proprietary BICC
multiprotocol or FTP's Packet Driver. We can run Novell on top of either.

Agreed, ODI is open. Do ODI drivers exist for other cards? In any case,
it is not exactly "drivers" that we would need, but something working on
top of the packet drivers which we have (we are working on BICC to offer
a FTP-compatible Packet Driver).

The end need is to be able to ftp between a host computer such as our IBM
and the AppleShare PC disk. OSI protocols (FTAM) would come later.

It will be nice when we come down to one solution for multiprotocol
Ethernet packet I/O, rather than having Novell fight with Microsoft, with
FTP Inc. quietly picking up people in the middle. Roll on, Utopia!
-- 
 _ _  o |             __                    |    jmg@cernvax.uucp
| | |   |     _      /  \  _   __  _   __  _|    jmg@cernvax.bitnet
| | | | |_)  /_)     |  __/_) | (___\ | (_/ |  J. M. Gerard, Div. DD, CERN,
| | |_|_| \_/\___    \__/ \___|   (_|_|   \_|_ 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland