Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!aplcen!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!CompuServe.COM!71320.3346
From: 71320.3346@CompuServe.COM (Preston Durrer)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: DOS <--> UNIX Networking
Message-ID: <"900804163146.71320.3346.EHE69-1"@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 4 Aug 90 18:10:39 GMT
Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Lines: 33

I'm havings problems finding the product(s) required to meet my specs for a
network of IBM PC's and a UNIX system.  I'm hoping someone here might be of
help.  The UNIX system is a '386 system currently running Xenix, though I
will upgrade to SCO UNIX if this is part of the solution (I _cannot_ switch
to Interactive).  My requirements are as follows:
 
Database:  I use the Progress RDBMS.  This product supports DOS clients
accessing UNIX databases using TCP/IP products.  Currently they support LAN
WorkPlace from Excelan and PC/TCP from FTP Software.  Any solution must
co-exist with one of these products.
 
Virtual Disks:  The DOS system must be able to address the UNIX filesystem
as a virtual DOS drive, transparent to any applications.  I know PC/TCP+
supoorts this through NFS.  Excelan supports this with a product called
Hostshare.
 
Remote Printing:  I want to be able to redirect DOS printing to the UNIX
system printer.  This would ideally be transparent also (e.g. even a
"PrtSc" would work).  This qualification is the one that's giving me a real
problem.  PC/TCP supports remote printing (I don't know how transparanet
though) by using the "lpd" daemon.  But SCO Xenix/UNIX use the System V lp
system and thus do not have the lpd daemon.  Hostshare from Excelan
supports remote printing, but I have two problems with this product:  1)
Its requires Xenix-Net on the host side.  I would rather have something
more standard, such as NFS  2)  An Excelan employee told me that since
being aquired by Novell, Excelan is definitely de-emphasizing HostShare. I
don't want to be the owner of an orphan software product.
 
If anyone here can point me in the right direction, I would be most
grateful.
 
 
..................Preston Durrer