Xref: utzoo comp.protocols.nfs:1965 comp.windows.ms:10294 comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc:5172 Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rpi!uupsi!sunic!news.funet.fi!tampella!tampella!kjv From: kjv@kapakala.tampella.fi (V{{r{nen Kari) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.nfs,comp.windows.ms,comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc Subject: Re: Sun PC-NFS deficiencies Message-ID: Date: 14 Mar 91 11:25:29 GMT References: <1991Mar9.120940.23851@ukpoit.co.uk> <1991Mar11.232450.5556@amd.com> <1991Mar13.180625.14540@amd.com> Sender: news@tampella.fi Organization: Tampella Papertech Inc. Lines: 70 In-Reply-To: phil@brahms.amd.com's message of 13 Mar 91 18:06:25 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: kapakala Disclaimer: Opinions expressed below are writers own. > You can print to an HP Laserjet IIIsi over the Ethernet directly, Well, that is obvious. PC-NFS (or UNIX) can't print to a network laser that doesn't talk TCP/IP. At least, if there is not a Novell-talking driver installed on the PC-NFS -server.. I suppose there isn't such a beast available yet... :-) > The IIISi has a faster print engine (17 PPM), a RISC processor, I would, myself, prefer the QMS ImageServer, which is a 20 ppm, TCP/IP speaking postscript laser... (And costs like hell too. :-) > You can also print to the Intel Netport devices. Again, they speak > Novell only. We are using 3Com's TCP/IP speaking terminal servers as well as DECservers by Digital. We have several lasers (Canon, HP, QMS) attached to them and it all works well... We have about 150 PCs in our PC-NFS network. We have about 40 lasers. We have a Sun 4/370 working as a PC-NFS server (its mainly a NFS-server for our Sun and DEC workstations but it handles those PCs too). We have now 1.1 GB diskspace as a network disk for PCs (btw this disk is backup'd *every* night!!!) and we are planning to buy another 2.5 GB disk for this purpose... Tampella Group's one other subsidiary has about 200 PCs networked with PC-NFS etc. The point is that we have a not-too-small system here. Every one of our users must be able to use our bigger systems running in our VAXen and Suns. I am *not* convinced that we could do as much with a 'pure' PC-network like Novell. At least, not yet.. :-) (Btw, when I say 'pure' PC-network I mean networks which have PCs as servers.) > PC-NFS requires you to choose a name for your machine. One user > chose the name of our server. He wasn't malicious, just confused. > He crashed the server. That's funny. Nodes in TCP/IP networking are identified with IP-number. If you don't generate unique numbers, you ask for trouble... The name is important only in email and in allowing mounts or lpr-usage for a node. The name can be different from PCs point of view and PC-NFS servers point of view. The PC-NFS server has to be configured by someone, who knows what he/she does. It's not everyones job. And I really don't think it should be either.. :-) We have a PC-manager who installs all our PCs. So, we haven't had to care about ignorant users too much. > Now, the unix bigots will say "stupid user". That attitude is > a big part of the problem. But I don't know if it is possible > to make the unix bigots realize that. Most unix bigots would > never believe this kind of problem could be solved, should > be solved, and would not try. Are you suggesting that Novell is *so* easy that even the most ignorant users can set up the whole network and manage it properly? If that's true, I've got to start thinking differently about PC-NFS and other PC-networks. Yours, Kari Vaaranen -- Kari Vaaranen * (So long, and thanks for all the fish!) Tampella Papertech Oy * email INTERNET : kjv@tampella.fi P.O.BOX 267, SF-33101 * Phone internat. : +358 31 2412434 Tampere, FINLAND * Telefax internat.: +358 31 115440