Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!vdra_ltd
From: vdra_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Valerie Drake)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Information on use of Netwise RPC
Keywords: Netwise, DOS, OS/2, UNIX, Novell, Lan Manager
Message-ID: <14055@ur-cc.UUCP>
Date: 15 May 91 02:30:10 GMT
References: <50767@olivea.atc.olivetti.com>
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York
Lines: 78

In <50767@olivea.atc.olivetti.com> pdd@xdnc2.ICO.OLIVETTI.COM (Paul Downing) writes:

>Query:

>    Some collegues are examining the Netwise RPC tool for use on a mixed
>    DOS, OS/2, UNIX distributed application.
>    They are curious about the capacity and performance of the tool on
>    Novell Netware 3.x or Lan Manager 2.X systems where the server
>    is either OS/2 or UNIX.
>    They seek tales-of-toil from people who have used
>    that product on distributed applications on those environments. Any
>    comments you have will be welcomed.
>    Can you email me, or post a reply to this query?
>    Thank you.

Although I have not worked on the specific configuration you mentioned, I have
used the Netwise RPC for Novell Netware and ATTEMPTED to use the Netbios
RPC on a 3Com 3+ network.  Netwise RPC for Novell works like a champ.  
We rewrote a asynch access library so it would work with netwise so that app
programs written to the library could be recompiled and would run remote.

We did this successfully with very few problems.  The only "limitation" is that
you MUST know the EXACT size of any data you expect to be passing between 
client and server, or have an algorithm you can build into your program to
determine it.

We figure that Netwise added about a 10% performance penalty on a basically
unused network, with 1 client and server vs running the same software stand
alone on the server machine.

Approximate development time for the Novell version from getting the code to
releasing executables was approximately 1 man month.  This included learning
time on the RPC, and some debugging of problems in the original libraries
we had to work with.

One of our principal reasons for going Netwise was that we wished to port
to a wide variety of other platforms, and probably buy quite a variety of
libraries to support this.  We decided to go to 3Com 3+ Netbios first, since
this was the most similar to 

We did NOT EVER get the same software to work on a 3Com network under 
Netbios, which according to their docs it should, without modification.

Although we called Netwise repeatedly over a 6 month period
and they acknowledged that we had found a bug which made the code
unuseable, they made NO effort to fix it.  They hemmed, they hawed, they
refused to answer our calls.  Calls to everyone from tech to sales to
management went nowhere and did not help. Written letters were ignored.

Their tech support staff is VASTLY overloaded, and (IMHO) they are 
attempting to support too many platforms with far to few developers 
and support staff who know what they are doing.

We eventually returned our copy of Netwise RPC for 3Com Netbios, since we
could not get it working.  Netwise never (to my knowledge) credited us for
this.

They also (in mid development) changed their licensing policy, and began
to claim that if we were distributing executables which incorporated their
code, we would owe them royalties.  This was in clear contravention of the
license agreement (rip and you agree type) which clearly stated that 
executables required no royalties (one of our major reasons for buying the
tool in the first place).  When we pointed this out they said, "Oh, well if
you ever upgrade the product, you will have to abide by the "NEW" license
agreement."  What a crock.

Summary:  Good product.  Poor Support.  Terrible Customer Service.  
          We will not be buying from them again.

This is my personal opinion only.  I do not speak for Azatar or the Client
for whom we did the Development.
 

-- 
|                     |    +--+  +--+   o  | Carpe Diem, Seize the DAY!
|        //////       | |\/   .\/.   \/|  o| vdra_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu
|       /_   _\       | |   )) /\ ((   | o | Val & Lee Drake (The Fish Faces)
+--,,,,----U----,,,,--+ |/\+--+  +--+/\| | | University of Rochester