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From: ccmk@lure.latrobe.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.os.os2.apps,comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc,comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: LAN MANAGER Questions.
Message-ID: <1991May30.002944.1@lure.latrobe.edu.au>
Date: 29 May 91 14:29:44 GMT
References: <1991May29.062359.29481@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au>
Sender: news@luga.latrobe.edu.au (USENET News System)
Organization: VAX Cluster, Computer Centre, La Trobe University
Lines: 91

In article <1991May29.062359.29481@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au>, ant@brolga.cc.uq.oz.au (Anthony Murdoch) writes:
>...We already support DEC's PCSA here to provide PC connectivity
> to our VAX's, but we are interested in providing connectivity to our other
> machines as well as supporting a true LAN (I don't consider PCSA a true
> LAN).

How do you define a true LAN?  A local area network is just as it says,
and PCSA can be the glue that makes it, just as Novell can, etc.

> 1>  Is it absolutely necessary to have an OS/2 server to run LAN manager ?
>     We would prefer to be able to run with our UNIX box (SUN 470) as the
>     main server.  This isn't a major point though so if there are a lot of
>     other advantages we will run with it :)

Lan Manager/X, i.e. lan manager for Unix, has either been released or
will be soon.  Don't know which platforms are supported.

> 2>  Which ethernet cards are supported by LM ?  Or is that, which ethernet
>     cards support LM ? :)  Particulary, are any of DEC's ethernet cards
>     supported.

Lan Manager is a base from which network programs, such as PCSA, 3+Open,
etc, work from.  The individual software house determines such mundane
issues, but more often than not NDIS drivers are supported, which means
the DEC ethernet boards are okay.

> 3>  Is there any packages (Comercial/Shareware/Freeware) that provide
>     TCP/IP over LAN manager ?

Again, Lan Man doesn't bother with the details, so PCSA works over DECnet,
IBM might use Token Ring, etc.  Obviously, if you use LM/X then
TCP/IP might be the transport.  Or, you can go for the many public domain
(such as NCSA Telnet) or commercial packages (such as FTP's PC/TCP, etc).
Often, when using NDIS, multiple protocols can be supported on s single
workstation.

> 4>  Does LAN manager provide file services to UNIX boxes via NFS or does
>     it implement its own protocol ?  I'm not sure which of these would be
>     preferable, perhaps you can offer some opinion ?

Don't know.  I guess NFS is a different ballgame, and would not be supported
by LM.

> 5>  How does the allocation of resources work ?  Does LM allow any user to
>     access any resource on any machine so long as the user has the
>     permissions ?

Yes, provided the server is OS/2 or Unix, etc.

>  If so, then does this include DOS machines ?  I can see
>     it working with an OS/2 machine, but does it allow a DOS machines
>     resourses (printers etc) to be accessable by others without
>     interupting the user on that DOS machine ?

The limitations of DOS doesn't really allow that sort of resource sharing.

>     Does LM allow access to printers on remote UNIX/VMS machines ?

PathWORKS for DOS uses LM.  LM/X gives the same functionality on Unix.
See also DEC's PathWORKS for Ultrix.

>     The kind of situation that we are looking at initially is where a site
>     wants to use our UNIX box for some of its file services, but still be
>     able to access its own printers etc.  The site is not technically
>     orientated and so they want us to handle ALL server maintenance.  Will
>     we be able to keep the server on our site or will there have to be a
>     duplicate server (or something) at their site to handle all their
>     printers etc ?
> 
> 6>  How good are the mail facilities ?  Is it possible to send mail
>     to/from internet machines ?
> 
> 7>  Is it possible to connect to the LAN from a terminal ?  How would this
>     be set up ?  Is it possible to connect to the LAN through TCP/IP
>     (telnet) ?  These are picky questions and not that important :)

Don't really know about above.

> 8>  What is the availability of sercer/connection software for
> 	- Sun SPARCservers
> 	- DEC VMS VAXes
> 	- IBM VM Mainframes
>     Who sells/supports each of these ?

See my comments above re: LM/X, PathWORKS for VMS, Ultrix, OS/2 and/or DOS.

Dr Mark Kosten,        phone: +61 3 479-2767
Computer Centre,       AARNet (internet): ccmk@lure.latrobe.edu.au
La Trobe University,   X.25 (PSI): 05052347300000::ccmk
Bundoora, 3083
Australia