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From: mcc@WLV.IMSD.CONTEL.COM (Merton Campbell Crockett)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans,comp.sys.novell
Subject: Re: Netware 386 NFS capabilities
Message-ID: <1991Jun1.162108.811@wlbr.imsd.contel.com>
Date: 1 Jun 91 16:21:08 GMT
References: <1991May10.142129.18462@jhereg.osa.com> <5744@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu> <1991May28.230655.6545@hellgate.utah.edu>
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In article <1991May28.230655.6545@hellgate.utah.edu> haas%basset.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Walt Haas) writes:
>In article <5744@gazette.bcm.tmc.edu> sob@tmc.edu (Stan Barber) writes:
>>I have seen many, many problems with multiprotocol networks. If you have
>>limited resources and can only do one protocol well because of the limited
>>resources, what do you do?

>>Even DECnet can be encapusulated.

>As DECnet IV sinks slowly in the west this gets less interesting.  DECnet V
>will be ISO, which should replace IP (they tell me)(I'm not holding my breath)

Actually, DECnet V will support three protocol stacks:  DECnet, ISO (GOSIP)
TCP/IP, and Internet (ARPA) TCP/IP.  A part of the delay in DECnet V can
be attributed to betting on the wrong horse, ISO (GOSIP) TCP/IP.  Internet
(ARPA) TCP/IP did not disappear as expected from the Federal Government's
GOSIP mandate.

Novell has the same problem as Digital--a proprietary communications schema.
Proprietary communications schemas are great for introducing small groups
within an organization or small organizations to shared network resources.
Most small groups eventually realize that they need to communicate with others
within the organization or the world at large.

Generally, it is cheaper to junk the proprietary communications schema and
switch to something more universally acceptable and usable such as TCP/IP.
Within the organization strange behaviours start to be exhibited by individuals
closely aligned or committed to the proprietary schema.  Software problems
that have existed for ages start to be fixed.  New software functionality
is added.  The common thread--utilization of unique features of the proprietary
package.

Both Digital and Novell will maintain their proprietary schemas.  It makes
strategic sense.  If you get your foot in the door with the proprietary scheme,
you become the first choice for providing a solution.  You also see transition
products being introduced.

Novell's NetWare for VMS moves the file serving onto the VAX systems.  Provides
the capability to support a larger number of users and utilizes the VMS Backup
and Restore capabilities to provide the capability to recover from catastrophic
failures.

Digital's PathWORKS (new name for PCSA, LANworks, etc.) now has the capability
to co-exist with NetWare on a PC.  With NetWare starting with F: or lastdrive
+1 and PathWORKS starting with M:, we now have all sorts of places to store
our goodies.  We have VMS Mail and can send memos back and forth.  If we
have TWG's WIN/TCP or TGV's MultiNet we can send messages anywhere in the
world, we can login to systems all over the world, and transfer files anywhere
in the world.  We can also have our PC clocks set to Co-ordinated Universal
Time.

In the future, DECnet V will provide the capabilities of WIN/TCP and MultiNet.

Looking at the product brochure that came with NetWare 386 3.11, one sees
that Novell is starting to introduce the NetWare equivalent of DECnet V.

Having seen the effects of a "LAN meltdown", I am not terribly keen on having
IPX packets let loose on the LAN backbone unless they are encapsulated. 

I do see an advantage to using NetWare for isolating "communities of interest".
You might also refer to this as security through obfuscation.  Using NetWare
LANs for small groups or organizations whose work activities are closely
related and then using a gateway to provide access to the general organization.
This approach allows email to flow freely yet allows a modicum of control
over access to sensitive data.

I have rambled on.  I probably could have said that Digital's DECnet and
Novell's NetWare LANs have a role or niche to serve but TCP/IP whether ISO
or Internet is what you want for general purpose connectivity.

Merton Campbell Crockett