From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!cmcl2!philabs!sdcsvax!noscvax!jim
Newsgroups: net.works
Title: Apollo software blues
Article-I.D.: noscvax.134
Posted: Thu Apr 28 11:31:04 1983
Received: Sat Apr 30 06:36:38 1983


    To:    All Apollo users of 3rd party software

	I would like to know if anyone else out there is having trou-
    ble  finding 3rd party software for Apollo networks, not just for
    individual workstations.  We thought we would go with Apollo  be-
    cause they seem to have more 3rd party software support than any-
    one else, especially in the interactive graphics area.

	The Apollo's like many newer machines, provide the means  for
    the  vendor  software to check processor ids.  Many software ven-
    dors take "full" advantage of this PID check by selling an  indi-
    vidual  copy  of their software for each workstation.  As long as
    the workstation is used as a stand alone computer this  marketing
    policy works.

	But, when one  considers  a  large  network  of  workstations
    served  by  a  common  file server, the whole picture changes.  I
    thought the whole purpose of  a  file  server  was  that  various
    workstations  in  the network could share a single software pack-
    age.  As it is, the file server has N copies of the software  for
    the  N  workstations allowed to use it. What a way to eat up disk
    space, not to mention the software maintenance mess in all this.

	Assuming you have only one or two  copies  of  some  vendor's
    software  to  be shared by a number of people, what do you Apollo
    users of the software do about this? Do your  people  time  share
    the  workstations dedicated to various applications? How much can
    you do remotely over the network if your workstation doesn't  run
    the  required  software?  Have  you  secretly patched out the PID
    checks so all can use it?  Should I forget Apollo  and  buy  SUNs
    instead?

				    Jim Zaun, (Jim@NOSC)
				    ...ucbvax!sdcsvax!noscvax!jim