Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!noah.arc.CDN!kenw
From: kenw@noah.arc.CDN (Ken Wallewein)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: Re:  Pacer vs. Alisa
Message-ID: <1396*kenw@noah.arc.cdn>
Date: 30 Apr 88 19:07:00 GMT
References: <5456@utah-cs.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 22

>ps. the biggest plus that I see with Alisa is that they support STANDARD MAC
>APPLESHARE CLIENT SOFTWARE, and they use standard ethertalk throught the
>kinetics.  As I understand it, Pacer uses some sort of proprietary client
>software....

  Nope. Pacer uses the standard Apple client software, too, exactly as it
comes from Apple. What's more, Pacer's _server_ software on VMS uses the VMS
_NATIVE_ file structure, as opposed to those big virtual disks files that
Alias uses. This provides significant advantages in terms of performance, user
interface, and security.
 => You use standard Appleshare to manipulate your VMS directory structure. <=
I believe Alisa requires special (not yet released) software to do this. 

 Your impression is probably based on Pacer's _old_ server software, which,
having been around a while, supports BOTH Macs AND PCs on VMS, Unix, PRIMOS,
and Crays. It was in use long before Appleshare was even announced, let alone
delivered. It uses a special protocol which functions over real Ethernet, 
Appletalk, and RS232 serial links.

 /kenw
                                                                 A L B E R T A
Ken Wallewein                                                  R E S E A R C H
kenw@noah.arc.cdn                                                C O U N C I L