Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!dalcs!aucs!peter From: peter@aucs.UUCP (Peter Steele) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac Subject: Re: Mac Lab information Message-ID: <598@aucs.UUCP> Date: Sat, 28-Nov-87 07:37:21 EST Article-I.D.: aucs.598 Posted: Sat Nov 28 07:37:21 1987 Date-Received: Mon, 30-Nov-87 01:45:15 EST References: <513@tasis.utas.oz> Organization: School of Computer Science, Acadia Univ., Nova Scotia Lines: 65 in article <513@tasis.utas.oz>, luke@tasis.utas.oz (Luke Visser) says: > > We are in the process of setting up a new MacLab at this campus and I'm > interested in getting some information on performance, etc. > The lab is going to contain 25 Mac SEs (2 x 800K), 1 Mac II (not sure > yet what size hard disk but probably 40M or 80M) and 2 ImageWriter IIs. The > machines are all going to be networked together using PhoneNet with the II > being used as a file server/spooler. > The software that will be running in the lab will be AppleShare, Excel, > MicroSoft Word, FileMaker, SuperPaint, LogicWorks, MacMETH (Modula II), and > maybe VIP and HyperCard. We don't have a setup quite up to your standards (12 SE's with an SE server) but I'll pass on some brief thoughts. First of all, you should really look at the server software MacJANET. It was designed by the University of Waterloo in Canada and of the network software we looked at, it was the best. One thing good about it is that it was developed with the hostile student environment in mind and handles security extremely well. The next release will also allow you to restict the number of users who can simultaneously run a particular program. This is good for packages that don't have a network licence but you instead have to buy x copies if you have x stations. This way, you can buy fewer packages if you think the demand for that package will not be enough to warrent a copy for every node in the network. Really, you have to look at this server software. Contact cmd@watcsg on BITNET. This gives you the author of MacJANET and he can give you current pricing and version info, and whatever else you need. We are using PhoneNet and have found it very flexible and exellent value. We don't run all the exact software that you have, but we do use Word and SuperPaint. We also have Reflex, Statview, MacWrite, Works, CricketGraph, and so others. They all work without a hitch. We don't have HyperCard on the network and probably won't put it on for a while. The way the security works means that the software must reside on a read-only drive and HyperCard doesn't seem to like read-only drives. Of course, we could put it on a public read/write drive, but then students could copy it. This isn't allowed by HyperCard's licence agreement. Performance is exceptable, but with only 12 stations that's not surprising. We have two IW II's and a LaserWriter Plus. The IW II's work fine; the earlier IW II's (like mine) have terrible paper jamming problems, but the newer ones have been redesigned and jamming doesn't seem to occur anymore (but give the students time to figure how to do it :-) ). The LaserWriter is not in the lab but housed in the Computer Centre. Students pay 15 cents a page for laser output, the IW II output is free. There is another university here that has a lab of 30 Pluses and an SE server with 2.5 Megs of memory (as does our server). They've increased network throughput by adding special caching software in each of the stations on the network. This reduces the amount of memory for applications (they're using 400k for the cache), but it seems to be working very well. They are also using MacJANET and are very satisfied with it. (They started out with HyperNet but found it was not suitable). Neither of us feel that either Tops or Appleshare are suitable for student networks. They're more suited for small office networks. Hope this is helpful. Peter Steele Acadia Univ. Wolfville NS Canada B0P1X0 (902)542-2201x121 UUCP:{uunet|watmath|utai|garfield}dalcs!aucs!Peter BITNET:Peter@Acadia