[jcifs] Re: [OT] Java Based Master Browser

[Michael B. Allen]

On Fri, 07 Feb 2003 17:50:48 -0500
"Matthew Tippett" <matthew at casero.com> wrote:

> We are building an embedded system targetted at the consumer market 
> (nice and non-specific huh :).  We are using JCIFS to access local 
> machines on the home network.  Most corporate windows systems don't 
> become a master browser when they are not connected to a corporate
> network.

I'm not sure I understand how a "corporate windows system" differs from
any other windows system.

> Consequently we can't locate the machines on the network (achieved 
> through the smb:/// URL) with those systems.  If we have a fall back LMB
> we can fall back to what we need if there isn't a consumer windows 
> version available locally.
> 
> So we are using JCIFS purely as a CIFS client.  But without the LMB we 
> can't get very far at all.  Consequently the only server component we 
> forsee needing is a LMB of some sort. (see the first paragraph).

So jCIFS is running on the "embedded system" on Linux connected to a
LAN of consumer PCs? Nmbd runs on a lot of platforms including QNX. If
you move to a real embedded architecture then maybe you should look at
non-NetBIOS discovery methods because NetBIOS is sort of on the way out
anyway. If you can record broadcast messages or something you just need
their IP. Or do you need a name? If your device is cental to the LAN you
might provide DHCP services like the litte router boxes do in which case
you can use DNS names.

Otherwise no, I'm not aware of a Java master browser service. Again,
try Starlasoft. There's a link on our homepage. You might also look at
the other "jcifs" although I think that project had a client focus.

Mike

-- 
A  program should be written to model the concepts of the task it
performs rather than the physical world or a process because this
maximizes  the  potential  for it to be applied to tasks that are
conceptually  similar and, more important, to tasks that have not
yet been conceived.