FW: Can Samba get us there?

Laura Morse Laura_Morse at SpringerMiller.com
Wed Nov 3 20:36:49 GMT 1999


> We have a high-volume transaction-based application which uses "xbase"
> data bases.  Currently, customers use either DOS (with Novell or NT
> providing network support) or AIX (IBM's version of Unix) - but not both.
> The provider of application data base varies with operating environment -
> Microsoft FoxPro on the DOS side ; Recital Unix Developer on the Unix
> side.  
> 
> We are exploring deployment in which a single customer would
> simultaneously run both DOS and AIX.  The data, which DOS and Unix
> application users share, would reside on the Unix box.  DOS users would
> continue to run programs compiled by MS FoxPro.   Unix users would
> continue to run programs compiled by Recital Unix Developer.  Samba would
> provide the network services.
> 
> Are we asking too much of Samba?  Areas of concern include:
> 
> *	Disk Caching -   Reliability is of paramount concern.  And
> reliability can only be obtained if all users have access to current /
> correct information.  (It would be disaster if the DOS users and Unix
> users were "seeing" different data).  When a user on 1 platform (DOS or
> Unix) updates data, that data must be available to all other users
> (regardless of whether the other users are on a same or different
> platform)
> *	Memory Caching - Any data cached in the Unix memory (and therefore
> unavailable?) to DOS users would cause unacceptable reliability problems
> *	Record / File Locking - Concurrent access to data must be managed
> and controlled. FoxPro uses standard NetBIOS API calls to obtain Record /
> File locks. Not sure what Recital does for locking on Unix (other than it
> supports Record / File locking) - but we'd require Samba to handle the
> 'translation' flawlessly.
> *	AIX - What special challenges does AIX present and are there known
> solutions.
> 
> Please share your thoughts
> 
> 
> Kevin Lane
> Software Developer
> Springer-Miller Systems
> Phone 802 253 0204
> Kevin_Lane at SpringerMiller.com
> 
> Laura Morse
> Technical Services
> Springer-Miller Systems
> Laura_Morse at SpringerMiller.com
> 
> 


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