This manual addresses EtherShare environments with Mac clients running Apple’s Mac OS X operating system. If you are using Mac OS X Classic or operating systems up to Mac OS 9.x, please refer to the EtherShare 2.6 manual. This is – among others – available on the HELIOS product CD, and is installed in the “HELIOS Applications” volume.
The software which makes up EtherShare provides AppleShare server functions for Mac computers connected together in an AFP network. EtherShare is based on the powerful multitasking/ multiuser features available under the UNIX operating system. Due to the availability of a large range of different UNIX-based computer systems of varying performance and price, with EtherShare, it is very easy to expand the power of your network at a later date, when the amount of work and the number of users increase.
HELIOS EtherShare runs on top of the foundation provided by HELIOS Base. Please read the HELIOS Base manual for installation instructions and other important details.
The TCP/IP protocol stack forms the backbone for the EtherShare server. For backward compatibility, EtherShare provides the HELIOS AppleTalk protocol stack. It is responsible for basic AppleTalk network functions, including those of network routing. Routing means that EtherShare can be used to interconnect several physically separate AppleTalk networks, and transparently pass information between them as required.
While maintaining complete compatibility with the AFP specification, the EtherShare file server allows access to documents and applications throughout the whole network via high-speed TCP/IP connections or AppleTalk connections, insofar as the interface is supported on the hardware being used.
To network your UNIX host and thus your Mac computers with Windows PC compatible computers use PCShare. To provide real-time remote file access for web clients, use WebShare (see C “Glossary”).
The cross-platform program HELIOS Admin is an administration tool which can be used to configure EtherShare from any of the connected client workstations. It can also be used by regular users to check the configuration. However, they are prevented from making any changes.
HELIOS Admin communicates with EtherShare through the HELIOS Admin server, which runs on the host while HELIOS Admin needs to be installed on the client workstation. The communication between these two programs takes place through a TCP/IP connection which allows managing multiple servers remotely and supporting concurrent TCP/IP connections (see “Logging on to the HELIOS Admin server” in the HELIOS Base manual).
The EtherShare administration server and EtherShare Admin are still supported by HELIOS, but it is recommended that you use the cross-platform HELIOS Admin instead (see HELIOS Base manual).
The EtherShare print server program (“papsrv”) is a central spooler for print jobs destined for PostScript devices such as PostScript printers and photo-typesetting machines.
One or more printers can be connected to EtherShare simultaneously either through EtherTalk, TCP/IP, or connected directly to the UNIX host via a serial interface. Print jobs are received from the network and temporarily stored on the UNIX host before being sent to the assigned printer (print spooling). This considerably improves the throughput of the workstations on the network, since they can immediately dispatch their print jobs and do not have to wait for the printer. Other connection types are also supported (see 7 “The PAP print server”).
EtherShare allows PostScript devices to be directly connected to the print server via a serial interface, so it is not necessary for them to support the Apple PAP (Printer Access Protocol). The interface between such printers and AppleTalk networks is implemented in the print server, which allows such printers to be accessed from any workstation as if they were directly connected to AppleTalk. However, problems may occur with applications that send images as binary bitmap data, since serially connected PostScript printers interpret certain binary codes as control signals. Accordingly, we recommend AppleTalk, which is transparent to 8-bit data (see 7.4 “Configure printers manually”). In addition, it is much faster than a serial connection, which is an important factor, e.g. for images.
All printers (including those that support AppleTalk) should be driven through the print server, in order to take advantage of the EtherShare print job spooling feature – please select the corresponding printer queue from Apple’s “Printer Setup Utility” and NOT the printer which the queue is connected to. This is especially important if you need to use different LaserWriter driver versions at the same time, because the print server will manage different “prep” file versions automatically without having to reset the printer each time.
In addition to printing to the assigned printer and providing spooling functions, the print server automatically interprets messages returned by the printer and forwards them to the appropriate user via email and the “srvmsg” tool. Apart from convenience, this feature allows rapid reaction to situations such as “paper out” or “paper misfed”.
The font server is an integral part of the print server. It reduces network loading, increases throughput and allows central administration of printer fonts. See Font including in 7.2 “The print server in operation” for information on this feature.
The client applications of the following services address Mac OS 8/9 users only.
The Mac program Helios Terminal allows workstations on the AppleTalk network to make one or more simultaneous connections to one or more UNIX hosts via a terminal emulation with multiple session capability. Helios Terminal communicates with UNIX through the Terminal server.
The Mac program HELIOS Mail allows workstations in the AppleTalk network to send email messages and files to other Mac or UNIX users on the network. Helios Mail communicates with UNIX through the mail server. With the POP3 server which is built into EtherShare, you can also use workstations other than Mac and mail programs other than Helios Mail with the HELIOS mail server.
Helios Mail offers an editor and an address book function.
Incoming mail is received in the background and notified
by a “Mail Notification Feature”, which brings on a dialog
box including the Subject: and the New mail from:
lines if you receive mail. You also receive HELIOS server messages,
such as printer messages, via email.
The Time server is provided to allow time synchronization between a server and all connected clients running Mac OS 9.
For new features in the EtherShare software see the HELIOS website:
www.helios.de Go to What is new in UB2.
For HELIOS Base, the foundation used by all HELIOS products, see the HELIOS Base product web page:
www.helios.de Go to Products > HELIOS Base.