Resource Sharing Over a Network

Chapter 9 1

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Resource Sharing Over a Network

Guide to Operating Systems Second Edition

Chapter 9 2

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Objectives

After reading this chapter and completing the

exercises you will be able to:

• Explain the principles behind sharing disks and

files on a network

• Set up accounts, groups, security, and disk and

file sharing on network server operating

systems

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Objectives

After reading this chapter and completing the exercises you will be able to:

• Set up disk and file sharing on client operating systems

• Set up printer sharing on server and client operating systems

• Discuss how network and Internet servers are used for vast information-sharing networks

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• Sharing files was one of the first reasons for linking a workstation’s operating system onto a network, and it remains one of the most important reasons for networking

• In terms of network operating systems, NetWare was early on the scene at the start of the 1980s to enable file sharing through a server

• This was possible through two methods: (1) by downloading a file from a file server to a workstation, and (2) by purchasing third-party software to create a special shared drive for other computers or workstations to access over a network

Sharing Disks, Files and Printers

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• Downloading a file directly from a file server was one of the first methods for sharing files, and was incorporated in the first version of NetWare

• The concept of sharing resources quickly blossomed into other ways to access files, such as making shared drives available on a network, and making each shared drive look just like another local drive at the client

• When a workstation accesses a shared drive, the process is called mapping


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• Mapping is a software process that enables a client workstation to attach to the shared drive of another workstation or server, and assign it a drive letter

• The network drive that is attached is called a mapped drive in Windows-based operating systems

• In the Mac OS, a mapped drive is called a mounted volume

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Securing Shared Resources

• Sharing disks, files, and printers is a potential

security risk because it is then possible for

non-authorized users to access a file or use a

printer

• Fortunately, all of the operating systems

discussed in this book offer security

measures for protecting shared resources

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Securing Shared Resources

• Access to a file, directory, or disk can be denied to those who are not authorized

• Access to a shared network printer can be given to only a specific group of people

• Also, permission to manage print jobs, such as to delete or prioritize the jobs submitted by coworkers, can be granted only to one or two qualified people who have the responsibility

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Sharing Disks and Files Through Server Network Operating Systems

• Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server, Windows .NET Server, UNIX, Mac OS X Server, and NetWare are prime examples of server network operating systems that can share disks and files over a network

• Further, each operating system enables the network administrator to establish security through techniques such as assigning accounts, account passwords, groups, and access privileges

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Windows NT Server

• Windows NT Server uses accounts, groups, and permissions; in this respect, it is similar to UNIX and NetWare

• The steps involved in sharing Windows NT Server resources over a network include setting up the following:

– Groups – Account policies

– User accounts – Permissions

– Shared disk and folders

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Windows NT Server

• With Windows NT Server, you use groups to manage resources and permissions to resources in a way that is similar to NetWare and UNIX

• Windows NT Server employs two kinds of groups: local and global

• A local group is generally used to manage resources such as shared disks, folders, files, and printers

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Managing Shared Resources Using Local and Global Groups

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Windows NT Server

• A global group typically consists of user accounts, and can be made a member of a local group that is in the same or a different domain

• A domain is a grouping of servers in a particular geographic area, business unit, department, or other functional area

• The process of controlling shared resources in Windows NT involves creating the resource, such as a shared folder, and then creating a local group that has specific permissions to that shared resource

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Windows NT Server

• Finally, a global group is created and user accounts are added to that global group, which is then designated as a member of an appropriate local group

• The headquarters domain that contains the global group for managers is designated as a trusted domain, which means that it is granted access to the resources in each of the other domains

• Also, the four other domains are designated as trusting domains, which means that they grant permission to the headquarters domain to access their resources

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Windows NT Server

• Global and local groups are created by using the GUI tool, User Manager for Domains, in Windows NT Server

• Figure 9-2 illustrates the Windows NT dialog box that is used to create a new global group

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Windows NT Server

• User accounts are also created through the User Manager for Domains

• Windows NT Server uses account policies and restrictions, as does NetWare, which accomplish many of the same ends as follows:– Require a password

– Set a minimum password length

– Require that a password is changed within a specified interval

– Require that a new password is used each time the old one is changed

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Windows NT Server

– Limit the number of unsuccessful attempts to log onto an account

– Set time restrictions that specify when users can log on

– Set intruder detection capabilities

– Specify from which workstations an account can be accessed

– Control remote access to a server, such over as a dial-up line

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Windows NT Server

• As is true for UNIX and NetWare, access privileges (permissions) are associated with Windows NT Server disks, folders, and files

• Windows NT Server recognizes two main file systems, FAT16 and the NT File System (NTFS)

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Attributes and File Permissions Compared

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Chapter 9 21

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Windows NT Server

• After groups, user accounts, and permissions are set up in Windows NT Server, disk volumes, folders, and files can be accessed through the network by creating shares

• A share is an object—a disk or folder, for example—that is given a name and made visible to network users, such as through Network Neighborhood in Windows 95, 98, and NT, or My Network Places in Windows 2000 and XP

• A disk or folder is shared through its properties

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Windows NT Server

• Figure 9-4 illustrates the sharing properties for a folder called “Public”

• One of the problems associated with permissions is that there can be permission conflicts, such as between the NTFS permissions granted to a user account, and those granted to a group to which the user belongs

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Windows NT Server

• Or, there can be a conflict between the NTFS permission granted to a user or group and the share permissions granted to the same user or group

• When you assign or troubleshoot permissions, remember that NTFS permissions are cumulative with one another (accept for No Access), but share permissions are not cumulative with NTFS permissions

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Windows NT Server

• NTFS and share permissions on the same folder are not cumulative, however

• A summary of the permissions rules are:

– NTFS permissions are cumulative, with the exception that if an account or group is given No Access, this overrides other permissions

– When a folder has both NTFS and share permissions, the most restrictive permissions apply

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Windows NT Server

• There are only four share permissions, as follows:

– No Access: The specified groups and users have no access

– Read: The specified groups and users can read and execute files

– Change: The specified groups and users can read, add, modify, execute, and delete files

– Full Control: The specified groups and users have full access to the files and folders, including the ability to take ownership or change permissions

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Windows 2000 Server

• Windows 2000 Server is similar to Windows NT Server in that it uses groups, account policies, user accounts, permissions, and shared disks and folders to offer resources over a network

• The principles for how you use these elements are the same in Windows 2000, but new features are added because Windows 2000 can deploy Active Directory

• When Active Directory is not implemented in Windows 2000 Server, the scope of resources is limited to the standalone server, and only local groups are created

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Windows 2000 Server

• In contrast, the implementation of Active Directory increases the scope from a local server or domain to all domains in a forest

• The types of groups and their associated scopes are as follows:

– Local

– Domain local

– Global

– Universal

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Windows 2000 Server

• In Windows 2000, all of these groups are defined as security or distribution groups

• Security groups are used to enable access to resources on a standalone server or in Active Directory

• Distribution groups are used for e-mail or telephone lists, to provide quick, mass distribution of information

• When Active Directory is implemented, Windows 2000 Server adds the ability to have container objects that are larger than domains: trees and forests

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Windows 2000 Server

• A container object is an entity that is used to group together resources in a directory service, such as Microsoft’s Active Directory

• A tree consists of one or more domains, and a forest houses one or more trees

• When Active Directory is not installed, you create a local group or a user account by right-clicking My Computer on the desktop, clicking Manage, and clicking Local Users and Groups

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Windows 2000 Server

• Figure 9-5 illustrates how to use the Active Directory Users and Computers tool to create a new global security group

• In Windows 2000 Server with Active Directory installed, access rights and account policies are set up through group policies that can apply to a local server, a domain, or an entire tree of domains

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Windows 2000 Server

• Before any accounts are created, it is wise to establish the account policies, such as for a domain

• You can set account policies that are similar to Windows NT Server 4.0, but in Windows 2000 Server, there are more options, which are grouped in three categories:

– Password Policy

– Account Lockout Policy

– Kerberos Policy

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Windows 2000 Account Policies

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Setting NTFS Permissions in Windows 2000

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Windows 2000 NTFS Folder and File Permissions

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Windows 2000 Server

• The available share permissions are:

– Read: permits groups or users to read and execute files

– Change: enables users to read, add, modify, execute, and delete files

– Full Control: provides full access to the folder including the ability to take control or change share permissions

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Windows 2000 Server

• Notice that the dialog box in Figure 9-8 has a button for caching

• Caching enables you to set up a folder so that it can be accessed by a client, even when the client is not connected to the network

• Also, Windows 2000 enables you to set up Web sharing, which makes files available on a Web server for HTML or FTP access

• Tables 9-3 and 9-4 show the two sets of permissions used for Web sharing: access permissions and application permissions

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Windows 2000 Server

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UNIX

• Access to directories and files on a UNIX server is also governed through user accounts, groups, and access permissions

• Each user account in UNIX is associated with a user identification number (UID)

• Also, users who have common access needs can be assigned to a group via a group identification number (GID), and then the permissions to access resources are assigned to the group, instead of to each user

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UNIX

• The password file (/etc/passwd) contains the following kinds of information:

– The user name

– An encrypted password or a reference to the shadow file, a file associated with the password file that makes it difficult for intruders to determine the passwords of others

– The UID which can be a number as large as 60,000

– A GID with which the user name is associated

– Information about the user, such as a description or the user’s job

– The location of the user’s home directory

– A command that is executed as the user logs on, such as which shell to use

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UNIX

• The shadow file (/etc/shadow) is normally available only to the system administrator

• It contains password restriction information that includes the following:

– The minimum and the maximum number of days between password changes

– Information on when the password was last changed

– Warning information about when a password will expire

– Amount of time that the account can be inactive before access is prohibited

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UNIX

• The useradd command enables you to create a new user

• The parameters that can be added to useradd include the following:– -c gives an account description

– -d specifies the user’s home directory location

– -e specifies an account expiration date

– -f specifies the number of days the account can be inactive before access is prohibited

– The remainder are listed on pages 454 and 455 of the textbook

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UNIX

• Home directories are areas on the server in which users store data

• If you do not want a group automatically created at the time you create an account, use the –n parameter with the useradd command

• Useradd, usermod, and userdel generally work in all versions of UNIX except IBM’s AIX, which uses mkuser, chuser, and rmuser

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UNIX

• Information about groups is typically stored in the /etc/group file (see Figure 9-10), and group security information is in the /etc/gshadow file (or the /etc/security/group file in AIX and the /etc/logingroup file in HP-UX)

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UNIX

• UNIX files are assigned any combination of three permissions: read, write, and execute

• Executable programs can have a special set of permissions called Set User ID (SUID) and Set Group ID (SGID)

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UNIX

• Permissions are granted on the basis of four criteria: ownership, group membership, other (or World), and all (all is not used in every version of UNIX, but is included in Red Hat Linux)

• Permissions are set up by using the chmod command in UNIX

• Chmod has two different formats, symbolic and octal

• In the symbolic format, you specify three parameters: (1) who has the permission, (2) the actions to be taken on the permission, and (3) the permission

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Mac OS X Server

• The Mac OS X Server is built on the Mac OS X foundation, but is designed as a true server for file sharing, printer sharing, managing network users and groups, and providing Web services

• A computer running Mac OS X Server can support up to several thousand users

• Mac OS X Server includes the Apache Web server software, which was originally designed for UNIX computers and has been adapted for Mac OS X Server

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Mac OS X Server

• Through Apache, you can set up multiple Web sites and enable users to participate in Web authoring

• As is true of Mac OS X , Mac OS X Server supports TCP/IP and AppleTalk

• Two important tools are included with Mac OS X Server that enable server management: Server Admin and Macintosh Manager

• Accounts and groups can be created and managed through the Server Admin tool

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Mac OS X Server

• Through Server Admin, you can set up logging of events on a Mac OS X Server

• The events log can include:

– Login and Logout events

– Opened files

– Newly created files

– Newly created folders

– Deleted files and folders

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NetWare

• When a Novell NetWare server is installed, one of the first projects is to design a file structure that makes it easy to establish drive mappings

• Consider, for example, a NetWare server set up for use by accountants

• The main disk volume composing the root directory is the system volume, called the SYS volume

• The server would have default directories on the SYS volume created during installation, which are available to users, such as PUBLIC, LOGIN, HOME, APPS, and DATA

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NetWare

• Before users can access any shared directory, the network administrator performs several tasks to prepare the server before it is made available on the network

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NetWare

• Net Administrator tasks include the following:

– Set security on each directory, subdirectory, and on particular files

– Create an account and account password for each user who needs to access the server

– Set up groups as a way to provide shortcuts for managing security

• After the server is prepared for network access, individual users log onto their accounts and map to particular drives

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NetWare Network Drive Mappings

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NetWare

• NetWare recognizes another type of network drive, called a search drive, which is given drive letters such as S1 for the first drive, S2 for the second drive, and so on

• The difference between a mapped network drive and a mapped search drive is that NetWare can execute a file on a search drive, regardless of whether the file is in the main directory or in a subdirectory under the search drive

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NetWare

• There are several ways to map a NetWare drive from a client workstation operating system

• One way is to use the MAP command from the MS-DOS prompt, or MS-DOS command prompt window for Windows-based operating systems

• The syntax of the MAP command is MAP drive: = volume:directory[\subdirectory] for regular network drives, and it is MAP#:=volume:directory[\subdirectory] for search drives

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NetWare

• Another way to set up the same search drive (so that you map it each time you log onto your account) is to put the MAP command in a NetWare login script

• A login script is a file of commands that is stored on the NetWare server and associated with an account or a group of accounts

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NetWare

• Access to a NetWare shared drive is granted through creating an account for each user

• A user account can be set up using several kinds of restrictions, which include:

– Requiring a password

– Setting a minimum password length

– Requiring that a password is changed within a specified interval of time

– The remainder are listed on page 462 of the textbook

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Password Restrictions in NetWare Administrator

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NetWare

• After accounts are set up, the network administrator can grant rights to access specific directories, subdirectories, and files

• The rights control the ability to:

– Perform a directory listing

– Create a new directory, subdirectory, or file

– Read the contents of a directory, subdirectory, or file

– Write to the contents of a file

– Refer to the list on page 463 of the textbook for the rest

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NetWare

• Rights are assigned by making a user or group a directory or file trustee

• Rights also can be inherited on the basis of the rights already assigned to higher level directories, and they can be inherited based on container objects

• User accounts, groups, printers, directories, subdirectories, files, and other resources in NetWare are considered objects (and the same is true for Windows NT/2000/.NET Server)

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NetWare

• Information about objects, such as rights that are associated with them, is stored in the Novell Directory Services (NDS)

• A portion of the NDS is used to store information about clients, which are one example of NDS leaf objects in an organization container, given various levels of authorization to access NetWare servers

• A directory service provides three important functions on a network: a central listing of resources, a way to quickly find resources, and the ability to access and manage resources

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9Accessing and Sharing

Disks and Files Through Client Network Operating Systems

• Many operating systems include the

ability to act as clients, to map to disks

and directories on servers

• Some client operating systems can share

files and folders as well

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Accessing and Sharing Resources in Windows 95/98/Me

• Windows 95/98/Me have nearly the same capabilities to access shared disks and folders

• All three operating systems also can offer shared resources for other network workstations to access

• These operating systems enable access to resources through two access control techniques

• One, called share-level access control, creates a disk or directory share that is protected by share permissions, and on which the share owner can require a password for access

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• The second technique, called user-level access control, requires the share owner to create an access list of groups and users who are allowed to access the share

• In share-level access, you create a share that is similar to a share created on a Windows NT or 2000 server

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• The difference is that several hundred simultaneous users (depending on the server resources, such as CPU and memory) can access a Windows NT or 2000 Server share, whereas, a computer running Windows 95/98/Me is designed to host 10 or less (also depending on the workstation resources)

• There are three share-level access permissions in Windows 95, 98, and Me:

– Read-Only – Full – Depends On Password


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• The Read-Only and Full permissions can be assigned with or without a password

• The default is to use no password, which simply means that you leave the password box empty

• A list of users and groups also can be obtained from Windows NT Workstation or Windows 2000 Professional

• To obtain a list of valid users and groups, you specify either the domain name or the name of a computer that has a defined set of users and groups

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• Users and groups are given three kinds of access:

– Read-Only

– Full

– Custom

• Before setting up share-level access or user-level access, it is necessary to install file and printer sharing services

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9Windows 95, 98,

and Me Custom Share Permissions for User-Level Access

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• To map a drive that is shared by another computer, Windows 95 and 98 use the Network Neighborhood utility on the desktop, while Windows Me uses the newer My Network Places

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• To disconnect a mapped drive, you right-click the drive in My Computer or Windows Explorer, and click Disconnect on the menu

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• Mapping a drive in Windows 2000 Professional and Server is similar to the process used for Windows 95/98/Me, but Network Neighborhood is replaced by My Network Places

• The steps for mapping a drive in Windows 2000 are shown on page 468 of the textbook

Accessing and Sharing Resources in Windows 2000 Professional

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Accessing and Sharing Resources in Windows XP

• Windows XP uses My Network Places to locate and map network drives, but this tool offers more options in Windows XP than in Windows 2000

• You can access My Network Places using several techniques, such as through the Control Panel or Windows Explorer, but among the fastest is to use the steps illustrated on page 469 of the textbook

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Accessing and Sharing Resources in Windows XP

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Accessing Shared Resources via UNIX and Specialized Utilities

• UNIX computers can access resources on other computers that support the Network File System (NFS), which provides file transfer capabilities

• Accessing shared resources on a Windows NT Server provides one example of how UNIX can participate as a network client with the ability to access shared resources

• One way to support a UNIX client in Windows NT Server is to implement third-party disk sharing software that employs NFS, such as Intergraph DiskShare (recommended by Microsoft as compatible)

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• Typically UNIX share permissions include:

– Root

– Read-write

– Read-only

– No access

• Windows 2000 Server comes with a software component called Services for UNIX that can be installed using the Add/Remove Programs icon on the Control Panel

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• This software component works with Sun Solaris, DEC/Compaq/HP UNIX, and Hewlett-Packard’s HP-UX Services for UNIX includes the following components

– Server and client software to run NFS for file sharing between UNIX and Windows 2000 computers

– Server and client software for Telnet, so that a UNIX computer can log on remotely to a Windows 2000 server and vice versa

– Ability to synchronize passwords between Windows 2000 servers and UNIX computers for accounts used by the same account holders

– Various UNIX utilities that can be used from Windows 2000, such as the Korn shell

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Accessing and Sharing Resources via Mac OS

• The Mac OS offers two ways to connect to shared resources on a network: the Chooser and the Network Browser

• The Chooser is the original way to access shared network volumes, which can be an entire disk drive or a directory, depending on the way in which the resource is set up

• The Chooser is available up through Mac OS 9.x

• In Mac OS X, you connect to another computer that is sharing a disk or folder by using the Go menu

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• To mount a shared drive, open the Go menu, and select Connect To Server

• Mac OS X regards both computers configured as servers and computers that share drives or folders

• The Connect to Server window provides a list of computers to which you can connect, and gives you three ways to connect to a computer:

– By selecting the computer in the pop-up menu

– By selecting the computer from the list in the right pane

– By entering the AFP (Apple File Protocol) or IP address of the computer in the Address box—by typing afp://200.92.10.8, for example

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• Files are shared from a Macintosh workstation by first creating users and groups, and then defining which files to share

• As in server operating systems, a Macintosh user is set up by assigning an account and a password

• Also, groups can be established that consist of accounts with the same access

• The process of creating a new user in Mac OS 9.x involves these steps

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Using the Chooser

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• In Mac OS X, you establish the network identity and turn on file sharing through System Preferences

• Privileges are set in order to enable users and groups to access the folders and files you wish to share

• There are four kinds of privileges that can be set:

– None: No access to files

– Read-Only: Access to only read the contents of files only

– Write only: Access to write files, but not open them

– Read & write: Access to open and write files

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Sharing Printing Devices

• All of the operating systems discussed in

this book have the ability to share printers

as well as disks, directories, and files

• The sections that follow describe how

printers are shared through these

operating systems

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Windows-based Systems

• Printing is configured in Windows-based systems by using the Add Printer Wizard to set up a printer

• Once a printer is set up, it appears in the Printers folder

• In Windows 95 through Windows XP, you share a printer by first opening the Printers folder

• In Windows 95/98/NT/Me/2000, click Start, point to Settings, and click Printers

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• In Windows XP, click Start, and click Printers and Faxes

• Select the printer you want to share and right-click it to access menu options, such as those shown in Figure 9-20

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• When you configure

sharing in Windows

NT and Windows

2000, particularly in

the Server versions,

make sure that you

configure sharing

permissions for the

shared printer

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• The printer share permissions for Windows NT are :

– No Access: Cannot access the shared printer

– Print: Can send print jobs and manage your own jobs

– Manage Documents: Can send print jobs and manage yours or those sent by any other user

– Full Control: Have complete control, including the ability to change share permissions, turn off sharing, and delete the share

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• For windows 2000, the following share permissions are checked for allow or deny:

– Print: Can send print jobs and manage your own jobs

– Manage Documents: Can send print jobs and manage yours or those sent by any other user

– Manage Printers: Can access the share, change share permissions, turn off sharing, configure printer properties, and delete the share

• Mapping to a shared printer is an easy process in Windows 95 through Windows XP

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UNIX

• UNIX printing in a networked environment is essentially the process of logging on to the UNIX server and printing to one of its printers

• Typically, when a UNIX server is accessed through network connectivity, it is set up to use the BSD or the SVR4 spooling system as describe in Chapter 6

• In Red Hat Linux 7.2, you can set up a printer and start lpd by using the GNOME Printer Configuration tool

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Mac OS

• The Mac OS can make a connected local printer available to other computers running the Mac OS on a network

• Also, the Mac OS can attach to a shared printer offered by another workstation on the network

• In Mac OS 9.x, you use the Chooser utility to set up a printer share, and to attach to a shared printer through the network

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Mac OS

• Accessing a shared printer requires that you first install a printer driver for the printer, such as a driver for a LaserWriter 8 or a StyleWriter 1200

• In Mac OS 9.x, there is the option to share a USB printer

• For Mac OS X, printer sharing and accessing a shared printer are handled through the Print Center

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NetWare

• Shared printing in NetWare is accomplished by using two different approaches

• Both approaches are relatively complex and are only summarized in this chapter

• The first approach is to employ queue-based printing, which is used for MS-DOS or Windows applications

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• The second is Novell Distributed Print Services (NDPS), which is used for Windows applications, and printers that have options tailored to NDPS

• The next step is to create a print queue for the printer

• For versions of NetWare that use NDS, the next step is to set up an NDS printer object, which defines the printer to NDS

• NDPS is a print service capability added in NetWare 5.0 and above

NetWare

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Network and Internet Resource Servers

• NetWare, UNIX, Windows NT/2000/.NET, and Mac OS X servers can be set up as resource servers to provide network and Internet resources

• All of these operating systems can act as servers for many kinds of functions

• One of the most common is to handle e-mail

• Another area in which these operating systems participate as resource servers is in video-conferencing and multimedia

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• Many companies are implementing videoconferencing capabilities on servers and workstations as a way to save money by reducing travel expenses

• Client/server applications are also a reality, and are made possible by networks and servers

• A typical client/server application consists of three components: a workstation running a Windows-based operating system, a server from which to run applications, and one or more database servers

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• These applications are made possible because database software runs well on NetWare, UNIX, and Windows NT/2000/.NET Server

• Web servers are another fast-growing implementation of NetWare, UNIX, Windows NT/2000/.NET, and Mac OS X servers

• Web servers provide a huge range of services that include the ability to quickly access information and download it through FTP

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• The uses for network servers are growing

at an unimaginable rate

• As networks are able to transport higher

volumes of traffic at faster speeds, the

implementation of servers grows

reciprocally

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Summary

• Resource sharing is why networks exist and are thriving

• At first, networks were particularly designed to share files

• One of the first methods of doing this was by using protocols such as FTP to upload and download individual files

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Summary

• One way to distinguish network-capable

operating systems is by classifying them as

server or client operating systems, although

in some cases, the distinctions are slight

• NetWare, UNIX, Windows 2000 Server, and

Mac OS X Server are four current popular

server network operating systems

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• Mac OS, UNIX, Windows 95/98/Me, Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, and Windows XP are examples of client network operating systems

• All of these operating systems can share disks, directories, and files for other computers to access through a network

• Network server operating systems will be particularly interesting to watch as they provide more and more shared network and Internet resources

Summary

Resource Sharing Over a Network

Documents

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