#Sharing CD-ROM on Net
9 messages in this thread
I work for a CPA firm that has purchased a NEC CD-ROM to use with a service
puts various IRS rules and regs on disks. We need to be PTor p Geoff
For the most complete series of CD-ROM networking products contact Online
Computer Systems, Inc. Online produces the OPTI-NET for DOS (a DOS
workstation-based server for all Novell and NetBIOS Networks), OPTI-NET VAP
(for NetWare 286), and the OPTI-NET NLM (for NetWare 386) products.
OPTI-NET has been tested for compatibility with the NEC CD-ROM drives;
addditional NEC drives or multiple CD-ROM drive units may be may be
purchased from Online as well.
Chris Magyar
Online Computer Systems, Inc.
(800) 922-9204
At our CPA firm we use the CBIS product, CD Connection. It requires a
dedicated server so we've been looking for an NLM replacement. OPTI-NET
NLM is the front runner right now. All of the tax search services appear
to be compatible with it. (We use CCH Access and the Mathew Bender
products.) However, I have one big complaint about OPTI-NET: The price is
too steep!
We are a small CPA firm using a 20-node Netware v3.11 net. We have to have
FOUR servers (Fileserver, CD-ROM server, Comm Server & Print Server) due to
requirements by the various software packages that we run. Four servers
equates to 20% of our resources! The OPTI-NET NLM would be a great way to
move the CD-ROM service into the fileserver and free up a machine for use
as a workstation, but the dang software costs more than a new machine–even
at street prices ($1500 list/ $1200 street)! I have been told that this is
because there OPTI-NET NLM only comes in a 100-user license, and not in the
8-user license that the DOS version comes in.
Please tell someone in marketing that your company is completely passing up
a segment of the market by pricing your product this way! We would pay
$700 instantly for a 4-8 user version of the NLM product. We would love
to have a "competitive upgrade" pricing incentive (like Lotus, Quattro Pro,
Word, Word Perfect, etc.) to get us to move from CBIS. There have to be
hundreds if not thousands of small to medium-sized CPA and Law firms out
there who are in our same position. At $1500 your product does not make
economic sense.
Meridian Data (my employer) sells CD NET NLM [Novell Labs Tested and
Approved] in the same licensing packages that Netware 3.11 is sold in: 10,
25, 100, or 250 user. I'm on the tech. side, so I don't know what pricing
is like. You can call our sales department at 1-800-76SALES
Chris.. do you have a phone number that's NOT 800… we can't dial 800
numbers from UK
Keith Jones
Kevin –
Micro Design offers support for CD-ROM drives under AIX, DOS, Novell
386, OS/2 and UNIX. The best part about it is that we allow access to the
CD-ROM transparently to the user. For instance, under Novell 386, we are
the ONLY company that allows access to the CD as if it were a NetWare
volume. This dramatically speeds up access time and users do not have to
load any other programs on their workstations. Under UNIX we allow access
to the CD as if it were a mounted read-only file system. Users can also
access the CD under DOS emulation packages running under UNIX. Please
contact us for additional information (407) 677-8333
-> Eric, Product Manager, Micro Design
Do you have an NLM version? We are looking to replace our CBIS "CD
Connection" software with an NLM version of some CD-ROM server software.
OPTI-NET is the current front-runner, but the price is way too high for us
to justify purchasing it. We are looking to free up a machine to use as a
workstation by moving our CD-ROM service into the fileserver, but at $1500
list for OPTI-NET NLM, its cheaper to buy a new machine.
Jim –
To be completely honest, we have the fastest and best solution for
NetWare CD-ROM available. While our competitors solution is to have an NLM
running on the file servers as a redirection tool, our NLM is a true device
driver which causes the CD-ROM discs to appear as read-only volumes.
Because of this, we need no other software at the workstations, unlike the
competition. Users simply map a drive letter to the volume to access
files. While our solution may not be the cheapest (the best seldom is), it
is the fastest and best in the market today.
If you would like to contact our sales staff, please do so by calling
407-677-8333.
-> Eric
Eric, our testing at Meridian Data indicates that given servers with equal
amounts of RAM, CD NET NLM is just as fast as SCSI EXPRESS. Also CD NET NLM
provides full compatablility with all CD-ROM software, since we implement
the full Microsoft CD-ROM extensions. This means that CD-ROM titles that
won't run on SCSI EXPRESS will run on CD NET NLM.
For an objective review of the strengths and weaknesses of SCSI EXPRESS, I
recommend reading the article "File Server-Based CD-ROM Networking: Using
SCSI Express" in the November 1992 issue of CD-ROM PROFESSIONAL. In that
same issue, I recommend reading "Multiple Usage of CD-ROMs Using Meridian
Data's CD Net–Performance in Practice". This is a study by th Erasmus
University Rotterdam, which showed that "The CD Net system is about twice
as fast as the standalone CD-ROM workstation…".
For more information about CD NET, call 1-800-76SALES.