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> My ideal would be to set up a UNIX server with a huge drive, and let
> users log on to xfer their data to their PC's. The most serious
> objection to that is the cost, but I also have a lot of $ tied up
> in analysis programs that can only run with Windows, and if my
> users can't (or won't) analyze their own data on their PC then they
> probably don't need the log-on network capability.
We put our data files on the unix server. Users can mount a unix
hard drive partition via NFS to behave as though it is a local PC hard
drive. That way, they can use whatever PC/Windows software they like
(or can afford) to analyze their data. The files remain on the network
server even while they are being analyzed. They can be accessed from
any networked PC. The point is that no copying of the network files
to the physical PC hard drive is ever needed.
We use Beame and Whiteside's NFS for DOS. I can enclose a more detailed
document written by our network administrator to anyone interested. In my
tests, the speed penalty for NFS access vs. direct local hard drive access
is less than 2-fold, but this could get worse when the network is heavily
loaded.
/*- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Eric Martz, Professor of Immunology emartz@microbio.umass.edu
Dept Microbiology Voice: 413-545-2325 FAX: 413-545-1578
Morrill IVN 203, Box 35720, Univ Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003-5720
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -*/
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