This is Eterhogeneus-Network in view mode; [Up]
Date: Sun 31-Oct-1989 09:52:50 From: Unknown Subject: Eterhogeneus Network We are trying to connect 2 NeXT workstation with 4 Mac IIcx and several Sun Workstations via Ethernet. - Is it possible to configure the whole network through the NetManager Application (on Notes for Software Release 0.9 is explained only the homogeneous NeXT network, tomorrow we will receive version 1.0) In both cases could someone tell us the exact steps to be followed, or give us some hints on related literature. Thanks ____________________________________________________________________ Massimo ARNOLDI Ticino Life Insurance Company Fabio COGOLI Via Camara 17 6932 Breganzona e-mail : massimo@jungfrau.uucp Switzerland phone : 004191 571209 fax : 004191 567821 ____________________________________________________________________ >From: epsilon@wet.UUCP (Eric P. Scott)
Date: Sun 01-Nov-1989 14:36:56 From: Unknown Subject: Re: Eterhogeneus Network In article <2383@jungfrau.UUCP> massimo@jungfrau.UUCP (Massimo Arnoldi) writes: ... > > - Is it possible to configure the whole network through the > NetManager Application (on Notes for Software Release 0.9 > is explained only the homogeneous NeXT network, tomorrow > we will receive version 1.0) > ... Back in the 0.8-0.9 era, when the conversion from standard BSD UNIX administration to NetInfo was taking starting, I was under the impression that NeXT was going to make the protocols and source for NetInfo available so that it would become "the new standard in networked administration". Well, it didn't come with the 1.0 release. Perhaps it will be made available when NeXT makes the rest of the OS source available -- supposedly 90 days after the release of 1.0? The fact that NetInfo is NeXT-only right now and the fact that we don't have source is making it difficult to work with, and I have talked to NeXT about the problems that we are having: 1) We have a heterogeneous environment (ULTRIX just doesn't understand NetInfo). Administration and use should be relatively transparent for both the administrator and (more importantly) the users, but with two separate types of administration, this is difficult. 2) We are using shadow password files (the encrypted passwords are not available to users) on some of our systems, but NetInfo will allow anyone to read any NetInfo entry. This means that we are unable to share the same password base with both our VAXen and NeXTs without destroying the shadow password security that we have added. The fact is that attacks on password files are becoming easier and easier with the increases in CPU power available to the user. Just wait until someone ports the password crypt routine to the DSP (as if it isn't bad enough already) 3) Kerberos. It's been said before, but it's worth saying again: neither workstations nor the network can really be trusted in a hostile environment. When you plug a workstation into a network, you are increasing by orders of magnitude the number of possible attacks. This is well known at many (most? all?) university campuses and if it is not already known to business users, it will be soon ("someone broke in and did what to all of our workstations?"). Authentication (ala Kerberos) will be a fact of life for many of us soon. NetInfo does not currently support Kerberos, nor can support be added without source. 4) The [in]secutiry of standard BSD administartion is is somewhat know and can be assigned a certain level of trust. NetInfo is unknown territory and it is difficult to assign a level of trust. NeXT's suggestion was to talk to my sales rep and tell him what I want. I'm going to. You better, too. Mark >From: feldman@umd5.umd.edu (Mark Feldman)
These are the contents of the former NiCE NeXT User Group NeXTSTEP/OpenStep software archive, currently hosted by Marcel Waldvogel and Netfuture.ch.