HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: FB23@VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Subject: Re: menu system for CD/ROM LAN --question
Date: 11 Nov 92 17:08:40 GMT
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
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RE: Cost of Saber vs. other products

Steven Kirby writes that Saber Menu's new pricing makes it better suited for
those with a caviar budget! :)

Yes, I noticed their new pricing.  In the old days, you would pay about $400
per server for the product.  The new pricing is $79 for the first copy, then
$29 for each additional workstation.  For a 50 node network, this would be
$1,450.  The sales rep at NetWorld said that this was a new "realistic"
pricing scheme (huh?)

However, what you get with the package sounds quite impressive (we haven't
ordered yet).  You get Saber menu for both DOS and Windows, metering (reportedly
 an NLM vs. the old batch type), auditing and inventory tools, in short, much
more than they used to include.  If you add in the prices of other substitute
products, you may find that that this is a bargain.  If you don't need these
other things, or if you prefer other vendors' products to the bundled
stuff, it may be simply a very expensive menuing system.

Steve, I agree heartily with you.  Saber is an excellent product, but can be
considered to be very expensive.  There are other products out there that
compete with Saber, some of which are quite inexpensive.  A third party
menuing package combined with another company's metering (such as Funk's
AppMeter) may provide you with similar functionality for much less outlay!
[I guess history has been made.  Steve and I have fully agreed twice now!! :)]

Arne J. Almquist
Assistant to the Director of Libraries
for Networking and Microcomputer Resources
University of N. Texas--Libraries
P.O. Box 5188
Denton, TX  76203-0188

ph. 817/565-3278
Bitnet: FB23@UNTVAX
From: bhamilt@TENET.EDU (Betty Dawn Hamilton)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Subject: (no subject given)
Date: 10 Nov 92 23:28:09 GMT
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Please unsubscribe me.  I would like to resubscribe when I am a bit more
knowledgable.  Betty Hamilton <bhamilt@tenet.edu>
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Date:         Wed, 11 Nov 1992 01:03:32 EST
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         Steven Kirby <kirby@ATHENA.CS.UGA.EDU>
Subject:      Re: menu system for CD/ROM LAN --question
              "FB23@VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU" at Nov 10, 92 9:03 pm

Not to quibble with my colleague from Texas (who probably knows more about
Saber Menu than I do), but the information we were given indicated that
Saber has changed their pricing and as a result, the cost has gone up quite
a bit.  Do you know if that's true, Arne, or have our procurement people
been sniffing the correction fluid again?  Price is one of the main reasons
we went with Direct Access Network from Fifth Generation (the same people
who make FastBack).  I think it cost us around $300, which after some of
our experiences may be the best thing I can say about it.  The new version
that we got from Fifth Generation seems to be pretty stable.  But the first
one we got was nothing but flaky.  Among other things, it ended up damaging
the Netware bindery on several occasions and led to some pretty nasty
crashes.  New one seems to have fixed all the flaws, but we had to go back
in and manually recreate the menus for all our users.  Fortunately, than was
only about 15-20 right now.  If it had happened next quarter, when we bring
up the administrative part of the LAN, I'd have crawled off in a corner and
sucked my thumb.  The people at Fifth Generation knew about the problem that
we had and shipped us a bug fix.  Maybe I'm just gunshy, but I'm still a
little nervous about using it and I've downgraded my evaluation of it until
I'm convinced the problem is solved.  (We upgraded the program about two
weeks ago and have had no problems since, so I feel better with each passing
day.)  I give Fifth Generation high marks for their tech support, but I'm a
little down on their quality control for letting the buggy version out the
door.  You can reach Fifth Generation at:

(800) 873-4384 or (504) 291-7221

Assuming that the price we were given for SaberMenu is correct (over a grand),
I say go with it if you've got the budget.  Otherwise, Direct Access is at
least worth a look.  I think they offer many of the same features, but there
is no doubt that SaberMenu has some bells and whistles that Direct Access
lacks.  You get what you pay for.

Steven Kirby
University of Georgia
kirby@athena.cs.uga.edu
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Date:         Thu, 5 Nov 1992 15:10:44 -0500
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         FB23@VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU
Subject:      Re: Mac access on SCSI Express

Let me tag on another question or clarification to the message from Bobb
Menk of Bolt, Beranek & Newman.

Would it be possible to copy a SilverPlatter Mac format CD-ROM to a Mac volume
on a NetWare fileserver (running the NetWare for Mac NLM) and then access the
file using the Mac SP software directly off of the NetWare volume?  While this
might be an expensive solution, it may give us a fast way to put a very few
popular SP Mac products out on the network.

Anybody have an opinions?

Arne J. Almquist
Assistant to the Director of Libraries for
Networking and Microcomputer Resources
Univ. of N. Texas--Libraries
P.O. Box 5188
Denton, TX  76203-0188

ph. 817/565-3024
Bitnet: FB23@UNTVAX
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Return-Path: <jsz@pacscl.uarc.upenn.edu>
Posted-Date: Mon, 9 Nov 92 16:28:36 EST
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 16:28:36 EST
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         "(jesse song)" <jsz@PACSCL.UARC.UPENN.EDU>
Subject:      Concurrent Access

Dave said:
>As a satisfied CBIS user, I am not sure that "simultaneous" is
>    the correct word.  In concept it allows multiple users access to
>    the "SAME" CDROM, BUT each request is handled ONE-AT-A-TIME, not
>    simultaneous.  If you use fast enough CDROM players, it seems
>    pretty fast.  Is "concurrent" the right word??
> In real terms, if we have 18 workstations on our LAN; and if all 18
>    users wanted access to the same database (assuming licenses were
>    in place...) at the same time, performance would in theory slow
>    down.

	From the users' point of view, it is called "concurrent
access". For programmers and designers, they use "concurrent control"
and "concurrent programming". CD-ROM player will definitely affect
the speed, but other factors like central processor, application
software, et al., will play important roles . Poorly programmed
application software will cause problems to your cd-rom lan.


Jesse Song
Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 13:36:16 -0700
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         Steven Ploof <Steve.Ploof@UTXVM.CC.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject:      Re: menu system for CD/ROM LAN --question

  Have had an easy time and lots of power with "Direct Access Network".  26
items per screen, six levels deep on the menus.  Password protection,
individual menus by workstation if desired.  Decent reporting of
statistics.

Direct Access Network

Fifth Generation Systems
10049 N. Reiger Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA  70809
(504) 291-7221


>  We are a university library running a CD/ROM network on our
>tokenring LAN using OPTI-NET.  Currently, we have a menu system
>based on a series on branching batch files.
>  We have resources on the LAN that are available to campus users
>but not to patrons in the library itself.  Does anyone know a way
>to have two separate menu systems on the LAN, one for library
>users and the other for campus users. i.e is there a way to
>mask certain resources on the network.  I should point out that
>this has to be something that can be implemented on the server
>itself.    Going out and changing individual machines is not
>practical.
>  In addition, on another subject, could anyone suggest a good
>program that would keep statistics of individual CD/ROM usage.
>I've got one program that records reads reads,writes, and EXECs
>but it's sort of a kludge.  Thanks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steven Ploof     	       	       	       	   University of Texas
Computer Programmer/Services Assistant  	   PO Box P, PCL 1.102
                                        	   Austin, Tx  78713

Internet: Steve.Ploof@utxvm.cc.utexas.edu   Voice (512) 495-4107
---My opinions are just that.---
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 07:20:46 -0700
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         solrccc@GSVMS2.CC.GASOU.EDU
Subject:      Re: menu system for CD/ROM LAN --question

Check Saber Menu LAN Pack.  It includes a metering program, keeps stats on
volume usage, and allows you to partition users into groups and design
menus or groups.   It is not a cheap solution.  If you order it, get an
agreement for a free upgrade to their next release which is suppose to be
out in Dec/Jan.

Saber Software Corp.
P.O. Box 9088
Dallas, TX  75209

800-338-8754
------------------------------
Cheryl M. Claiborne                            912-681-5269
Learning Resources Center                      solrccc@gsvms2.cc.gasou.edu
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA  30460-8074
GSU------------GSU------------GSU------------GSU------------GSU------------
From: ACADMARG@STMARYTX.BITNET
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Subject: Re: Virtual Microsystems
Date: 10 Nov 92 18:34:00 GMT
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
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Frank -
Regarding your question on Virtual Microsystems, we have been with them
for about a year now and we are pretty happy with them and their products.
They seem to be financially stable and growing so we aren't afraid that
they will disappear any time soon.

We are running Dialog's Engineering Index, the National Trade Databank from
GPO, Bowker's Books in Print, UMI's Periodical Abstracts & ABI/Inform,
Marcive's Government Documents, and Silverplatter's ERIC and PsycLIT.
There is a forthcoming book to be titled "CD-ROM Networks: A Global
Perspective" (I think) in which a chapter covers our trials and tribulations
in setting up our network.

If you like, I could send you a copy of my chapter by email prior to book
publication since I'm not sure when the publication date is yet.  It is
basically just a case study of what happened prior to and during the
implementation of our network.

Let me know if this is something you'd like to see.  Good luck with your
installation.

Margaret Sylvia
St. Mary's University Academic Library
San Antonio, TX
acadmarg@stmarytx.bitnet
acadmarg@vax.stmarytx.edu
From: hrood@TENET.EDU (Harriet A. Rood)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Subject: Re: Mac access on SCSI Express
Date: 6 Nov 92 20:00:33 GMT
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
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Please forward any answers you get on this.  We are getting ready to
network Macs and MS/DOS systems.
             *******************************************************
             * Harriet Rood                                        *
             * Head Librarian              (210)  423-6006 ext 530 *
             * Marine Military Academy      FAX   (210) 423-7716   *
             * 320 Iwo Jima Blvd.           hrood@tenet.edu        *
             * Harlingen, TX 78550                                 *
             *******************************************************
                                " Semper Fi"
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
From: cfkfb@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Karl Bridges)
Subject: menu system for CD/ROM LAN --question
Summary: need to know how to branch menu system on single LAN
Organization: Educational Computing Network
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 15:17:52 GMT

  We are a university library running a CD/ROM network on our
tokenring LAN using OPTI-NET.  Currently, we have a menu system
based on a series on branching batch files.  
  We have resources on the LAN that are available to campus users
but not to patrons in the library itself.  Does anyone know a way
to have two separate menu systems on the LAN, one for library
users and the other for campus users. i.e is there a way to
mask certain resources on the network.  I should point out that
this has to be something that can be implemented on the server
itself.    Going out and changing individual machines is not
practical.  
  In addition, on another subject, could anyone suggest a good
program that would keep statistics of individual CD/ROM usage.
I've got one program that records reads reads,writes, and EXECs
but it's sort of a kludge.  Thanks.
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Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Date:         Tue, 10 Nov 1992 09:09:24 PST
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         "(curtis varner)" <cvarner@UCRENGR.UCR.EDU>
Subject:      dialin host programs...

Hi out there!

   This is in response to the person who wanted to know about different
host programs for a dialin.  Where I work, we have two dialin machines.
Both are running a program called R2Host.  This is a program similar
to PcAnywhere, I think ( I don't know much about PcAnywhere...).
   The two computers sit there and wait for someone to dialin.  When R2Host
detects a caller, it asks for their login and their password.  The program
is really nice.  Each user has a complete unique setup.  Ie. they each have
an individual password and logins, time limits, etc.  Part of each person
setup is what batch file is run upon their successful logging in.  We
have a batch file that takes them to the CD Database menu.

Functionality:
	1) it works pretty well.  We have it configured so that it sends the
	   screen data in ANSI format, because most of the database programs
	   rely on highlighting and text in different formats.
	2) at 2400 baud, it is a little slow, but functional.  9600 baud or
	   higher is pretty good.

Security:
	1) The program runs in the background, and so it checks all user
	   input.  For instance, it can be configured (each person
	   individually) to ignore CNTL-C and CNTL-BREAK's.
	2) The person has 3 chances to login or else R2Host kills the carrier
	3) If the person hangs up, R2Host can be configured to warm boot
	   the machine - so everyone starts at the beginning.

Problems:
	1) Every machine you have can only have one user logged on at one
	   time.  But we have around 80 users, and the two machines are
	   rarely swamped.
	2) R2Host takes up RAM, so an extended memory manager (we use QEMM 6.x)
	   is a really good idea.

Extras:
	1) Any software can be used to dialin.  We have shareware software for
	   the pc as well as the Macintosh that we give out.  The dialing
	   directories are pre-configured.
	2) R2Host keeps a log of whoever logs in.  It records who logs in,
	   when they logged in, the date, and how long they were on the
	   system.  It doesn't matter what software is used to dialin, this
	   feature is always active.

   I hope this was what you were looking for.  I posted it on the list
in case anyone else was starting to look at dialin, and were looking for
solutions.

Curt Varner
cvarner@ucrengr.ucr.edu
From: libtdd@GSUSGI2.GSU.EDU ((Timothy D. Dugdale))
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Subject: Re: Multi-tasking Networked CD's
Date: 9 Nov 92 16:57:55 GMT
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
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              Bloomberg" at Nov 9, 92 9:57 am

>
>     In real terms, if we have 18 workstations on our LAN; and if all 18
>     users wanted access to the same database (assuming licenses were
>     in place...) at the same time, performance would in theory slow

I will add my two cents in here.  The performance of the network
will depend greatly on the cd-rom software you are running.  If the
software caches search results, performance will be just as fast as
if one person was using the database.  Software like SilverPlatter perform
nicely on a network.  Wilson software has more problems.

>
>     Dave Bloomberg
>     BLOOMBER@FAUVAX
>


***************************************************************************
Timothy D. Dugdale                                   LIBTDD@gsusgi2.gsu.edu
Reference Librarian/Computer Specialist              LIBTDD@gsuvm1.gsu.edu
Georgia State University -- Pullen Library
100 Decatur Street
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 651-2422


Auntie Em
Hate you!  Hate Kansas!  Taking the dog!  I'm out of here!
Dorothy
****************************************************************************
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Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 14:45:00 EST
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         "D.E. 'Dave' Bloomberg" <BLOOMBER@FAUVAX.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: CDUSE Error 114

    Hiya,

    First guess is that your:

        LASTDRIVE=    statement for your CONFIG.SYS is set to J
                      such that Novell starts using K: as its network
                      volume for MAPping purposes.

This allows you redirect drives D E F G H I J  (7 players
(redirects)).  When you attempt to redirect to the Novell drive, it
wont let you do dat....


This is only a guess....do not adjust your set....


Dave Bloomberg
BLOOMBER@FAUVAX
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
From: paulb@techbook.com (Paul Buder)
Subject: Meridian cdnet cache corruption
Organization: TECHbooks of Beaverton Oregon - Public Access Unix
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 04:16:42 GMT

I work for a company using Meridian CdNet software ver 4.2 (4.12 also
tried) on a standalone 386-33 CD server which is part of a Novell 3.11
network.  We run Books in Print, Books out of Print, and WLN (another
book database) on 4 of our 6 CD drives.  The other two are largely
unused.  Several times a week we seem to have cache corruption
problems.  A search will be made for a particular title, say, War &
Peace, and Books in Print will freeze, display garbage, or go to the
wrong part of the database.  Rebooting the CD server temporarily cures
the problem.  Then a couple of days later some other title will be
undisplayable, or sometimes Books in Print won't even be able to load.

We have spent hours trying everything imaginable from switching device
drivers, changing software switches and replacing the motherboard.
Meridian technical support acknowledges a problem with cache
corruption and their product but says it seems to happen more
frequently with us than with others.

Have others experienced similar problems or know of a solution?

-- 
paulb@techbook.COM  Not affiliated with TECHbooks  Paul Buder
Public Access UNIX at (503) 644-8135 (1200/2400, N81)
From: FB23@VAXB.ACS.UNT.EDU
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cdromlan
Subject: Re: Multi-tasking Networked CD's
Date: 11 Nov 92 02:28:21 GMT
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
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Mark Whitman writes:

>I have recently been told by a number of local people that CBIS offers a
>networked solution that allows multiple users simultaneous access to the
>same CD.  I have always presumed that CD drives were too slow to allow
>for this.

Mark, this is the whole basis for the CDROMLAN ListServ.  CBIS, Meridian
Data, Online Data, SCSI Express, CD-Plus, are all products or companies
which deal with the problem of sharing networked CD-ROMs.  CD-ROM drives
are, in fact, fairly slow, but have been improving in speed as of late.
Through the miracle of caching, performance can be brought up to a very
respectable level.

The CBIS, Meridian and Online Data products all involve a dedicated MS-DOS
PC which acts as a "CD-Server".  The PC has a number of CD-ROM drives
attached and is attached to your local area network much like a workstation.
Software at the CDROM server allows the drives to appear as DOS hard disks
or disk partitions and then makes these available through your network to
attached PC workstations.  SCSI Express and Corel are both products known
as NLMs (NetWare Loadable Modules).  These allow CD-ROM drives to be
attached directly to the fileserver where they are accessed like normal
NetWare partitions (they also work only with Novell NetWare).

CD-ROM networking can be quirky, but performance can also be quite good,
even with fair numbers of users on the systems.  Costs are fairly low,
particularly compared with many other ways of making large amounts of
data available electronically.

The only company phone number that I have available right this minute (I
have the number memorized since they are our vendor) is CBIS ((404)446-1332).
Addresses and phone numbers for the other companies and products may be
found in the December 31, 1991 issue of PC-Magazine.

Hope the simplistic description above is helpful.

Arne J. Almquist
Assistant to the Director of Libraries
for Networking and Microcomputer Resources
University of N. Texas--Libraries
P.O. Box 5188
Denton, TX  76203-0188

ph. 817/565-3278
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Date:         Mon, 9 Nov 1992 10:45:06 +1100
              <CDROMLAN@IDBSU.BITNET>
From:         "katie wilson" <kwilson@LIBRARY.MQ.EDU.AU>
Subject:      Re: Historical Abstracts on CD-ROM (fwd)

Update on Historical Abstracts on CDROM from Macquarie University.
We encountered difficulties downloading from Historical Abstracts
and America History and Life on a network because the software
opens up access to the hard disc, network file server etc which
made the network insecure.
We took it off the network and are running on standalone PCs only.

I have spoken to Dataware Technologies, producers of the software
that ABC/Clio uses for Historical Abs, who have advised that version
3.1 of the software will allow disabling of access to the hard drive
of a PC running the CDROM. Currently Historical Abstracts uses version
2.03.

I am writing to ABC/Clio to ask them to update the software version.
Pressure from users might help so I'm going to spread this message on the
network so that others can you can all do the same!!

Katie Wilson
Macquarie University Library
kwilson@library.mq.edu.au
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