Through Windows NT Services for Macintosh, Macintosh users can connect to a Windows NT server in the same way they would connect to an AppleShare server. Windows NT Services for Macintosh will support an unlimited number of simultaneous AFP connections to a Windows NT server, and Macintosh sessions will be integrated with Windows NT sessions. The per-session memory overhead is approximately 15K.
Existing versions of LAN Manager Services for the Macintosh can be easily upgraded to Windows NT Services for Macintosh. OS/2-based volumes that already exist are converted with permissions intact. Graphical installation, administration, and configuration utilities are integrated with existing Windows NT administration tools. Windows NT Services for Macintosh requires System 6.0.7 or higher and is AFP 2.1-compliant; however, AFP 2.0 clients are also supported. AFP 2.1 compliance provides support for logon messages and server messages.
Support for Macintosh networking is built into the core operating system for Windows NT Server. Windows NT Services for Macintosh includes a full AFP 2.0 file server. All Macintosh file system attributes, such as resource data forks and 32-bit directory IDs, are supported. As a file server, all filenames, icons, and access permissions are intelligently managed for different networks. For example, a Word for Windows file will appear on the Macintosh with the correct Word for Macintosh icons. These applications can also be launched from the File Server as Macintosh applications. When files are deleted, no orphaned resource forks will be left to be cleaned up.
Windows NT Services for Macintosh fully supports and complies with Windows NT security. It presents the AFP security model to Macintosh users and allows them to access files on volumes that reside on CD-ROM or other read-only media. The AFP server also supports both cleartext and encrypted passwords at logon time. The administrator has the option to configure the server not to accept cleartext passwords.
Services for Macintosh can be administered from Control Panel and can be started transparently if the administrator has configured the server to use this facility.
Macintosh-accessible volumes can be created in My Computer. Services for Macintosh automatically creates a Public Files volume at installation time. Windows NT file and directory permissions are automatically translated into corresponding Macintosh permissions.
Windows NT Services for Macintosh has the same functionality as the LAN Manager Services for Macintosh 1.0 MacPrint. Administration and configuration are also easier. There is a user interface for publishing a print queue on AppleTalk and a user interface for choosing an AppleTalk printer as a destination device. The Windows NT print subsystem handles AppleTalk despooling errors, and uses the built-in printer support in Windows NT. (The PPD file scheme of Macintosh Services 1.0 is not used.) Services for Macintosh also has a PostScript-compatible engine that allows Macintosh computers to print to any Windows NT printer as if they were printing to a LaserWriter.