To Terra Flora, one of the major benefits of installing and configuring Windows NT Server services is the ability to administer all clients and servers on the network from a central point, regardless of the geographic location of the computer or which operating system is running.
Additionally, all the servers can be administrated on one client running Windows NT Workstation or Server because the computer will support the running of multiple sessions.
Most of the administration of all network servers will be performed by the network administration staff located in Sacramento, California. The administration may not be performed on a single computer, but the ability to do so provides greater flexibility to the network administrators. Occasionally, the administrators will want to sign onto machines while visiting remote sites and administer computers located at corporate headquarters or at the remote sites. At some remote sites administration may be localized to reduce excessive wide area network (WAN) traffic.
The administrative tasks necessary to manage the clients and servers are the same regardless of the operating system that is being run on the computer. For example, administrators set up and maintain user accounts and grant permissions to users or groups of users on Windows NT Servers as well as on UNIX and NetWare servers. Administrative tools are supplied with each operating system and the idea of interoperability includes the ability to sign onto any computer in the network and run any administrative tools on any network computer. Windows NT provides this capability.
This ability will reduce the administrative costs associated with managing a network the size of Terra Flora's. This eliminates the need for administrators to be located at remote sites, the need for administrators to travel to remote sites to perform routine administrative tasks and eliminates some of the wide area network (WAN) traffic that would occur administering files remotely.
The following table provides examples of which administrative tools are provided by which operating systems to remotely administer the servers at Terra Flora. This section will focus on the ability to connect to the administrative tool from Windows NT. The details of how to use each of the administrative tools is provided in the documentation accompanying the operating system.
Operating System | Administrative Tools (not all-inclusive) | Use of the Tool | |
UNIX | FTP | Allows users to connect to the UNIX remote hosts (computers) to transfer files such as /etc/passwrd, /etc/hosts, etc. | |
Telnet | In many UNIX-oriented environments, administrative functions are performed via a remote console command-line interface, known as Telnet. Telnet is a simple UNIX remote command line window to the remote host server. Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server have a graphical Telnet application in the Program Manager's Accessories group. | ||
X/Windows | Provides access to graphical programs running on UNIX servers. The XWindows client acts as a UNIX display server. The Windows NT client can run both character bit DOS applications and XWindows graphical interface applications. | ||
NetWare | Syscon | The primary NetWare administration tool used to set up and maintain user accounts, policies and resource permissions. | |
RConsole | Provides remote connection of a network client to the NetWare network as a remote system console. | ||
PConsole | Provides the tools necessary to manage print servers. | ||
Banyan | Manage.com | Provides a menu from which Banyan administrators can choose the administration tool with which they want to work. | |
Mservice.com | Allows the user to add services with which they will administrate Banyan servers to a menu to select from and run. | ||
Muser.com | Allows administration of Banyan user accounts. | ||
Windows NT | User Manager | Allows the management of user and group accounts which grant access to the Windows NT network resources. | |
Server Manager | Server Manager is used to manage Windows NT domains and computers. | ||
Internet Homepage | The Catapult server provides centralized access to the Internet and acts as an Internet proxy server. | ||