Aliasing Multilevel Directories on Windows 95

On a Windows 95 system, the multiple provider router (MPR) recognizes only UNC format (\\server\mount_point), and will not allow the mapping of path names consisting of more than two components. If you try to map more than two components, for example, \\server\mount_point\directory, to a drive letter, you will get an error.

If you want to map a drive to a subdirectory beneath the exported mount point, you must use NFS format. Windows does not recognize NFS formatted network resource names, but the MPR passes those names along to other network providers running on the computer. The NFS syntax, server:/mount_point/directory/subdirectory, lets you connect to a server using a multiple-level directory path. Windows MPR knows multiple-level NFS path names are not valid UNC names and just passes them on to the Solstice NFS Client Network Provider.

Solstice NFS Client handles the two-component limitation on path names by creating an alias for the full UNIX path of a network resource in the correct format. For example, the NFS resource name:

server:/mount_point/directory/subdirectory1/subdirectory2 

is aliased as:

\\server\subdirectory2. 

In summary, alias creation is the key to successful network resource connection. Aliases are created in one of two ways:

• Browsing NFS resources with Network Neighborhood

• Using the NFS resource name convention when making connections