Appendix A Frequently Asked Questions

NFS Client

Can I use other network clients at the same time as Solstice NFS Client?

Yes. For example, if you are using both Solstice NFS Client and Client for Microsoft Network, when you go into Network Neighborhood you will see both your local network and also icons for NFS Servers and Automount Maps.

Do I need to be authenticated by a pcnfsd server?

Yes. If you want to access NFS file servers, you must have user and group IDs as credentials. The only way to get them is from an authentication server. An exception to this rule is accessing files on a computer running the NFS Server which grants or rejects access based on machine name rather than user/group IDs.

If you just want to use NFS Server, LPR Server, or PC-CacheFS, then you do not need to be authenticated.

How do I specify the Authentication server to use?

From the Properties screen of the Solstice Network Client, you select the Security tab and select either to broadcast on your local subnet for a server or enter the IP address of a server if there is not one on your local subnet or you are making a serial connection.

Does the Solstice NFS Client have to be the Primary Network Logon?

The answer depends on how your computer is set up. Windows 95 uses the Primary Network Logon to determine which network client will present its logon screen first, and from where user and system policies are downloaded.

• If you have both Microsoft Client networking and Solstice NFS Client networking installed and you are using the same username/password for both clients, you can use either network as the Primary Network Logon and you will only have to login once to reach both networks. If you use different username/passwords for each network, it also doesn't matter which is the primary logon since you will have to enter your username and password for each client's logon screen.

• Only one Network Provider governs where user and system policies are downloaded from. So if you want to be sure that your Windows client downloads any Solstice related policy files, you must set the Solstice NFS Client to be the Primary Network Logon. If you don't care, then it doesn't matter.

• Some applications communicate only with the primary network provider. If you want to perform an operation over the NFS network, you may need to ensure that Solstice NFS Client is the Primary Network Logon.

How do I access NFS files?

The Solstice NFS Client mounts servers transparently when you browse for NFS servers. This implicit mapping process lets you look at and access files on NFS servers without having first to map a network drive. You can also explicitly map a network drive, using the Tools menu of Windows Explorer.

What is the difference between mapping a network drive and accessing an NFS server through Network Neighborhood?

The convenience of browsing Network Neighborhood does come with a small price--when you close Network Neighborhood or one of the windows that is viewing an NFS file system, the files on that file system are no longer accessible until you browse that file system again. In addition, the files on an implicitly mapped file system cannot be accessed from an MS-DOS box, or by an application that uses only mapped drives to access files. When you explicitly map network drives you have access to them all the time.

What is an Automount map?

The Solstice NFS Client automounter provides administrators with the capability to define mount points without regard to their actual location on a network. Automount maps provide the links between file system names and their actual locations. For example, a file system name of /pcapps could map to a network location of appserver:/export/pcapps. This location could change with a simple update to the automount map.

Can I access NFS files on UNIX servers other than Solaris?

Solstice NFS Client is an NFS V2 and V3 implementation. It should interoperate with NFS servers that support those standards.

NFS Server

What is NFS Server?

The NFS Server is a daemon (Windows 95) or a service (Windows NT) that runs on your Windows computer and lets you share files and directories with other Windows computers and UNIX workstations connected to your network. The NFS Server is a Winsock application and it supports NFS version 2 functionality. The NFS Server will not turn your computer into a full-fledged file server. Rather, NFS Server provides a simple mechanism for the casual sharing of PC-based files among a limited number of users.

Using NFS, what can I share with coworkers?

With NFS Server, you can share files and folders located on your computer or devices, such as a CD-ROM drive.

How do I share files, folders and devices?

To share files, folders and devices you configure the NFS Server program and then start it. From then on, any coworker who has network access to your computer and who has the right to access your shared devices, can mount a drive pointing to the shared device.

Who can access my shared devices?

When configuring the NFS Server, you specify which remote computer may access your shared devices. These remote computers are either Microsoft Windows computers running Solstice Network Client, or UNIX workstations. Remote computers that have access to shared devices are referred to as NFS Server clients.

Can I restrict access to my shared devices?

NFS Server lets you restrict access based on a list of names of remote NFS Server clients rather than on the basis of individual users. For example, restricting access to a remote computer called galaxy means that no user working on galaxy has access to your shared devices. You cannot specify that certain users on galaxy can access your shared devices while others cannot.

What other type of restrictions can I specify?

In addition to specifying which NFS Server client can access your shared devices, you can restrict access based on the following:

• By type of access: Read Only or Read/Write

• By prompting NFS Server clients to enter a password

Where does NFS Server store access rights data?

NFS Server maintains the list of shared devices in the Windows 95 or Windows NT Registry. The only way to modify this information is though the NFS Sharing property sheet that you access through the Windows Explorer program.

Must the NFS Server program be running to enable coworkers to access shared devices?

Yes, without NFS Server running on your computer, coworkers will not be able to see your shared devices. As a courtesy to your coworkers, we suggest you add NFS Server in the Start Programs menu so that it is started automatically when you start Microsoft Windows.

Where can I find out about problems with NFS Server?

You can enable the logging of NFS Server and Port Map activities using the Logging command in the NFS Server and Port Map menus. Once you have enabled logging, you must make sure that the Network Event Log program is running. Start Network Event Log by clicking its icon in the Solstice program group, or by entering sunwsyslogd at the Run prompt. Also refer to the Troubleshooting section in the NFS Server online help.

LPD Printing

Can I share my PC printer with my coworkers and what must I do?

To make your printer available to coworkers, you must define a printer queue for the printer on your computer, start LPD Print Server, and enable your computer to receive print requests.

Who can access my printer?

When you share your printer using LPD Print Server, your printer becomes a network printer. Coworkers within your networked environment who use software that can interpret the LPD protocol, can print documents on your PC printer. This includes coworkers using a Windows computer or a UNIX workstation.

What happens to my coworkers' print requests when I turn off my printer or my computer?

Print requests that were processed and placed in the LPD Print Server spool directory are saved before you turn off either your computer or your printer. Those print requests will be printed when you restart your computer, the LPD Print Server, and your PC printer.

How can I find out which print requests belong to me and which belong to coworkers?

To find out which print requests belongs to you or your coworkers, display the Printers window from the Settings menu, and double-click the printer's queue name. A window appears listing such details as document name, status and owner.

Where are printer problems logged?

All operations related to print requests sent to your LPD printer are written in a log file. You can open, print, or purge the log file. The default path and file name of the log file is C:\spool\logfile.txt. The Troubleshooting section of the Solstice LPD Print Server utility provides solutions pertaining to LPD Print Server setup and error messages.

What must I do to access a coworker's printer?

To print documents on a coworker's printer, you add that printer to your list of available printers using the Microsoft Add Printer Wizard. If you will use that printer frequently, you may want to specify it as your default printer.

PC-CacheFS

What Is PC-CacheFS?

PC-CacheFS is a software application that reduces network traffic and improves system performance by copying the files you work with most frequently on the server to your local hard drive. This technique is referred to as caching. The location on your hard drive is referred to as a cache. Caching helps you to use your files more quickly because you access them from your local hard drive instead of across the network.

Does PC-CacheFS only work with NFS file systems?

Solstice PC-CacheFS operates with any file system that is compliant with Microsoft's Windows Installable File System (IFS), allowing you to use the same product throughout your heterogeneous network environment.

Can I install and use just the PC-CacheFS part of the Solstice NFS Client product?

Yes, during installation, select Custom as the setup type, then click Change to list the subcomponents. From the list of subcomponents, make sure that only PC-CacheFS is checked.

How can I tell if PC-CacheFS is working?

The PC-CacheFS Monitor shows cache statistics. A high Relative Performance indicates that your cache is performing well in relation to the network, thereby enhancing your personal productivity. Other indicators of cache effectiveness include:

• Average cache-hit rate greater than 50%

• Green lights in the Hits field more often than yellow lights in the Misses field