Chapter 9 Network Operating Systems

Chapter 9 Network Operating Systems

The three Network Operating Systems I have had experience with are Mac/Appletalk, Novell, and Windows, which all were based on client/server architecture to share resources. With the Mac and Windows the NO (Network Operating) software was already installed though it may require some more configuration changes to the network settings. With Novell the client needs to be installed on the Windows workstations and with Mac the server would have Mac NLM (Netware Loadable Modules) installed/enabled.

Client/Server Communication consists of a Logon process redirector belonging to the presentation layer of the OSI model. The Client server environment then uses 3-teir architecture to establish communication. The Client, Middleware and Server, examples are Web Bowser, Terminal Server, Citrix… connections.

Users and Groups are set up to gain access to resources basing the user permissions on a group basis to simplify account management and documentation. As a rule, users should only be given permissions on a user basis for personal/private file locations otherwise they should belong to groups for permissions.

One standard protocol to give objects (users, computers, files) access permissions is LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). LDAP uses two types of object definitions: Classes (object classes): identifies object type specified in directories and Attributes (object attributes): stores information about object. LDAP standard directories and contents form trees. As you know a tree starts with a root/trunk/foundation then has branches and leaves. Hmm, were some of these programmers smoking some of the leaves when coming up with these definitions? As you know from basic biology, branches and leaves however separated from each other get all their main resources from the roots and trunks of the plant. To care for the LDPA system there is what we refer to as the administrator/arborist which can prune the tree or even cut down a tree/system. FYI: The administrator account for a UNIX system is the ROOT. Yep they definitely were smoking something out there in San Jose! Then came along Mr. Bill (SNL fame of course) with domains wanting to control the universe and stealing NDS (Novell Directory of Services) and naming it AD (Active/Attractive Directory)? Hmm, wonder if they both were not very secure and only AD (Attractive Directory) looked easier to organize, manage resources and security?

OK, Enough Mr. Bill bashing, UNIX develop in 1969 preceded to lead TCP/IP protocol suite development and runs most internets serves because it is efficient and flexible. UNIX comes in two flavors, proprietary, the sinful Apple/Mac OS XServer, Sun Microsystems /Solarus and IBM/ AIX systems an open non-proprietary/open source Linux.

All in all NO (Network Operating Systems) all do pretty much the same process of permitting access for users to share centrally located and managed resources.