main page   Information briefs • macos x server • macos x (client) • darwin • netboot   Installation reports • PHP 3 • PHP 4 (Zend) • MySQL • Python (coming soon)   Special Reports • Apple Media Event 10/99 new iMacs and MacOS 9 • 1999 wwdc keynote • Quick and Dirty MacOS X Server Installaion Guide   Articles   News Archive • 1999 • 1998 • RhapNet (coming soon)   Advertising info   Contact Us   About Us   Links   The Tweak List			Protocol? We need some stinkin' protocols… by: Mark J. Hershenson (markhers@macnn.com) The rise of Internet protocol support in a variety of applications is a true testament to one of their stronger architectural elements: simplicity and portability. Internet protocols are designed to be sleek and primarily platform-independent. Many, myself included, believe that true networking parity will come when MacOS X Server is released. With a number of protocol add-ons already available for NeXTSTEP, we can only hope that Apple has reached out to these developers to port their modules to MacOS X Server, and also MacOS X later. With any luck this will bring Mac networking on par with Windows NT, the "standard" for networking connectivity. The lack of support for a number of protocols under the MacOS itself is a prominent reason why Macs are losing ground in the ever testy IT wars. If you look at the reason for its existence, the DAVE client is an unfortunate piece of software. Other such pieces of software include the MacIPX control panel for the Mac and PC MacLAN for Windows. While these products each add valuable support for other proprietary protocols, it is unfortunate that OS-level services for them don't exist in the MacOS. Apple has seamlessly integrated TCP/IP and AppleTalk support into the OS, and should have done the same for other key protocols a long time ago. The seamless integration of networking protocols other than AppleTalk and TCP/IP into the MacOS has been lacking for a long time. MacIPX, which has been available for a long time, allows Mac users to work on an IPX (Novell) network, and DAVE allows users to connect to machines utilizing the Windows networking protocols. But if these two were perfectly integrated into Apple's networking stack, then it stands to reason that Macs would be more welcome on company networks. Porting protocols is a very labor-, time-, and money-intensive operation, especially for complicated proprietary protocols from other platforms. However, that doesn't mean it isn't possible or that the effort is not worth it. If Apple worked with Mentat, we might have an OT with Windows networking, IPX, NDS, and many other standard business/networking protocols built-in. Then again, the MacOS as we know it will die soon. Working on protocol support for the current flavor of the MacOS is somewhat pointless. The users who will continue to use MacOS Classic would benefit from the additions, but Apple knows that extending the BSD networking layer should be their primary networking focus. NeXTSTEP, and by extension MX and MXS, adds a layer of abstraction between the hardware and the OS which allows programmers to write system additions, such as drivers, that are nearly platform independent. This freedom allows programmers to deploy peripherals without having to budget time, and therefore money, to a concentrated push to make it work on different hardware architectures. As you can imagine, this layer potentially can spell cheaper products without cheapened quality. The current MacOS and Windows architectures, for comparison, do not have this layer. Instead, all drivers are crafted specifically for the processor and motherboard of the computer(s) they will run on. This, in turn, raises the R+D costs, and raises the end user price. Another side-effect of this process is that the functionality of the same product may vary platform to platform. And I think we all know who gets the short end on that… When MacOS X Server is released, it should have support for many networking protocols built-in directly to the OS, including AppleTalk and TCP/IP. But it is not such a stretch to hope that Apple adds NeXTSTEP networking modules to the new OS. It will require work, and adaptation to the current Apple implementation of certain APIs, but this work will help developers migrate from NeXTSTEP to MacOS X. While needs will vary, many would agree that MacOS X's viability in a cross-platform environment will only take a few key networking solutions. It is primarily Apple's responsibility to see that such software is available with the initial release of MacOS X Server, and later MacOS X. Windows networking &endash; Flawless and uncompromising interoperability with Windows machines is a must. A total implementation is necessary and wise if Apple looks to place this OS in a multiplatform environment. If nothing else, this also gives a computer running MX(S) the ability to look just like any other computer on the network. Novell networking &endash; Working with Novell, who should be happy to have another base of installed computers to use its products, Apple could help to bring full Mac support for this widely deployed networking service suite to the Mac. True AppleShare IP serving &endash; All shipping versions of MacOS X (Server) should have an integrated FTP server, and AppleShare server. With an OS that should blur the lines between a conventional desktop OS and a truly network-enabled desktop OS, this will allow the user to easily share files with other network users, or to facilitate desktop/mobile synchronization. Just remember that these are only a few of the major networking protocols that need to be included. If the pre-hype hype is true, Apple will be bundling a Web server and some other networking solutions with MXS. These additions will only strengthen the powerful new OS poised to reintroduce corporate America to ease-of-use and stability. And won't they be surprised when they learn that I'm not talking about WinNT 5.0. :)

 

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