Path: cdrom.com!barrnet.net!decwrl!decwrl!olivea!charnel!yeshua.marcam.com!MathWorks.Com!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!howland.reston.ans.net!cs.utexas.edu!bga.com!bga.com!nobody From: petef@bga.com (Pete Farrell) Newsgroups: comp.publish.cdrom.hardware Subject: Re: USE OF CDROM PRODUCTS IN WAN/LAN ENVIRONMENTS Date: 24 Feb 1994 22:14:50 -0600 Organization: Solid System, Inc. Lines: 74 Message-ID: <2kjtvq$4gf@ivy.bga.com> References: <2kiiok$1r9n@mtecv2.mty.itesm.mx> NNTP-Posting-Host: ivy.bga.com In article <2kiiok$1r9n@mtecv2.mty.itesm.mx>, Eduardo Tribaldos P. wrote: > >Hello Netters: > > I am planning on installing some CD-ROM's on our University network > (LAN/WAN), so we >can access them from anywhere in our Campus, as from remotes sites/users >(WAN) using >leased lines, as well. Since I am new to the hardware required to do so, >I would like to ask >some questions... > >1.- Wich brand/model of CD-ROM drives is most recommended to be installed >on a Network? >If you can include an aproximation of the price, it would be very helpful. > >2.- Is there any piece of hardware that would let me access the CD's from >a TCP/IP >environment (using TELNET on VT-220 terminals), and from a Netware 3.11 LAN, >simultaneously, even though we are not planning to buy UNIX specific CD's? >I heard that >a company called Logicraft have something that might help... Do you guys >know something >about it? I don't know about Logicraft, but my company, Solid Systems, Inc., has a product called CD Select 240. It is a 240 CD-ROM Jukebox, driver software and Unix server. The server sits on the net and through the driver software provides access to the files on the CD-ROMs to any system on the net (TCP/IP, Netware, DECNet, etc). We have done this through the use of the NFS protocols. A client system needs only to make an NFS mount request for a file on the CD-ROM to have the file served up in such a fashion as to have the file like it is on a drive that is local to the client. > >3.- There are some products manufactured by Pioneer that come with a >carrousel for several >CD's (6-18, a think); Does somebody know if the CD's can be access >"simultaneously" if >installed on a network? I know that they can not be access exactly at the >same time, but >are the changer fast enough so the user does not have to wait forever to >read a CD? In CD Select 240, we have implemented a disk cacheing scheme that allows the file to be copied to the server's hard disk as it is being served up to the net. When the copy is complete the file handle is transfered to point to the file on the hard disk and the CD-ROM reader is freed up to service another request. Therefore we can have more simultaneous user than the limit suggested by the fact that our jukebox only has four reader. We have also tested the software with the Pioneer changers you mentioned above and it works the same. > > Since is very hard to get all this kind of information down here, in >Mexico, any help would >be very appreciated. > > >Thanks in advance, > >Eduardo Tribaldos P. >ITESM - Campus Chihuahua >MIS Department >E-Mail: etribald@vmtecchi.chi.itesm.mx Pete Farrell Solid Systems, Inc. Voice: 512-442-2222 3913 Todd Lane, Suite 310 Fax: 512-442-0442 Austin, TX 78744 Email petef@bga.com