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The three LANs of our time: Microsoft, Banyan and Novell
Source: Computing Canada Published: Feb 1992
For a technology that began with a modest goal, it’s now apparent that the local-area network (LAN) operating system (O/S) is one of downsizing’s critical enabling technologies. The LAN O/S was originally created to function as a collection of utilities capable of sharing files and support services among PCs. As PC networks expanded, however, it became clear that networks, PCs, and servers had the capabilities necessary to replace mainframes.
As a result, adequate software had to be created to allow task management and co-ordination across the network. The LAN O/S is now assuming this sophisticated role in managing network cooperative processing transactions.
Prior to LAN O/Ss, the problem in recreating functionality of mainframe software system across networks and workstations was there was no PC or LAN equivalent to the full functionality of any mainframe software environment, with the exception of application development languages. In a mainframe environment, operating systems, transaction monitors, time-sharing monitors, database management systems and development languages are assembled in a co-ordinated fashion to complete the transaction processing functions. So, in order to write real-time, interactive, transaction processing systems, software developers must have an O/S that provides multi-user, multi-tasking, re-entrant and preemptive services. The question is, how do you proceed on a PC LAN if you want to create comparable mainframe O/S and transaction monitor functionality?
The answer is the PC LAN O/S…..
by George Schussel
