Networking DOS to Unix (Know about commercial products...)

[IT Manager]

In article <6 at jassys.UUCP>, tony at jassys.UUCP (Tony Holden) writes:
> 
> They do have a serial number based copy protection scheme that sucks
> big-time if you are planning to have more than a few users.  I have to
> keep track of all of the floppies (gee, haven't I heard that before
> :-)).  They say they are *looking* that a site licesen (sp) type setup.
> They damm well better come hurry up before I start looking at
> something else ( hint, hint )

IMHO, there's two basic ways to go at this.

1)
Make the server an "X-user server", and the DOS software free.  Now, the
server would only allow X number of connected clients, and the user
could use one set of disks to install on the PC's.  This is how HP's
LAN/Manager X does things.  As long as you can increment the server
license in small, affordable chunks (i.e. 2, 4, or 8 at a time), I really
like this method.  Locus could also make a little extra money by selling
the DOS user manuals as a separate item, or users could save money by
NOT buying them (e.g. we aren't going to give the PCI manuals to the DOS
users, since we don't want them playing around with it).

2)
Leave the software the same way (I like the inexpensive servers, too), but
take the serial numbers out of the binary and use a "branding" process to
put the serial number in at installation.  Thus, a site could buy one
copy which included the media, manual, and serial number, and then buy
extra copies which consisted only of the serial numbers (and optionally
the manual).  You still have to keep track of which machine went to which
serial number, but you wouldn't have to keep up with a bunch of disks.

Personally, I don't mind it the way it is.  My dept. (IT) picks up the tab
for the server, and then when a user wants to add a PC, *THEIR* dept has
to pick up the tab for everything to get the PC working the way they want.
If they want it on the network, they'll have to pay for the brdige. :-)
------------- 
James B. O'Connor			jim at tiamat.fsc.com
Ahlstrom Filtration, Inc.		615/821-4022 x. 651