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Plugging Windows NT into a Sun networkLearn the protocols and services required to successfully integrate Windows NT Workstation into a Solaris environment
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Integration of Windows NT Workstations into predominantly Sun Solaris networks is becoming more prevalent as network administrators strive to meet the needs of corporate users. Consultant and journalist Shari Jones examines this trend and provides insight for Unix administrators seeking to integrate Windows NT Workstations while maintaining Unix-style security and minimizing disruption to network maintenance. (2,750 words)
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As Unix administrators, you must be knowledgeable about the protocols and services required to meet your users' needs. In addition, you need to be able to configure Windows NT Workstation for TCP/IP, DHCP, and NFS services, as well as maintain a high level of security for fundamental system services.
This article focuses on the requirements for successfully integrating Windows NT Workstation into a Solaris environment. While some configuration differences exist between Windows NT Workstation and Windows 95, because both operating systems follow the same Windows network protocol the configuration of a Windows 95 client should be largely the same. Configuring Windows NT Server is beyond the scope of this article.
Why integrate?
Regardless of your support for or rejection of Windows NT, the operating
system has made its mark in the desktop market, and its ease of
implementation and user-friendly interface contribute to its success.
Meanwhile, Unix maintains its solid foundation in reliability, scalability, and
security. Each operating system offers its own unique benefits and
flexibility within a network; each caters to users with a
separate set of computing needs.
Developers in a Solaris environment who require a Windows-based operating system for cross-platform application development can use Windows NT Workstation, for example. They now have the stability of Windows NT and Unix, as well as the ability to utilize Unix's reliability and security. Integrating Workstations into a predominantly Unix environment enables end users to run the latest NT applications and still access files residing on the backend Unix system.
For more details on writing C++ applications for both Solaris and Windows NT, refer to Dave Herdman's "No mirrors and magic here -- You can write common code for Unix and NT" (SunWorld, April 1997). For more information on developing Java applications for Solaris and Windows NT, refer to Steven Gould's "How to avoid potential pitfalls in your Java application development" (SunWorld, November 1998).
Determining the configuration
Before you begin the integration process, you need to determine the
configuration you'll use to integrate Workstations into your network.
The configuration you choose depends on the applications
your users require and which server is most suited for serving up
these applications. For example, some users, particularly at the
management level, require the core NT services provided by a Windows NT
Server (such as NT file and print services), and don't necessarily
need to access a Solaris system directly. More technical users
(developers that need the power and reliability of Unix during
development), however, may need to directly access the Solaris system
to share source code.
To meet the needs of these two sets of users, two primary configurations exist for designing an enterprise network that integrates Windows NT Workstations into a Sun Solaris environment:
Two-tier configuration: Windows NT Workstation-to-Solaris
Some users using Workstation may need to access
files residing on the Solaris network. Technical users
such as developers, for example, may need the power and reliability
of Unix during development for source code control and file sharing. You
can connect them directly to the Unix system via a Transport Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connection.
Other users, while requiring direct access to the Solaris network, still may want the ability to run Windows NT file, print, directory, and security services. For this, you would traditionally need Windows NT Server, but Sun's recently announced Project Cascade provides an alternative. Performing like Windows NT Server, Cascade offers the same file, print, directory, and security services as NT, but is more scalable. A Solaris server running Cascade supports 1-64 CPUs versus Windows NT Server's support for 1-8 CPUs. Because it resides on a Sun server, Cascade profits from Unix's reliability and proven security while providing Unix administrators with more flexibility for future network growth.
Cascade allows Sun Enterprise servers and the Solaris operating system to run in a Windows NT domain. It can either coexist with or replace Windows NT Servers. Using Cascade, Windows NT clients send requests for a Windows NT service, such as printing or security services, to a Sun server using the Microsoft protocol. A Sun server running Cascade understands and interprets the NT service requested and responds to the client's request. Cascade is transparent to both users and NT system administrators.
Solaris's scalability, complemented by Cascade, allows administrators to consolidate multiple Windows NT services onto fewer Sun servers than if they were providing the same services through Windows NT Servers.
Three-tier configuration: Windows NT Workstation-to-Windows NT Server-to-Solaris network
File and print sharing, and other NT services provided by Windows NT
Server, often are required for less technical users more
familiar with GUIs (graphical user interfaces) than with Unix
commands.
When using Windows NT Server to integrate Windows NT Workstations into a Solaris network, the main services are provided by the Windows NT Server and the client application runs on the Workstation. The Workstation is connected via TCP/IP (described in more detail later) to a Windows NT Server connected to the Solaris network.
More technical users, those who use the Windows NT interface for fundamental system services like printing and file sharing, can still access information stored on the backend Unix system. For example, a developer who uses a Workstation running Visual Basic may use the Windows NT Server to access an Oracle database running on Solaris and use a Solaris server running Cascade for NT file, print, directory, and security services. This three-tier approach offers developers all the system functionality needed to efficiently perform their jobs.
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Defining protocols and services
To connect a Workstation with a Solaris network, you must be
well acquainted with protocols and services that allow for easy
integration and management of the network. Transport Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Dynamic Host Configuration
Protocol (DHCP), and Network File System (NFS) are of particular
importance.
To configure a Workstation into a Sun Solaris network you must do the following:
Establishing a TCP/IP connection
TCP/IP allows Unix and Windows operating systems to interact at the
transport level, so the network administrator must be familiar with
TCP/IP and how to establish the connection between the two operating
systems. TCP/IP enables the client and the server to communicate at
the upper levels ( such as the application level) of the open system
interconnection (OSI) model. As the common transport protocol for Unix and
Windows, the Workstation must be configured for TCP/IP to
communicate with the Unix system, whether through a Windows NT Server
or directly with the Unix system.
Adding TCP/IP to a Windows NT Workstation
Configure Windows NT Workstation for TCP/IP as follows:
Using Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
To make the process of assigning IP addresses most efficient, you need
to know how to configure Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).
The DHCP server dynamically assigns IP addresses to clients that
communicate via TCP/IP.
Configuring a DHCP server on Windows NT Server
To configure Windows NT Server to provide DHCP service, define the IP scope
and configure leases. The DHCP server is configured using the Windows
DHCP Manager, which you access through the Administrative Tools option
from the Windows Start menu. Follow the remaining steps to continue the
configuration process:
Next, you must set the time frame in which the client can use an IP address. The Lease Duration area of the Create Scope window includes two options: Unlimited, which is used if the access time has no limitations; or Limited To, which allows administrators to define the number of days, hours, and minutes in which the DHCP client can use the IP address.
Configuring a DHCP client on Windows NT Workstation
Follow these steps to configure Windows NT Workstation as a DHCP client from the Windows control panel:
After restarting Windows, the DHCP client will obtain an IP address for this workstation from the DHCP server.
Setting up Network File System services
To allow users working from a Workstation access to
files residing on the Solaris network, the NT machine that communicates
with the Unix system must have Network File System (NFS) services
loaded. A third-party vendor typically provides NFS. The end user must
have a user ID and password established on the Unix system prior to
configuring the Windows NT Server for NFS.
The network configuration determines where the NFS client services are loaded, either on the Windows NT Server or on the Workstation. You should load the NFS service on the Windows NT Server if using the three-tier configuration, and then configure the NT server for NFS. Share-level access should be granted for the Workstation. If using the two-tier configuration, load the NFS client service directly onto the Workstation.
To set up the NFS client on Windows NT Server:
Securing the network
When you integrate a Windows NT Workstation into a Solaris environment
one of your primary concerns should be security. As the system
administrator, you must take precautions to ensure a consistent level
of security throughout the network.
The recent invasion of the "Remote Explorer" virus at MCI Worldcom demonstrates the vulnerability of Windows NT to such attacks. The Remote Explorer virus attacks only Windows NT machines with Intel chips running in administrator mode. Unix's security left the Unix systems untouched by the Remote Explorer virus.
For robust security, a firewall should control the flow of communication passing through it by accepting, rejecting, authenticating, and encrypting. The role of the firewall also is to obtain, store, and retrieve information.
End users can directly access the Unix system or go through a Windows NT Server to pass beyond the organization's firewall and access information on the Internet, which leaves the network susceptible to viruses. While no technology is 100 percent secure, the high security of Unix makes it a popular choice for firewall technology, as well as for monitoring the activity of a firewall and information flowing through it. Unix allows you to easily control ports, designate a specific number of scans, and determine the level of detail you require to monitor firewall activity. Unix, unlike Windows NT, doesn't require administrators to download service packs to upgrade the operating system. Unix also has proven to be a stable operating system, meaning the network experiences minimal downtime and the firewall secures the network consistently. However, as a Unix administrator, you must be very familiar with the interworkings of Unix to implement certain firewalls, because specific command-line instructions may be required to perform configuration tasks.
Two main types of firewalls provide optimal security: stateful firewalls and packet filtering firewalls.
Stateful firewalls
Stateful firewalls provide inspections by keeping a dynamic state
table. Stateful firewalls inspect packets at the lowest OSI level to
determine their validity and whether or not to process packets to the
next level of the OSI model. Stateful firewalls provide full
application-level security and provide access to raw data via a state
table. They also are dynamic, extensible, and scalable.
Packet filtering firewalls
Packet filtering firewalls inspect the first three layers of the OSI
model only, and provide no security above the network level.
Packet filtering firewalls also provide no stateful inspection.
Therefore, stateful firewalls provide the highest level of security.
Final words
Successfully integrating Windows NT Workstations into a predominantly
Sun Solaris network isn't really that difficult; it simply requires that
you carefully plan the process and execute the steps.
You must be knowledgeable about the protocols and services required for meeting the needs of your users, and have a solid understanding of configuring Windows NT Workstation for TCP/IP, DHCP, and NFS services. In addition, by taking advantage of the benefits of Unix's reliability, security, and scalability you will be able to maintain a high level of security for fundamental system services, as well as minimize the disruption to network maintenance.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Darrye Skinner, Steven Gould, and Nancy Ussery for contributing to this article.
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About the author
Shari Jones is a consultant for Deloitte Consulting Group/DRT Systems
Intl. L.P., focusing primarily on online technical documentation. She
is a technical writer and freelance journalist with more than nine
years experience writing technical articles and documentation covering
all areas of the high-tech industry.
Reach Shari at shari.jones@sunworld.com.
If you have technical problems with this magazine, contact webmaster@sunworld.com
URL: http://www.sunworld.com/swol-02-1999/swol-02-ntintegration.html
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