Oh those problematic PCs
Unix-to-PC connectivity still ain't easy
November 1996
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Oh those problematic PCsUnix-to-PC connectivity still ain't easy
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November 1996
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Just because there are a lot of them doesn't mean we love them. Or so say our readers. In fact, dealing with PCs in Unix environments is far from smooth sailing. 87 percent of our readers who responded to last month's reader survey have Windows-compatible PCs connected to Unix servers in their departments. And for 57 percent of them, "connectivity" is equated with making their PCs friendly to Unix protocols (NFS). But of the 88 respondents, 60 percent are only somewhat satisfied with software used on their servers for PC/Unix friendliness.
The biggest problem with the software is sysadmin overhead, said 31 percent of the readers. The situation doesn't improve with software used on their PCs for Unix protocol compatibility. 57 percent use Sun PC-NFS, and 25 percent use a package from Ftp Software. Only 28 percent are very satisfied with the PC software. 54 percent consider themselves somewhat satisfied, and 18 percent aren't pleased. Sysadmin overhead again is one of the main culprits.
The picture is slightly different for Macintoshes. While our readers defined PC-to-Unix "connectivity" as making PCs friendly to Unix protocols, "Macintosh connectivity" means making their Unix servers more compatible with the Macs. And the biggest problem is performance, said 32 percent, not sysadmin overhead (16 percent).
So where does this all lead? Even though Web PCs/Internet terminals/ NetPCs -- whatever you want to call them -- have been touted as the cure for sysadmins' headaches, our readers aren't considering these desktop PC replacements. Surprisingly, 70 percent said their departments aren't planning on investing in these alternative technologies. Nor are other departments in their organizations. 57 percent of the respondents said these other departments won't be replacing their desktop PCs either.
With a 75 percent ratio of PCs (Mac included) to Unix desktops and X terminals on their organizations' networks for 45 percent of the respondents, it seems sysadmins will struggle with the burden of connectivity issues for some time to come.
Be sure to delve into
"Readers comment on PC connectivity" for much more.
--Carolyn W.C. Wong
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Number of respondents: 88
as of 9:00 a.m. on November 1, 1996
Yes: 87.4%
No (Please skip to question 11): 12.6%
Unix servers friendly to PC protocols (SMB): 18.4%
PCs friendly to Unix protocols (NFS): 56.6%
Both: 25.0%
Samba (shareware): 41.3%
Syntax: 0.0%
Other: 17.3%
We don't (please skip to question 7): 45.3%
Very satisfied: 31.1%
Somewhat satisfied: 60.0%
Not satisfied: 8.9%
Application incompatibility: 4.8%
Server incompatibility: 0.0%
Network incompatibility: 7.1%
Security: 7.1%
Performance: 14.3%
RAM requirements: 7.1%
Scalability: 2.4%
Reliability: 11.9%
Sysadmin overhead: 31.0%
Other (Please specify): 14.3%
1 - 9: 24.4%
10 - 29: 6.7%
30 - 99: 17.8%
100 - 499: 20.0%
Not applicable: 31.1%
Sun PC-NFS: 57.1%
Ftp Software: 24.7%
Wollongong: 2.6%
Beame & Whiteside: 7.8%
NetManage: 6.5%
WRQ: 5.2%
TGV: 0.0%
Frontier Technologies: 1.3%
Ipswitch: 0.0%
Distinct: 0.0%
CompuServe Internet Division (Spry): 1.3%
IBM's TCP/IP for DOS/Windows: 5.2%
Novell's LAN WorkPlace 5.0: 6.5%
Other: 24.7%
None of the above: 10.4%
Very satisfied: 28.4%
Somewhat satisfied: 54.1%
Not satisfied: 17.6%
Application incompatibility: 14.1%
Server incompatibility: 1.6%
Network incompatibility: 6.2%
Security: 6.2%
Performance: 9.4%
RAM requirements: 3.1%
Scalability: 1.6%
Reliability: 17.2%
Sysadmin overhead: 25.0%
Other (Please specify): 15.6%
1 - 9: 27.4%
10 - 29: 16.4%
30 - 99: 19.2%
100 - 499: 27.4%
Not applicable: 9.6%
Yes: 43.0%
No (Please skip to question 17): 57.0%
Unix servers friendly to Macintoshes: 43.2%
Macs friendly to Unix (using NFS): 32.4%
Both: 24.3%
CAP (shareware): 45.5%
Syntax: 0.0%
uShare: 21.2%
Cayman: 6.1%
We don't (please skip to question 17): 30.3%
Very satisfied: 36.0%
Somewhat satisfied: 44.0%
Not satisfied: 20.0%
Application incompatibility: 8.0%
Server incompatibility: 0.0%
Network incompatibility: 8.0%
Security: 0.0%
Performance: 32.0%
RAM requirements: 8.0%
Scalability: 0.0%
Reliability: 12.0%
Sysadmin overhead: 16.0%
Other (Please specify): 16.0%
1 - 9: 37.9%
10 - 29: 20.7%
30 - 99: 24.1%
100 - 499: 17.2%
Not applicable: 0.0%
Yes: 26.7%
No: 69.8%
I don't know: 3.5%
Yes: 24.4%
No: 57.0%
I don't know: 18.6%
Not considering PC replacements: 58.4%
Cheaper initial hardware price: 2.6%
Cheaper initial software price: 1.3%
Cheaper hardware maintenance: 0.0%
Cheaper software maintenance: 2.6%
Cheaper personnel-related support costs: 19.5%
Greater user productivity: 5.2%
Other: 10.4%
Less than 10% are PCs: 9.3%
10% - 25%: 15.1%
25% - 40%: 14.0%
40% - 75%: 20.9%
more than 75% are PCs: 39.5%
I don't know: 1.2%
Less than 10% are PCs: 4.8%
10% - 25%: 7.1%
25% - 40%: 9.5%
40% - 75%: 26.2%
more than 75% are PCs: 45.2%
I don't know: 7.1%
on most of your servers?
Solaris 1/SunOS 4.1.x: 14.9%
Solaris 2: 67.8%
HP-UX: 1.1%
AIX: 0.0%
IRIX: 1.1%
Digital Unix: 0.0%
Windows NT: 5.7%
Novell NetWare: 5.7%
Other: 1.1%
on most of your desktops?
Solaris 1/SunOS 4.1.x: 4.8%
Solaris 2: 21.7%
HP-UX: 1.2%
AIX: 1.2%
IRIX: 3.6%
Digital Unix: 0.0%
Windows & Win 95: 54.2%
DOS: 0.0%
Windows NT: 6.0%
OS/2: 0.0%
Macintosh: 4.8%
Other: 0.0%
1 - 9: 22.1%
10 - 29: 26.7%
30 - 99: 25.6%
100 - 499: 20.9%
Not applicable: 4.7%
1 - 9: 4.7%
10 - 29: 3.5%
30 - 99: 10.5%
100 - 499: 26.7%
500 - 1999: 12.8%
2000 - 9999: 24.4%
more than 10,000: 11.6%
Not applicable: 4.7%
I don't know: 1.2%
Systems administrator: 48.8%
Programmer or developer: 12.8%
Netowrk administrator: 8.1%
Database administrator: 0.0%
Systems analyst: 1.2%
Webmaster: 1.2%
Consultant: 7.0%
Systems integrator: 3.5%
Other technical professional: 8.1%
Other manager: 4.7%
Student: 0.0%
Other: 4.7%
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