Hank Shiffman Interoperability · Big problems demand big solutions ¥ Complex client-server architectures — Mix of UNIX & Windows NT clients & servers ¥ Instantiation of objects

IRIX¨ / Windows NT¨

Interoperability

Hank ShiffmanStrategic Technologist

Silicon Graphics, Inc.

41st Cray User GroupConference

Minneapolis, Minnesota

What is Interoperability?

Seamless exchange of information amongusers, programs and systems in a

heterogeneous environment



Models of Interoperability

Not one big issue; many small ones

¥ NetworksÐ Low level network protocolsÐ File & printer sharing

¥ DataÐ Access to structured data

¥ ApplicationsÐ Remote servingÐ Cross-platform development

¥ ManagementÐ System & network resources



Network Connectivity Benefits

Centralized services have benefits

¥ Easier administration & management

¥ Reduced cost (printers, scanners)

¥ High availability

¥ High performance

¥ Scalability

¥ Backup



Network Connectivity Standards

File sharing? Let me count the ways...

¥ NFS: Sun¨ & most UNIX¨ systems

¥ SMB: Windows¨ For WorkgroupsÐ CIFS just renamed SMB

¥ IPX: Novell¨ NetWare¨

¥ AppleTalk¨ : Apple¨ Macintosh¨



Network Connectivity Solutions

Windows NT clients to IRIX servers

¥ Hummingbird¨ NFS Maestro: PC clienthttp://www.hummingbird.com/nc/nfs

¥ Syntax TotalNET Advanced ServerÐ Includes SMB, NetWare & AppleTalk protocols

http://www.syntax.com

¥ Samba: SMB server for UNIX (free)Ð IRIX version available with full support

http://www.samba.org



-

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

32

1 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60

Number of PC Clients

Th

rou

gh

pu

t (M

B/s

ec)

Compaq Proliant 6K 4p

NetApp F760

Origin 200 4p

Origin2000 8p


Windows NT clients to IRIX servers

¥ Samba For IRIX: Top PerformerÐ Ziff Davis NetBench

¨ 5.01 results




IRIX clients to Windows NT servers

¥ Sharityhttp://www.obdev.at/Products/Sharity.html

¥ Sharity-Light (formerly Rumba - free)http://www.obdev.at/Products/shlight.html

¥ smbclient - ftp workalike for SMBÐ Included with Samba



Data Interoperability Issues

¥ Business data kept in servers;used in desktop applications

¥ Data more than just text:multimedia, images, controls

¥ Apps must access & control datawherever it resides



Distributed Object Issues

Big problems demand big solutions

¥ Complex client-server architecturesÐ Mix of UNIX & Windows NT clients & servers

¥ Instantiation of objects is bidirectionalÐ No one is in control; everyone is in control

¥ Existing standards must be supportedÐ Build on existing solutions



Data Interoperability Standards

¥ ODBC: a standard database interfaceowned by the SQL Access Group

¥ CORBA: a standard for building largedistributed object systems; owned bythe Object Management Group

¥ (D)COM: MicrosoftÕs standard forinterfacing to objects, extended tosupport large distributed objectapplications



Data Interoperability Solutions

Database APIs

¥ Native interfaces provided by vendorsÐ Relational DBs: Oracle, Sybase, InformixÐ Object-oriented: Versant, Objectivity, ODI

¥ ODBC driversÐ MERANT DataDirect SequeLink

http://www.merant.com/datadirect/productsÐ OpenLink Software

http://www.openlink.co.uk



Distributed Object Solutions

CORBA

¥ Iona Technologies Orbixhttp://www.iona.com

¥ Inprise (formerly Borland) Visibrokerhttp://www.inprise.com/visibroker

DCOM

¥ Licensed by SGI from MicrosoftÐ Native port in progressÐ Also available from Bristol & Mainsoft



Application Availability

Applications can be run andcontrolled from the local system;

execution may occur on that systemor on a remote application server



Application Availability Issues

Remote access to interactiveapplications requiresadditional software

Development and porting ofapplications is difficult, due to

differences in computing models



Application Serving Benefits

¥ Centralized administration

¥ Much faster than emulation

¥ Easier learning curve

¥ Very good at running productivity software(e.g. Microsoft Office)



Application Serving Protocols

¥ X Window SystemÐ High bandwidth remote display protocol

developed for UNIX systems

¥ Independent Computing Architecture¨

Ð Low bandwidth/high compression protocolinvented by Citrix

¥ T.share (T.128)Ð Low bandwidth/high compression protocol

invented by MicrosoftÐ Originally used in NetMeeting product



Application Serving Solutions

X Servers for PCs

¥ Hummingbird¨ Exceed¨

Ð Exceed 3D provides OpenGL¨ servinghttp://www.hummingbird.com/products/exceed

¥ WRQ Reflection Suite for Xhttp://www.wrq.com

¥ NetManage Chameleonª UNIX¨ Linkhttp://www.netmanage.com/products/unixlink

¥ MicroImages MI/X (free)http://www.microimages.com/freestuf/mix




Windows NT 3.51 server products

¥ Citrix WinFramehttp://www.citrix.com/products/winframe.asp

¥ NCD WinCenterhttp://www.ncd.com/pwin/pwin.html

¥ Tektronix WinDDhttp://www.tek.com/VND/

¥ Gone but not forgottenÐ Insignia Solutions NTrigueÐ Exodus Technologies NTerprise




Windows NT 4.0 server products

¥ Microsoft¨ Windows NT¨ Server,Terminal Server EditionÐ AKA HydraÐ Only solution for Windows NT 4.0 and laterÐ Uses RDP protocol (renamed from T.share)

¥ Citrix MetaFrameÐ RDP to ICA converterÐ Permits non-Windows systems to use

Microsoft server



Application DevelopmentIssues

UNIX & NT are very different systems

¥ Hardware issuesÐ Basic data typesÐ Bit & byte orderingÐ Data alignment/packing

¥ Software issuesÐ Pathnames & file systemÐ Process & thread modelsÐ APIs & standards support



Application Development& Portability

Three techniques for porting code

¥ Rewrite using targetÕs native APIs

¥ Use a porting libraryÐ Local APIs ported to target systemÐ Portable API set (e.g. Javaª)

¥ Emulation or binary translation

Is app serving a better answer?



O/SServices

GUIApplicationToolkit

ApplicationFramework

Application DevelopmentCompared

ObjectServices

libc

Motif

XtX11

*IRIX-specific solution

dmedia*/OpenGL

UNIX

DirectX¨/OpenGL

Win32¨

MFC

COM/ActiveX

ViewKitª*

CORBA

NT



Application DevelopmentExample

Moving UNIX apps to NT

UNIX

CompilersLinkers

UNIX RuntimeMotif, X11,

Kernel

Executable

UNIX DevMotif, X11,

POSIX

IDE, vi

Source Code

Windows Runtime

UNIX Compatibility

Executable

CompilersLinkers

Windows DevMFC, COM,

Win32

vi, emacs,builders

Source Code

NT



Application DevelopmentSolutions

Moving UNIX apps to NT

¥ DataFocus NuTCRACKER¨

Ð Now part of MKShttp://www.mks.com/solutions/nc

¥ Softway Systems InterixÐ Formerly known as OpenNT

http://www.interix.com

¥ AT&T Research U/Winhttp://www.research.att.com/sw/tools/uwin

Ð Global Technologies has commercial licensehttp://www.gtlinc.com



Application DevelopmentExample

Moving NT apps to UNIX

UNIX

CompilersLinkers

UNIX Runtime

Executable

UNIX DevMotif, X11,

POSIX

Windows RuntimeMFC, COM

Win32, Kernel

Windows Compatibility

Executable

Source Code

IDE

Source Code

CompilersLinkers

Windows DevMFC, COM,

Win32

NT




Moving NT apps to UNIX

¥ Mainsoft MainWinhttp://www.mainsoft.com

¥ Bristol Technologies Wind/Uhttp://www.bristol.com




Porting packages reduce the effort

¥ Many issues handled automaticallyÐ Pathname delimiters: / vs. \Ð Line delimiters: <CR><LF> vs. <NL>Ð Universal naming:

iris:/usr/tmp vs. \\pc\C:\progs\source

¥ Some still require manual interventionÐ Compiler-generated symbolsÐ Projects vs. Makefiles

á commondefs & commonrules



Application DevelopmentExperience

Port of Cosmoª Code & Worlds to NT

¥ UNIX common defs, rules & cascading Makefileswell beyond Visual Studio

¥ Microsoft build environment has limited scalability

¥ No support for complex builds



Enterprise Management

Consistent and seamless managementof systems and networks in aheterogeneous environment



Enterprise ManagementSolutions

Classic client/server architecture

¥ Agents gather system & network dataÐ ENlighten DSM (included with IRIX 6.5)Ð HP-UX MIB (included with IRIX 6.5)

¥ Managers give insight & controlÐ ENlighten DSM (part of IRIX 6.5.1 ASE)Ð Unicenter TNG (part of IRIX 6.5.1 ASE)Ð HP OpenView NNM

Server Clients



Customer Professional Services

¥ Architectural designÐ Plan & implement network infrastructure

¥ Implementation planningÐ Includes sys admin & performance tuning

¥ PortingÐ UNIX app & device driver port to NT

¥ MigrationÐ Convert IRIX development shop into

IRIX/NT or NT-only environment

Completing The Picture: Windows NT Consulting Services



Hank [email protected]://www.disordered.org

Points To Remember

¥ Interoperability isnÕt one big thingÐ ItÕs a million small details

¥ Silicon Graphics knows the issuesÐ We grew up with heterogeneous networks

¥ WeÕre good at peaceful coexistenceÐ And weÕre determined to be even better

Documents

Hank Shiffman Interoperability · Big problems demand big solutions ¥ Complex client-server architectures — Mix of UNIX & Windows NT clients & servers ¥ Instantiation of objects