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Although it didn't arrive with the fanfare of Windows NT, the Advanced Server version of the Microsoft Corp. network operating system deserves a closer look because it is targeted at large-scale networks.
While Windows NT offers built-in peer networking services, NT Advanced Server adds a network management feature called domains, centralized remote administration tools, several fault-tolerant features (including RAID 5 striping), remote access support and support for Apple Computer, Inc.'s Macintosh.
On the whole, Windows NT Advanced Server is impressive. Although built on Microsoft's previous network operating system, LAN Manager, NT Advanced Server has a more mature look. It is based on a more sophisticated operating system (Windows NT) than LAN Manager (which used OS/2), and more effort has been put into system tools for monitoring and management.
But there are several issues on the downside. NT Advanced Server, while aimed at the top end of the network operating system market, is not a pure file server system, and much of the documentation makes the product sound like a peer networking system with ambition.
At its recommended retail price of around $3,000, that would indeed be ambitious positioning. However, rumors are that Windows NT Advanced Server will have a street price of around $1,000 so the product may make it to desktops in just that role.
Second, the performance of NT Advanced Server has yet to be proven. Being a general purpose end user operating system hosting a network server subsystem, its raw throughput on a single processor system is unlikely to beat the performance of Novell, Inc.'s NetWare, though it may be comparable to Banyan Systems, Inc.'s VINES.
NT Advanced Server can use symmetric multiprocessing and is being implemented on RISC systems and the DEC Alpha, but those implementations still place it at roughly the same price/performance point.
Third, the lack of a real global directory service makes it much less appropriate for organizations that want to build an integrated enterprise network environment.
Microsoft has been positioning NT Advanced Server as a "NetWare killer," but in its current release, it is unlikely to drag enterprise net users away from NetWare 4.0 and VINES with StreetTalk or even NetWare 3.11 with Banyan's ENS.
For smaller systems, NT Advanced Server may well gain a very significant...