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In our University of Wisconsin Real-World Labs®, I recently upgraded our AppleShare server from a WorkGroup Server 8550 to a speedy new Apple Server G3. Along with the hardware upgrade, I updated the network with a beta release of AppleShare IP 6.0. Migration went smoothly, and I was enjoying a stable server in no time.

In comparison to other network operating systems, AppleShare IP is still considered a workgroup solution, despite its claimed connection limit of 500 users. Like NetWare and Windows NT, AppleShare IP supports basic file and print, FTP and Web services out of the box. Like NT, AppleShare currently lacks integrated remote administration. However, AppleShare IP 6.0 includes mail and DNS servers and offers the easiest local administration. To ease IP network address administration, Apple should consider adding a DHCP server.

Share and Share Alike File and print services for Macintosh clients have not changed with AppleShare IP 6.0, which offers AFP (Apple Filing Protocol) over TCP/IP and AppleTalk. This version adds support for SMB over TCP/IP as well, bringing Windows clients into the fold. On our network, I defined a few SMB shares on our AppleShare IP server and logged in via Windows95 and NT clients. AppleShare IP does not currently support DAVE for Macintosh (SMB client for MacOS); it expects SMB connections to be PCs.

With Windows clients, I used a standard "net use k:\\cabernet\ users" command, and the Windows client attached the Users volume of our AppleShare server to drive K. Under Windows95, I saw no difference between the AppleShare server and the Windows NT server. However, under NT 4.0, I experienced some difficulties with executables from the server. Normally, you can run the setup.exe program simply by typing setup. But under NT, I was required to type setup.exe to run the program. The same held true for .bat and .com files. Apple claims this problem will be solved before the final release.

I would like to see Apple add a method that lets Mac users look up AppleShare servers and other IP-based services, much like the Chooser for AppleTalk services. As it stands, users will need to keep AppleTalk active to browse services in the Chooser. However, AppleShare can register with a WINS (Windows Internet Name Service) server (only in preexisting domains or workgroups), but Mac OS clients cannot use a WINS server. So, in a TCP/IP environment, Windows clients have better access to AppleShare's TCP/IP services than MacOS clients.

Web services are also improved in AppleShare IP 6.0. The integrated Web server supports HTTP 1.1 and WebStar API 1.2, which provide better performance and compatibility. Subsequently, alias handling is enhanced. You can now permit anonymous access to Web files without giving anonymous access to AFP (or SMB) file services. I would like to see SSL added to the list of the Web server's security features.

Improved Mail AppleShare IP's mail server is greatly refined and adds IMAP protocol support. To conserve disk space, the mail server is a single-copy server, which means single messages are only stored once--no matter how many users receive them.

I was already running AppleShare IP Mail Server 5.0 in the lab, and the upgrade to 6.0 was hassle-free. After upgrading, I enabled IMAP and switched my desktop mail client to use IMAP for mail access. In a few minutes, my mailboxes (server and desktop) were synched and I was using IMAP. Performance was on a par with the lab's SPARC 10 mail server running Washington University's IMAP server. However, when I used Eudora 4.01 for Windows, access to our mail on the AppleShare IP server was much slower than with Netscape mail. Apple claims that Netscape fetches mail in groups, while Eudora fetches mail one message at a time.

Apple has added numerous configuration options to version 6.0 of this mail server. Each time an SMTP server connects to the AppleShare IP Mail Server, it's added to the list of SMTP hosts. I looked at that list and blocked some of the servers from connecting again. As you discover which servers spam your server, you can block them with a simple click of the mouse.

In October 1997, Apple released its LaserWriter driver (8.5.1) with support for the LPR protocol. However, its print-server software only now supports that method of printing. In fact, AppleShare IP 6.0 implements bidirectional printing between AppleTalk and TCP/IP (LPR) environments. I configured a print spool to accept jobs from our Sun Solaris machines and spooled them out to our Lexmark printer over AppleTalk.

Robert J. Kohlhepp can be reached at rkohlhepp@nwc.com.