Network O/S setup

  • 2 Major Types of Multitasking
  1. Preemptive - O/S can take control of the processor without the task's cooperation
  • Advantage of preemptive multitasking: CPU activity can be switched from local tasks to a network task
Non-preemptive (Cooperative)
  • the task itself decides when to give up the processor
  • no other program can run until the non-preemptive program gives up the control of the processor
A Network O/S
    • ties together all the PCs and peripherals in the network
    • coordinates the functions of all PCs and peripherals in a network
    • provide security for and access to database and peripherals in a network
  • Client Software
    • redirector
      • process of forwarding requests is done by a redirector
      • intercepts requests in the PC
      • determines if they should be left alone to continue in the local PC's bus or redirected out to the network to another server
    • designator
      • a piece of software that manages the assignment of drive letters to both local and remote network resources or shared drives
        • e.g. share drive in other PC, alphabet as a designator, such as G:
      • when an association is made between a network resource and a local drive letter (mapping a drive), the designator takes care of remembering the path to the network resource.
      • when users or applications access the drive, the designator substitutes the resource's network address for the drive letter before the request is sent to the redirector.
    • peripherals
      • redirectors can send requests to either computers or peripherals (e.g. LPT1: or Com1 can refer to local OR network printers. Just give these ports a path to the network device.
  • Server Software
    • makes it possible to SHARE resources (data, printers, modems, etc.) with workstations
    • provides network security as well
    • makes sure two users don't use the same resources at the same time.
    • managing users - create, privileges, remove users
    • network management tools to track network behaviour
    • The server also
      • Provides logon authentication for users
      • Manages users and groups
      • Stores management, control, and auditing tools for network administration
      • Provides fault tolerance for protection of network integrity
  • Windows NT Server
    • When installing you must
      • name the domain or workgroup
      • name the server
    • the 1st server installed in a domain must be installed as the primary domain controller (PDC), every domain is required to have one and only one PDC
    • a backup domain controller
      • keeps a copy of the domain's directory database
      • authenticates logons
      • can be an application server
    • Configuring the network adapter card - default protocol for NT server is TCP/IP
    • TCP/IP installation
      • IP address
        • logical 32-bit address to identity a TCP/IP host
        • has two parts: network ID and host ID
      • subnet mask - is used to mask a portion of the IP address so that TCP/IP can distinguish the network ID from the host ID - 255.255.0.0
      • default gateway - (gateway = ROUTER) -  For communication with a host on another network, an IP host must be configured with a route to the destination network otherwise only communication on the local segment
      • manual install - assign IP address, subnet mask and the default gateway
      • automatic install - DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) service,
        • when a DHCP server is configured on the network, clients that support DHCP (NT W/S & NT Server) can request TCP/IP configuration info (IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and so forth) from the DHCP server