ORIGINAL QUESTION:
==================
> From sun-managers-relay@ra.mcs.anl.gov Thu Feb 23 21:50:52 1995
> Subject: QUESTION Experience with Versatek's serveware?
>
> Sun Managers:
>
> A friend is fixing to buy a software package called "serveware" from
> Versatek that will allow him to move some plotters currently hanging
> off of an IBM mainframe to a SPARC. Does anybody have any experience,
> opinions, and/or warnings about this software?
SUMMARY:
========
The responses have mostly been favorable with Don Lenamond's being
the best summary:
Pro's:
1) Serveware allows graphic file conversions to mulitiple
printer output types. The software converts the graphics
into the appropriate printer output code that is needed.
2) Serveware polls mulitiple print spool directories allowing
you to batch large print jobs. You can also designate
spooling directories based on paper size, etc...
Con's:
1) At last glance, Versatec had still not ported their GUI front
end away from Sun Sunview to OpenWindows. The user interface
is VERY PRIMITIVE, and not able to be X`d across the network.
This is probably not the case today. But I would check to
ensure their product is ported to Solaris 2.4. Don't use
any Solaris version below this!!!
2) Versatec's field maintenance and UNIX expertise is minimal
for the serveware product in my experiences here in Alaska.
As the serveware product runs with an attached Sun server,
don't expect alot of in-depth help from them. They may know
their own product, but determining whether any problems are
Versatec or O/S related will be delegated to you. As all Sys
Admin folks on Suns have to keep up the constant battle with
patches and so on, this is important to consider.
Many thanks to all who replied. If your name isn't listed below, then
I received your response after Saturday 25 Feb 95 15:45 CST.
dewicki@bns102.bng.ge.com (Zenon Dewicki)
cygan@wpm.com (Linda Cygan)
sunrise!don@rambone.psi.net (Don Lenamond)
jsm@sqi.com (John S. Marquis)
sysadmin@odetics.com (David Rossman)
===============================================================================
ORIGINAL REPLIES:
===============================================================================
>From dewicki@bns102.bng.ge.com Thu Feb 23 12:49:27 1995
We have had it here for over a year with little problems,
especially if you get the tech support people to help
install.
We really didn't NEED them, but it helped speedup the
process.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zenon Dewicki E-Mail: dewicki@bng.ge.com
Martin Marietta Control Systems Phone: 607-770-3580
600 Main Street Marcall: 8-255-3580
Johnson City, NY 13790 Fax: 607-770-2800
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
>From cygan@wpm.com Thu Feb 23 16:10:34 1995
We have been using it for years with really no problems, but we
bought the plotter with an IPC (yeah, I know) as a complete unit
rather than trying to make a plotter work. From what I have heard,
they are now using Classic's and Sparc 5's for this now. It is
a little slow, but that because of what it is running on. The
IPC only has 8 meg of memory. I am going to be moving the software
to a Classic with 32 meg in the next few weeks. Support is good
for both hardware and software. I believe it is an Xerox 8840 plotter,
but I working from home right now and can't check that out for sure.
If you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help. I have let them
come in and do the upgrades cause this is a very important part of our
system, so I don't know a lot about the installation.
Linda Cygan
Manager - Information Systems
---Western Printing Machinery Company EMail: lcygan@wpm.com 9229 Ivanhoe Street Phone: (708) 678-1741 Ext.8820 Schiller Park, Il 60176 Fax : (708) 678-6176
=============================================================================== >From sunrise!don@rambone.psi.net Thu Feb 23 23:50:36 1995
Hi John,
In response to your questions concerning Versatec's serveware, I have had experience on two different sites with it.
Pro's:
1) Serveware allows graphic file conversions to mulitiple printer output types. The software converts the graphics into the appropriate printer output code that is needed.
2) Serveware polls mulitiple print spool directories allowing you to batch large print jobs. You can also designate spooling directories based on paper size, etc...
Con's:
1) At last glance, Versatec had still not ported their GUI front end away from Sun Sunview to OpenWindows. The user interface is VERY PRIMITIVE, and not able to be X`d across the network. This is probably not the case today. But I would check to ensure their product is ported to Solaris 2.4. Don't use any Solaris version below this!!!
2) Versatec's field maintenance and UNIX expertise is minimal for the serveware product in my experiences here in Alaska. As the serveware product runs with an attached Sun server, don't expect alot of in-depth help from them. They may know their own product, but determining whether any problems are Versatec or O/S related will be delegated to you. As all Sys Admin folks on Suns have to keep up the constant battle with patches and so on, this is important to consider.
Hope this helps! -Don Lenamond ============================================================ | #### #### ##### | DON LENAMOND | | # # # # | Senior Network/Systems Engineer | | # # # # | E-mail: don@alaska.opensys.COM | | # # # # | Phone: (907) 261-8715 | | #### ##### ##### | Fax: (907) 261-8710 | |============================================================| | OpenSystems Inc. 3111 C Street,Ste 400,Anchorage, AK 99503 | ============================================================ "Anything you don't understand is dangerous until you do understand it..."
=============================================================================== >From jsm@sqi.com Fri Feb 24 10:30:27 1995
John, The serverware is expensive and is really sold thru Xerox Engineering Services. It is a good package, and will do most likely what they want. If you can, you might want to look at an company or software called freedom of (the) press, as it is supposed to do the same thing for a lot less money. I think they are out of Bellingham Washington. We currently use 2 Versatec plotters that are attached to sun spac10's but have not had the need to purchase the serverware software. I have written many shell scripts to get around this problem. If you have any further questions please feel free to e-mail me.
jsm
John Marquis jsm@sqi.com (206) 557-1856
=============================================================================== >From odetics.com!sysadmin@odetics.com Fri Feb 24 11:09:55 1995
We have both the old version on a PC and a more recent version on the Sparc. I had some security issues with the system because their account has root access. I believe they have changed this in the most recent version. Overall, there is not much to deal with from an administrative point-of-view. I would recommend that you make sure you are around when they install the software. I did not have the chance to put in my two cents worth regarding how they set up the machine.
One thing to keep in mind, each user has his/her own setup which is based on a directory for each user. Also, the versions we have use ftp to put files into the queue. It is not set up like a standard printer (lpr). I was working on a virtual lpr print queue that would do the ftp automatically for each user. I haven't had the chance to put it into place.
Let me know if you have any specific questions,
David Rossman UNIX Systems Administrator E-Mail: sysadmin@odetics.com Odetics, Inc. 1515 S. Manchester Ave. Voice: (714) 774-5000 Anaheim, CA 92802-2907 FAX: (714) 774-9432 =============================================================================== John Posey, EE DSP Graduate Student and part time UNIX Systems Programmer InterNet: posey@utdallas.edu E&CS, The University of Texas at Dallas Phone (lab) (214) 705-6433 PO Box 830688, MS EC33 Phone (H) (214) 727-5704 Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
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