i5/OS NetServer is IBM iSeries Support for Windows Network Neighborhood.
Welcome to the Neighborhood!
i5/OS NetServer opens the door to file and print serving via Windows Network Neighborhood (also known as My Network Places). Here's more on how to get i5/OS NetServer working for you and what it means to you from an end user point of view.
i5/OS NetServer is integrated in OS/400 starting with V4R2 . Without any additional client software, PC clients on the network utilize the file and print-sharing functions that are included in their operating systems (e.g. Windows Network Neighborhood) to access i5/OS NetServer. You can configure i5/OS NetServer properties and the properties of i5/OS NetServer file and print shares with iSeries Navigator. This means iSeries Navigator only needs to be installed on the PC that you use for administration of i5/OS NetServer.
i5/OS NetServer supports the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, including the updated CIFS (Common Internet File System) extensions, through the use of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) on the iSeries platform. This communication allows clients to access directories in the iSeries Integrated File System and output queues.
i5/OS NetServer provides support for the following client operating systems:
i5/OS NetServer provides specific support for accessing integrated file system and printing resources. i5/OS NetServer does not provide the same range of tools and applications as iSeries Access. However, you do not need to use iSeries Access or iSeries Navigator to benefit from i5/OS NetServer. In fact, iSeries Access utilizes i5/OS NetServer in order to provide its own drive mapping and print sharing support. In V4R4 and later, i5/OS NetServer provides dynamic text data conversion support (for example, EBCDIC to ASCII) for files ending in selected extensions.
You can use i5/OS NetServer to easily install iSeries Access (which includes iSeries Navigator) on your Windows 95/98/Me or Windows NT/2000 client PC. Note: the above link will place your browser into the System i and i5/OS Information Center.
The significant differences between i5/OS NetServer and the file system support that iSeries Access provides are the following:
- The operating system of the PC client contains all of the software that is required to access i5/OS NetServer. i5/OS NetServer does not require that you install additional software on the client unless you are administering i5/OS NetServer using Operations Navigator.
- i5/OS NetServer allows the network administrator to share selective portions of the integrated file system tree, rather than exposing all of it. iSeries Access has no concept of shares.
- With i5/OS NetServer, you can share a directory with read-only access.
- With i5/OS NetServer, you can hide a share from the network by ending the share name with a '$'.
- i5/OS NetServer allows you to convert file content on a file extension basis while iSeries Access does not.
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