DiscPort Executive 2.0

Use this software alone or as part ofthe Microtest turnkey solution to share CD-ROMs enterprisewide

The US armed forces use FedLog, a six CD-ROM set, to order, inventory, and replace 7.2 million parts; thousands of offices around the world update FedLog monthly. Fortunately for network administrators who must update and distribute information in a timely manner, Microtest provides DiscPort Executive 2.0. I tested the Windows NT version of this product as part of Microtest's turnkey solution. (For details about the system I used to test DiscPort, see "Microtest's Turnkey Solution," page 112.)

DiscPort Executive enhances NT's file-sharing capabilities with numerousCD-ROM-specific functions. These functions let you create virtual CD-ROMs,catalog hundreds to thousands of shares, aggregate many CD-ROM volumes under oneshare (a collection), and make NT-foreign media available to workstations thatrun different operating systems.

Microtest designed the software to deliver information as efficiently aspossible. The company claims that the software will identify whether aparticular disc is in more than one place on a network (e.g., in a standalonedrive and in a jukebox), determine whether the title is currently queued in thejukebox, evaluate the load on the standalone drive (e.g., whether other usersare already accessing it), and choose the quickest path to get the informationto its destination. To reduce bottlenecks, administrators can limit the numberof users who can access a title concurrently. For titles with a particularlylarge demand, network administrators can build a FastCD, a digital imageof a CD-ROM placed on a SCSI hard disk.

Because the configuration I tested was turnkey, the software installedwithout a glitch. However, for administrators who must configure existingequipment to work with the DiscPort software and jukeboxes with autoloadingdevices, the software will take additional setup and configuration. And don'tforget, you must add the DiscPort server to the NT domain.

When booting, DiscPort creates an aggregate share that contains all CD-ROMsand virtual CD-ROMs the software will make available across the network. Usingthe CDexplorer utility, I quickly created shares and collections that I couldmake available to specific domains or to all users by simply dragging selectedicons from the aggregate share. After reading the manual, I learned how tobetter manage the structure of shares and collections by using folders and theirinterrelationships.

The software's cataloging feature is especially nice. It remembers everydisc ever placed in a DiscPort shared drive and all the share propertiesassociated with it. This feature makes queuing up an infrequently used title asnap. You can load a CD-ROM that DiscPort has already cataloged into a shareddrive, and it will become available across the network, without your needing toredefine the parameters associated with the share.

One of the best features of this software is it can receive and shareNT-foreign media. Because DiscPort supports International Standards Organization(ISO) 9660, High Sierra, Rockridge, and Macintosh HFS CD-ROM formats, and has anNFS mount point available, it can support Microsoft, File and Print Services forNetWare (FPNW), NFS, and Macintosh networks simultaneously. This ability isideal for multiplatform distributed environments. The software can also managemultisession discs (e.g., Macintosh and Windows applications on one disc)without difficulty.

As with most applications, one program contains most of the functionality,while the others support it. In DiscPort Executive, CDexplorer, shown inScreen 1, is the management utility. The Control Panel applet, DiscPortExecutive Configuration, configures hardware (including jukeboxes), queuesperformance parameters, and tracks event log filtering. The Media Manager andCDstatus utilities deal directly with the media.

CDstatus provides a tree view of all servers available to DiscPortExecutive, the media within, and their respective share properties andavailability. This utility is where you can add or remove servers fromDiscPort's jurisdiction. The Media Manager lets administrators create or buildFastCDs, search for titles, and lock or unlock standalone drives so that userscannot physically remove CD-ROMs from a drive without Administrator permission.

After using the software for a while, you will appreciate its effectivenessin sharing CD-ROMs across a network (and with other networks), the wellthought-out folder structures, and the integrated security. But there's more.The recent addition of DiscPort Launch makes the package even better. This groupof executables automate the launching of applications across networks, includingthe Web. By installing the DiscPort Launch software on the DiscPort server, youcan give users access to applications through a small number of DLLs on theclient machine. The actual program runs in a share residing on the server.

This capability can provide an excellent way for an online softwarerepository to let users try a title before they buy or download it. Similarly, asoftware company using this technology for beta testing can considerably reducethe debugging cycle by performing quick fixes in realtime for all testersinvolved with the project. In both of these instances, the ability to quicklyexchange discs for new projects can be an invaluable time-saver.

If you must keep CD-ROM data current and available to users across the roomor across the ocean, DiscPort Executive might be your solution. However, withthe dropping price of hard disks, why would you need such a battery of CD-basedinformation? One SCSI hard disk can hold more information than current CD-ROMtechnology and deliver this information much faster. Perhaps using DiscPortExecutive to create numerous virtual CD-ROMs is the best use of this technology.