StreetTalk for Windows NT 8.5

More than just a network directory-services solution

Systems administrators and computer users are touting the benefits ofdirectory services. Supposedly, a directory service is the perfect solution fornetwork administrators who need to make resources on their global enterprisenetworks available to users. Unfortunately, Windows NT 4.0 doesn'tinclude directory-service components. Windows 2000 (Win2K--­formerly NT5.0) will include these components, but Microsoft doesn't plan to release Win2Kuntil the year 2000. In the meantime, you can use Lightweight Directory AccessProtocol (LDAP) or invest in an alternative directory-services software product,such as Banyan Systems' StreetTalk for Windows NT 8.5.

StreetTalk offers more than directory services: The software can fullyintegrate security, messaging, and file-and-print services into your network'sdirectory-services structure. Thus, the client workstations you installStreetTalk on can access any StreetTalk resource on the network when you type inthe name of the resource.

Installation and Use
To test StreetTalk's capabilities, I installed the software on the LAN in myhome lab. I used my Micronics-based, dual-Pentium II system running NT Server4.0 as my server. For my client systems, I used an Acer America system with a233MHz Pentium processor running Windows 98 and an American Megatrends (AMI)MegaRUM-based system with 300MHz dual-Pentium II processors running NTWorkstation 4.0.

Before I installed StreetTalk, I had to read a significant amount ofinformation. The installation manual is longer than 80 pages, and it presentssome information in confusing terms. For example, one section of the manualdefines IP client workstations as workstations that use UDP to communicate overa TCP/IP network. I wondered whether I needed to install the software'sCommunications Protocol component, or whether Microsoft's stock TCP/IP stackwould suffice.

To install StreetTalk, you must complete several preinstallation steps.First, you must check that your system meets the software's minimum hardware andsoftware requirements. Second, you must install the software on a driveformatted with NTFS. Third, you must select a unique StreetTalk server name foreach server. Finally, check to see whether you have any other Banyan productsinstalled on your system. You might have to uninstall them before you installStreetTalk.

The installation process is straightforward. When you launch the setupprogram, the software prompts you for information such as installation type andlocation, server name, serial number, and activation key. Next, you choose oneof three installation types: typical, compact, or custom. The typicalinstallation installs all the software's standard components. The compactinstallation installs all components except the VINES Files component. Thecustom installation lets you choose the components you want to install. Afteryou provide the installation information, the installation process runs withminimal interruptions.

The software ships on three CD-ROMs. One CD-ROM contains the servercomponents, one CD-ROM contains the workstation components, and one CD-ROMcontains the instruction manual documentation. I installed StreetTalk on myserver first. After the installation program copies files to your hard drive,you must supply several workstation and network configuration parameters inseparate dialog boxes. I used the default settings for my installation, whichworked fine.

Before you can use the software, you must install the Enterprise Client andExplorer programs. The Enterprise Client automatically places your NT server login an appropriate user group each time you log on to NT. The Explorer programlets you manage your StreetTalk resources using an Explorerlike interface. AfterI installed these programs, I rebooted my system.

After rebooting, I thought I was ready to start using StreetTalk, but thesoftware presented its online documentation at this point. You can browse thisdocumentation using a program called Folio. However, I found Folio difficult touse.

Users log on to the network from client computer systems by providing ausername and password. Users can use a separate logon to access the StreetTalknetwork or combine the Microsoft Networking and StreetTalk logons into oneusername and password combination (i.e., use a common logon).

After users log on, they can use several methods to access resources byproviding the full name of the resource they want to use. For example, theStreetTalk Win95 client software is fully integrated with Explorer, My Computer, and Network Neighborhood, so you can access StreetTalk resources fromthose areas.

In my test environment, I configured users to use common logons. After Ilogged on to the StreetTalk network from my client workstations, I could accessfile-and-print services from those clients using a resource name. The softwareperformed as I expected.

The Explorer Program
StreetTalk's Explorer program lets you configure resources on your network.Before you can launch this program, you might have to log on to the StreetTalknetwork. Whether you must log on to the network depends on how you configuredthe Enterprise Client installation (i.e., whether you configured it to performan automatic logon to the network based on an NT username, or whether youconfigured it to require a manual logon).

The Explorer program's interface has three tiers--­a menu bar, atoolbar, and bottom left and right panes--­which makes using the software abreeze. You use the menu bar and toolbar to perform common actions (e.g., add anew file service, print service, or user). You use the bottom left and rightpanes to access lists of network servers, view the resources configured forthose servers, and monitor resource usage and statistics, as Screen 1 shows. Forexample, you can create a structure in which you place client-based information(i.e., username, division, and location information--­username@division@location)or server-based information (i.e., resource name, server name, and resourcetype--­resourcename@servername@resourcetype). Screen 2 displays asample list of resources. By default, StreetTalk configures the NT server youinstall the software on as ServerName@Servers and automatically adds anadministrative user called Admin@ServerName@Servers.

In some environments, users might have difficulty using this three-tieredstructure. Other directory-services products (e.g., Novell Directory Services--­NDS) provide more than three tiers. Thus, before you install adirectory-services product, carefully plan how you intend to structure yournetwork. After you create your structure, changing it is difficult.

Standard Components
StreetTalk provides a uniform view of your network. Users can accessresources within the range of their security permissions.

StreetTalk contains 14 components. Users use some of these componentsdirectly; other components operate in the background. To understand thesoftware's capabilities, you need to understand the components' functions.

StreetTalk's naming service is the software's core component. This servicecontrols the software's directory management and keeps track of the namesand attributes you assign to the software's resources. The attributes, which arethe resource's properties, can vary.

StreetTalk's Communications Protocol Stack component is a network protocolyou must install on your servers and any client systems that will interact withthe software. StreetTalk uses this component to operate over its networkcommunications protocol--­VINES Internet Protocol (VIP). Client systemsthen communicate with StreetTalk using VIP alone or VIP encapsulated within UDPpackets.

StreetTalk's Directory Assistance Service is one of the software's mosteasily accessible components. Users and administrators can use this component tosearch for the names of other users or resources within StreetTalk.

StreetTalk's LDAP Support component builds on the Directory AssistanceService. LDAP is a directory-services protocol that runs over TCP/IP. You canuse this protocol in applications such as Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) andNetscape Communicator. The LDAP Support component lets StreetTalk interact withyour LDAP-compliant software.

StreetTalk's File Service component provides file-sharing services. Yoursystem's configuration determines the number of file-sharing services thesoftware can support. You can configure the shares you create with NT asStreetTalk file-sharing services. The software supports any size partition thatNT supports, and the software accommodates long and international filenameformats.

StreetTalk's Print Service lets users print from a Windows or DOS computerto any NT-supported printer within your network. This service supports printingto printers defined on your StreetTalk server and other LAN-attached printers(including printers attached to other NT servers).

Additional standard StreetTalk components include the Security Service,which authenticates user logons and authorizes access to system resources. Thesoftware's Server Service is a general utility service that provides informationabout your server and the StreetTalk services running on it. If you havea VINES network installed on your system, the VINES Files component letsusers on the VINES network access file services on your NT StreetTalk host.

Optional Components
StreetTalk offers several optional components. The Server-to-Server UDPcomponent lets your StreetTalk server communicate with other StreetTalkservers (and VINES servers) over your TCP/IP network. Server-to-Server UDP isparticularly useful in enterprise environments in which you have more than oneStreetTalk server. The Intelligent Messaging component is a complete emailsystem that users can access from any workstation on the network. The NetworkManagement component maintains and reports server performance and networktraffic statistics. This service is useful for monitoring performance in areasin which you suspect a network or CPU I/O-bound performance problem. TheBackup Suite component lets you back up your installation and restore individualfiles or configuration data on each StreetTalk component.

A Useful Solution for the Interim
The best-written programs make a complex task appear simple to the user; in this regard, StreetTalk delivers. StreetTalk's setup process was tedious, but the software's performance and usefulness are great. The software's Explorer program's three-tiered interface might limit large enterprise environments, but the components the software offers make the product useful.

StreetTalk's price is reasonable--­the software uses a server andclient license pricing structure. If you need enterprise-level directoryservices and can't wait for Win2K to arrive, StreetTalk is a helpful solution in the interim.