Microsoft Windows NT Server
An extremely popular local area network
operating system is Microsoft Windows NT Server, which uses a graphical user
interface (GUI) that looks very similar to that of the other Windows
desktops. However, NT is designed with different utilities to manage
servers. NT uses the User Manager for Domains to administer domain
users and group administration programs, and allows administrators the
option to choose from two file systems: New Technology File System (NTFS)
or File Allocation Table (FAT).
Novell NetWare
Novell NetWare, also an extremely
popular local area network operating system, is designed to support
LANs such as Ethernet and Token Ring networks. To manage the resources
available on the network, NetWare uses the NetWare Directory Services
(NDS), where both a physical and a logical file system are used to
arrange files and dates. NetWare's primary file system is a
combination of FAT (File Allocation Table) and DET (Directory Entry
Table). Layer 3 protocols, which are used in this OS are the
Internetwork Package Exchange (IPX) protocol and the Internet Protocol
(IP).
Unix
Developed at the University of
California, Berkeley, Unix was designed for database management. UNIX
is an important network operating system because its key features
include multitasking, multi-users, and networking capabilities. Unix
has the ability to operate multiple processes while users are working
with applications on the same machine. Multiple versions of UNIX
exist, including Sun Microsystems' Solaris, IBM's AIX, Silicon
Graphics' IRIX, Linux, or Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX; however, the
operation of all versions are similar.
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