This document describes the features of AppleShare IP 6.0, as well as information on how to contact Apple with feedback. Consult the AppleShare IP 6.0 Read Me file for instructions on how to install this Beta seed.
AppleShare IP 6.0 Software Disclaimer
AppleShare IP 6.0 Beta Seed 2 is a technology evaluation release and will expire on August 31, 1998.
This is not a supported product, but we encourage you to try it and give us feedback. This copy is for evaluation purposes only and is offered at no charge. We cannot guarantee that any subsequent releases will be offered free of charge, but we suggest that you check back frequently for any revisions of this design release.
Remember that the software you are receiving is in development. There are inherent risks in putting unreleased software on your machine. Although we feel the product is stable, there are still risks. We suggest that you not use this product in production or mission critical operations; or where 100% reliability is required. As much as possible, we will respond to problems and provide updates to deal with issues, but we cannot guarantee all problems will be addressed. As added precautions, we recommend that you backup your System Folder and hard drives prior to testing, save your work often and continue to backup your hard drives as often as necessary to protect your data. Apple cannot accept liability for any lost data or other injury.
Feedback and the AppleShare IP Mailing List
A mailing list for providing feedback on and for discussion of the AppleShare IP 6.0 seed is available. We encourage you to join the AppleShare IP mailing list and to provide feedback on the seed release.
To join the AppleShare IP mailing list, see the web site www.apple.com/appleshareip, and look under the heading "Feedback" for more information on how to sign up for the list.
Please send in your feedback as early as possible in order to have it considered for this release.
Overview of AppleShare IP 6.0
AppleShare IP 6.0 is a complete set of LAN and Internet services - including everything you need to set up Web, File, Mail, Print and FTP servers. New for version 6.0, AppleShare IP 6.0 now provides built-in support for Windows file sharing and the AppleShare IP Mail Server now supports the Internet standard IMAPv4 protocol. Support for these open standards means that AppleShare IP is fully compatible with Macintosh and Windows clients. AppleShare IP retains its traditional ease of use with a single administration console, making it simple to manage AppleShare users, groups, passwords and security.
What's In AppleShare IP 6.0
Here are some of the key features in this seed release, along with their benefits to you:
File Services
File Sharing Services
AppleShare IP provides file services support for Macintosh, Windows, and other clients using the AFP (Macintosh), SMB/CIFS (Windows), and FTP file services protocols. The AppleShare File Service (AFP) for Macintoshes is supported on both TCP and AppleTalk, and client-side integration retains the familiar Chooser interface. The benefit to the user is that they do not need to how to access a server via TCP/IP in order to benefit from it. Any AppleShare IP can also be accessed over the Internet simply by typing in the domain name for that server in the Chooser.
Windows File Sharing Service (SMB/CIFS over TCP)
AppleShare IP 6.0 now allows Windows computers to connect to an AppleShare IP server without additional software. AppleShare IP also allows Windows clients to browse and find the server using the Windows Network Neighborhood interface.
AppleShare IP's Windows file sharing service shares the same multi-threaded server architecture and file caching as the AppleShare Web and File server, providing high-performance to both Macintosh and Windows clients.
AppleShare IP's support for Windows file sharing works standalone, as a single server, or integrates into a larger network of Windows NT servers. Security for Windows clients is fully integrated with all other AppleShare services, making it easy to set up accounts and access privileges once for all users, no matter how they access the server. Turning on Windows file sharing is as simple as clicking a checkbox in the Web & File server administration program.
AppleShare IP 6.0 is now the easiest cross-platform server to set-up, manage, and use.
FTP Service
AppleShare IP supports the ability to transfer files to and from the server with any FTP client. Security and administration is shared with other file services, providing easy maintenance. Anonymous (guest) access can be turned on or off independent of guest enabling for other services, however, they all share the same access privileges. The FTP server supports automatic BinHex and MacBinary encoding, so there is never a need to store duplicate files on the server. In version 6.0, the AppleShare FTP service now maps file names to ISO character sets to handle differences in character sets between MacOS and Windows clients.
Performance Improvements
AppleShare IP 6.0 adds additional performance enhancement to the file server, which are particularly noticeable on a 100MBit network. A new dynamic memory utilization algorithm for version 6.0 allows the server to run in a higher performance mode, with more threads and larger buffer sizes, when AppleShare IP detects sufficient available RAM on the server.
Idle Disconnect
New for version 6.0, the Idle Disconnect feature allows the AppleShare IP administrator to specify how long users can be idle before the server automatically disconnects them. This feature is supported by both the AppleShare file service and Windows file sharing service.
Full HFS+ Compatibility
AppleShare IP 6.0 is fully compatible with HFS+ volumes. Both the server and the client now correctly report the disk space available and used on a server HFS+ volume.
Web Service
ASIP 6.0 provides a powerful, expandable, and easy to use web server. New for this release are HTTP 1.1 support, alias support, W*API 1.2 support, and additional security options. Like all other services in AppleShare IP, security and administration is shared, simplifying maintenance. Access to the web server is managed through the User and Group names and passwords.
Performance
AppleShare’s dynamic file and directory cache provides excellent web server performance. The AppleShare IP 6.0 Web Server is the fastest OpenTransport-based web server available for the Macintosh platform, greatly outperforming WebSTAR 3.0.
HTTP 1.1 Support
AppleShare IP 6.0 Web service now provides support for HTTP 1.1, including persistent connections, byte-range requests, and file upload.
Web Folder and Alias Support in Web and FTP Services
All documents are stored in a central folder that appears as the root volume to browsers. Like all other files and folders on the server, access to this folder is protected by its access privileges. Both AppleShare IP 6.0 Web and FTP services now supports aliases to files and folders. To ensure server security, the target of the alias must be within a shared folder or volume. Aliases to remote volumes are not supported.
Extensibility
The AppleShare IP Web Server is easily extensible by using W*API plug-ins or CGIs. Additional third-party plug-ins can be purchased separately to support database access and Java Servlets. AppleShare IP 6.0 now provides support for W*API version 1.2.
Security Control
AppleShare IP 6.0 now allows users to create custom error files, allowing you to provide more information to customers of your web site in the event of an access error. The following user-supplied files are now supported:
• error.html
• noaccess.html
If present, these error files override the server's corresponding default messages.
Directory Browsing is possible through ASIP's directory listing feature. In addition, administrators now have the option to disable automatic listing of directories via HTTP, providing additional security for your web site.
Access Logging is available through standard format HTTP log files.
Mail Services
AppleShare IP 6.0 includes a feature-rich and easy to use mail server. The AppleShare IP mail server has been upgraded in almost every feature area. Existing protocol support has been enhanced, as well as the addition of many new features. While many new features and preferences have been added, setting up the server remains as simple as launching the application.
Here are some of the many features available in AppleShare IP 6.0:
IMAP
AppleShare IP 6.0 includes full support for the IMAPv4 protocol, allowing users to access their mail from anywhere on the Internet. Support is providing for a full range of clients, including Netscape Communicator, Microsoft Outlook Express, CTM PowerMail, Mulberry, Simeon, Siren, and more.
Full Standards Support
In addition to IMAP, AppleShare IP 6.0 supports POP3, SMTP, PASS, Finger, APOP (encrypted passwords), and mail notification; providing a complete e-mail solution with all of the popular Internet protocols supported in one server.
High-Performance Message Store
AppleShare IP mail server uses a high-performance database, so accounts and messages are not limited by the MacOS file system. This database stores unique messages only once on the disk, providing improved performance, lower delivery times, and much better disk utilization than traditional file-based message stores. A built-in V-Twin based search engine provides lightning fast text searching across the IMAP database.
Enhanced Control
The AppleShare IP 6.0 Mail Server adds many new management features for controlling mail delivery, sending, and relaying, including anti-spam control. The improved administration application allows messages to be viewed and controlled by destination. Extensive, configurable logging facilities provides a complete record of sever activity.
Scheduled Connections
AppleShare IP 6.0 now allows connections to any host to be scheduled down to the hour, and support for the Internet ETRN standard allows remote servers to be polled for waiting messages as well.
Full SMTP Routing with Support for DNS & MX Records
Multiple AppleShare IP Servers can exist within the internal network and the servers will route email messages to other servers.
User Management
Server-based Groups are supported via AppleShare IP Group Management. Support for both MacOS User Names, and an Internet Standard Names is particularly useful for supporting both localized and internet names for the same user. Auto-forwarding allows mail to automatically be forwarded to other addresses or servers.
Support for both TCP and AppleTalk
The AppleShare IP Mail Server supports both AppleTalk and TCP/IP, so users do not have to know which protocol they are using. Additionally, the AppleShare IP Mail Server can be used as part of an internal network without the need for TCP/IP. Of course, the mail server can always be used without AppleTalk.
Print Service
The AppleShare IP Print Server provides print queuing services for both AppleTalk and TCP clients, including compatibility with all versions of the LaserWriter 8 driver. Along with an enhanced administrative interface, here are some of the print server features available in AppleShare IP 6.0:
TCP/IP Support
AppleShare IP 6.0 now allows printing over TCP/IP, utilizing the LPR protocol standard, in addition to printing over AppleTalk.
Secure Printing
The AppleShare IP Print Server now provides a security feature which allows control over who has access to your printers.
Server-side PPDs (PostScript Printer Description)
The AppleShare IP Print Server supports server-side PPDs to correctly respond to client queries. Fonts are also stored on the server to avoid the client from having to download fonts.
Performance
The AppleShare IP Print Server supports up to 10 queues, with a maximum of 30 printers and 32 simultaneous sessions. This means that AppleShare IP Print Server can receive 32 simultaneous print jobs and output them concurrently to 30 printers.
Load Balancing of up to 10 Printers per Queue
An AppleShare IP Print Server queue can have up to 10 printers assigned to the queue. As print jobs are queued, each job is sent to the next available printer in the queue, thereby minimizing the overall time for printing.
Queue Management
Print jobs can be held and released by the administrator, and also reassigned to specific printers/queues.
AppleShare IP Administration
AppleShare IP 6.0 continues to provide a simple, unified management interface with the traditional AppleShare IP administrative applications. The AppleShare Setup assistant allows fast, easy setup in minutes and a unified administrative console consolidates Users, Groups, and Security management for all services.
AppleShare Client
Login Status Dialog
When connecting to a server and mounting a volume, the AppleShare Client now brings up a dialog, providing connection status and allowing you to cancel the connection. You can also switch to other applications while waiting for the client to connect (the switching is available only if you have Appearance Manager installed with MacOS 8.0 or later). With this feature, you no longer have to be "locked up" while waiting for the client to connect to a server that is unavailable or located across the world on the Internet.
General
Separate Guest for Each Service
In AppleShare IP 5.0, the concept of guest user was shared among AppleShare, FTP and Web services. AppleShare IP 6.0 provides additional security with an option to enable or disable separate guest for each service in the “Guest” user panel in the Web & File administration application.
