3 An introduction to HELIOS Base
HELIOS Base builds the platform for all HELIOS products. It is indispensable because it contains libraries, installer programs, etc. without which no other HELIOS product could work stand-alone.
HELIOS Base is comprised of the HELIOS LPR printing system, printer drivers, the HELIOS Installer, Unicode support, ICC profiles, utilities, libraries, the "license" program (which lets you enter software licenses for all HELIOS products), the HELIOS Service Controller, the
Service Location Protocol (SLP) server, the HELIOS Update Installer, and HELIOS tools ("start-helios", "stop-helios").
For new features in the Base software see the HELIOS web site:
There are several different ways of connecting workstations and printers together to build a network. If you want to build e.g. a Fast Ethernet or Gigabit Ethernet network you may have to install appropriate interface cards in some or all of the workstations and servers.
Ethernet is a hardware and network protocol standard which has found worldwide acceptance by a large number of computer manufacturers. Ethernet interface cards are available for most Windows and Macintosh computers, high-end printers, and all UNIX machines. Many UNIX machines, all new Macintoshs and many Windows computers have an Ethernet interface already built-in.
Ethernet networks can simultaneously support several network protocols such as TCP/IP and AppleTalk.
The various junctions, routers, bridges and devices on the network are called nodes, and the way they are physically connected together is called the
topology of the network. On the one hand, the topology is dependent on usage requirements (the required position of the workstations within an office building). On the other hand, it is also necessary to take account of physical limitations imposed by the chosen hardware (e.g. maximum cable lengths) and by network standards.
Ethernet is logically characterized by a linear bus topology. However, nowadays the 10Base-T Ethernet and 100Base-T Ethernet - also called
Fast Ethernet - have, from the physical point of view, a star-shaped topology. This means that all workstations and printers etc. connected to the network are attached to a hub in the logical center of the "star".
When installing the network cable, it is important to make sure that it is not installed with sharp bends or under tension. It should be laid in such a way that it cannot be damaged, and it should be routed as far away as possible from powerful electric fields. Please observe the exact specifications of the hardware manufacturer. The manufacturer's documentation contains all required information on allowable cable lengths, types of connectors to be used and other points to be noted.
The TCP/IP protocol allows a number of physically separated networks to be linked together. The separate networks can use either the same or different hardware standards. The connection between two networks is implemented with so-called routers. The special software that runs in routers is called
router software.
Each separate network is assigned a unique network number. A workgroup is a group of one or more logical networks with the same symbolic (logical) name. A device on the network is a member of a particular workgroup. However, a router between two networks (e.g. between FDDI and Ethernet) is a member of at least two logical networks. Furthermore, in some cases two logical networks can co-exist on the same hardware cable (provided, of course, that they use the same hardware standard).
