2 An introduction to HELIOS PCShare
This manual addresses PCShare environments with clients running the Windows operating system.
PCShare allows easy integration of powerful servers into Windows networks. It provides an extremely fast, reliable, feature-rich Windows compatible file and print server to unlock UNIX performance for Windows clients.
Note: HELIOS PCShare runs on top of the foundation provided by HELIOS Base. Please read the Base manual for installation instructions and other important details.
The TCP/IP protocol stack
The TCP/IP protocol stack forms the backbone for the PCShare services. It is responsible for basic TCP/IP network functions, including those of network routing. PCShare supplies additional service protocol routing for WINS, Browsing, and DHCP services. This permits PCShare to be used to interconnect several physically separate TCP/IP network interfaces, and transparently pass information between them as required.
Windows 2003 SMB/CIFS support ensures full compatibility with standard Windows programs, including multi-user applications. Sharing files and printers is simple and straightforward because there is no additional software necessary for Windows clients. Windows NTFS Unicode and file streams support ensures compatibility with modern Windows applications. Macintosh meta data is accessible via SFM compatible streams. UNIX permissions and quotas are fully supported. A PCShare exclusive Explorer extension allows managing UNIX file and folder permissions from the client.
To network your UNIX host and thus your Windows computers with Macintosh computers use EtherShare. To provide real-time remote file access for web clients, use WebShare (see
A 3 "Glossary").
HELIOS Admin server and HELIOS Admin
The cross-platform program HELIOS Admin is an administration tool which can be used to configure PCShare from any of the connected client workstations. It can also be used by regular users to check the configuration. However, they are prevented from making any changes.
HELIOS Admin communicates with PCShare through the HELIOS Admin server, which runs on the host while HELIOS Admin needs to run on a Java capable host or client workstation. The communication between these two programs takes place through a TCP/IP connection which allows managing multiple servers remotely and supporting concurrent TCP/IP connections (see " Logging on to the HELIOS Admin server" in the Base manual).
The menu-driven PCShare Admin supports an easy setup of users, groups, volumes, printers, and DHCP from any Windows or UNIX system on the network. It also displays server and printer log files, system messages, program versions, server and PC activities, and offers the possibility of sending messages from any UNIX or Windows system on the network.
Note: The PCShare Admin tool is still supported by HELIOS, but it is recommended that you use the cross-platform HELIOS Admin instead (see Base manual).
The PCShare built-in DHCP server allows the automatic distribution of TCP/IP configurations to any Windows, Macintosh, or other devices connected to a server network port. With its DHCP backup server capability all DHCP/ BOOTP clients will continue to work if the main server fails.
PCShare is a WINS (
Windows Internet Name Server) server, which is used on a PC network to map names to IP addresses. It can provide name, TCP/IP addresses, etc. when asked by Windows clients.
For new features in the PCShare software see the HELIOS web site:
For HELIOS Base, the foundation used by all HELIOS UB products, see the Base product web page:
