NETWORK MANAGEMENT (BIT3204)

Network Operating Systems

Dr. Nadia IRADUKUNDA

E-mail: [email protected]
[email protected]

Kigali, Rwanda
 Network Operating System
❖ Just as a computer cannot operate without a computer operating system,
◼ a network of computers cannot operate without a network operating system.
◼ Without a network operating system of some kind, individual computers cannot share
resources, and other users cannot make use of those resources.
❖ Depending on a network operating system's manufacturer,
◼ a desktop computer's networking software can be either added to the computer's own
operating system or integrated with it.
❖ Novell's NetWare is the most familiar and popular example of NOS in which the
client computer's networking software is added on to its existing computer
operating system.
◼ The desktop computer needs both operating systems in order to handle stand-alone and
networking functions together.

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 Network Operating Systems
❖ Network operating system software is integrated into a number of popular
operating systems including:
◼ Windows 2000 Server/Windows 2000 Professional,
◼ Windows NT Server/Windows NT Workstation,
◼ Windows 98, Windows 95, and AppleTalk.
❖ Some example:
◼ Windows 95,98,2007,2008,2010 work well with peer to peer networks.
◼ Others, such as Windows 2000 Server, Novel NetWare are designed for Client server
Networks.
❖ Each configuration—
◼ separate computer and network operating systems or an operating system combining the
functions of both—has benefits and drawbacks.
◼ It is your job as a networking technician to determine which configuration best suits the needs
of your network.

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 Coordinating Hardware and Software
❖ A computer's operating system coordinates the interaction between the
computer and the programs—or applications—it is running.
❖ It controls the allocation and use of hardware resources such as:
◼ Memory
◼ CPU time
◼ Disk space
◼ Peripheral devices
❖ In a networking environment,
◼ servers provide resources to the network clients,
◼ and client network software makes these resources available to the client computer.
◼ The network and the client operating systems are coordinated so that all portions of the network
function properly.

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 Major types of Network Operating System?

❖ Unlike operating systems, such as Windows, that are designed for single users to
control one computer,
◼ Network operating systems (NOS) coordinate the activities of multiple computers across a
network.
◼ The network operating system acts as a director to keep the network running smoothly.
❖ The two major types of network operating systems are:
◼ Client/ Server
◼ Peer-to-Peer

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 Client/Server
❖ Client/server network operating systems allow the network to centralize
functions and applications in one or more dedicated file servers (See fig).

❖ The file servers become the heart of

the system,
◼ providing access to resources and
providing security.
◼ Individual workstations (clients) have
access to the resources available on the
file servers.
◼ The network operating system provides the
mechanism to integrate all the components
of the network and allow multiple users
to simultaneously share the same
resources irrespective of physical
location.
UNIX/Linux and the Microsoft family of Windows Servers are examples of client/server network operating systems.
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 Pro’s and Con’s

❖ Advantages of a client/server network:

◼ Centralized - Resources and data security are controlled through the server.
◼ Scalability - Any or all elements can be replaced individually as needs increase.
◼ Flexibility - New technology can be easily integrated into system.
◼ Interoperability - All components (client/network/server) work together.
◼ Accessibility - Server can be accessed remotely and across multiple platforms.
❖ Disadvantages of a client/server network:
◼ Expense - Requires initial investment in dedicated server.
◼ Maintenance - Large networks will require a staff to ensure efficient operation.
◼ Dependence - When server goes down, operations will cease across the network.

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 Peer-to-Peer
❖ Peer-to-peer network operating systems allow users to share resources and files
located on their computers and to access shared resources found on other
computers.
◼ However, they do not have a file server or a centralized management source (See fig.).
❖ In a peer-to-peer network, all computers are
considered equal,
◼ They all have the same abilities to use the resources available
on the network.
◼ Peer-to-peer networks are designed primarily for small to
medium local area networks.
◼ Nearly all modern desktop operating systems, such as
Macintosh OSX, Linux, and Windows, can function as peer-to-
peer network operating systems

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 Pro’s and Con’s

❖ Advantages of a peer-to-peer network:

◼ Less initial expense - No need for a dedicated server.
◼ Setup - An operating system (such as Windows XP) already in place may only need to be
reconfigured for peer-to-peer operations.
❖ Disadvantages of a peer-to-peer network:
◼ Decentralized - No central repository for files and applications.
◼ Security - Does not provide the security available on a client/server network.

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Summary

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 Multitasking
❖ A multitasking operating system, as the name suggests, provides the means for
a computer to process more than one task at a time.
◼ A true multitasking operating system can run as many tasks as there are processors.
◼ If there are more tasks than processors, the computer must arrange for the available
processors to devote a certain amount of time to each task, alternating between tasks until all are
completed.
◼ With this system, the computer appears to be working on several tasks at once.
❖ There are two primary forms of multitasking:
◼ Preemptive: In preemptive multitasking, the operating system can take control of the processor
without the task's cooperation.
◼ Non-preemptive (cooperative): In non-preemptive multitasking, the task itself decides when to

give up the processor.

Programs written for non-preemptive multitasking systems must include provisions for yielding
control of the processor.
No other program can run until the non-preemptive program has given up control of the processor.

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 Con’t

❖ Because the interaction between the stand-alone operating system and the NOS
is ongoing, a preemptive multitasking system offers certain advantages.
◼ For example, when the situation requires it, the preemptive system can shift CPU activity from
a local task to a network task.

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 Software Components
❖ For computer operating systems that do not include networking functions,
◼ network client software must be installed on top of the existing operating system.
❖ Other operating systems, such as :
◼ Windows NT, integrate the network and the computer operating systems.
◼ While these integrated systems have some advantages, they do not preclude using other
NOSs.
❖ When setting up multivendor network environments, it is important to consider the
issue of interoperability.
◼ Elements or components of computer operating systems are said to "interoperate" when they
can function in different computer environments.
◼ A NetWare server, for instance, can interoperate with other servers such as Windows NT,
and users of Apple computers can interoperate with (that is, access resources on) both NetWare
and Windows NT servers.

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 Con’t
❖ A network operating system such as the one shown in Figure
◼ Ties together all computers and peripherals.
◼ Coordinates the functions of all computers and peripherals.
◼ Provides security by controlling access to data and peripherals.

❖ Two major components of network

software are:
◼ Network software that is installed on

clients.
◼ Network software that is installed on

servers

A network server ties the network together

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 Client Software
❖ In a stand-alone system,
◼ When the user types a command that requests the computer to perform a task, the request

goes over the computer's local bus to the computer's CPU.

❖ For example:
◼ if you want to see a directory listing on one of the local

hard disks, the CPU interprets and executes the

request and then displays the results in a directory
listing in the window.

Directory listing request on a local hard disk

❖ In a network environment, however,

◼ When a user initiates a request to use a resource that exists on a server in another part of

the network, the request has to be forwarded, or redirected, away from the local bus, out
onto the network, and from there to the server with the requested resource.
◼ This forwarding is performed by the redirector.
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 The Redirector
❖ A redirector processes forwarding requests.
❖ Depending on the networking software, this redirector is sometimes referred to as
the "shell" or the "requester”.
❖ The redirector is a small section of code in the NOS that:
◼ Intercepts requests in the computer.
◼ Determines if the requests should continue in the local computer's bus or be redirected over the
network to another server.

❖ For example:
◼ Redirector activity originates in a client

computer when the user issues a request for a

network resource or service.
◼ Figure shows how a redirector forwards

requests to the network.

The redirector forwards requests for remote resources onto the network
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 Con’t
❖ The user's computer is referred to as a client because it is making a request of a
server.
◼ The request is intercepted by the redirector and forwarded out onto the network.
❖ The server processes the connection requested by client redirectors and gives
them access to the resources they request.
◼ In other words, the server services, or fulfills, the request made by the client.

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 Designators
❖ If you need to access a shared directory,
◼ and you have permission to access it, your operating system will usually provide several
choices for how to access the directory.
◼ For example, with Windows NT you could use Windows Explorer to connect to the network
drive using the Network Neighborhood icon.
◼ You can also map to the drive.
◼ Drive mapping is the assignment of a letter or name to a disk drive so that the operating system
or network server can identify and locate it.
◼ To map to the drive, 1. right-click the directory icon from the Network Neighborhood; 2. a
dialog box will prompt you to assign an available letter of the alphabet as a drive designator,
such as G. 3. Thereafter, you can refer to the shared directory on the remote computer as
G:, and the redirector will locate it. 4. The redirector also keeps track of which drive designators
are associated with which network resources.

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 Peripherals
❖ Redirectors can send requests to peripherals as well as to shared directories.
◼ Figure depicts the redirector on a local computer sending a request to a print server.

◼ The request is redirected away from the originating computer and sent over the network to

the target.
◼ In this case, the target is the print server for the requested printer.

◼ With the redirector, LPT1 or COM1 can refer

to network printers instead of local printers.
◼ The redirector will intercept any print job
going to LPT1 and forward it out of the
local machine to the specified network
Request to print redirected out LPT1 to a printer on the network printer.
❖ Using the redirector:
◼ Users don't need to be concerned with the actual location of data or peripherals, or with the
complexities of making a connection.
◼ To access data on a network computer, for example, a user need only type the drive designator

assigned to the location of the resource, and the redirector determines the actual routing. 19
 Con’t

❖ COM (communication) ports can be used to connect peripheral devices

◼ COM ports can be used to connect peripheral devices
❖ LPT: Line Print Terminal 1
◼ port are specifically used for connecting printers.

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 Server Software
❖ With server software,
◼ users at other machines, the client computers, can share the server's data and peripherals
including printers, plotters, and directories.

❖ In Figure, Directory-listing request on a remote hard drive

◼ a user is requesting a directory listing on a shared remote hard disk.

◼ The request is forwarded by the redirector on to the network, where it is passed to the file and
print server containing the shared directory.
◼ The request is granted, and the directory listing is provided.
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 Resource Sharing
❖ Sharing is the term used to describe resources made publicly available for
access by anyone on the network.
◼ Most NOSs not only allow sharing, but also determine the degree of sharing.
❖ Options for sharing include:
◼ Allowing different users different levels of access to the resources.
◼ Coordinating access to resources to make sure that two users do not use the same resource
at the same time.
❖ For example, an office manager wants everyone on the network to be familiar with
a certain document (file), so s/he shares the document. However, she controls
access to the document by sharing it in such a way that:
◼ Some users will be able only to read it.
◼ Some users will be able to read it and make changes in it.

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 Managing Users
❖ Network operating systems also allow a network administrator to determine
which people, or groups of people, will be able to access network resources.
❖ A network administrator can use the NOS to:
◼ Create user privileges, tracked by the network operating system, that indicate who gets to use
the network.
◼ Grant or deny user privileges on the network.
◼ Remove users from the list of users that the network operating system tracks.
❖ To simplify the task of managing users in a large network:
◼ NOSs allow for the creation of user groups.
◼ By classifying individuals into groups, the administrator can assign privileges to the group.
◼ All group members have the same privileges, which have been assigned to the group as a
whole.
◼ When a new user joins the network, the administrator can assign the new user to the appropriate
group, with its accompanying rights and privileges.

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 Managing the Network

❖ Some advanced NOSs include management tools to help administrators

keep track of network behavior.
◼ If a problem develops on the network, management tools can detect signs of trouble and
present these in a chart, or other, format.
◼ With these tools, the network manager can take corrective action before the problem halts
the network.

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 Choosing a Network Operating System
❖ In planning a network:
◼ the choice among network operating systems can be narrowed significantly if you first
determine which network architecture—client/server or peer-to-peer— best meets your needs.
◼ This choice can often be made by deciding which kinds of security are called for.
◼ Server-based networking allows you to include security capabilities well beyond those
available to a peer-to-peer network.
◼ If security is not an issue, a peer-to-peer networking environment might be appropriate.
❖ After your network security needs have been identified,
◼ your next step is to determine the kinds of interoperability necessary for the network as a
whole.
◼ Each NOS addresses interoperability in different ways, so you should keep your own
interoperability needs in mind when evaluating each NOS.
◼ If your network choice is peer-to-peer, your options for security and interoperability will be
diminished because of the limitations inherent in that architecture.
◼ If your network choice is server-based, further assessment is needed to determine whether
interoperability will be dealt with as a service on the network server or as a client application on
each networked computer. 25
 Con’t
❖ Server-based interoperability is easier to manage because,
◼ like other services, it is centrally located.

❖ Client-based interoperability requires installation and configuration at each computer,

◼ making interoperability much more difficult to manage.

❖ It is not uncommon to find both methods —

◼ A network service on the server and network client applications at each computer—in a

single network.
◼ For example, a NetWare server is often implemented with a service for Apple computers,
whereas Microsoft Windows network interoperability is achieved with a network client
application at each personal computer.
❖ When choosing a network operating system,
◼ First determine the networking services that will be required.

◼ Standard services include security, file sharing, printing and messaging; additional services
include interoperability support for connections to other operating systems.
◼ For any given NOS, determine which interoperability services or networking clients are best

implemented to suit your needs.

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 Con’t

❖ The major server-based network operating systems are

◼ Microsoft Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000 Server, and Novell NetWare 3.x, 4.x and 5.x.
❖ The principal peer-to-peer network operating systems are:
◼ AppleTalk, Windows 95 and 98, and UNIX (including Linux and Solaris)

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 Discuss the following in Groups
1. a. What is a server based network operating software?
b. Discuss in details the following server-based network operating software
◼ Microsoft Windows NT 4
◼ Windows 2000 Server,
◼ Novell NetWare.
2. a. What meant by peer-to-peer network operating software?
b. Discuss in details the following peer-to-peer network operating software
◼ AppleTalk,
◼ Windows 95 and 98,
◼ and UNIX (including Linux and Solaris)
3. Difference between Preemptive and Cooperative Multitasking
4. Discuss the NOS services

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