Services
Being a proprietary network system and protocol, the services available on an Econet while standard in function, were to an extent unique in implementation, particularly in early versions of the file server software.
As Econet was intended as a low-cost local area network, there were only two services that could be expected of a standard Econet network. Acorn provided software for BBC Micro computers to primarily implement a file server, with an optional extra of a printer server. Acorn's tradition of providing full access to the operating system meant that numerous additional services could be added. Computing magazines of the time often carried short utilities such as network chat programs that made use of the Econet protocols without interfering with the basic file and print services.
The original file server was very basic, and essentially implemented network access to a floppy disk. Acorn developed their server software over many years, ending with the Level 4 File Server being the final release. Server software was also provided in the dedicated FileStore units Acorn produced.
Other manufacturers (in particular SJ Research) also produced Econet server hardware which implemented its own versions of the server software. These were compatible with the Acorn implementation, but with additional enhancements.
Read more about this topic: Econet
Famous quotes containing the word services:
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—Elizabeth M. Gilmer (1861–1951)
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—Michel de Montaigne (1533–1592)
“It seems I impregnated Marge
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For services rendered,
But I can’t quite decide what to charge.”
—Anonymous.