Pathworks 5 on VAX 3100

[Tom Chambers]

I have a VAX3100 running VMS 5.5-2 and Pathworks v5. This is a legacy system that we're keeping alive until we finish some rehosting efforts. I'd like to be able to access the shares on the VAX from a Windows 2000 client. The Pathworks client we have only runs on DOS and WFW though. If we had the Pathworks32 client on a W2K box could we access the shares VAX? We don't have funds to upgrade Pathworks so that isn't an option for us.

Thanks

[Ian Miller.]

Pathworks V5.0F with a couple patches could be made to work with Windows 2000.

What version do you have?

[Tom Chambers]

I can't get to the PC running the client we have right now due to some testing. I looked at the install floppies but all they say is V5 for DOS and Windows.
???

[Andy Bustamante]

Do you have UCX (TCPIP) on the VAX? You can configure Pathworks over TCPIP (in addition to DECnet) and use the native Windows protocols for file sharing on your Windows 2000 system.

If you have UCX 4.x installed you can configure Pathworks over IP by using

$ @sys$manager:ucx$config
under "optional components"
and
$admin/config

I think a restart of UCX and Pathworks was required.

Andy

[Tom Chambers]

Andy
You said with the UCX 4 or higher we could connect with W2K. Is this through a normal drive mapping? I'm not sure how just having TCP/IP on the VAX will help me. ??

[Ian Miller.]

I ment the version of pathworks on your VAX should be Pathworks V5.0F

[Andy Bustamante]

The Windows 2000 client can map a drive with the standard Microsoft file sharing protocols. No additional software is required on the client side. You "just map a drive." As I recall the PW 5 server didn't support the ability to browse shares very well, so you need to type in the full path.

Pathworks can be configured to use both TCPIP and DECnet at the same on the server. Your current clients will continue as configured. This saves you from adding software to the Windows client.

As a rule, on production systems I like to disable TCPIP on my Windows 2000 PCs and use DECnet for Pathworks. This eliminates a worm/virum point of access.



Andy

[Doug Phillips]

Tom,

In order to connect a client to a server, you need a common protocol. Pathworks Server adds Microsoft networking to the VAX; it installs NetBIOS which can run under NetBEUI or TCP/IP.

DECnet comes with the VAX but not with Win2K so if you don't have a Win2K Pathworks client you can't use DECnet.

You run ADMIN/CONFIG on the VAX to choose the protocol(s) you want. You don't need to install anything on the client (unless it needs "per-seat" licensing or DECnet or LAT) because the Win2K client already has the networking built into it. If you have TCP/IP on the VAX and NetBEUI on the Win2K, then you can choose either one or both. The VAX's PWIP service will need to be started if you choose TCP/IP (how to do that depends on which IP stack you're using).

Make sure you're using server based licensing ; in @SYSUPDATE:PWRK$CONFIG, you should have "1. Run the License Server: NO" set.

Once everything is set up, the VAX will just look like a very-old Microsoft server to the Win2K.

[John Gillings]

Tom,

I have a VAX running VMS V5.5-2, UCX 3.3 and Pathworks V5.0-1. I have several PCs running a variety of Windows versions, including (at various times) 95, 98, NT4, Win2000 (home & pro) & WinXP (home & pro). None of the PCs have any pathworks software installed. They can all access shares on the VAX using native file sharing.

Just make sure UCX$PWIP_ACP is running and the PCs know the IP address of the VAX. You may also need server based licensing.