Macs Play Well with Others: Macworld Attracts Enterprise Connectivity

On the floor of the Macworld Expo, connectivity vendors showcase products that boost the Mac's place on Windows- and Unix-based network systems, including cluster support for Macs, better authentication and new mail server software.

SAN FRANCISCO—At the Macworld conference Thursday, enterprise connectivity vendors announced products that add Mac support to Windows- and Unix-based network systems. Several companies, including GroupLogic, announced cluster support for Macs. Group Logics ExtremeZ-IP 4.0 is an Apple File Protocol server that allows Mac clients to access the same shares as Windows clients. The new version will sport an "instant online" feature that enables a server to reboot without indexing. In a cluster, this will allow a client to continue a file copy right through a "fail over," in which one server in the cluster takes over from another.
ExtremeZ-IP 4.0 will accomplish this by eliminating a previous requirement to index a volume at server startup. There is also no index held in RAM, which also allows the server to host an unlimited number of files regardless of the size of server RAM. ExtremeZ-IP 4.0 will use Kerberos authentication and the Panther Active Directory plug-in to give Mac users a single sign-on. Group Logic expects to ship ExtremeZ-IP 4.0 before the end of the month. In a technology preview of Kerio MailServer 6.1, Kerio Technologies added the ability to use iCal to subscribe to events. Mac users already had the ability to access the groupware server package using Microsoft Entourage to sync calendars and contacts. The company said version 6.1 improves Entourage support. MailServer 6.1 also improves the performance of its WebMail features, which enables users to access e-mail, contacts and schedules with a Web browser. The company offers Kerio MailServer as a more cross-platform alternative to Microsoft Exchange for mixed Mac, Windows and Linux environments. Kerio said MailServer works with Microsoft Active Directory and Apple Open Directory. MailServer 6.1 will ship at the end of January. Kerio also said it would ship a Kerio MailServer for Xsan within three months. Next Page: Stalker Software pitches an Exchange alternative.