Top Performance and Reliability on High-Traffic Networks
InterDrive Gateway is a 32-bit multi-threaded kernel implementation of NFS client software. It works at the same level of priority as the operating system to ensure fast, uninterrupted performance. InterDrive Gateway is based on the award-winning InterDrive Client and also supports the state-of-the-art NFS v3 protocol. This latest version of NFS has features that dramatically increase speed, including larger read/write data sizes, asynchronous read/write operations, and faster directory lookups.

The superior performance of InterDrive Gateway is complemented by its unmatched reliability in high-traffic environments. Fast access to data and maximum throughput are assured despite constantly changing network conditions with an autotuning feature that automatically adjusts read and write sizes in response to network errors.

InterDrive wins top honors with Network Computing's Editor's Choice Award

Centralized Installation and Management Simplifies Resource Sharing
InterDrive Gateway is installed in a single location — a Windows NT server — that can be accessed concurrently by multiple Microsoft Networking clients. The server uses the NFS protocol to mount resources on your UNIX systems and then reshares those resources with Windows networking clients through the Microsoft networking standard, Server Messaging Block (SMB) protocol. Using a centralized gateway not only ensures that your users have fast, transparent access to files, but also saves you the time and money it would take to install, maintain, and update NFS software on each individual desktop. Nor do you need to install additional software on your UNIX system — InterDrive Gateway interfaces with the SMB server services already integrated into the Windows NT server.

The Windows NT server also acts as a centralized location from which the system administrator can configure and manage multiple network resources. This centralized management provides greater networking control. Multiple gateways can be remotely configured and managed from a single Windows NT server by using a graphical administration tool.

Complete, End-to-End Security
InterDrive Gateway takes advantage of built-in NT and NFS security. Authentication for shared files and connected devices is provided by NT authentication service and NFS authentication is provided by NIS and PCNFSD. Security is simpler to manage because it's centralized. And it's easier to enforce because users can access only those resources that are listed on their NFS account records.

Direct NFS for Fast, Reliable Connections
InterDrive Gateway has a Direct NFS feature that provides what appears to be a networked drive that accesses all NFS services. This innovative technology not only enables all Microsoft Networking clients to browse NFS hosts and networks as if they had an NFS client installed locally, but also delivers significant gains in performance. Instead of routing through multiple protocols to make connections, the mapped Direct NFS drive searches for or connects only to NFS servers, avoiding operating system collisions and "failure to connect" messages caused by competing protocols. The results are shorter connection times and improved reliability. Direct NFS also features Microsoft Universal Naming Convention (UNC) enhancements that extend scripting capabilities to advanced users. By sharing a Direct NFS drive, Microsoft networking clients can access an entire NFS network of resources, rather than a single shared drive.

Expanded Access and Management Control
With InterDrive Gateway and Microsoft Service Pack 4 installed, system administrators can create a virtually unlimited number of sharenames for subdirectories of NFS exports. This is ideal for large organizations that can't afford to have user access to UNIX resources restricted by their software.

To avoid capacity issues and user downtime, InterDrive Gateway allows administrators to check available disk space to solve disk utilization problems before they happen. Disk quotas can be determined simply by clicking on the appropriate drive letter to view the properties of a networked drive. The UNIX remote quota daemon in InterDrive Gateway is used to retrieve and to report on disk quotas.

Advanced Features Boost User Efficiency
Making connections is easy with InterDrive Gateway. Users select network drives, directories, files, and other resources just as they would on their Windows desktops. Plus, there's a full range of advanced features that make NFS resource sharing fast, efficient, flexible, and integrated.

Aliasing enables users to identify complicated network paths with shorthand and common names for faster access to NFS resources. Aliases can have their own settings for security, performance, and permissions — or can use system or host defaults.

InterDrive Gateway includes Network Information System (NIS) Automap integration within Windows Explorer. A centralized directory graphically displays remote NIS automount maps and available NFS resources. To find these listings, users only need to know which NIS server they reside on.

File locking/sharing maintains file integrity by preventing more than one user from opening and changing a file at any time. Other InterDrive features also save time and effort. Right mouse button support enables users to make changes on-the-fly without disconnecting services. Users can also avoid navigating through a complex directory hierarchy by assigning a drive letter for direct access to a folder.