IBM LAN Server is a discontinued network operating system introduced by International Business Machines (IBM) in 1988. LAN Server started as a close cousin of Microsoft's LAN Manager and first shipped in early 1988. It was originally designed to run on top of Operating System/2 (OS/2) Extended Edition.[1] The network client was called IBM LAN Requester and was included with OS/2 EE 1.1 by default.[2] (Eventually IBM shipped other clients and supported yet more. Examples include the IBM OS/2 File/Print Client, IBM OS/2 Peer, and client software for Microsoft Windows.[3]) Here the short term LAN Server refers to the IBM OS/2 LAN Server product. There were also LAN Server products for other operating systems, notably AIX[4]—now called Fast Connect[5]—and OS/400.[6]

IBM LAN Server
Developer
OS familyOS/2
Working stateDiscontinued
Source modelClosed source
Initial release1988; 36 years ago (1988)
Final release5.1 / 1999; 25 years ago (1999)
Marketing targetLocal area networks
LicenseProprietary
Preceded byIBM PC LAN Program

Version history

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Version
no.
Year Notes
1.0 1988 for OS/2 EE 1.0[1]
1.2 1990 for OS/2 EE 1.2[7]
1.3 1991 for OS/2 EE 1.3[8]
2.0 1992 related to LAN Manager 2.0[9]
3.0 1993 Entry and Advanced versions[10] (no LAN Manager "cousin" from here on[11][12])
4.0 1994 Entry and Advanced versions, new object-oriented user interface[13]
5.0 1996 included in OS/2 Warp Server[14]
5.1 1999 included in OS/2 Warp Server for e-business[15]

Predecessors included IBM PC LAN Program (PCLP).[16] Variants included LAN Server Ultimedia (optimized for network delivery of multimedia files) and LAN On-Demand.[17][18] Add-ons included Directory and Security Server,[19] Print Services Facility/2 (later known as Advanced Printing),[20] Novell NetWare for OS/2,[21] and LAN Server for Macintosh.[22]

Innovations

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LAN Server pioneered certain file and print sharing concepts such as domains (and domain controllers), networked COM ports, domain aliases, and automatic printer driver selection and installation.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Doyle, Lee (January 6, 1988). "The LAN Server dilemma". Computerworld. 22 (1). IDG Publications: 33 – via ProQuest.
  2. ^ Staff writer (November 10, 1987). "IBM announces ship dates for its standard, extended OS/2 editions". PC Week. 4 (45). Ziff-Davis: 16 – via Gale.
  3. ^ Minasi, Mark; Jim Blaney; Chris Brenton (1999). The Complete Network Upgrade & Maintenance Guide. Sybex. p. 620. ISBN 9780782122596 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ Burns, Christine (January 17, 1994). "NCR, IBM to team on LAN Server for AIX". Network World. 11 (3). IDG Publications: L1, L10 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Staff writer (March 28, 1999). "IBM Tweaks AIX for Better PC Interoperability, Security". Computer Business Review. New Statesman Media Group. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022.
  6. ^ Soltis, Frank G. (2001). Fortress Rochester: The Inside Story of the IBM i Series. NEWS/400 Books. p. 266. ISBN 9781583040836 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Morrissey, Jane; David Strom (March 19, 1990). "IBM OS/2 upgrades reach starting gate". PC Week. 7 (11). Ziff-Davis: 1 – via Gale.
  8. ^ Morrissey, Jane (February 18, 1991). "Comprehensive pact to boost NetWare on multiple platforms: IBM, Novell pledge to fortify networking bonds". PC Week. 8 (7). Ziff-Davis: 1 – via Gale. IBM pledged that OS/2 LAN Server will remain a strategic offering, announcing that version 1.3 was shipped ahead of schedule last week. They also pledged to fully support both LAN Server and NetWare equally.
  9. ^ Krohn, Nico (June 15, 1992). "OS/2 gets network muscle: directory services, peer features set for LAN Server". PC Week. 9 (24). Ziff-Davis: 1 – via Gale.
  10. ^ Krohn, Nico (August 31, 1992). "LAN Server 3.0 in beta; peer services included". PC Week. 9 (35). Ziff-Davis: 1 – via Gale.
  11. ^ Smalley, Eric (August 2, 1993). "IBM puts new muscle behind OS/2 LAN Server". PC Week. 10 (30). Ziff-Davis: 45 – via Gale.
  12. ^ Capen, Tracey (January 10, 1994). "NOS". InfoWorld. 16 (2). IDG Publications: 60 – via Gale.
  13. ^ Petreley, Nicholas (August 22, 1994). "IBM cleans up LAN Server's act". InfoWorld. 16 (34). IDG Publications: 1 – via Gale. IBM's LAN Server 4.0 network operating system, which will be out in Oct[ober] 1994, adds object-oriented administration tools and peer-to-peer services ...
  14. ^ Green, Terence (February 7, 1996). "IBM cooks up an efficient NOS". PC User (276). EMAP Media: 44 – via Gale.
  15. ^ "OS/2 Warp Server for e-business Performance Tuning". eCSoft/2. June 27, 2017. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020.
  16. ^ Nance, Barry (1994). Client/Server LAN Programming. Que. p. 40. ISBN 9781565299245 – via Google Books.
  17. ^ Polilli, Steve (February 7, 1994). "IBM, integrator offer networks ready to plug in". InfoWorld. 16 (6). IDG Publications: 44 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ Staff writer (December 13, 1993). "IBM launches LAN Server Ultimedia". PC Week. 10 (49). Ziff-Davis: 56 – via Gale.
  19. ^ Zelinka, Douglas A. (February 19, 1996). "Directory and Security Server scales Warp Server to the enterprise". InfoWorld. 18 (8). IDG Publications: 101 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ "IBM Announcement Letter No. ZP95-0253". International Business Machines Corporation. May 3, 1995. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022.
  21. ^ Cummings, Joanne (October 28, 1991). "Novell sharing IBM vision". Network World. 8 (43). IDG Publications: 58 – via Google Books.
  22. ^ Wilson, Jayne (December 7, 1992). "IBM moves its LAN Server to the Macintosh". InfoWorld. 14 (49). IDG Publications: 51 – via Gale.

Further reading

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