Apollo Computer Inc has added a Network License Server for its Network Computing System to facilitate management of network servers. The product is based on the Network Computing System, and applies what Apollo calls concurrent usage licensing rather than the usual CPU licensing or site licensing, allowing a fixed num-ber of end users concurrent access to an application independent of location, thus ensuring software suppliers customer payment based on product usage. Apollo hopes to get the licence system adopted as a standard and will be presenting it to the myriad of standards bodies to gain acceptance. Apollo also announced that it had made five new implementations of the set of distributed products that make up the Network Computing System as it now stands (CI No 623). MS-DOS on Personalikes, Unix system V on Cray Research machines, Ultrix on DEC minis, and Sun’s SunOS environment are all supported. The licence system will be available on Apollo workstations in March 1988, followed by support for DEC and Sun. Apollo says that while ports are being prepared NLS can be used by communicating with a licence server running on an Apollo workstation. A 50-hook licence server is available from Apollo for a one-time charge of $4,000 plus media and documentation, or developers can pay $1,000 a year. The software supplier lock is available for a one-time fee of $5,000. The Network Computing System source code tape will be available from Apollo in the first quarter of 1988 for a one-time fee of $1,000: it includes source code for Berkeley Unix – Apollo, SunOS, VAX Ultrix, MS-DOS, Unix System V, and VAX/VMS.
Content from our partners
