On Wed, 2001-11-07 at 14:02, Ken Whitcomb wrote:
> Brute force? Perhaps, but I'm convinced that good topology and switching
> design not only create an Appletalk tolerant environment but one that's
> healthier for all protocols running. Others certainly know more than me.
You can minimize the pain of AppleTalk (really, to be pedantic, we're
talking about DDP-over-Ethernet, the low-level guts of what was once
called 'EtherTalk') topologically, by segregating all of your AppleTalk
devices on their own segment with an AppleTalk-denying router between
that segment and the rest of your network. But then your users feel
marginalized and complain of poor performance and limited access. More
ugly compromises.
Switching does not and can not help, since the AppleTalk broadcast is
just that -- a broadcast. It definitionally goes to all machines on the
segment. Switches rebroadcast it down all ports.
Really, AppleTalk is a terribly dumb protocol. By that, I'm not
insulting the intelligence of the engineers that designed it, or the
people who use it or any such thing. It is dumb by design, because it's
designed to be simple. Apple's engineers didn't want Joe MacUser to
have to think about switching, routing, or anything except plug it in
and go. Accordingly, it has no innate intelligence, and very very
little flexibility. Mechanisms that make networks better for other
protocols have little or no effect on AppleTalk, since it's basically
too simple to follow directions well. It does not play well with
others.
I have misty-eyed memories of back in 1992, trying to get AppleTalk
(both Ethernet and LocalTalk) and IPX and NetBEUI and IP all to coexist
and commingle in the same building. It was a fun exercise, but it
honestly kept me from doing a lot of other important work.
Here in 2001, with SO MANY more things to worry about like corporate
data security, denial of service attacks, virus management, and on and
on, the concept of simplicity at the lower levels is very very appealing
and worthwhile. Even Apple knows this, which is why they're IP all the
way now. From the administrative point of view, adding extra vectors
onto the wire to indulge that crazy guy in the corner with his old
crufty legacy PDA... well, I can sympathize with them.
All of which means that it's a bad world to be in if you want to use
devices that are AppleTalk-only. In a perfect world, we'll be able to
replace all AppleTalk functionality in the Newton with IP functionality
someday soon, and bypass the grumpy overworked IT guys altogether....
;-)
-- R Pickett The people that once bestowed commands, consulships, Hayseed Networks legions, and all else, now meddles no more and longs emerson_at_hayseed.net eagerly for just two things -- bread and circuses.-- This is the Newtontalk mailinglist - http://www.newtontalk.net To unsubscribe or manage: visit the above link or mailto:newtontalk-request_at_newtontalk.net?Subject=unsubscribe
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