IBM LAN Server is a discontinued
network operating system
A network operating system (NOS) is a specialized operating system for a network device such as a router, switch or firewall.
Historically operating systems with networking capabilities were described as network operating systems, because they al ...
introduced by
International Business Machines (IBM) in 1988. LAN Server started as a close cousin of
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...
's
LAN Manager
LAN Manager is a discontinued network operating system (NOS) available from multiple vendors and developed by Microsoft in cooperation with 3Com Corporation. It was designed to succeed 3Com's 3+Share network server software which ran atop a h ...
and first shipped in early 1988. It was originally designed to run on top of
Operating System/2 (OS/2) Extended Edition.
The network client was called IBM LAN Requester and was included with
OS/2
OS/2 (Operating System/2) is a series of computer operating systems, initially created by Microsoft and IBM under the leadership of IBM software designer Ed Iacobucci. As a result of a feud between the two companies over how to position OS/2 r ...
EE 1.1 by default. (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.) 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
Aix or AIX may refer to:
Computing
* AIX, a line of IBM computer operating systems
*An Alternate Index, for a Virtual Storage Access Method Key Sequenced Data Set
* Athens Internet Exchange, a European Internet exchange point
Places Belgi ...
—now called Fast Connect—and
OS/400
IBM i (the ''i'' standing for ''integrated'') is an operating system developed by IBM for IBM Power Systems. It was originally released in 1988 as OS/400, as the sole operating system of the IBM AS/400 line of systems. It was renamed to i5/OS ...
.
Version history
Predecessors included IBM PC LAN Program (PCLP). Variants included LAN Server Ultimedia (optimized for network delivery of
multimedia
Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradit ...
files) and LAN On-Demand. Add-ons included Directory and Security Server, Print Services Facility/2 (later known as Advanced Printing), Novell
NetWare for OS/2, and LAN Server for
Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...
.
Innovations
LAN Server pioneered certain file and print sharing concepts such as domains (and
domain controller A domain controller (DC) is a server computer that responds to security authentication requests within a computer network domain. It is a network server that is responsible for allowing host access to domain resources. It authenticates users, sto ...
s), networked
COM port
COM (communication port) is the original, yet still common, name of the serial port interface on PC-compatible computers. It can refer not only to physical ports, but also to emulated ports, such as ports created by Bluetooth or USB adapters. ...
s, domain aliases, and automatic printer driver selection and installation.
See also
*
LAN messenger A LAN Messenger is an instant messaging program for computers designed for use within a single local area network (LAN).
Many LAN Messengers offer basics functionality for sending private messages, file transfer, chatrooms and graphical smileys. Th ...
*
Server Message Block
Server Message Block (SMB) is a communication protocol originally developed in 1983 by Barry A. Feigenbaum at IBM and intended to provide shared access to files and printers across nodes on a network of systems running IBM's OS/2. It also provide ...
(SMB)
References
Further reading
*
{{OS/2
Computer-related introductions in 1988
LAN Server
Network operating systems
OS/2
Servers (computing)