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Some schools already have Internet servers -- perhaps PCs running
Windows NT, or Sun Netras running Unix, or Linux boxes -- but may still want the
ease of administration of the ANT Internet Server Suite.
This can be arranged quite easily, by configuring the server
suite so that, instead of connecting to a 'real' service provider
(ISP) for Internet service, it connects to your Netra or NT
server as if it were an ISP. This uses your existing
server as what's called an upstream server.
This has several advantages:
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Familiarity |
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The ANT Internet Server Suite runs on standard, familiar
RISC OS computers: the ones you've made all that investment
of time in finding out how to use. Installing the server,
operating the server, backing up email folders, and all the
other server tasks are all done in the RISC OS manner -- so
you already know how to do them.
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Ease of administration |
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Everything you need to do during normal operation of the
server -- granting and denying access, and all forms of user
management and administration -- can be done from any RISC OS
computer on the network, once you've logged in as an
administrator user. The ANT Internet Server Suite features a
proper user administration program, which means you don't
have to use, for instance, an ungainly web interface to
control your server: all controls are responsive and active,
just the way they should be. If you can use ordinary RISC OS
programs, you can use our administration tool.
For more details, see the section User
access.
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Spreading the load |
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It's an obvious point, but if a second, RISC OS, computer is
serving email and web pages to some or all of your users, the
load on your main server will go down, and performance may
improve.
The most usual situation where this is important is if you
have a network of PCs, all happily using a Windows NT or Unix
server for Internet access, and you want to add a network of
Acorns to your system without causing too much disruption to
your existing setup.
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