I I I NIMMffi$ I I I
NETWORK 3 BEGINNERS GUIDE
ti.N I T NETWORK 3 I BEGINNERS GUIDE I I I
PN24969 RM Nimbus Network 3 Beginners Guide
PN 24969
CopyrightO 1989 Research Machines Limited.
All rights reserved. Although customers may make copies of this manual for their own use, you, as a customer, may make no other form of copy of any part of it without our written permission.
MS-DOS, Word, Windows and Multiplan are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Because our policy is to improve our products and services continually, we may make changes without notice. We have tried to keep the information in this manual completely accurate, but we cannot be held responsible for the consequences of any errors or omissions.
Printed by The Hazell Press, Wembly.
RM Technical Support: Tel. Oxford (0865) 796197.
Research Machines Limited, MillStreet, Oxford OX2 OBW.
Tel: Oxford (0865) 791234. Corttents
Contents
About This Manual 1
Topics Covered 1 Who Should Read This? 1 How to Use the Manual 1 Related Publications 2
Chapter 1 What is the Network? 3
Your Station 3 The Server 4
Chapter 2 Starting a Session 5
Switching on the Station 5 Logging On 6
Chapter 3 Using Menus 11
Choosing Options 12 Selecting files 13 Operating System Functions 14
Chapter 4 Ending a Session 15
Disk Space Control 16 Deleting files 17 Network 3 Beginners Guide
About This Manual
This manual describes how to operate a station on an RM Network 3.
Topics Covered
This manual is in four main parls:
r What is the Network? o Starting a Session o Using Menus r Ending a Session It also covers all possible types of stations:
o RM Nimbus PC-1BG o RM Nimbus PC-2BG r RM Nimbus PC-3BG o RM Nimbus X Series
Who Should Read This?
This manual is intended for all new network users. lf you only have access to the RM menu system, then this manual should be all that you need to read about the network. lf you have access to either Windows or MS-DOS, then you will also need to read the Network 3 Users Guide.
Network managers will also find this manual useful when advising network users.
How to Use the Manual
You should read manual sequentially, from cover to cover. After your first reading, you will probably need to refer to sections occasionally as your work requires. Network 3 Beginners Guide
Related Publications
You may find the Network 3 Users Guide usefulwhen reading this Beginners Guide. Network 3 Beginners Guide
Chapter 1 What is the Network?
This section tells you about the network and introduces you to your own bit of it.
The network is a way of linking up computers so that expensive resources, such as printers and disk drives, can be shared among a large number of users. lt consists of several Nimbus computers, called stations, connected by cable to a central Nimbus, called the server.
Your Station
When you are working on the network, you use one of the stations. There are three types of stalions:
o Nimbus PC-186 o Nimbus PC-286 and PC-386 o Nimbus X Series
Each type of station may look slightly different, but each consists of the three main elements:
r A monitor.
This is rather like a television screen. The station displays information on the monitor.
o The computer.
This contains all the electronics that process information. lt may also have a disk drive. See the Network 3 Users Guide for more information about disk drives.
o A keyboard.
Your station may also have a mouse. lf you need to use the mouse then refer to the Network 3 Users Guide for instructions.
I Network 3 Beginners Guide
The Server
The server (controlled by your network manager) provides your station with all the facilities it needs. But each station is independent of the others, and it is able to process its own information, although any information that is stored permanently is stored on the seryer.
Printers (through which you can get paper records of your work) are also usually attached to the server, although in some circumstances you may have one attached to your station. Network 3 Beginners Guide
Chapler 2 Starting a Session
This chapter describes how to start a session of work on the network. gives details of:
o Switching on the station.
o ldentifying yourself to the network (this is called "logging on" to the network).
o The display that you see immediately a{ter you log on.
Switching on the Station
lf your station has already been switched on, then the Welcome Screen will be displayed on the monitor. ln this case go to the next section, "Logging on".
lf your station has not been switched on already, switch the black rocker switch on the rear panel of your station to l. (l is on and O is off .)
When you switch on, the green power indicator light on the f ront panel comes on. lt remains on until you switch your station off.
The on/off switch also controls the supply to the AC (mains) output socket on the rear panel. lf the monitor mains lead is plugged into this socket, your monitor and computer unit are both controlled by the same switch. lf not, switch on the computer and monitor separately. Network 3 Beginners Guide
As the network starts up, the screen display changes. The Welcome message is followed by some details about the operating system and disk drives. Don't worry if you don't understand these. Just wait a few seconds until you see a display like this one:
This is what you see if your station has already been switched on ready for you to use.
Logging On
Before beginning any work on the network, you have to identify yourself to the network and pass all the security checks which ensure that you are allowed to use the network.
The screen display asks you to enter your user identity. The cursor (the llashing marker) indicates that the computer is waiting for you to type something at the keyboard.
The network manager has given you a name to use as your user identity. Type this in now, then press the
SUSAN
Don't worry if you make a mistake. The computer lets you try again. Network 3 Beginners Guide lf your network manager wants extra security, you are asked for a password as well as a user identity.
Type in your password. For example:
LUP INS
Your user identity is displayed on the screen as you typed it in, but the password is not; it is replaced by a row of asterisks. This is so that nobody can look over your shoulder and read it. Keep your password to yourself.
When you have passed the security checks, a new screen appears. This contains messages and network information from your network manager.
You see a screen display like one of the four described below. ldentify what kind of screen display you have, and then turn to the chapter which tells you how to use it. Netwark 3 Beginners Guide
o A software menu screen (the word MENU is in the top right-hand corner). The choices you are offered may not be the same as the ones shown here. See chapter 3 for details of what to do next.
rrIII Uenslon 2.6OD ltf,t{u ScnE Et{ til Display HELP rext r llalane & Da'ronetrat ions E E lbnd processing/text edit ing E E Languages E E Othen appllcatlons :E it the llenu Srlsten E Operating s9sten functions i Hoi, Hcru
a
1
The NETDSK menu screen (the word NETDSK is in the top right-hand corner). This menu appears if you have exceeded a disk-space limit imposed by the network manager. lt asks you to delete some files from your network drive before letting you continue. See chapter 4 which describes NETDSK.
ffffi Uension 2.81A I,IEltU SCREf,H !- ;r .rl ieplay HELP ecnen . l-t ! r iE E ! r-tFs Ilelete f iles on I{: t il I E : iI* I i E J I r------l ;; rS I Quit this utility ! E i-'-- i Sclect Ortion Network 3 Beginners Guide
o Windows (the Windows MS-DOS Executive). The names you see on the screen may not be the same as the ones shown here. See the Network 3 Users Guide for more information about Windows.
flle Uler lpeclal rt-l EI:l cl--l x[-l p[::l r[:l nl:::l o, r
tlsD0stxc . Pcx PBEU tEY.TI'P scRtEx0!. rx T HIX. ntl 1 u
o MS-DOS prompt - this is the prompt for you to type instructions. Your prompt is usually N:B but it may be A:\> or any other letter for which a drive exists. See the Network 3 Users Guide for more information about MS-DOS.
For instructions on ending a session on the network, turn to chapter 4. Network 3 Beginners Guide
Chapter 3 Using Menus
Menu screens contain a list of options you can choose from. With a menu you can use your station without difficulty, even if you are inexperienced with computers.
The menu screen you see first may be the one shown in chapter 2, or it may be one chosen especially for you by your network manager. For example, if you and your colleagues work mainly with WORD, Multiplan, and BASIC, your first menu screen would look like this:
t-- i Uersion Z.BED ! f,trrllt : I ! }IENU SCH EEN i-1.. Display HELp rext rtultiptan EE|@ l-rz| ricnosoft uoBI) rEilf f im It the llenu Sgsterrr l-,*]Hr'Asrc I I H.lr, r"r,r. ! ! ! t
lf you see a menu screen with the title NETDSK, read the information about choosing options in this chapter and then turn to chapter 4.
$ I
11 Network 3 Beginners Guide
Choosing Options
Next to each option is a box containing F followed by a number, 1 to 10. The number indicates which function (F) key you press to select the option. The F keys are on the left of some keyboards:
and along the top of others:
l1 F F' F4 F F6 FI F8 F 110 F F
o F5 is normally used to go back to the previous menu.
o F7 is normally used to go back to the main menu.
o F9 is normally used to leave the current menu system (perhaps going into Windows or MS-DOS, or else logging off the network).
o F1 may give you information (known as "help text") about selecting options.
o When you have read the help text, looked at a demonstration or noted a message, the ESC key normally returns you to the previous menu.
lf your menu screen looks like the one shown earlier in this chapter, you can press
12 Network 3 Beginners Guide
Selecting files
Some options from the menus allow you to select a file. For example, if you select the option "Run an RM Basic program", you will see a different type of menu which lists the names of all RM Basic programs in a directory and allows you to select one to run. The top left-hand program is highlighted.
f,trEtrIlf uersiorr Z.BBD *" tt'"o"= i ll SELEClIO}I SCNEEH _ i-_'-__-',._,, - illi ., -r ![ ,:f 1 Displag HELP rext confi.n selected filenane I ll._r ]|l2|
I i}TF]ll?.1ln;+il hand bas I clearall bas housedem bas i co lordertr bas letters bas I d.t.d"r bas nan bas i demo bas ror"r6sm bas i aindm bae nusicdon bae I duckden bas palette bas I editden bas liope bas i funcden bas uoice bas unaphden bas r.rnitedear bas iI
To use this kind of screen, move the highlight to the name of the f ile you want to select by: o Pressing the space bar on the keyboard to move the highlight to the program below.
Or: o Pressing one of the arrow keys towards the right of the keyboard to move the highlight in the direction the arrow indicates (for example, press > to move the selection to the right). lf there are more filenames than willfit on the screen, the following keys are useful:
PgDn moves down a screenful PgUp moves up a screenful Home moves to the first entry End moves to the last entry
13 N etwork 3' Beginners Guide
To select a file, press
Operating System Functions
lf you are offered this option, you can choose how to organise your work on disk, select a printer, or use MS-DOS commands. For more information, see the Network 3 Users Guide.
14 Network 3 Beginners Guide
Chapter 4 Ending a Session
After f inishing work, it is important to log off the network correctly.
Simply switching off your station causes the network to slow down for other users, and your drive may become cluttered with temporary files. lf you leave your station without logging off, another user can access your f iles.
First, save the work you have done and close any program you are using. lf you return to the menu, select the option "Quit menu system" (the wording may be ditferent from this - see your manager if you are unsure about what to do). lf the NETDSK screen appears, you may need to delete some of the files on drive N. See the section "Disk Space Control" in this chapter for details.
When you have logged off, the Sign-on screen is displayed. Other users can now log on from your station if they wish.
l5 Network 3 Beginners Guide
Finally, watch lhe amount of network disk space you are using. Keep the number of liles to a minimum to avoid filling up the disk. Delete any temporary f iles (ones with .TMP, .BAK or .$$$ at the end of their names) regularly and transfer old f iles onto a floppy disk if you want to keep them. lt all helps to keep the network running smoothly.
lf lor any reason you are unable to close a session properly, press Disk Space Control All users on the network share space on the winchester disk in the network server. The network manager can limit the space available to any user so that no one takes more than their fair share. This is achieved by the program NETDSK. NETDSK may be set to run whenever you log on or log off the network. It checks the amount of disk space you have used and only appears on screen when your allocated disk space has been exceeded. This is what the NETDSK menu screen looks like: f[[!fllf uerslon 2.614 IIEHU SCREEX rEEEisplag HELP ecpeon rEE l|E_| Delete rilee on H: euit this utitity |Jrs| |J;10I i" i"li-orii"" l6 Network 3 Beginners Guide The NETDSK program requests you to delete one or more files on drive N if allof your allotted disk space has been used. lf the NETDSK menu does not give the "euit'option at F9, then you must remove at least one of your files before resuming work on the network. lf you are not used to working with files, refer to chapter 6 to find out about the terms used. Deleting files NETDSK is used in a similar way to the menu screens described in chapter 3. select F6 to list your files and to f ind out how much space is needed. fTfS[ft-TI Uension Z.B1A SELECIIO]I SCBEEH Disptay Hf,Lp screen ||TI| |JJr_| Detete all selected fires ffi r ILEltEr{r. PCx ?358 ]tf,rDsxl . Pcx 6357 Parent Directory GUIDE .DOC 2,66.4 HETDSXz .PCX 4692 17247 .DOC L33L2 INDOCDEF. DOC L9Z6 HEISTBG .DOC 5128 za?a? .DOC t344A IIIIELDrc.DM 3A7Z PASSUORD . PCX 6 186 ZLLL4 .DOC 57728 I}IIf,LREP,DOC 3968 SIGNOH .PCX 5983 . ,{8128 ?,ZAL6 Doc JERET.IY .DOC 2A4A TEIIP . DOC 23A4 ANDII .DOC 2A4B JOB .DOC 2644 TPPD-EIIG. DOC 26AA AUTOEXEC.BAI 5 }IENUZ .PO( 7ZS3 coNIRoL .DOC 256A l,lEr{u3 .Po( 6464 EXDOCDEF.DOC 238,4 ilEIDEF .MC z,5,6A To use the deletion screen, move the highlight with the space bar or the arrow keys to the name you want to select, and press 17 Network 3 Beginners Guide It is a good idea to delete any temporary files (ones with .TMP, .BAK or .$$$ at the end of their names), as they are not used once you have closed the application which created them. Sizes of files (in bytes) are displayed after their name and extension. lf you have any subdirectories, their names are followed by At the start of the listing is the'Select allfiles'option. lf you move to this and press The "Parent Directory" option allows movement up one directory level from a suMirectory: lf you are in the top level directory in your own directory structure this option has no effect. When happy with your choice, delete by pressing lf you have not deleted sufficient f iles to provide adequate working space, the NETDSK selection display reappears. lf you have access to MS-DOS or Windows, copy liles you want to keep onto floppy disks, as described in lhe Network 3 Users Guide.ll you only have access lo the menus, or your station does not have a disk drive, then ask your network manager lo make copies on lloppy disks.Then delete the copies on lhe server winchester disk to clear your network space. 18