| SUMMARY:
Issues and background about Mac OS X compatibility. Updated
9/30/02 |
Background: The issue with Mac OS X
is how programs handle a shared file on the server (using a technique
called "byte-range locking" which is essential to multi-user programs
like Clients & Profits and MYOB). Apple decided not to support
byte-range locking in Mac OS X. Most applications, such as PhotoShop,
Excel, Word, etc. are single-user user programs that won't let anyone
else use a document you're working on, so whether Mac OS X supports
byte-range locking isn't an issue.
We started testing with an iMac running
OS X 10.2 that connected to a 40mb database on an Appleshare 6.3.3
server running on Mac OS 9.2. With this setup we posted A/R, A/P,
and checks. Also, we edited various jobs and went through the basic
areas of the program testing for basic functionality. Second, we connected
to the same database from a PowerMac G4 running Mac OS 9.2. With this
set up we saved timecards to the same job at the same time. This displayed
the padlock cursor, indicating that the record was correctly locked
by the byte range locking mechanism. Also, we tested posting A/P and
checks to the same vendor, then edited the same job at the same time
from both Macs successfully.
Third, we opened the same database on the AppleShare server with the
iMac running OS X 10.2 and a Windows 98 PC. In this test, record locking
worked correctly on both the iMac and the PC. The same test also worked
with a Windows 2000 machine and OS X 10.2 working together. Then we
tried some configurations with three different operating systems.
One test included OS X 10.2, OS 9.2, Windows 98 and the another included
OS X 10.2, OS 9.2, and Windows 2000. All of these tests were successful
as well. All of these tests were successful as well.
There are still many configurations and functions to test (see below),
but at this point it OS X 10.2 looks good. We're continuing our testing
throughout August.
The standard performance tests including posting a multi-line time
card, editing a job ticket, batch posting several A/P invoices, and
automatically writing a batch of vendor checks.
All tests were performed on a PowerMac G4 server running Mac OS 9.2
and Appleshare 6.3.3:
-- iMac running OS X 10.2
-- iMac running OS X 10.2 + PowerMac G4 running OS 9.2
-- iMac running OS X 10.2 + Windows 98 PC
-- iMac running OS X 10.2 + Windows 2000 PC
-- iMac running OS X 10.2 + PowerMac G4 running OS 9.2 + Windows 98
PC
-- iMac running OS X 10.2 + PowerMac G4 running OS 9.2 + Windows 2000
PC
Server testing results:
We performed multi-user testing on both a Windows 2000 server and
a Mac OS 9.2 AppleShare-based server. On both servers we had different
people using Mac OS X 10.2-based workstations enter time cards, post
A/P and A/R entries simultaneously. There was no damage to the database
and all of the work seemed to save and post properly.
We tried to perform multi-user testing using Mac OS X 10.2 workstations
on a PowerMac server running Mac OS X 10.1 Server, but experienced
inconsistencies (i.e., posting more than one time card at the same
time caused some time entries not to be saved). Also, we were unable
to get file sharing to work. The same problems occured in the Mac
OS X 10.2 Server, so the issue is still unresolved.
Links:
Apple
tech note: Exclusive File Locking in Mac OS X
