From: SMTP%"tdivine@pcausa.com" 10-DEC-1997 19:04:51.59 To: Mike Salisbury , ntfsd@atria.com CC: salisbur@parc.xerox.com Subj: Re: [ntfsd] file system needed? Return-Path: owner-ntfsd@atria.com Received: by arisia.gce.com (UCX V4.1-12C, OpenVMS V7.1 VAX); Wed, 10 Dec 1997 19:04:39 -0500 Received: by gw.atria.com id Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:31:14 -0500 Received: from camel14.mindspring.com by gw.atria.com id Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:31:07 -0500 Received: from superfast200 (user-37kbue9.dialup.mindspring.com [207.69.249.201]) by camel14.mindspring.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with SMTP id QAA30806; Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:31:01 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19971210162953.0094d810@mindspring.com> X-Sender: tdivine@mindspring.com X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 3.0.3 (32) Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 16:29:53 -0500 To: Mike Salisbury , ntfsd@atria.com From: "Thomas F. Divine" Subject: Re: [ntfsd] file system needed? Cc: salisbur@parc.xerox.com In-Reply-To: <97Dec10.105215pst."177483"@lepew.parc.xerox.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Sender: owner-ntfsd@atria.com Precedence: bulk At 10:52 AM 12/10/97 PST, you wrote: > >I'm trying to figure out which interface I need to meet to get >the following functionality. > >I'd like to provide an alternate interface to the built-in file system. >I'd like to be able to access the same file through various different >names. The structure wouldn't be so strictly tree-like. This interface >would provide the same functionality as a helper-app that would map >this new structure onto an existing file system, but would keep that >mapping invisible to the user/existing application. > >Originally, I thought I'd need to implement an installable file system, >a la ClearCase. However, in gathering various materials necessary to >build such a beast, I'm starting to believe I am heading in the wrong >direction. All I really need is a way to map file system calls to >my own files. That is, possibly, \\mymachine\myservice\strange\access\path\fil >e >would refer to the file I want to get at. (And if the path didn't have to >look like this standard path after the 'myservice' part, that would be >great too.) > >So it seems that instead of a file system, I want to write one of these >network service things, but I can't for the life of me figure out what >these things really are or what interface I have to meet to build one. > Mike, You do want to write an installable file system driver of a special type - a redirector. A redirector works woth a companion component called a Network Provider (NP) which handles the discovery phase and presentation in the Network Neighborhood. Basically, a NP supports the system in interpreting and displaying the \\mymachine\myservice components of a UNC path. Once one "connects" to a component, the IFS takes over and handles Win32 I/O calls. The Microsoft NTIFS kit includes a NP and basic IFS for the SMB protocol. You just don't want it to actually go out on the network. PCA doesn't have any NT examples of what you are looking for on the NT platform. However, if does have a Windows 95 example called "Sample Network For Windows 95" which is kind of interesting. It emulates a fully functional network consisting of multiple domains, with multiple servers per domain, multiple shared volumes per server, etc. using a directory tree on the host platform. You can download sample executables for Win95 if you are interested. Good luck, Thomas F. Divine President Printing Communications Associates, Inc. 4201 Brunswick Court Smyrna GA 30080 U.S.A. Tel: (770) 423-4580 -OR- (770) 436-1714 Fax: (770) 436-7246 WWW: http://www.pcausa.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [ To unsubscribe, send email to ntfsd-request@atria.com with body UNSUBSCRIBE (the subject is ignored). ]