CD Server Solutions

[NetworkGeezer]

What CD server solution do people use?

Dedicated hardware like Axis Lanstor or Avantis with proprietary client software?

Or a mixture of standalone client software and network shares running on a normal file server?

Thankyou, thankyou, thanyou Mr DaemonTools whoever you are. No more shall we pay Avantis ridiculous prices for CD serving! Virtual CD drives
russ

Daemon Tools looks good (especially the scriptable image mounting) but the 4 drive limit is a problem. Yes you can get shell extensions for to right click mount and remount but imagine kids having to doing this.

Does anyone use H+H Das Original Virtual CD or Paragons CD Emulator especially in networked environments? These seem to be better suited for central administration.

TIA

[ChrisH]

Ive not tried this myself but rather than having Daemon tools on the server have it on each workstation. You can then put the images on the server and there are many addons including scripting and image browsing utilities on the Daemon tools site.

Like I say that should work but I havent tried it personally.

Edit sorry didnt read your post properly at first but same applies

[Quackers]

How come 4 CD-ROM Drive limit is a problem, what software comes on more than 4 CD's as a full install?

[ChrisH]

I assumed he was looking at it as only being installed on the server hence my suggestion. Of course I could be wrong but only time will tell (or a reply from the author )

Now I must go and eat I seem to be talking gibberish.

[NetworkGeezer]

Ive not tried this myself but rather than having Daemon tools on the server have it on each workstation. You can then put the images on the server and there are many addons including scripting and image browsing utilities on the Daemon tools site.

Yes. By definition Daemon Tools would have to run on the end user PCs in order to create the virtual drives.

How come 4 CD-ROM Drive limit is a problem, what software comes on more than 4 CD's as a full install?

Remember this is only necessary for applications which require a CD-ROM in the drive while running. If a number of such apps are need on a particular room, it would be nice to be have as many as possible before the user needs to mount and unmount images.

Of course it cuts down on the number of free network drives but this isn't normally a problem.

Anyone tried Axis or Avantis?

[Quackers]

How come 4 CD-ROM Drive limit is a problem, what software comes on more than 4 CD's as a full install?

Remember this is only necessary for applications which require a CD-ROM in the drive while running. If a number of such apps are need on a particular room, it would be nice to be have as many as possible before the user needs to mount and unmount images.

Of course it cuts down on the number of free network drives but this isn't normally a problem.

Anyone tried Axis or Avantis?[/quote]

I install Demon tools on every PC, then create shortcuts that have the Icon of the program, but actually mount the CD then load the program automatically, seemless to the user. Is this not an option?

[ChrisH]

I was thinking that you were thinking you were justt going to map to the servers virtual CD drives so not client software required.

I have yet to come across a CD that I had to host though. I usually just copy the contents to a folder. Can you give an example just to satisy my curiosity?

[NetworkGeezer]

I install Demon tools on every PC, then create shortcuts that have the Icon of the program, but actually mount the CD then load the program automatically, seemless to the user. Is this not an option?

I did think about doing this but the problem was that most mounting methods in Daemon Tools world offer only static mounting. Clicking on an icon should mount to the first free virtual drive as there are limited number availible.

This means of Geography CD 2 and History CD 3 map to drive 1 then they can't selected together even if there are only ones being used during a logon session.

[Quackers]

I install Demon tools on every PC, then create shortcuts that have the Icon of the program, but actually mount the CD then load the program automatically, seemless to the user. Is this not an option?

I did think about doing this but the problem was that most mounting methods in Daemon Tools world offer only static mounting. Clicking on an icon should mount to the first free virtual drive as there are limited number availible.

This means of Geography CD 2 and History CD 3 map to drive 1 then they can't selected together even if there are only ones being used during a logon session.

You can specify which CD-ROM Drive to put the CD in either device 0,1,2 or 3. But i always mount to device 0 since they only run one multimedia app at once.

[NetworkGeezer]

I was thinking that you were thinking you were justt going to map to the servers virtual CD drives so not client software required.

I don't think this would work as these program usually use some kind of low level OS call to detect the CD-ROM the CD is running from. Unless you're talking about terminal server session then virtual drives on a server can only appear as vanilla shares to client PCs.

I have yet to come across a CD that I had to host though. I usually just copy the contents to a folder.

I know my status says newbie but even I know how to do that

Can you give an example just to satisy my curiosity?

Well, our teachers seem to have an unerring ability to find them. Have you ever encountered the Start to Finish Classic Literature series?