Apricot FT//e File server running Novell Netware
Released in June 1993, a Apricot FT//e was the main office file server that was running Novell Netware 3.11 when I joined the iT department that was part of the NHS responsible for our local ‘Family Health Services’ in 1994.
I have fond memories of this file server, if for no other reason of the automated sliding front panel that gave access to the front-accessible drive bays which for this server were populated with the floppy drive, DAT drive and a CDROM (caddy version).
It is this memory of the sliding door panel that led to to buy two vintage computers to referb or reuse that have a sliding front access panel, but neither of these open/shut based on a motor but they have been the closest I have seen in recent years.
Other than the IBM PS/2 I think this Apricot file server and its slightly larger big-brother the FT//s where the only MCA bus machines I ever came across.
I remember that this machine used a BusLogic SCSI array to host the main drive array.
Technical Specifications
CPU’s
Intel 486DX-33 (166 iCOMP)
Intel 486DX2-66 (297 iCOMP)
Intel Pentium-60 (510 iCOMP)
Intel Pentium-66 (567 iCOMP)
Memory
Minimum Configuration 16MB
Max. on-board memory 192MB on 486, 256MB on Pentium
70ns SIMM sockets 6 x 36-bit SIMM sockets
Display Controller
Controller Cirrus Logic GD5426 Video RAM 1MB
I/O Ports
Serial 1 x 25-pin male D-type
Parallel 1 x 25-pin female D-type
Floppy Drives
Floppy drive 1.44MB 3.5″ floppy
Apricot MDA Controller
Micro Channel interface 32-bit bus master DMA: up to 40MB/sec data transfer in streaming mode
SCSI interface Fast SCSI II: up to 10MB/sec synchronous and 7MB/sec asynchronous data transfers.
Inclusive drivers MS-DOS, SCO UNIX 3.2, Novell NetWare 3.x, IBM OS/2 2
Hard Disk Storage Bays
Two half-height 5.25″ bays at front, two half-height 3.5″ or three 1″ high 3.5″ devices at rear
The file server provided file and print services for the office computer network as well as hosting the Microsoft Mail post-office on it. It also ran the Novell Netware NFS add-on so that we could export file shares to it from one of the Unix based HP file servers that hosted one of the main NHS applications on it the ‘Exeter System’ which allowed us to be able to move data between the computers as needed to help with data import/export between these platforms.
It was a great workhorse server and served without any real issues from memory it was even upgraded at a later date to Novell Netware 4 and then integrated into a Novell NDS directory that we ran across a number of NHS organisations using dedicated telephone circuits,
When I joined this NHS organisation they were very much an Apricot shop until we moved over to Dell which was around the same time as we began to shift over to Windows NT networking and Microsoft Exchange as the main back office platforms replacing Novell and MS Mail as we began to push into the newly established NHS Net.
I have recently picked up at a jumble sale a set of Novell Netware 3.12 floppy disks so I may spin up a virtual machine to see if I can still get this up and running after all these years. There is no real use case for IPX based file and print services but it will be interesting to go back to the experience and remember was it was like.
Of course IPX networking started to come into its own with the advent of DOOM LAN deathmatch games, but that’s another avenue and story of its time.
Looking at the VM options I don’t think I can create a like for like machine as neither DOSBOX, MAME or 86Box come with a MCA bus option other that using a IBM PS/2 version but that then means using the PS/2 reference disks etc. so I think its going to be a more generic DOS machine with a SCSI option as the basis for this so this widens my options a fair bit. I think at the moment 8Box is going to be the most likely option.
There is an old Netware emulator for Linux which I haven’t looked at, so I may take this opportunity to spin this up in a VM as well to give a but of a compare and contrast even through I don’t think this emulator is getting any further updates, understandably, at this time.
