virtual integrated network system (VINES)

Vines, a network operating system from the Banyan company, allows different hardware, topologies, access methods and transmission media to coexist in the same network. Any number of Banyan servers of different designs can be interconnected to form a virtual network.

Any user connected to a server can transparently use any network service without having to know where the service is and how the connection is physically and logically established. Fast backbone LANs can be used as well as fast asynchronous or synchronous serial connections.

The key features of Vines are the integration of multiple communication technologies, connections between minicomputers and host connections, and transparent network access that makes all resources appear as if they were local. Vines has a network-wide naming and addressing system that allows users to use resources regardless of where they are implemented. As part of its Internet strategy, Vines implements internal bridging for the most popular PC network types such as Ethernet, Token Ring, ARCnet and StarLAN. Access to local mainframes, minis and other host computers is usually realized by an immediate serial connection between a Vines server and the system in question.

Vines provides a number of network services such as file, disk and printer sharing, administrative functions such as system management and backup/ restore, network management and multi-user functions such as mail. The file services manage volumes on the network and externally conform to PC/ MS- DOS filing system specifications.