Windows NT Workstation Operating Systems
"Windows NT Workstation" is a version of NT that can operate in a "peer-to-peer" environment like WFWG and Win95, yet it provides the security features of Windows NT Server.!

So, NT Workstation can perform as a server in the same way as WFWG and WIN95. This means that you can allow outside workstations to get into your machine. Windows NT Workstation can be configured as a server or as a workstation.

The literature says that a maximum of 10 connections can be made to a Windows NT Workstation machine at a given time.

Windows NT Workstation gives the ability to interface to any process in the system through the GUI.

  1. All tasks can be processed through the GUI.

  2. All devices can be configured through the GUI.

  3. Multiple "tasks" can be processed at the same time.

  4. Windows NT Workstations can provide a "network" server function.

  5. NT Workstation operates as a "peer-to-peer" Network Operating System. It can also operate as a workstation in a workgroup.

  6. NT provides "security" features at the NSA's C2 level.

Well, lets describe the Windows NT a little more. "NT" is supposed to mean "New Technology". Others have said it means "Next Time" in reference to the marketing technique of introducing new versions relatively frequently. Lets stick with the Microsoft definition of "New Technology".

  • Windows NT is a multi-threaded, pre-emptive multitasking OS which performs 32-bit memory addressing if desired!

  • It includes integrated networking, security, and administration tools; and, it can run on systems with multiple CPUs.

  • It can be loaded on Intel processors and some RISC processors.

  • It is designed to perform and a Network Server!
Ok - what is "pre-emptive multitasking? First, the system can run multiple tasks at the same time. Second, if one job is waiting on something, NT will preempt that job in favor of a job that is waiting. This allows CPU cycles to be devoted to jobs that are not waiting for some input or output to occur.

NT controls which tasks are receiving CPU cycles. Some tasks can be given higher priorities than other jobs and the high priority jobs will be given more time than the lower priority jobs.

NT as an operating system has a a number of advanced features, among them are:

  1. Networking - you can configure an NT machine into a network at the time of installation.

  2. NTFS File Service - NT will run in a DOS FAT file structure, but if you want to utilize the security features of NT, you will convert it to NTFS (NT File System). As long as you have a FAT file structure, you can boot in DOS or NT; when you convert to NTFS, you can boot only in NT.

  3. Multiprocessor Support. NT is supposedly capable of running on multiple CPUs without any special configuration effort.

  4. Hardware Support - NT supposedly will run on most types of INTEL based hardware from a 80386 up. Don't even think about a 386! You need a minimum of 16 MB to load and run NT. NT is supposed to recognize hardware devices and expansion cards. WARNING: If you have devices that are not on the "Equipment Compatability List", expect considerable trouble. We have to specially load drivers to get it to work with Diamond Stealth 64DRAM video cards. Some of the new plug-and-play (PnP) devices cause minor problems unless your NT was shipped after some of the drivers were included. Our version has trouble with the newer SMC network interface cards. But there is a procedure to configure it before you load NT.

  5. Fault Tolerance - It will allow for disk mirroring and disk stripping using a RAID device. It also has a connection for UPS operation NT clients and servers, which warns of power outages, and starts automatic shutdown.

  6. System Administration Tools - this is a great feature! It is a separate program group called "Administrative Tools". This is available only to the "Administrator". It is the tool for creating accounts, server administration, disk administrator, event viewer, etc.

One difference between NT Server and NT Workstation is that you can install NT Workstation as a standalone workstation, rather than as some type of server.

My personal workstation has Windows NT Workstation on it. It allows me to log on into my PC, or I can login as part of a network domain.

When logging into my own as a workgroup I have one set of ICONs, along with E-Mail. If I login as part of a domian, I only have a few icons available because I have not created them in both enviornments.

Other systems will not allow me to access their files when I login as my machine, but when I login as part of a domain, I have the permissions set for the domain.

NT has a serious set of security functions. Enough said. I recommend you look at a book called "Windows NT Unleashed", Robert Cowart, SAMS Publishing. It is an excellent book!