ExtremeZ-IP File Server: SFM Comparison

ExtremeZ-IP supports Apple’s latest version of the Apple File Sharing protocol, AFP 3.1 and is the first and only Windows-based file server to fully support Mac OS X, making it a must have for mixed Mac and Windows computing environments.

Feature	ExtremeZ-IP File Server 5.0	Windows 2000/2003 SFM
Create and access files with >31 characters on the server*		X
Read and write files >2GB in size*		X
Share an unlimited number of files		X
No indexing and instant availability at startup		X
Scales efficiently to 1,000+ simultaneous users**		X
Search for files up to 150x faster		X
Supports Kerberos/single sign-on integration with Active Directory*		X
Filename policies can be defined to keep specific characters out of workflows that may be incompatible with Windows or other applications		X
Can restrict users from placing specific types of files on the server, such as .MP3 files		X
Responsive technical support available		X
Compatible with Microsoft Clustering		X
Supports automatic client reconnects on Mac OS X*		X
Supports discovering file servers using a simple widget across subnets without using AppleTalk		X
Extensive PerfMon/WMI counters for health monitoring and diagnostics		X
Supports next generation IPv6 networking standards		X
Supports "flexible permissions", allowing files to be moved from private work directories to public shares for team collaboration		X
Provides migration path to Windows Server 2008***		X
Active development and maintenance to keep pace with Windows (including future support for Longhorn server)		X
Active development to keep pace as new features are added to Mac OS X (including future support for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard)		X
Allows AppleTalk to be removed from your network by supporting TCP/IP service discovery using Bonjour and SLP		X
Accurately reports disk space to Mac clients		X
In addition to Windows Server, operates on Windows XP Professional		X
Supports Drop Box folders		X
Provides option to notify users before passwords expire		X
Provides option to automatically disconnect idle users after specific amount of time		X
Provides option to hide inaccessible files/folders from clients, significantly improving performance in home directory configurations		X
Supports file, folder and volume names in Unicode format*		X
Allows encrypted logons without requiring client software (UAM)		X
Can mount volumes via AppleScript in Mac OS 9.2 or later		X
Dedicated maintenance engineers issue hot fixes rapidly		X

*These features are part of the Apple Filing Protocol version 3.1, which is only available from Mac OS X 10.2 or later.
** Depends upon the workflow and hardware configuration.
*** ExtremeZ-IP will support Windows 2008. SFM has been end-of-lifed and is not available on Windows Server 2008.

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Thanks very much for all the information and for the quick service. It's a real pleasure to deal with a company as professional and helpful as you've been. Quebecor World as a whole uses Group Logic's other excellent product, MassTransit for all of our inter-plant file transfers, and I have in the past and will certainly continue to recommend ExtremeZ-IP to any of my colleagues in other Quebecor plants who require a powerful, easy AppleShareIP solution for their NT/2000 servers.
-- Darryl Stein, Quebecor World Directory Group