Editing IBM LAN Server

{{Infobox OS
| name = IBM LAN Server
| logo = IBM LAN Server logo.svg
| logo size = 96px
| screenshot = 
| caption = 
| developer = {{flatlist|[[IBM]]|[[Microsoft]]}}
| family = [[OS/2]]
| working state = Discontinued
| source model = [[Proprietary software|Closed source]]
| released = {{Start date and age|1988}}
| discontinued = Yes
| latest release version = 5.1
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|1999}}
| marketing target = [[Local area network]]s
| programmed in = 
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]]
| preceded by = IBM PC LAN Program
| succeeded by = 
}}
'''IBM LAN Server''' is a discontinued [[network operating system]] introduced by [[IBM|International Business Machines (IBM)]] in 1988. LAN Server started as a close cousin of [[Microsoft]]'s [[LAN Manager]] and first shipped in early 1988. It was originally designed to run on top of [[OS/2|Operating System/2 (OS/2)]] Extended Edition.<ref name=Doyle1988>{{cite journal | last=Doyle | first=Lee | date=January 6, 1988 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/215967918/ | title=The LAN Server dilemma | journal=Computerworld | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=22 | issue=1 | page=33 | via=ProQuest}}</ref> The network client was called '''IBM LAN Requester''' and was included with [[OS/2]] EE 1.1 by default.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=November 10, 1987 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A6125058/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=IBM announces ship dates for its standard, extended OS/2 editions | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=4 | issue=45 | page=16 | via=Gale}}</ref> (Eventually IBM shipped other clients and supported yet more. Examples include the ''IBM OS/2 File/Print Client'', ''IBM OS/2 Peer'', and client software for [[Microsoft Windows]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Minasi | first=Mark | author2=Jim Blaney | author3=Chris Brenton | date=1999 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MJwrAQAAMAAJ | title=The Complete Network Upgrade & Maintenance Guide | publisher=Sybex | page=620 | isbn=9780782122596 | via=Google Books}}</ref>) Here the short term ''LAN Server'' refers to the '''IBM OS/2 LAN Server''' product. There were also LAN Server products for other operating systems, notably [[AIX operating system|AIX]]<ref>{{cite journal | last=Burns | first=Christine | date=January 17, 1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQ4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA14-IA12 | title=NCR, IBM to team on LAN Server for AIX | journal=Network World | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=11 | issue=3 | page=L1, L10 | via=Google Books}}</ref>—now called Fast Connect<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=March 28, 1999 | url=https://techmonitor.ai/technology/ibm_tweaks_aix_for_better_pc_interoperability_security | title=IBM Tweaks AIX for Better PC Interoperability, Security | journal=Computer Business Review | publisher=New Statesman Media Group | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111055136/https://techmonitor.ai/technology/ibm_tweaks_aix_for_better_pc_interoperability_security | archivedate=November 11, 2022}}</ref>—and [[OS/400]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Soltis | first=Frank G. | date=2001 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ypJmzqt7JdUC | title=Fortress Rochester: The Inside Story of the IBM i Series | publisher=NEWS/400 Books | page=266 | isbn=9781583040836 | via=Google Books}}</ref>

==Version history==
{|class=wikitable
!Version<br />no. !! Year !! Notes
|-
| span=col style=text-align:center; | 1.0 || 1988 || for OS/2 EE 1.0<ref name=Doyle1988 />
|-
| span=col style=text-align:center; |1.2 || 1990 || for OS/2 EE 1.2<ref>{{cite journal | last=Morrissey | first=Jane | author2=David Strom | date=March 19, 1990 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A8253400/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=IBM OS/2 upgrades reach starting gate | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=7 | issue=11 | page=1 | via=Gale}}</ref>
|-
| span=col style=text-align:center; |1.3 || 1991 || for OS/2 EE 1.3<ref>{{cite journal | last=Morrissey | first=Jane | date=February 18, 1991 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A10360424/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=Comprehensive pact to boost NetWare on multiple platforms: IBM, Novell pledge to fortify networking bonds | quote=IBM pledged that OS/2 LAN Server will remain a strategic offering, announcing that version 1.3 was shipped ahead of schedule last week. They also pledged to fully support both LAN Server and NetWare equally. | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=8 | issue=7 | page=1 | via=Gale}}</ref>
|-
| span=col style=text-align:center; |2.0 || 1992 || related to [[LAN Manager]] 2.0<ref>{{cite journal | last=Krohn | first=Nico | date=June 15, 1992 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A12330301/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=OS/2 gets network muscle: directory services, peer features set for LAN Server | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=9 | issue=24 | page=1 | via=Gale}}</ref>
|-
| span=col style=text-align:center; |3.0 || 1993 || Entry and Advanced versions<ref>{{cite journal | last=Krohn | first=Nico | date=August 31, 1992 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A12578473/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=LAN Server 3.0 in beta; peer services included | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=9 | issue=35 | page=1 | via=Gale}}</ref> (no LAN Manager "cousin" from here on<ref>{{cite journal | last=Smalley | first=Eric | date=August 2, 1993 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A14093773/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=IBM puts new muscle behind OS/2 LAN Server | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=10 | issue=30 | page=45 | via=Gale}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Capen | first=Tracey | date=January 10, 1994 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A15016340/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=NOS | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=16 | issue=2 | page=60 | via=Gale}}</ref>)
|-
| span=col style=text-align:center; |4.0 || 1994 || Entry and Advanced versions, new [[object-oriented]] user interface<ref>{{cite journal | last=Petreley | first=Nicholas | date=August 22, 1994 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A16201640/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=IBM cleans up LAN Server's act | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=16 | issue=34 | page=1 | via=Gale | quote=IBM's LAN Server 4.0 network operating system, which will be out in Oct[ober] 1994, adds object-oriented administration tools and peer-to-peer services ...}}</ref>
|-
| span=col style=text-align:center; |5.0 || 1996 || included in [[OS/2 Warp Server]]<ref>{{cite journal | last=Green | first=Terence | date=February 7, 1996 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A18171573/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=IBM cooks up an efficient NOS | journal=PC User | publisher=EMAP Media | issue=276 | page=44 | via=Gale}}</ref>
|-
| span=col style=text-align:center; |5.1 || 1999 || included in OS/2 Warp Server for e-business<ref>{{cite web | last= | first= | date=June 27, 2017 | url=https://ecsoft2.org/docs/os2-warp-server-e-business-performance-tuning | title= OS/2 Warp Server for e-business Performance Tuning | publisher=eCSoft/2 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024195712/https://ecsoft2.org/docs/os2-warp-server-e-business-performance-tuning | archivedate=October 24, 2020}}</ref>
|-
|}
Predecessors included IBM PC LAN Program (PCLP).<ref>{{cite book | last=Nance | first=Barry | date=1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ftpQAAAAMAAJ | title=Client/Server LAN Programming | publisher=Que | page=40 | isbn=9781565299245 | via=Google Books}}</ref> Variants included LAN Server Ultimedia (optimized for network delivery of [[multimedia]] files) and LAN On-Demand.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Polilli | first=Steve | date=February 7, 1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6DoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44 | title=IBM, integrator offer networks ready to plug in | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=16 | issue=6 | page=44 | via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=December 13, 1993 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A14805847/GPS? | title=IBM launches LAN Server Ultimedia | journal=PC Week | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=10 | issue=49 | page=56 | via=Gale}}</ref> Add-ons included Directory and Security Server,<ref>{{cite journal | last=Zelinka | first=Douglas A. | date=February 19, 1996 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xT4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA101 | title=Directory and Security Server scales Warp Server to the enterprise | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=18 | issue=8 | page=101 | via=Google Books}}</ref> Print Services Facility/2 (later known as Advanced Printing),<ref>{{cite web | date=May 3, 1995 | url=https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/announcements/archive/ENUSZP95-0253 | type=Announcement letter | title=IBM SystemView Series |id=ZP95-0253 | publisher=International Business Machines Corporation}}</ref> Novell [[NetWare]] for OS/2,<ref>{{cite journal | last=Cummings | first=Joanne | date=October 28, 1991 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Aw0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58 | title=Novell sharing IBM vision | journal=Network World | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=8 | issue=43 | page=58 | via=Google Books}}</ref> and LAN Server for [[Macintosh]].<ref>{{cite journal | last=Wilson | first=Jayne | date=December 7, 1992 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A13650869/GPS?sid=wikipedia | title=IBM moves its LAN Server to the Macintosh | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=IDG Publications | volume=14 | issue=49 | page=51 | via=Gale}}</ref>

==Innovations==
LAN Server pioneered certain file and print sharing concepts such as domains (and [[domain controller]]s), networked [[COM port]]s, domain aliases, and automatic printer driver selection and installation.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

==See also==
* [[LAN messenger]]
* [[Server Message Block]] (SMB)

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | last=Gosling | first=Ben | author2=Guillermo Diaz | date=March 1989 | url=http://bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/lan/GC24-3338-00_LAN_Server_Guide_Mar89.pdf | title=IBM LAN Server Guide | publisher=IBM International Technical Support Centers | via=[[Bitsavers]]}}

{{OS/2}}

[[Category:Computer-related introductions in 1988]]
[[Category:IBM software|LAN Server]]
[[Category:Network operating systems]]
[[Category:OS/2]]
[[Category:Servers (computing)]]