Understanding NT 3.x

The NT 3.x series featured three versions:

NT 3.1
NT 3.5
NT 3.51

browser service

In NT/Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 platforms, broadcasts the availability of network services such as network shares or printers.

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server

Automates the assignment of IP configurations.

Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) server

Maps the NetBIOS names that NT uses to identify computers with an IP address.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server

Transfers files between the FTP server and FTP clients. Most web browsers use FTP client software to download and upload files to Internet servers running the FTP service.

NT 3.1

The first released version of NT was NT Advanced Server 3.1 and NT Workstation 3.1. Microsoft named this version 3.1 to be consistent with Microsoft Windows 3.1, which was the current Windows software when NT was released.

The first version of NT focused on the design goals described on the previous pages. NT 3.x used the Windows 3.1 interface.

NT 3.5

The next version of NT, NT 3.5, included these changes:

Bug fixes to 3.1 were added. (Bugs can include incompatibilities with some hardware and software, or code that causes errors in some configurations.)
The name Advanced was dropped from Server, making the product NT Server 3.5 and NT Workstation 3.5.
The account lockout feature was added. Account lockout specifies that if a user's attempt to log on is unsuccessful after an administratively defined number of tries, the user account will be locked. This feature provided added security to protect accounts and made it easier to monitor security threats.
The Network Monitoring Agent was added. The Network Monitoring Agent and the Network Monitor are two tools that can be used on Windows NT to analyze traffic on a network. The Network Monitor is a valuable troubleshooting tool for diagnosing protocol and network performance problems.
Performance Monitor (which can be used to log and chart performance information about your NT computer) had counters added for the browser, DHCP, WINS, and FTP services, and for Network Monitor Statistics. These counters track performance of the different items on your computer.

Windows NT Diagnostic

A utility in Windows NT 3.51 and 4 that displays system configuration information in a graphical format. System settings can be changed and informative reports generated from this utility.

RDISK

A critical management utility that is used to create a recovery disk that can be used in conjunction with the NT CD or disks. RDISK copies the system configuration information and the SAM database to the disk for use during the recovery process.

plotter

A special type of print device that draws high-resolution diagrams, charts, graphs, and other layouts.

PostScript

A page description language used to convert and move data from an application to a laser printer.

Remote Access Service (RAS)

Allows computers to access the network remotely; for example, through a phone, ISDN, or Internet connection.

The Disk Administrator utility was enhanced so that you did not have to reboot after each configuration change.
You could use the Windows NT Diagnostic utility to view information on remote computers.
The RDISK utility was added so that you could create emergency repair disks, which store parts of your computer's configuration. You can use them to restore information in the event of system failure.
Control Panel was enhanced with options for configuring your display, adding settings for your system, and creating a memory dump file that provides text-based error messages in the event that the server crashes.
Long filename support was added, which enabled you to create filenames up to 255 characters long on a FAT partition. You could enable or disable this feature.
Additional printer support was added for print devices such as plotters and for fonts using PostScript. The LPR (Line Printer) and Digital Print Server Monitors were added. You use these monitors with Unix and Digital print devices.

NT 3.51

NT 3.51 included bug fixes to 3.5 and added even more features:

It could be used on PowerPC computers with the exception of the Apple Power Macintosh.
NTFS-formatted drives could now take advantage of file compression.
Remote Access Service (RAS) security was improved.
The MS-DOS prompt could be configured through Control Panel.

Note
All versions of NT 3.5x used the Windows 3.1 user interface. This made the operating system easier to use for people who already had experience with the Windows operating system.