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Chapter 9: Novell Netware Operating System
Chapter 9: Novell Netware Operating System
History of NetWare
1983: 1985: 1987: 1991: 1993: NetWare X and NetWare S NetWare 2.0 NetWare 2.11 NetWare 3.11 (Final Bindery-based operating system) NetWare 4.0. Introduction of the LDAP-based Novell Directory Services. Allowed management of an organizations network across WAN links. Novell had 85% of the LAN market. 1998: Netware 5.0. Market share had declined steadily since the release of Windows NT 4 in 1995. NetWare shifted from IPX/SPX to TCP/IP as primary LAN protocol. 2004: Current version: NetWare 6.5 Future: With acquisition of SUSE Linux, NetWare 7.0 will be very tightly integrated with Linux.
NDS/eDirectory
Novell Directory Services is now known as eDirectory. Users authenticate to the network. Once authenticated, user can be granted rights to access any resource on the network.
NetWare Client
NetWare client software runs on the operating system, allowing the computer to access the Novell network as though it were a physical extension of the computer itself. The client automatically locates network services, having them appear transparently to the user of the operating system.
Client software can be configured to use a particular server for authentication and particular service locations.
BorderManager
Protects the LAN from intrusion from unauthorized external hosts.
GroupWise
GroupWise is collaboration software that allows users to send and receive e-mail, schedule meetings, define tasks, manage To Do lists, and store/retrieve documents. GroupWise is a competitor of Microsoft Exchange Server and has somewhat similar functionality.
ZenWorks
ZenWorks gives the administrator the ability to control the look and feel of desktop computers through the use of policies. Policies are sets of rules that can be applied to user accounts, group accounts, or computers. ZenWorks can provide remote control services, similar to Remote Desktop on Windows.
ZenWorks can be used to deploy applications over the network and image hard disks.
ZenWorks can perform hardware and or software inventory of all computers on the LAN.
ConsoleOne is a Java-based utility. As it is written in Java, it can run on any of the platforms that support NetWare.
Snap-ins can be used to manage ZenWorks or GroupWise using ConsoleOne. ConsoleOne can not be used to administer printers, DHCP, and DNS servers.
Summary
Novell NetWare is a popular network operating system that once held approximately 85% of the LAN market. Novell NetWare uses eDirectory, an LDAP-based directory service, to store information about the network. Objects in eDirectory are usually sorted on the basis of location. BorderManager is an add-on to NetWare that can be used to provide firewall, NAT, content filtering, and proxy services. ZenWorks is an add-on to NetWare that can be used to manage network clients. iManager is a Web-based administration tool that can be used to perform any NetWare administrative task.
ConsoleOne is a Java-based administrative tool that can perform most, but not all NetWare administrative tasks.
Discussion Questions
What are the advantages to configuring file shares in NetWare over other network operating systems? Which BorderManager functionality would you use to stop users accessing inappropriate Web content?
Discuss the features of ZenWorks and why administrators would find these useful.
Discuss reasons for partitioning eDirectory on the basis of location. Why is it important to be able to perform a software and hardware inventory using ZenWorks?