MAJOR NETWORK OPERATING SYSTEMS

Novell Netware

Features

Almost infinitely scalable
Supports multiple client platforms
Famous Netware Directory Service
Simple Interface
Minimal hardware requirements
Third party support
supports Java

Three interfaces: Command Line, menu based, graphical

NetWare Architecture

Modular
Core or Kernel
NetWare Loadable Modules (NLM)

Disk Driver NLM - Allows NetWare to access IDE drives
LAN driver NLM - Interfaces the Kernel with the NIC
Name Space NLM - Allows NetWare to look and act like a terminal from almost any network
Utility NLM - All else. Many third party NLMs

Major Versions of Netware in Use

NetWare 3.X - Extremely popular so there is still a very large installed base.
NetWare 4.X - Centralized all administration functions. Buggy...
NetWare 5.0 - Most current although version 6 will release soon. Uses TCP/IP in its purest form. Allows interoperability with WANs. Supports multiprocessors. Includes Oracle 8.

Directory Services

Enables users to find network resources
Bindery: database of users, groups, and security information. Used prior to version 4.
NDS: Hierarchical database of network entities. Version 4 and later. Each server contains a part of the Directory and communicates with other servers about their pieces. NDS presents a logical view of the network whereas the bindery presented a flat view of the server only.

Design Issues

How many servers will you need? Guide: 1 for every 100 to 200 users. RAM is the critical issue.
What will be the NDS tree design? Guide: Should look like your network usually.

Available Client Software

DOS and win 3.11 available only with older version of NetWare.
Win 95/98 Fully integrated after Netware 4.1.
Win NT available and allows simultaneous login to NT and NetWare
OS/2 Not longer included after Netware 5.
Mac OS No longer available after NetWare 5.

Microsoft Windows NT

Windows NT Features

Similarity to other Windows products.
Includes servers for FTP, WWW, DNS.
Huge third party support.
Most programs that run under NT will also run under 95/98.
Interoperability with NetWare.

Windows NT Architecture

NT Server
NT Workstation

The Major Versions of Windows NT

3.1 - buggy, high hardware requirements.
3.51 - stable great for small to medium businesses.
4 - 95/98 look and feel, included web services,
2000 - big time...accepted as a viable large scale network operating system.

Directory Services

Security Accounts Manager (SAM) contains info on all users and groups within a domain.
Each Domain on a network is independent of other unless a "trust" is established.
This system is known as Windows NT Directory Services (NTDS)
Master copy of the SAM must reside on the PDC. Other servers (BDC) may have a copy but all changes must take place on the PDC.
BDCs can be used to authenticate users but cannot be used to initiate changes to the SAM database.

Minimum Requirements for Windows NT

Minimum 80486 VGA 125mg hard drive 16mg RAM CDROM Mouse network card

Reccommended Pentium 90 MHz SVGA 300 mg hard drive 32 mg RAM 4XCDROM Mouse network card

 

Available Client Software

Client for Microsoft Networks
Services for Macintosh
Client for NetWare

Unix Flavors

Linux

Intel, and RISC processors.
Caldera - specifically tailored to corporate networking. Comes with many features making it suitable for integration to making almost any network connection.

SCO UNIX

Solaris UNIX

Macintosh OS

Versions - Many major releases. OS 10 based on UNIX so is very stable and scalable. Not intended to be an enterprise solution. but suitable for workgroups.

Compatibility and Interoperability - Very well done. Users cannot tell the difference between servers running Mac software and other servers.

Services - Mac OS can provide almost any service on the network and is easy to configure. Some third party software is available for database and mail server use.

Security - Very secure. Most hackable options are turned off by default. Several third party options available.

Vocabulary

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