Novell/Active Directory

[MachGen]

OK, I just need a couple of reasons why I would run netware 6.5 and
active directory. I come from a company that used only AD. Now I am at
a company that only wants to use Novell. However everything I want to
use Novell cant utilize (well actually it can through scripts galore)
unless I have AD so what is the big advantage of Novell. Im a complete
Newb at novell.

 

[Steven L Umbach]

I don't know Novell either and maybe someone else can elaborate but you
might see if is there a specific reason why they want Novell that maybe you
could accommodate with Windows AD and show them the advantages of Windows
for your environment such as the powerful features of Group Policy.

Steve

 

[Joe Richards [MVP]]

Not sure if you will find lots of reasons in a Microsoft newsgroup the
benefits of NDS over AD.

The one thing that pops into my head that I run into on a fairly regular
basis is that NDS allows for branch level replication whereas AD cannot.

--
Joe Richards Microsoft MVP Windows Server Directory Services
Author of O'Reilly Active Directory Third Edition
www.joeware.net


---O'Reilly Active Directory Third Edition now available---

http://www.joeware.net/win/ad3e.htm

 

[Guest]

I have worked extensively with both NOS's. The reason that some companies
would want to hang on to Novell is to use their workstation management
software. Zenworks is superior to SMS in software delivery and desktop
management. There are also features that are present in Netware that are just
coming into W2K3 ie. ABE (Access based enumeration). Netware has had that
feature since its beginnings. Novell clustering has been able to do multiple
nodes way before Microsoft got off of the two node limit. Login scripts are
very much easier. You can actually map drives BY GROUP NAMES! (HELLO MS, wake
up!) You might be surprised at how much Novell really can do......without
scripts. I never used a script (other than a login script) until I started
using AD.

However, Novell is not going to support 6.5 forever. They have been moving
into the Linux world. They will still have Zenworks, but there is another
paradigm shift in using Linux with Microsoft.

We are in the process of moving off of Novell and exclusively to AD. I feel
your pain in trying to manage both OS's. Novell had its good and bad. But you
have to go the way the wind blows, and right now, it is blowing MS way. I
will not be naive and limit my expertise. We may all be using Linux in 5 to
10 years....who knows.

Hope I helped.
Bill