Novell expands its control over NT nets.(Novell Directory Services for Windows NT 2.0)(Product Announcement)

NDS for NT 2.0 hits open beta stage; company is targeting branch office sites.

Provo, Utah

Novell is hoping to branch out to branch offices with a new version of its NDS for NT directory software.

There are two main differences between the new edition of Novell Directory Services (NDS) for NT 2.0, which Novell last week said is heading into an open beta program, and the previous version.

First, Version 2.0 runs natively on Microsoft's network operating system. Second, the new edition gives network administrators tighter control over NT Server 4.0 resources using Novell's NWAdmin front-end directory management tool.

The target market for NDS for NT 2.0 is the branch office that uses NT for its primary net operating system and as an application platform, says Adam Smith, a Novell product marketing manager.

"With over one-third of all NT sales going into the branch office, we had to upgrade the product to work better in that setting," Smith says.

Version 1.0, released late last year, has been widely accepted in corporate environments as a tool for managing mixed NetWare and NT networks. But it hasn't made a dent in the branch office market because the current version requires the existence of a NetWare server sitting alongside of the NT box.

Better control over NT

NDS for NT 1.0 redirects client calls headed for NT's security database to NDS, thereby alleviating the need to administer parallel access rights for NT and NetWare users. NDS for NT 2.0 further consolidates user account administration by giving network managers the ability to create NT file shares, synchronize NT and NDS passwords, and manage all NT-based network objects, such as printers and scanners, via NDS.

Additionally, NDS for NT 2.0 lets customers run directory-enabled applications previously reserved for NetWare-only environments on top of NT Server. Such applications include Novell's ZENworks suite of desktop management tools.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange plans to roll out NDS for NT 2.0 as part of its NetWare 5.0 migration later this fall. Jeff Miller, a senior network engineer at the Exchange, mainly wants to install NDS for NT 2.0 for granular management of NetWare and NT resources. "But picking up the ability to manage 800 client machines connected to both NetWare and NT servers using ZENworks is a huge bonus," he says.

PHH Vehicle Management Services in Hunt Valley, Md., has been using NDS for NT 1.0 for four months to manage user access to the company's NetWare file and print servers as well as NT application servers running Exchange, Internet Information Server and SQL Server.

While PHH Director of Technology Tim Talbot is interested in the new user and resource management capabilities in NDS for NT 2.0, he would like to see more integration between NDS and NT applications.

"We're dying for the ability to manage Exchange through NDS," Talbot says.

Novell has indicated that it will provide further integration with Exchange but has yet to commit to a delivery timeframe.

NDS for NT 2.0 beta code can be downloaded from Novell's Web site (www.support.novell. com/beta/public). Smith says the product will ship early in the fourth quarter.

While Novell has yet to set pricing for NDS for NT 2.0, industry analysts expect it to cost about $26 per user, as is the case with the current release.

Novell: (800) 453-1267