eDirectory and NetWare vs. Active Directory and Windows

Novell Cool Solutions: Feature

Digg This - Slashdot This Posted: 13 Oct 2004

Quite often, system admins will complain that IT or management at their companies are putting undue pressure on them to switch from Novell to Microsoft products, or generally spreading FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) about NetWare and eDirectory. So how about some comeback material?

Here are a few sources you should check out for perspectives on Novell and Microsoft, NetWare and Windows, and eDirectory and AD:

• http://www.iwantnetware.com
• http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/feature/5899.html

IWantNetWare.com

The iwantnetware.com site supplies some practical reasons to keep and build on NetWare and eDirectory. It opens by stating,

"Microsoft's release of Windows 2003 indirectly raises the question of solution selection between Novell and Microsoft. While improvements have been made to Win2003 in specific areas (particularly closing some security holes and a redesigned Web server), it still suffers from architecture and administration weaknesses which lead to deficiencies in the areas of scalability, openness, administration and security. In addition, the level of features and number of services that are available with Win2003 out-of-the-box are minimal when compared to those available with NetWare? 6.5."

Here are some of the features of the site:

• Comparisons between Novell and Microsoft software (Linux vs. Windows, NetWare vs. Windows, eDirectory vs. Active Directory): http://www.iwantnetware.com/
• An insightful article on the future of NetWare: http://www.techworld.com/opsys/features/index.cfm?featureid=901
• Microsoft Security issues: http://www.iwantnetware.com/
• Humorous articles: http://www.iwantnetware.com/

(http://www.iwantnetware.com)

Cool Solutions Article

In May, 2004 Ted Haeger of Novell wrote an insightful and pointed article about the competitive advantages of Novell eDirectory over Microsoft Active Directory. It's titled "From the Inside Out: Actively Keeping Your Directory."

Here's a quote from the article:

"To start to understand why Active Directory pales to other industry directory offerings - particularly Novell eDirectory - one must remember why Active Directory was created. Windows NT 4 Server and prior releases had major scaling and management limitations as a result of Microsoft carrying forward its legacy LanManager account management system into Windows NT Domain Services. However, rather than scrapping the old and building anew, Microsoft built a directory on many of the premises, protocols and limitations of Windows NT Domain Services. The result today is Active Directory, a retrofitting of Windows domains into a quasi-directory hierarchy."

(http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/feature/5899.html)

Reader Comments

• This helps out tremendously! www.iwantnetware.com is a true blessing for us Admins who constantly are fighting the M$ Marketing Machine. It's great that we have ammunition to fight back with. Give that guy an award!
• This topic can sink some eDir shops if upper management can't grasp the difference. Thank you for the info.

Novell Cool Solutions (corporate web communities) are produced by WebWise Solutions. www.webwiseone.com