Q & A from Novell Small Business Suite 6.5 Webinars

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Posted: 30 Jul 2004

Following the release of Novell Small Business Suite (NSBS) 6.5 in March of this year, Novell hosted a series of webinars designed to educate Novell solution providers on the features and benefits of NSBS 6.5. Each webinar was well attended and, in fact, accounted for the highest Novell webinar attendance this calendar year.

During the webinar, NSBS product managers, engineers, technical writers, and even experienced Novell resellers were on-hand to answer a variety of questions. In hopes of providing product insight and answering questions you may have, we have compiled the best questions and answers for an added resource for you.

Q & A Topics

Upgrading NetWare 4.11 to Starter Pack
Expansion Pack and server licenses
Limits to Branch Office deployments
GroupWise and growing beyond 100 users
Change in SKU
Included AMP components
Application incompatibilities with the Novell Client
eDirectory license limit and customer access to a website
DirXML
Multiple directory trees
Centrino fix in BorderManager
Deployment worksheet
Specifications for AMD processors
RTL 8139 NIC driver
Pre-configured server installation option versus Custom installation option
Good IP address for a time source
Modifying the iFolder database path after installation
Rebooting before launching iManager
Internet connectivity and the IP address/mask
Cache volume
BorderManager and iManager Role Based Services
Support packs and upgrades
Avoiding issues during router setup
In-place upgrade
Patches and overlays
eDirectory Hotbackup
DNS and the proxy

Q1:

I have a customer who is still running NetWare 4.11 Small Business edition with three users on the network. Can the NSBS 6.5 Starter Pack be used as an upgrade?

A1:

Yes, the NSBS 6.5 Starter Pack is a fully-functional product which provides a 5-user license (3-user license in Eastern Europe). It can and should be used for upgrades such as this.

Q2:

Are there plans to increase the Expansion Pack to support 5 servers also? If not, it might limit the ability to sell the Expansion Pack.

A2:

The Expansion Pack supports up to 5 servers just like the regular product.

Q3:

Since Novell Branch Office is included in the suite, is there a limit to the number of branch offices where the product can be deployed?

A3:

The number of branch offices is unlimited at this point, but the total number of users still remains at five (or whatever license level was purchased). For example, if you bought a total of 50 user licenses of NSBS 6.5, you could set up 25 users at your main office and another 25 at your branch office.

Q4:

How is the transition from Novell Small Business Suite version 6.5 to standard NetWare 6.5 with GroupWise handled should a company grow beyond the 100 user count? I know that in the past GroupWise, which was included in previous version of NSBS, installed differently and there were issues concerning GroupWise when upgrading from NSBS to standard NetWare 6.5 and GroupWise 6.5.

A4:

You just purchase a regular NetWare 6.5 license and install it. Nothing additional is needed. Isn't that nice?

An additional note: You will need to purchase additional licenses for GroupWise, ZENworks for Desktops, and BorderManager if you go past 100 users, but at least you don't have to repurchase the initial 100 user licenses of any of the products.

Q5:

Did I understand clearly that I don't have to find a ?Server + 5 user? SKU when buying NSBS 6.5; just NSBS 6.5 5-user licenses for a new customer?

A5:

That is correct. Every 5-user SKU comes with server licenses. However, you can only deploy a total of 5 servers for each NSBS 6.5 network.

Q6:

Is the AMP package (Apache, MySQL, Perl, Php) still included? I didn't see them mentioned in the press release.

A6:

AMP, including all of the components you mentioned, is still included (with Apache version 2).

Q7:

Are there any issues you are aware of regarding incompatibilities with the Novell Client that shipped in NSBS 6.5 and applications such as Autocad?

A7:

There are some anomalies with the Novell Client and some applications (such as Autocad). These are normally resolved by turning off client caching. NSBS 6.5 does that by default. Test the client caching with your applications if you decide to enable client caching.

Q8:

How does the license limit affect a small business that wants to use eDirectory to provide access to customers to a website?

A8:

You get the same eDirectory licensing that regular NetWare gives you. This is up to 250,000 user licenses.

Q9:

Does the DirXML solution ship with SBS 6.5?

A9:

DirXML Starter Pack ships with NSBS 6.5, and it comes pre-activated.

Q10:

With NSBS 6.5, can you have multiple directory trees?

A10:

You can use NSBS 6.5 with multiple eDirectory trees; however, you are still limited to the number of users that you purchase, along with the 5 server limitation.

Q11:

What is the Centrino fix that comes with BorderManager?

A11:

There was an issue on certain Centrino laptops with earlier versions of the VPN client that shipped with BorderManager 3.8 that was fixed.

Q12:

I'm looking for a worksheet to help me with my deployment. Is there one available?

A12:

Yes, we have provided one at the end of the QuickStart card, see http://www.novell.com/documentation/nsbs65/sb_qs/data/sb_qs.html

Q13:

Are there any specifications for AMD processors?

A13:

Run NSBS 6.5 on an AMD processor above 1.2 ghz.

Q14:

Does an RTL 8139 NIC driver finally come with SBS 6.5?

A14:

Yes. Novell included an updated driver in NSBS 6.5.

Q15:

During an installation of NSBS 6.5, can I select more than one pre-configured server option?

A15:

You can only select one pre-configured option per server installation. However, you can always select the ?Custom? option and choose the components of an installation that you want.

Another trick you might try is to select the Novell Small Business Suite Collaboration with Virtual Office option. Then, click Next and Back to return to the Choose a Server Pattern screen. Select the ?Custom? option. All the products from the previous selected pattern will be selected. Then you can de-select or select additional options and proceed with the installation. You can try this with any of the pre-configured server options and then design your own customized pre-configured option.

Q16:

What is a good IP address for a time source?

A16:

Check here: http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~mills/ntp/clock2a.html

Q17:

Can the iFolder database path be modified after the fact? In other words, through iManager?

A17:

Yes, the default path can be modified from the admin tool (web-based, but not iManager) or the individual user can change it during the install or from the client.

Q18:

Before launching iManager, after the initial install, do we need to reboot?

A18:

We definitely suggest rebooting the server to complete the initial installation. This reboot ensures that all the special processing of the NSBS 6.5 installation scripts are run.

Q19:

Regarding Internet Connectivity setup, is the IP address/mask set to the public or private IP address as supplied by your ISP?

A19:

The IP address should be set to the address of the network board that goes to the public interface, which may or may not be the ISP address depending on whether you have a router.

Q20:

Is there still a requirement that the cache volume must be a traditional volume?

A20:

Yes the recommendation is still for a traditional volume. However, because the NSSMU utility that is available during installation only creates NSS volumes, you must create the volume after you complete the NetWare installation.

You can use the Cache Volume Creation Tool provided in the Unsupported\CCRT folder on the BorderManager CD (instructions are in the README for the tool), or you can use NetWare Remote Manager to create this volume. Refer to http://www.novell.com/documentation/nw65/index.html?page=/documentation/nw65/remotemgr/data/aazyjap.html#bqpwz3t for more information.

Q21:

Does BorderManager install the iManager Role Based Services options as part of the install?

A21:

Yes, this is done automatically if you check the checkbox during the installation. In the BorderManager 3.8 install for NSBS 6.5, there are two .NPM files each of which creates a role in iManager. There is one for VPN and one for Filter configuration.

We recommend customers use the Windows workstation version of iManager. A management portal on a firewall is a poor security principle, plus iManager has large overhead requirements that will cut into proxy performance. We provide a separate executable to install the snap-ins on a workstation.

Q22:

If upgrading to NSBS 6.5 from NSBS 5.x, must all service packs be installed first or can we go straight to 6.5?

A22:

You must install the Support Packs first. The documentation tells you the latest Support Packs to install before upgrading.

See Upgrading the Operating System to Novell Small Business Suite 6.5 at http://www.novell.com/documentation/nsbs65/install/data/an8tiz8.html

Also, see these sections of the Novell Small Business Suite 6.5 README at http://www.novell.com/documentation/nsbs65/readme/data/nsbs65readme.html#aneixzw

4.1.3 Applying Support Packs before an In-Place Upgrade to NetWare 6.5
4.6.1 Upgrading BorderManager
4.7 ZENworks for Desktops Issues

Q23:

Will a PPPoE client be created for NetWare 6.5? Currently I use a Free BSD or Linux box as my router and therefore gateway to the Internet. If NetWare had one, I could do away with the extra computer.

A23:

Sorry, we are not planning to implement a specific PPPoE driver because of the low cost of hardware routers.

Q23a:

But even with a hardware router, the NetWare box would get an internal LAN address such as 192.168.1.x ... and I need to do port-forwarding (virtual server) to get the remote features to NetWare. It also causes problems with the certificates for WebAccess on Palm.

A23a:

Reseller 1 answer:	To overcome PPoE use a DSL router.
Reseller 2 answer:	Set up your router to forward to the NSBS server, also, make sure you have a router that can do port forwarding.
Reseller 3 answer:	Sometimes it is best to just get a non-PPPoE service when trying to deploy this solution. It may cost more per month but it simply works.
Reseller 4 answer:	I have the configuration you are requesting. Place the NSBS server behind the DSL router with static NAT on the DSL router. Have NBM run on the NSBS server to manage the access to intranet services.

Q23b:

But the NetWare server will still get an internal address of 192.168.1.x. How do you get around that so that the session is signed with the correct public IP address? The reason I ask is I have a problem installing GWAVA because GWAVA is licensed on a public IP yet the NetWare session has the LAN IP address.

A23b:

On the IP address and GWAVA, that is really a GWAVA problem. The best we can come up with now is to suggest you install DSL in bridge mode so the interface can use the external IP for GWAVA's sake.

Reseller 4 answer:

Using NSBS behind a DSL router with a fixed IP address gives you the possibility of assigning a certificate to SSL services according the IP address (see CONF file of Apache) and create a certificate of your choice and assign it using the CONF file. The server public address will be fixed also, this way GWAVA will be working fine.

Q24:

Please talk about the likelihood of success if we tried to do an in-place install/upgrade onto the existing NSBS 6.0 server.

A24:

You can upgrade NSBS 6.0 to NSBS 6.5 just like a regular upgrade. If you want to use the ?Migration Wizard,? go download the latest from SP2 to get the version that supports a migration from 6 to 6.5. Please read the documentation at: http://www.novell.com/documentation/lg/nsbs65/index.html before doing the upgrade.

Q25:

Previous versions of NSBS were not revved with overlay patches for the installation CDs. Will that change with NSBS 6.5?

A25:

Yes. We included SP 1A in the product and will start providing overlay CDs with SP2.

Q26:

What is an eDirectory Hot Backup and how is it done?

A26:

There is extensive documentation on this at: http://www.novell.com/documentation/lg/edir873/index.html?page=/documentation/lg/edir873/edir873/data/alaf5up.html

Q27:

If I use DNS do I need to disable the proxy completely?

A27:

If you use DNS, you must disable the DNS proxy because it uses the same port.