Novell To Ship NetWare For SAA 2.0

Press Release

Next Generation of Leading NetWare-to-IBM Host Communications Platform Leverages Power of NetWare 4.1, Expands and Simplifies Mainframe and AS/400 Connectivity

SUNNYVALE, CA--February 27, 1995--Novell, Inc. today announced NetWare for SAA 2.0, the next generation of the industry-leading LAN-to-IBM host communications product. NetWare for SAA 2.0 delivers the NetWare-to-IBM host connectivity required by today's evolving networks--including tight integration with NetWare 4.1 Directory Services (NDS), improved administration and management, expanded scalability and reliability, enhanced TCP/IP connectivity, and support for the new IBM AS/400 Operating System Version 3 Release 1 and Client Access/400 applications. NetWare for SAA 2.0 provides users a single and secure login facility to easily access information throughout an enterprise, and quadruples capacity from 16 to 2,000 concurrent users.

Novell is also announcing NetWare HostPrint/400 and NetWare HostPrint 1.11, add-on products that run on the NetWare for SAA 2.0 server to provide efficient, high-performance host-to-LAN printing. (Please refer to the NetWare HostPrint news release.)

"Now in its fifth generation, with the largest base of third-party applications for a LAN-to-host platform, NetWare for SAA has proven to be an ideal solution for large data centers as well as departments and branch offices," said Steve Markman, executive vice president and general manager of Novell's Information Access and Management Group. "NetWare for SAA 2.0 demonstrates our vision of pervasive computing--simple, manageable solutions that provide users with access to information wherever it resides on NetWare servers, host systems or public networks."

Customers Benefit From Easy Administration and Management

Network administration and management enhancements have been added to the new NetWare for SAA 2.0 offering. These include a new graphical MS Windows-based configuration utility with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface for configuring NetWare for SAA servers. Administrators simply point and click on icons representing host resources to configure data links, host profiles and sessions. NetWare for SAA 2.0 also includes an enhanced version of NetWare for SAA Services Manager, a ManageWise application that features centralized event notification, monitoring and control functions, trend analysis and session management.

"NetWare for SAA 2.0 enhances ease of use for both end users and network managers," said Carl Fissell, systems analyst at SunTrust, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. "For example, we're developing a workstation application that allows bank representatives to streamline customer service by easily accessing information throughout the organization using the open APIs of NetWare for SAA. Also, the new MS Windows utility makes configuration changes a breeze for network managers," he said.

NetWare for SAA 2.0 Leverages NetWare 4.1

NetWare for SAA 2.0 is tightly integrated with NetWare 4.1 Directory Services, making host access easier for end users and simplifying configuration for administrators. With NetWare for SAA and NDS, a user can access any authorized session on any NetWare for SAA server anywhere in the network. Similarly, with a single NDS login, authorized administrators can configure any NetWare for SAA server in the NDS tree without having to log in to each individual server on the network.

Scalability and Reliability Features Support Large Data Centers

Version 2.0 quadruples the capacity of NetWare for SAA, giving customers the flexibility to scale from 16#2,000 concurrent users. Along with the increased capacity, NetWare for SAA 2.0 supports load balancing of sessions across multiple host data links and multiple NetWare for SAA servers, ensuring that end users receive consistent performance for even the largest configurations. NetWare for SAA also supports a new server-based Hot Standby feature that provides a reliable environment for customers using mission-critical applications. Hot Standby allows network managers to specify backup host links that will start automatically if a NetWare for SAA server fails.

"NetWare for SAA has been the cornerstone of our strategy for providing large customers a high-performance channel-attached platform in the #glass house' to consolidate and manage their gateway traffic," said Bob Nicewicz, president and CEO of Bus-Tech, Inc. "With NetWare for SAA 2.0's scalability, fault tolerance and load balancing, we can make the dream of collapsing SNA backbones a reality."

TN3270 Highlights Expanded TCP/IP Support

In response to TCP/IP's growing popularity as a wide area backbone protocol, NetWare for SAA 2.0 features expanded support for TCP/IP connections, including support for TN3270 emulators and TCP/IP AS/400 clients. Now, customers can use cost-effective TN3270 emulators to connect to a NetWare for SAA 2.0 server over TCP/IP networks. Also, for customers with IBM AS/400 systems, DOS and MS Windows clients can now connect to NetWare for SAA servers via TCP/IP.

Version 2.0 Supports New IBM AS/400 OS and Client Access/400 Applications

NetWare for SAA 2.0 supports the latest version of IBM's AS/400 operating system, OS/400 Version 3 Release 1. Client Access/400, IBM's newest client software for accessing AS/400 systems, is also supported by NetWare for SAA 2.0. This release of NetWare for SAA continues to support IBM's OS/400 version 2 and PC Support/400 client software. For MS Windows users, NetWare for SAA 2.0 includes a router that supports the ClientAccess/400 Windows 3.1 client, third-party 5250 emulators and other AS/400 applications.

"We welcome the announcement of NetWare for SAA 2.0--it takes advantage of the functions of OS/400 Version 3 Release 1 with a focus on simplicity and security," said Bill Zeitler, vice president of marketing, AS/400 Division of IBM Corporation. "We view this as another important step in our strategy to integrate Novell NetWare servers with the AS/400."

Pricing and Availability

NetWare for SAA 2.0, including runtime versions of NetWare 4.1 and 3.12, is shipping in March 1995 through Novell resellers. The suggested list prices range from (U.S.) $1,995 to $34,995. NetWare for SAA 2.0 is available in 16-, 64-, 128-, 254-, 508- and 1016-session configurations. As with NetWare 4.1, NetWare for SAA 2.0 supports an additive licensing scheme that allows network planners to combine multiple packages scaling from 16 to 2,000 sesions on a single server. Upgrade packages are available for owners of previous versions of the product. For pricing and information outside the U. S. and Canada, customers should contact their local Novell Authorized Reseller.