Networking Leader Leaps Ahead with NetWare 5 Beta 3, including World's Fastest Java
Virtual Machine, Oracle8 Database, and Java Console
BRAINSHARE, SALT LAKE CITY March 23, 1998 The intelligent
network
server platform belongs to Novell. That is the message as the networking leader kicks off its
annual
developer conference here today with platform product news that raises the bar of network
performance,
scalability, and manageability across the entire software industry. Focusing this first day of the
conference on Novell's NetWare® server platform and its support for intelligent network
solutions
enabled by Novell Directory Services (NDS), Novell today announced:
- The world's fastest Java Virtual Machine (JVM) for running server-based Java applications
and
services will be included with NetWare 5
- The best-selling database, Oracle8, and the most widely used network platform, NetWare,
will be in
the same box
- The third and final beta of NetWare 5 will be available by the end of April, keeping the new
server
platform on schedule for mid-year release and delivering scalable networking services using open
standards
"The products are shipping, the benchmarks are in, and the results are clear," said Eric Schmidt,
chairman
and CEO of Novell, Inc. "Novell is delivering the network server platform against which all others
will
be measured. By listening to our customers and focusing on networking, the thing we do better
than
anyone else, we have brought into sight our goal of leadership in Internet software by the end of
1998.
Our customers will continue to rely on a platform that elevates them above their industry
counterparts,
enabling new kinds of solutions and giving them an even broader competitive edge."
Fastest Java Virtual Machine
NetWare 5 will ship with the world's fastest Java environment. Independent tests by Key Labs,
using the
VolanoMark benchmark, certified the NetWare 5 JVM is more than twice as fast as the nearest
contender, Microsoft's JVM on Windows NT Server. These benchmarks were measured using
200
connections running on Intel 300 MHz Pentium II hardware with 128 MB RAM. Preliminary
results also
indicate that Novell's JVM is many times faster than Java implementations for leading UNIX
systems
running on similarly priced hardware.
This breakthrough in JVM performance positions NetWare as the best server platform for running
Java
applications, providing users with fast access to applications and data by eliminating a significant
amount
of the performance penalty historically associated with Java applications. In addition, NetWare's
server-
side Java will allow developers to meet the performance requirements of large networks and
mission-
critical applications. The Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.1.5, including the JVM, is included
in
NetWare 5 Beta 3 and is also a part of Novell's Open Solutions Architecture (OSA)
SDK.
"Novell's JVM is incredibly fast and provides an excellent server platform for our 100 percent
Java-based
suite of office information management applets," said Pete Grillo, president of PlusFactor
Software, a
leading developer of Java applications for small businesses (www.plusfactor.com). "Our initial
experiences also show Novell's JVM to be very reliable. This breakthrough performance will
definitely
help Java applications like our Office Pack suite gain fast acceptance among Novell's huge base of
over
70 million customers."
The Best of Both Worlds
Novell customers will get an integrated, directory-enabled database application solution offering
superior
performance and management starting with NetWare 5 Beta 3. With a complete five-user version
of
Oracle8 included in every box of NetWare 5, customers will automatically receive a high
performance
and scalable integrated application platform for deploying applications, including Java.
Shipping NetWare 5 Beta 3
The new features in the final phase of beta for NetWare 5 enhance its capabilities for developing,
deploying and managing network solutions. The features work in concert with NDS to make
NetWare 5
an IP-based enterprise network server platform for managing heterogeneous network resources
such as
applications, printers, files, databases, the company intranet and more. Novell will also continue to
support IPX in NetWare 5 for customers who require a mixed environment. New elements in
NetWare 5
Beta 3 include the following:
- ConsoleOne Code-named "Houston" during development, Novell
ConsoleOne
brings graphical user interface (GUI) management to the NetWare server console. By leveraging
NDS,
ConsoleOne provides administrators with flexible, role-based administration. This common
framework is
100 percent Java and integrates Java applets and snap-ins allowing developers to build network
management solutions with a common look and feel.
- Enhanced NDS NetWare 5 incorporates an enhanced version of NDS,
Novell's
industry-leading directory service. This new version includes support for the LDAP v.3
(Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol) standard to ensure customers of interoperability with other LDAP
directories.
Also new are directory catalog services to help administrators search the directory and more
quickly
access network information. NetWare 5 also provides improved directory performance and
reduced
network traffic to speed performance in wide-area networks.
- New Installation and Migration A new server setup routine reduces the
time
customers must spend preparing their server for a NetWare 5 installation. The Novell Migration
Wizard
has also been updated and included in NetWare 5 Beta 3 to provide customers automated
migration for
their move to NetWare 5.
"We're currently evaluating NetWare 5 on a test network as part of the NetWare 5 beta program,"
said
Keith G. Momberg, lead network analyst at Lockheed Martin. "Although we have a mix of
IP-only and
token ring protocols, the most interesting NetWare 5 features we've seen so far are pure IP and
Novell
Storage Services (NSS). We have servers on our production network with multi-gigabyte disk
arrays and
we hope NSS will help ensure our maximum access to that data."
NetWare 5 Training and Certification
More than 290,000 Certified Novell Administrators (CNA) and 135,000 Certified Novell
Engineers
(CNE) will be able to upgrade their skills with new NetWare 5 CNA and CNE certifications.
Courses
will be available concurrent with product launch at more than 1,450 Novell Authorized Education
Centers (NAEC) worldwide.
Prior to the availability of certification courses, individuals have two opportunities to learn about
NetWare 5: a free two-hour product seminar or a one-day hands-on course available at select
NAECs and
Novell sales offices worldwide this Spring. For more information or to locate an NAEC, visit the
Novell
Education website at http://www.novell.com/education/.
Pricing and Availability
NetWare 5 Beta 3 will be available worldwide in April through an open beta program. Customers
will be
able to register to receive the NetWare 5 beta 3 CDs from Novell's Web site at
http://www.novell.com/netware5/ for a fee of
$20 (US)
to cover handling and materials.
About Novell
Founded in 1983, Novell (NASDAQ: NOVL) is the world's leading provider of network
software. The
company offers a wide range of network solutions for distributed network, Internet/intranet and
small
business markets, as well as the network computing industry's most comprehensive education and
technical support programs. Information about Novell and its complete range of products and
services
can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com.
Novell and NetWare are registered trademarks and Open Solutions Architecture, Novell
Directory
Services and NDS are trademarks of Novell, Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks
are the
property of their respective holders.
Press Contacts:
Jason Werner
Novell, Inc.
Phone: (801) 861-4009
Internet: jwerner@novell.com
Danielle Epstein
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
Phone: (650) 858-3745
Internet: depstein@ccipr.com