Press Release

Novell Polishes NetWare 5 for Delivery

Several Thousand Customers Gear Up for Final Test of NetWare 5 Featuring Enhanced Directory Services and New Flexible, Role-based Network Administration

PROVO, Utah -- April 21, 1998 -- Novell, Inc. today announced general availability of the third beta release of NetWare® 5, the world's most advanced network for Internet-enabled businesses. NetWare 5 Beta 3 sets a new standard for network directory flexibility and management with an enhanced version of NDS™ (Novell Directory Services™) and the debut of ConsoleOne, a Java-based framework for consolidating and managing all network management utilities from a single graphical user interface. This final phase of beta testing furthers Novell's progress toward delivering the most intuitive and efficient intelligent network.

There are currently more than 122,000 people testing the second beta version of NetWare 5 with many more expected to sign up before its official launch. "Customer response to the first two beta versions has been overwhelmingly positive. Customers are pleased with the excellent performance, scalability, reliability and pure IP support in NetWare 5," said John Slitz, Novell senior vice president of marketing. "By offering NetWare 5 with an enhanced version of NDS and the ConsoleOne management framework, Novell is leading the charge to make network administration simple by empowering IT managers with tools to make the management of their networks mirror the structure of their organizations."

NDS Brings Management Flexibility

NetWare 5 Beta 3 ships with an enhanced version of NDS, the industry's leading directory service, with capabilities never before offered with any directory service. The new version of NDS allows for more flexibility and security in managing and administering the network, saving businesses considerable time and money. The enhanced version of NDS in NetWare 5 includes the following:

  • Role-based management -- enables network managers to assign specific network administration tasks to individuals. For instance, the responsibility of assigning and administering passwords can be delegated to the first-level help desk staff member, providing an economical solution by freeing a more costly administrator's time. This efficient method of managing the network provides an additional layer of administrative flexibility and security.
  • Support for the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol version 3 (LDAP v3) -- allows open protocol access via LDAPv3, as well as unlimited scalability through NDS's advanced replication and management of back-end directory functions. Also, LDAP extensions will be supported for interoperability with LDAP applications from Netscape and other vendors.
  • Catalog services and simplified login -- makes it easier to create NDS-enabled applications, improves directory access performance, and allows users to sign on from any computer in any location without requiring directory knowledge. Directory information stored in catalog or index format is easily customized for searching, sorting and reporting purposes. Distribution and replication of these indexes allows administrators to quickly access a "snap shot" of the complete network directory as opposed to performing a query across the entire network. NetWare 5 includes new "contextless login" capabilities that leverage the NDS catalog, allowing users to authenticate from any point on the network simply by typing their login name and password. Users are no longer required to know the location of their user object in the NDS tree.
  • WAN traffic management -- provides efficient utilization of network bandwidth for synchronizing NDS information across WAN connections. With this new feature, network administrators control how and when servers exchange directory information across ISDN or slow dial-up links, allowing organizations to reduce telecommunication costs.

Simplified Management through ConsoleOne

As network management becomes increasingly complex with the addition of components from various vendors, the Internet, intranets and extranets, Novell is aiming to simplify administration and management. The ConsoleOne management framework for NetWare 5 provides a central point of administration that can be accessed anywhere a Java Virtual Machine is present, including a NetWare server. This new framework allows developers to simply "snap-in" network and application management utilities without requiring them to develop the security and administration infrastructure. Several of the NetWare and NDS administration functions will be the first Novell offerings to utilize ConsoleOne -- followed closely by Novell's ManageWise™, Z.E.N.works™, GroupWise™ and the Novell BorderManager™ product suite.

Additional NetWare 5 Features

Due to be delivered in mid-1998, NetWare 5 continues Novell's leadership as an Internet company by including the following new features and capabilities:

  • The world's fastest Java Virtual Machine (JVM) for running server-based Java applications and services
  • A free five-user license of Oracle8, the best-selling database technology from Oracle, Corp.
  • Netscape FastTrack Server for NetWare and Netscape Communicator, enabling customers to deploy leading Web publishing solutions
  • The Novell Upgrade Wizard for planning, modeling and automating the move from NetWare 3 servers to directory-based NetWare 5 networks
  • Compatibility mode allowing customers to run current applications on their new IP-based NetWare 5 networks
  • A Domain Name Servers (DNS) and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) management utility ties network resources together into a single, trusted NDS-based system
  • Support for industry and Internet standards including Java, JNDI (Java Naming and Directory Interface) CORBA/IIOP and Active X
"With NetWare 5 and NDS, organizations will find growing their network to be less time consuming and more cost-efficient," said Robert De Cardenas, network coordinator for the Florida Supreme Court. "We are adding many new users and objects into our network next month and will only have to increase our IS staff minimally because of the single point of administration and advanced integration features in NDS. We would have to add many more network administrators if we didn't have NetWare and NDS."

Pricing and Availability

Starting April 27, customers can register for their copy of NetWare 5 Beta 3 through Novell's open beta program. Customers will register for NetWare 5 Beta 3 on Novell's Web site at www.novell.com/netware5/ for a fee of $25 (US) to cover materials, shipping and handling.

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. Novell education and technical support programs are the most comprehensive in the network computing industry. Information about Novell's 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 GroupWise, ManageWise, NDS, Novell BorderManager, Novell Directory Services, and Z.E.N.works are trademarks of Novell, Inc. All other registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Media Contacts:
Jason Werner
Novell, Inc.
Phone: (801) 228-7230
Internet: jwerner@novell.com

Danielle Epstein
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
Phone: (650) 858-3745
Internet: depstein@ccipr.com