Novell Improves Cross-Platform Administration with Powerful Directory Solution for
Companies with Corporate and Branch Office Networks
PROVO, Utah September 1, 1998 Novell, Inc. today reaffirmed its commitment
to providing products that will lower the total cost of network ownership, announcing beta availability of
the next version of NDS for NT. Based on Novell Directory Services® (NDS),
Novell's industry-leading directory technology, NDS for NT 2.0 extends beyond the corporate office and
enables geographically-dispersed companies to manage NT branch office networks more efficiently. End
users benefit from faster, more reliable single log-in through the introduction of an NDS database replica
on local NT Servers.
NDS for NT 2.0 is at the heart of Novell's effort to improve overall manageability of heterogeneous
enterprise networks. Building on the success of NDS for NT version one, which began shipping in
December 1997, Version 2.0 further reduces the costs and complexities of managing mixed
NetWare® and Microsoft NT Server environments. Customers can now run NDS-integrated
applications in NT branch environments, while taking advantage of NDS to manage access to NT Server
applications integrated with domains as well.
"NDS has been widely adopted in corporate networks and has been proven to be the industry's best at
reducing cost and complexity which has always been Novell's strength," said Michael Simpson, director
of marketing, Novell. "NDS for NT 2.0 delivers a major milestone by providing the foundation for other
directory-based solutions that many customers are anxious to implement today in NT branch locations, like
Z.E.N.works desktop application management."
Improved Service for Branch Office Users
In companies with branch offices that deploy NDS for NT 2.0, end users realize increased speed and
reliability when accessing network resources. NDS for NT 2.0 extends the manageability of NDS to
branch offices by allowing an NDS replica to reside directly on local NT Servers.Remote offices no longer
need to manage NT domain trust relationships for most deployments to realize the benefits of NT
applications. Because branch office users can leverage a local NDS replica, they are able to access
network resources without communication across a WAN link to their corporate headquarters or larger site
for authentication. This added benefit in NDS for NT 2.0 will decrease management costs stemming from
repairing delayed or failed access to the network and it will save end-users' time during the log-in
process.
"We are implementing NDS for NT as we roll out NetWare 5 because it eases administrative overhead,
manages both platforms with a single tool and it eliminates the complexity of domain and trust
management," said Jeff Miller, senior network engineer of Chicago Mercantile Exchange. "With NDS for
NT we will be able to manage NT domains with the same reliability and scalability of NDS on NetWare
servers."
New Product Simplifies User Administration
From its inception, NDS for NT has helped give companies the freedom to design an efficient network
architecture that includes both NetWare and NT Servers. NDS for NT greatly simplifies ongoing network
management by enabling administrators to make NetWare and NT part of the same enterprise network with
single sign-on for users and single point administration for network managers. This results in significantly
lower management costs because time spent administering a mixed environment is dramatically
reduced.
The next generation of NDS for NT dramatically simplifies management of mixed NetWare and NT
networks and improves network scalability and performance with new and enhanced attributes:
- NDS Applications in the Branch Office NDS for NT enables NDS-based applications that run on
NT Server to use a local NDS database. Only minor modifications, if any, are required. Examples include
Z.E.N.works, BorderManager Authentication Services (RADIUS) and GroupWise for NT.
- Set Up and Manage File Shares NT tools are now integrated so the file shares can be created and
administered from one utility interface, Novell's NWAdmin.
- Password Synchronization Version 2.0 of NDS for NT gives the network administrators the ability
to ensure that NDS and NT passwords stay consistent during password changes.
- Single Point of Administration With NDS for NT, network administrators only administer one set
of network objects because the domain information is stored only in NDS and there is no duplicate data
store.
- Choice of Management Utilities NDS for NT offers flexibility, enabling administrators to manage
their users and groups with Novell's NWAdmin and/or Microsoft's User Manager.
- Freedom From Managing Domain Trust Relationships This product reduces management time by
alleviating the need to manage complex domain trust relationships in most deployments to link multiple
resources between domains.
- Application Support NDS for NT fully supports and simplifies the deployment of any application
that requires an NT Server or domain.
ManageWise SNMP agent for NT, which monitors an NT Server from the corporate office, is an additional
add-on possibility. NDS for NT 2.0 not only supports currently available versions of NetWare and NT, but
NDS for NT 2.0 is also compatible with the upcoming NetWare 5 which will be available by September
20, 1998. Future versions of the product will support Microsoft NT Server 5.0 and Active Directory when
available.
Pricing and Availability
The beta version of NDS for NT 2.0 is available immediately and can be downloaded free of charge from
the World Wide Web at http://beta.novell.com. NDS
for NT 2.0 is expected to ship in the fourth quarter of 1998 and pricing will be announced at that time.
Customers with questions about NDS for NT may visit Novell's Web site at http://www.novell.com/nds/nds4nt for more
information.
About NDS for NT
NDS for NT is the directory service that utilizes the power of Novell's proven directory technology to
simplify NT Server and application deployment in mixed NetWare/NT enterprise environments. It
provides better administration through a single, common point, eliminating the complexity and cost of
domains. NDS for NT reduces companies' network management costs, provides users with single log-on to
all resources wherever they are located on the network, and provides familiar single-point administration
for all NT and Novell users and resources. The market-proven and powerful structure of NDS streamlines
common administrative tasks to minimize network management time and expense.
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, NetWare and Novell Directory Services are registered trademarks and NDS and NWAdmin are
trademarks of Novell, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holder.
Press Contacts:
Katrina Larson
Novell, Inc.
(801) 861-5593
Internet: kalarson@novell.com
Carrie Merritt
Cunningham Communication, Inc.
(650) 858-3788
Internet: cmerritt@ccipr.com