Novell Client 2 SP3 for Windows (IR2)
Windows 7
Windows 8
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2012

Unable to get Novell Client 2 SP1 on Windows 7 workstation to work correctly with OpenSLP when the eDir server is configured (in nds.conf) to use a port other than 524 for NCP.  The workstation can find the tree but it cannot browse the tree (context button).

Because eDirectory supports hosting multiple instances on the same host machine, and allows configuring the NCP listening port for each instance in order not to collide over port 524 listening, it is possible to have NCP listening on a port other than 524.

This functionality is available in Novell Client 2 SP3 for Windows (IR2) and later.

The Novell Client uses a hard-coded NCP port value, such that ports other than 524 would not be supported from a Windows 7 or Linux NCP client.

In order to support multiple instances on multiple servers, it is incorrect to have an assumed NCP listening port; it must be learned from the server itself what port a particular instance of eDirectory is listening on.

eDirectory itself (in the data returned as part of eDirectory referrals) and SLP (as part of the svcaddr-ws attribute data) already includes the specific TCP/UDP port number a service / replica server is listening on.

On the XP/2003 client, the NCP client only makes an assumption of port 524 in cases where no port information was part of the address information received.  For example, when learning the server or tree IP address via DNS, no port information is available from DNS.  Or when the user manually types in "xx.xx.xx.xx", no port information is available.  In these cases where only the IPv4 address itself is
known, port 524 is assumed.  For eDirectory referrals and SLP name resolution, which do include port information, no port 524 assumption is made.

However, in the XTier NCP client (Novell Client for Windows 7, Novell Client for Linux, etc.), an assumption of port 524 is made even when more specific port information is available

If the name of the tree and/or server is supplied in the login dialog, when the name is resolved by SLP, all information about the tree and/or server is returned, including the IP address, port number and other network protocol information.

If the IP address is supplied in the login dialog, the Novell Client does not "learn" the port number, so it is necessary for the Client to specify which port number should be used to connect edirectory.

Earlier we always used port number 524; now other port numbers can be used for NCP communications.

With this improvement, the Novell Client learns correct eDirectory port information from eDirectory referrals.  Once we have made the initial NCP connection to an eDirectory tree, referrals returned during object resolves will also provide accurate non-port 524 information the Novell Client will use when connecting to additional replicas within the tree.

This means the Client will learn correct NCP port information automatically through eDirectory referrals, and also for name resolution performed via SLP.  The fix also supports manually typing in literal address and port information such as "10.0.0.1:1524" into the "Server:" or "Tree:" fields of the Novell Client login dialog.