Support → Network support → Novell → Reasons for choosing Novell products
Inter-Corporate Computer & Network Services, Inc. ("ICCNS") selected Novell products to manage internet services and share information throughout the company for the following reasons:
![[IntranetWare]](/images/intranetware.jpg)
STABILITY / RELIABILITY
Server up time commonly exceeds hundreds of days. In the rare case where a server has been shut down for any length of time (power loss, administrator error, etc.), Client32 (the drivers that provide network connectivity) automatically reconnects the user (re-opens files, re-captures printer queues, etc.) as soon as the server is up and running again.
SECURITY
NetWare is rich in security features (file system and NDS, user/group/container rights for files/directories and NDS objects, IRFs, directory space restrictions, auditing features, internet access restrictions, etc.) including C2 redbook certification, plus Packet Signatures and Checksums that surpass the C2 redbook certification requirements. In an enterprise setting, administrators can be set up with control over specific branches of the NDS tree, which further enhances flexibility without comprimising security.
![[NetWare 5]](/images/runningman.gif)
PERFORMANCE
The client receives data from the server "immediately" due to well managed system resources and optimized programming. Since elevator seeking is employed in the caching algorithms, performance doesn't take a hit under pressure and actually works better when multiple users access different data simultaneously.
MANAGEABILITY / EASE OF USE
Since NDS based NetWare servers provide downward compatibility to Bindery-based administration tools such as SysCon, support staff can casually learn new administrative tools at their own pace. On the other hand, the time saving features of NetWare Administrator (the tool used to centrally manage NDS and all network resources) are as follows:![[Novell Directory Services]](/images/ndslogo.gif)
Major server configuration changes, including network driver updates, can be applied without restarting the server. In fact, these changes can be made while users are actively using the system without losing any data. In the event that a server is restarted, the boot (startup) time is minimal:
- Template objects for creating users with preset properties
- Centralized control of multiple systems across multiple platforms
- Single login for all resources (fewer headaches for users too)
- Automated application distribution (NAL add-on)
- Computer objects for inventory tracking
- Ability to delegate specific managment tasks to other users
- Approximately 45 seconds -- NetWare 4.11 on a 233 MHz Pentium II CPU and SCSI (40 MB transfer rate)
- Approximately 35 seconds -- NetWare 5 on a 933 MHz Pentium III CPU and SCSI (160 MB transfer rate)
- Less than 15 seconds -- NetWare 6 on a 3 GHz Pentium IV Xeon CPU and SCSI (360 MB transfer rate)
![[$]](/images/tco.gif)
LOWER TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP
Single login for access to all networked resources and instantaneous file and internet I/O for faster access to information saves time for end-users, effectively improving employee performance in the long run.Z.E.N.works (automated application distribution) reduces application installation and configuration time with the click of a mouse (e.g., the latest version of Netscape Navigator can easily be installed with pre-defined settings on thousands of workstations almost instantly - as network bandwidth permits). Because applications are installed exactly the same way across the enterprise, support costs are also reduced.
Enterprise wide distributed caching of internet sites means faster access to information (accelerated internet) and reduced bandwidth requirements when Border Manager is employed.
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