You are right - many of Novell's products introduce additional objects in one's NDS tree. For instance:
Merely implementing ZENworks with the Workstation Management features that require a workstation object could in most cases DOUBLE your object count.
Depending on the deployment of ZENworks User and Desktop Policies, you'll add a few more object per container (in one case in our environment, we're adding a dozen additional policy objects per container - while that doesn't sound like much, in our case, it means nearly 400+ objects).
Let's not forget if you decide to implement the DNS/DHCP features in Netware 5.x you'll add MANY more objects to your tree as well (check your IP implementation and see how many subnets you have and how many IP addresses that would need exclusions, then add subnet pools, DNS records (a, ns, mx etc), DNS domains etc).
Leverage NDS for NT/Account Manager - you'll add even more objects (equal to the number of users in your NT Domains).
iChain, OnDemand, GroupWise, iFolder - all these will add objects as well. But this is merely an assessment of here and now - meaning these are the most used products that add NDS objects to your tree. What will happen when developers start adding additional objects for their products....? I can't assume but I'm sure there more than one or two applications coming that will add an object per user (somewhere down the road I mean) so that will have an even further impact on the object usage number too.
How close all of this gets you to that magically 250,000 object limit depends on the environment one starts with. Not having sat down to develop some complex calculation of just how many objects per user additional Novell products add to the NDS tree, I'd imagine that more than 70% of all NDS installations will easily fall beneath this number. I can say right now, I'm working on an NDS tree that will include some 26,000 users by the end of this year or early Q1 of 2002 - I can't see this tree growing larger than 80,000 objects even with a full implementation of ZENworks for Desktops, ZENworks for Servers and Account Manager (for NT/Windows2000). Then again if we leveraged the DNS/DHCP capabilities of NDS we might be able to add some additional objects but I still don't see that adding more than a few 1000 objects right :)
So pushing that limit IMO will be more on the rare side than common. In most cases, it will be with ASPs and ISPs than with Corporate accounts. Again, if we were to add some new product that leveraged NDS which added a new object per user - we'd be getting much closer faster than anticipated. Six such products and we'd be very close to that limit - again, I'm not seeing just what kind of product would do that. Anything that would be needed on a per user basis would be an extension to the user objects (I'm thinking its easier to extend the user object than create and manage an additional object).
I've said many times before, Novell could extend ZENworks to manage handhelds/PDAs by allowing you to create a base company image set for the handheld then associate it with PDA/handheld users. Additional "apps" can be installed on a per user basis. All of this can be accomplished by extending the user object to include a property field for "PDA user name" or other ID so when they sync up with their "desktop or backend", NDS can do the authentication piece. At this point, you can leverage NDS to manage the apps and settings on that handheld. Anyway....I'm getting off the track here :)
I think the 250,000 object limit is fair and only in some rare cases will it be "in jeopardy" of being passed. What I'd like to know is what happens when a company DOES pass that limit! What will be the cost of using eDirectory at that point and will THAT be a deterent to people using eDirectory.
Regards,
Peter J Strifas |
