Off-topic
November 02, 1998, Issue: 707
Section: InformationWeek Labs
NDS Offers Stability And Maturity
Logan Harbaugh
Based on our experience with Active Directory Server, organizations with either a mixed Novell-Microsoft
network-or even a Windows NT-only network-may want to consider implementing Novell's NetWare Directory Services instead of, or alongside, Active Directory. My reasons for this are twofold: First, NDS for NT is stable and mature, and NDS on NT will be released soon (it's available in beta now), allowing even NT-only networks to implement NDS. Also, NDS is now in its third generation as an enterprise directory and has well-developed tools for administering enterprise networks, as well as some truly wonderful applications such as ZENWorks, which allows manageable enterprisewide application deployment. It has features not available elsewhere, such as the ability to make any application self-healing. If a user deletes files necessary to run an application, ZENWorks detects this and reinstalls just the needed files.
The second reason is more philosophical. If Active Directory has the same sort of teething pains that NDS did-and there's no reason to assume it won't-the first implementations of Active Directory will be painful. With initial implementations of NDS, the biggest problems were due not to the functionality of the directory itself, but to misunderstandings by administrators of the most effective way to deploy an enterprisewide directory service-and, to a certain degree, to less-than-mature administrative tools.
With NDS, administrators could begin deployment today, rather than in a year or two, figure out the logistical and Practical directory-related issues with a well-established product, get help from numerous other administrators or consultants who have years of experience with NDS, and then have a very simple conversion process to Active Directory, when and if they decide to switch. Even currently available tools from either Microsoft or Novell make this painless, and the process will get easier by the time Active Directory is ready to ship.
However, many administrators may discover that they like the additional applications NDS offers, and since NDS on NT can even handle Active Directory calls, there would be very little reason to switch. |
