Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ToySoldier who wrote (24157)	11/2/1998 2:23:00 PM
From: DavidD	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42771

What's really weird is Gary's favorite stock pick is AAPL. Talk about a company that MSFT can kill anytime. They are keeping AAPL alive solely to avoid being criticized as a monopolist. This is evidenced by MSFT announcement (last year some time) to fund new applications for AAPL.

To: ToySoldier who wrote (24157)	11/2/1998 4:26:00 PM
From: keithsha	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 42771

Novell makes such a lousy database (NDS) they can't even protect schemas across versions upgrades. LOL!!! Novell, the database company. Directory bug can snag NetWare 5.0 installation By Scott Berinato, PC Week Online November 2, 1998 9:00 AM ET Novell Inc. customers are reporting a bug that can corrupt existing directories when NetWare 5.0 is installed in mixed environments with NetWare 4.1x. The bug, which Novell has acknowledged, involves NetWare's DS.NLM (Directory Service NetWare Loadable Module) files. If an updated version of DS.NLM software is not installed first, the new NetWare 5.0 directory schema extensions are forced on NetWare 4.1x servers, which don't understand them. Eventually, an entire tree's schema can be corrupted. This means that "no users will be able to log in, no servers will synchronize, no printing will work, no partitions will synchronize, nothing will work," according to Novell's Web support documentation on the bug. Novell officials claim the time frame in which the bug can happen is short because the receiving server must also be resetting its own schema. Still, the Provo, Utah, company's own online documentation implies that the problem is more common than officials indicate: It says any NetWare 5.0 deployment in a mixed environment would synchronize unrecognizable schema to other servers in the network. Novell Product Marketing Manager Samm DiStasio said that Novell engineers confirmed what was circulating in newsgroup discussions last week--that it is conceivable the directory tree problem could even affect 4.11 networks without NetWare 5.0. While Novell is downplaying the bug, some customers are concerned that they're deploying a network operating system that's not yet rock-solid--and that Novell has not been forthcoming in notifying them about the bug. "Even if it is obscure, you want this issue to be brought out," said Joe Acquisto, LAN administrator at the State University of New York at New Paltz. "What concerns me is now it looks like it's not just limited to new NetWare 5.0 installations." One IT manager and consultant to other Novell users has experienced the problem firsthand. After having a NetWare 5.0 server installed for 15 minutes, the IT manager, who requested anonymity, saw his directory tree begin to collapse and immediately took the server down. He then called to warn his clients. Novell's bug fix is another bone of contention with users who want to see more proactive methods from vendors when bugs are found. The files necessary to scotch the bug are core NLMs for directory services required to run Novell Directory Services. Novell's Web site, which warns users about the problem, doesn't give information on where or how to access the fixes, which are available only from Novell. "Please ring the bell and raise the red flags with an issue like this," the IT manager said. "To Novell's credit, they have a [document] on their Web site, but they have to be more forthright. [Even if the problem is rare,] these are not trivial issues. These are job-threatening." Novell officials say a fix is in place but admit they need to better advertise the fact. "I definitely sympathize with the user who looks at those [files that warn against the bug] and then has to go and find the components they're looking for," DiStasio said. "We have to work on getting this information in their face better. We're striving to make those technical information documents more informative." Overall, users were reluctant to criticize Novell over the problem because the company is taking steps to warn them. But they noted that being able to deliver bug-free software was a quality they are increasingly expecting from vendors. "There's a lot of pressure on Novell right now from a marketing standpoint," said the IT manager and consultant. "But I continue to be a big supporter as long as they're a big supporter of me. I would tell them, if they're going to eat crow, do it now. It tastes worse cold." Information about the problem is posted as Technical Information Document 2943193 on Novell's Web site.