Paging R2K, Coma, et al : Last October my cousin died in a head-on collision. He maintained our computers and network at work. We have 10 computers and a server on a novell network. 4 are newer xp machines; the rest 1998 models. No one knows how to swap out an old computer for a new one. We aren't sure what the novell license is or how it works. We have some codes and serial numbers, some passwords, but don't know what's what. We need help. I appreciate any response here, but am also looking for a service call. Please respond to me at pasox2@yahoo.com or call and ask for Scott at Bayou Properties Company at 713-641-0921. Thank you.
sent ya mail... this reminds me to ask.....do any of you other computer geeks have any Novell experience? and...is there any place you know of that uses Novell? I have a little experience with it...and was wondering if it would be worth my time to keep up with the new version. Basically...would it help my chances at a job if I keep up with Netware?
Nobody really use netware anymore, the maintenance is way too expensive. You can do the same thing with Linux or even Windows with much cheaper price.
We use NetWare, and we are a large company. Wells Fargo uses NetWare. Wal-Mart uses NetWare. That should give you an idea of how much NetWare is still around. Plus, Novell just bought SuSe, and with the integration of their awesome Directory Services, it will remain a force in the Networking World. I'd definitely stick with it. I mean, why not? If you don't, it's just that many jobs that you don't qualify for. However, it's not enough just to know the OS, make sure you are well versed in eDirectory. Any of their other software would be helpful as well; BorderManager, ZenWorks, GroupWise, etc..
R2K - Novell was way ahead of their time with NDS and their management abilities, unfortunately I haven't seen any real market for it though. I used Novell 4.11 and 5 at previous jobs but they were tiny shops. The 2 bigger shops I've worked at over the past 6yrs have been NT4 or 2kAD domains. I think you are much much better of with learning Active Directory and Exchange...
Wrong about Windows. Active Directory is a tenth of the directory that eDirectory is. eDirectory is THE ONLY Directory Service that meets the Full Service Directory model. Active Directory is simply the NT 4.0 domain model on steroids. eDirectory can run on Linux, so you are correct there. Also, how is it too expensive to maintain? You make it sound as if it's mainframe software.
You do know that eDirectory is available for Windows 2003 now, right? From what I know, large corporations like MD Anderson spent billions on softwares and labor to maintain it's Netware based network. That's why you only see those Fortune 500 companies using it. Plus Novell is trying to "Linuxize" Netware, so why not just use Linux at the first place?
Yes, I do know eDirectory is available for Windows. That was the first thing I did to our Active Directory domain. I was referencing Active Directory used in most Windows environments. I don't know if Novell is trying to 'Linuxize' NetWare, they are just making their eDirectory services available on more platforms. Which isn't a bad thing. I still don't know why it would cost a company billions to maintain a NetWare enviroment. Licensing costs are cheaper than Microsoft. Perhaps the level of expertise required to maintain NetWare costs a bit more than it would for a Microsoft certified tech. I will not get into my thoughts re: Microsoft techs!
Many thanks to R2K and coma for replying directly, and all others for their input. There are really great people here. We got past our immediate need with a d/l. Will follow through with exploration of something more friendly for future. Thanks to all ------------------------------------ Now...about our accounting software... Anyone got a heads up for a product with flexible pricing on stock inventories that get custom print? We make paper bags. Printed, Handles, different size, different credit = different price, different volume = different price. About 200 stock items, about 3000 variations. Manufactured cost and job cost calculator a plus. Small company... so something editable and cheap. Our current product is kind of complex. We also use it for a real estate company. I should really get seperate property management s/w, instead. Okay, that's asking for a lot. I think I've earned one of these :
I have a little Netware experience, but that's only from working jobs that still had bits and pieces of it remaining. I think the Netware shops are still out there, but there are not nearly as many as there used to be. It never hurts to keep up with things though.
I suspected as much....a good friend of mine(and former instructor) used to be a network manager for MD Anderson...and he always insisted that especially with the improvements that Novell made going from 4 to 5 and their plans for later versions...the rumors of its death would end up being vastly overstated. I found myself understanding it alot easier than most of my classmates...and since so many people were already writing it off...I figured that knowing it would only add to my marketability. afterall...everyone knows how to deal with MS....alot less know *nix....and even fewer really know Netware. So I made the decision to not specialize on any one and learn all 3. Sonny, I am already well versed in MS AD...coma is correct in that MS is just a pale shadow of NDS(eDirectory)...if you understand NDS....AD is a breeze. I wonder if maybe Legend is referring to the fact that good Netware techs can demand higher slaries since there are a limited number of people that bothered to learn it? That is the only way I could understand why Novell would be more expensive....the licensing costs are much lower than MS...support is easier to get(and cheaper)...and now with their foray into Open Source-land....it can only get more stable. Walmart is opening up a distribution center over on this side of town in a couple of years....seems like a good career move to stay well versed in Netware so that I can get a good shot at working with them. Say what you will about them...but it is a stable company with good benefits. Not a bad thing in todays economy... thanks for all the replies guys...I appreciate it. pasox...glad you got it figured out...feel free to give me a holler anytime you need some help.
We use Netware 6. It's pretty cool. Personally, I *LOVE* Novell Zenworks. Groupwise is not that great though. I don't much like BorderManager either. But Novell as a NOS is quite good. It's more popular overseas than here, but it's still got market share here. Novell is pretty big in schools as well.
