NDS for Windows

Novell has promised network managers running Windows NT reduced costs and easier administration if they deploy its new version of NDS for NT directory services.

The first version required users to install the directory database on NetWare servers, but version 2 allows NT servers to host NDS natively.

The product manages NT networks by installing the NDS unified directory service, offering a single point of network administration and single-user login.

"With NDS we can manage NT better than Microsoft, but that's not so hard," said Chris Stone, Novell's senior VP for strategy and corporate development.

"With NDS for NT, you don't have to mess around with Microsoft's goofball domain management engine. Everything goes into a central NDS tree, so users can painlessly manage their entire NT user or device base with NDS."

It is theoretically possible for NDS for NT to work on an exclusively NT network, but certain NetWare backup and database repair utilities have not yet been ported to the Microsoft platform.

To access these tools, at least one NetWare server must be configured as the main NDS host. The next release, promised for mid-1999, will be a native NT application.

"Microsoft is scared to death right now. It knows we will have a native implementation of NDS on NT before Active Directory even ships," claimed Stone.

NOVELL NDS UPDATE: WHAT IT'S GOT

Improvements and features of NDS: Improved file share management with integrated, snap-in GUI.

Domain Object Wizard: Creates single network data repository by transferring existing NT domain information to NDS.

Scalability: Novell claims NDS for NT improves NT's scalability. Although NT is limited to 40,000 objects per domain, Novell has demonstrated over 65,000 objects using NDS for NT.

Security: Intruder detect lock-out is extended to the entire network rather than being confined to a single NT domain.