InformationWeek

November 9, 1998

NetWare 5 Arrives, Without Windows' Hype

By Logan Harbaugh

t's ironic that Windows NT 5.0 Server (now called Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server) is receiving more attention a year before

its release than NetWare 5 is receiving at its release. This is especially odd given that most analysts say that NetWare 5 is ready for immediate deployment, with about 20% of its 10 million lines of code being new; on the other hand, most analysts recommend that Windows 2000 Server not be deployed for 12 to 18 months after it's released, with nearly 80% of its 40 million to 50 million lines of code being new.

One of the reasons Windows 2000 is receiving most of the attention is that enterprise administrators are anxious to begin deploying Active Directory, Microsoft's answer to Novell Directory Services. Because Active Directory is likely to experience the same growing pains that NDS did a few years ago, many network managers are anxious to begin deployment, hoping to get the bugs worked out before implementing Active Directory on their production networks.

There may be a better answer though: NDS can provide directory functionality for both NetWare and NT servers, and with NDS for NT--and soon NDS on NT--it provides superior directory services now, with an easy upgrade path to Active Directory if desired, once it's stable. NDS on NT will not require any NetWare servers at all, and will even redirect Active Directory calls.

However, many administrators may find that once they get used to the mature applications available for NDS, there is little incentive to move to Active Directory.

Though many companies are reportedly developing applications for Active Directory, it may be quite a while before anyone wants to bet the network on those applications. In contrast, available applications for NDS are stable and provide a great deal of functionality now.

Return to main story, "NetWare 5: Substance Matters ."