Novell:Overview
Understanding NDS
Networking is moving towards a sophisticated structure that connects the Internet, workgroups
and enterprise networks into an information system for businesses and consumers. In order to
efficiently manage and use this complex infrastructure, Novell havsdesigned NDS to provide
a single, global, logical view of all network services and resources.
By PCNA Staff
B
usinesses have discovered over
dates products and devices from a var
information quickly and efficiently.
the past few years that network
iety of vendors into a single, cohesive
NDS, however, does more than just
ing is essential to making them
network.
catalogue resources on the network. It
more productive. Novell's Directory
organises resources referred to as ob
Services (NDS) introduces the next
NetWare Directory Services
jects in a hierarchical tree structure.
level of productivity and efficiency.
This tree structure is known as the di
NDS helps users and administrators
NDS is the technology that provides
rectory tree.
become more efficient, by making the
a single, global, logical view of all net
An organisation can arrange objects
network easier to access and manage.
work services and resources. This
in the directory tree according to the
This ease of use and administration
allows users to access network services
way people access and use company
also significantly lowers the cost of
and resources with a single login, re
resources. This not only makes access
owning a network.
gardless of the user's location or the
ing resources easy, it allows NDS to be
NDS and NetWare are also the foun
location of the resources. NDS pro
used to establish rules based adminis
dation for the Smart Global Network,
vides a platform on which to imple
tration. Rules based administration
Novell's vision for the future of running
ment the strongest network security
allows administrators to grant access
a business. It is a worldwide network
available today. It also offers a single
to an entire branch of the directory tree
that connects the Internet, workgroups
point of control for administrators
at once. This makes granting security
and enterprise networks into a single
through easy to use graphical admin
access for a whole company fast and
information system for businesses and
istration utilities.
easy, minimising the need to adminis
consumers. The Smart Global Network
ter multiple groups. NDS acts as a
has many advantages. For example, it
Global Access
repository of information based on the
will enable companies to work directly
specific needs of the organisation.
with their vendors as if they were in the
NDS is a global, distributed infor
This hierarchical directory tree is
same office, employees to access re
mation database included with Net
the key differentiator between Net
sources around the world as if they
Ware 4 that provides access to all
Ware 4 and its competitors. While
were next door, and enterprises to
network resources regardless of
others claim to have a directory service
work together as a single unit.
where they are physically located.
such as Microsoft does with Win
NDS provides the foundation for
NDS maintains information about
dows NT Server their services are
the following three elements that will
every resource on the network users,
simply a flat file name service. Flat file
make the Smart Global Network a re
groups, printers, volumes and other
name services have no hierarchy, so
ality:
devices in a single, logical database.
they can be difficult to search and man
NDS presents a simple view of a
age. Name services also tend to be
Smart Network Services
complex physical infrastructure, pro
limited in use, primarily restricted to
Smart network services work intel
viding seamless, global access to all
email systems and user authentication,
ligently for the user. These services
company resources. Users log into a
and they are server specific. NDS, on
identify users when they connect,
multi server network and view it as a
the other hand, was designed to pro
determine where they are, what they
single information system instead of a
vide a complete networking infrastruc
need and how to work best for them.
collection of individual servers. This
ture, linking users to network services,
single information system increases
applications and data.
Universal Access
productivity and reduces administra
Universal access allows people to
tive costs.
One Login
access the network anytime, from any
place.
Hierarchical Directory
NDS provides a central point of ac
cess for the entire network. Instead of
Integration
Like a telephone book or an address
logging into many individual file ser
Heterogeneous integration consoli
book, NDS helps network users locate
vers, users and administrators log into
Issue 81 (March 1997) page 9
File: N0492.1
PC Network Advisor
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