Novell Contractor Current Status: AVAILABLE

**RobAnt** · 16 March 2002, 13:45

Just a note to the EzOP - allowing custom signatures in this forum/topic would be nice.

Also, displaying the No. of Views!

**bryancuk** · 18 March 2002, 18:21

We turned off Page Views, since EZBoard doesn't count them properly - they get reset to 0 quite often (as they did 2 years ago funnily enough). We're still looking at sigs and will make a decision on that soon.

**RobAnt** · 18 March 2002, 18:24

Yes, I am aware of the problem with Page Views - but it can still be a useful indicator on this particular topic.

Overall, I would agree with you, though.

Again, might I suggest Sigs in this topic only.

**JavaTalent** · 11 April 2002, 23:36

Re: Novell

RobAnt, are you finding it difficult to market Novell services? The market share is moving to XP/2000/NT...I suppose this can be a last man standing type of game, where you can become one of few left on the British Isles to support legacy Novell networks at high rates.

Novell just merged last year with Cambridge Technology Partners (CTP), a professional services group. I think they are going to focus on higher margin services rather than software in the future. (The CTP merger made me a Novell shareholder for a while. Dread the thought...)

**RobAnt** · 12 April 2002, 00:01

Re: Novell

I'm aware of the Cambridge merger - not sure how it applies to the UK market though!

I personally consider XP/2000/NT desktop operating systems, rather than professional network o/s's though - and NDS is the directory service of choice even on 2000 servers, so not sure that Novell can be considered "legacy" just yet!

NetWare 6 recently released and I would prefer to be in a niche, offering a quality service, rather than one in 100,000 offering a humdrum service. The problem with all MS O/S's is that they are a target for hackers - so I'm seeing critical updates to my desktop every flippin' day.

If Novell offered a free Linux client - I would be offering that as a real alternative to MS desktops, with MS relegated to application servers, for which some misguided companies are still developing specialist databases & the like.

Novell so stable now, that even my regular customers don't need to call me

I have to make up excuses (like ADSL over ISDN) to drum up business!

**RobAnt** · 12 April 2002, 08:55

Re: Novell

Just to put my point about MS operating systems. My PC has received THREE critical security updates in the past 12 hours.

How are even small busineses (never mind large international corporations) supposed to be able keep up with that level of change?

Or am I missing something?

**Mark Snowdon** · 12 April 2002, 10:47

Re: Novell

Rob,

have you looked at xfring your directory knowledge to linux/unix and ldap ?

last time i worked on novell (4.11) the nds was great but the client software was a pig - it was the version that couldnt be uninstalled, and all the web services was sh*t. we wrote a knowledge management system in C, had to write our own database cos Oracle was expensive and not expected to last. and the api novell provided to interfacewith their web server changed all the time without warning, and much of it didnt workanyway.

**RobAnt** · 12 April 2002, 17:19

Re: Novell

Fortunately, that situation (uninstallable client) only lasted a few months. if that. Although you do still need to know where to look to find the application that uninstalls the Novell client (although why anyone would want to defeats me

)

I think you were working really cutting edge then - Novell 5 & 6 are much better than 4.11 in most respects. And the on-line Novell support site is excellent.

**RobAnt** · 12 April 2002, 17:25

Re: Novell

Mark,

Re Unix etc.

While I have had a look at Linux, and did a little Unix way back in 1996, I don't feel I have enough experience with it to be able to work with Unix comfortably in a professional environment.

Also, NDS for Linux (& MS) costs money, and I dont have any right now.

If anyone has copies to loan for training & my further education, then would be only too glad to investigate further!

Novell Contractor Current Status: AVAILABLE