March 3, 1997

Network operating systems

Networking lifeblood

The network operating system is the most essential component of the network, and the network is arguably the most essential component of a company and its ability to make money. Tread lightly and carry a big stick.

COMPARED

IntranetWare
solution 
IntranetWare
Novell Inc. 
OS/2 Warp
Server solution 
OS/2 Warp Server 4.0 SMP Feature IBM
Solaris
solution 
Solaris 2.5.1
Sun Microsystems
Windows NT Server solution 
Windows NT Server 4.0 Microsoft 

Testing strategy

The question 

You own several NetWare 3.12 servers. They've served well, but they aren't going to cut it much longer in the era of the Internet/intranet and enterprise networks. Which network OS (NOS) will offer the best administration and Internet/intranet capabilities while still supporting existing clients? 

The answer 

Novell still makes the best NOS for your network -- and that's not just because it's the easiest to migrate to. Overall, we found it to have the best administrative tools, great performance, and a comprehensive IP package. 


Years ago, administrators dreamed of the day when they could standardize on a single network operating system (NOS). Visions of a robust server, providing both file and print as well as application services, danced in administrators' heads. In addition to being the ideal networking platform, this dream NOS would provide robust support for legacy client/server applications to make the transition painless. In short, the perfect NOS would offer superior performance and easy administration, and it would integrate into the current network seamlessly. 

That dream has largely come true: Modern Unixes are fine file servers, whereas NetWare, once the quintessential file and print server, now provides robust application support, including symmetric multiprocessing (SMP). Support for legacy platforms is good and is getting better. The part of the dream that hasn't really happened is the administration side: NOSes still offer little support for cross-platform management. What's worse, most NOSes don't even offer adequate in-platform management. 

A shop looking to upgrade from an old-fashioned file and print NOS has many options. Although speed is still important, today it takes a back seat to keeping the business running and long-term viability. 

SPEED ISN'T EVERYTHING. These days, administration of the NOS is of paramount importance. Although it's easy to throw an extra processor or more RAM into a box to improve its speed, there's not much you can do to improve on a NOS' administrative architecture. Third-party tools designed to address the issue often add more problems than they solve. And the overall cost of administering a NOS in the long run far outweighs any reasonable hardware demands. 

Today, a lot of IS shops are facing the fact that the days of NetWare 3.12 are coming to a close. As networks get larger and more diverse and users begin demanding sophisticated access to resources, a simple, albeit reliable file and print NOS doesn't look so attractive anymore. But changing NOSes is no small task; there isn't an administrator out there who wants to attempt a complete changeover -- clients and servers -- even during a three-day weekend. 

MIGRATION TEMPTATION. During the next few years, most NetWare 3.12 shops will be moving to something else. Novell has an edge here. The allure of the gradual migration approach is clear: It allows IS to make changes to client stations one at a time rather than trying to change the network client on 50, 500, or 5,000 workstations all at once. 

A smooth transition from NetWare 3.12 to a modern NOS requires three things. First, user accounts must be transferred intact. Second, file system data, including permissions and file attributes, must be moved across. Finally, existing client software needs to be fooled, allowing the back-end transition to occur during a weekend without touching those hundreds -- or thousands -- of clients. 

Done right, this transition won't even be noticed by users. Done wrong, a NOS switch over can be the most violent, career-trashing move one can make during a weekend. 

ADMINISTRATION BITES. As NOSes have evolved, their administration tools have often lagged behind their core technology. Although this may not hurt smaller shops, the slightest differences in administration capabilities can make a huge difference when deploying a NOS on an enterprise scale. Of course, only medium to large shops really need the benefits of a modern NOS: 20-person shops should stick with NetWare 3.12 until the 386-16 it's running on gives up. 

In any size organization, first-rate network administrators are in short supply. A good NOS can help. Administrators can be more productive in two ways: organization and delegation. 

Improved organization makes it easier to administer users, printers, and so on by making it clear what their relationships are to each other. Delegation is equally important: As directory services get more complex, user records contain all sorts of information, such as phone numbers and e-mail addresses. It doesn't make sense to make a top-level administrator enter all this information, yet that's the way most NOSes are today: Only administrators can alter user records in any way. 

The hierarchical nature of good directory services make departmental IS much easier. Although even NetWare 3.12 had some delegation capabilities, all of the modern NOSes allow much greater flexibility in allowing downstream administrators some control over their local network without compromising overall security. 

Results at a glance

The Internet has changed the way we look at networking forever. With its acceptance comes seemingly endless possibilities of expansion and profit. Although exciting, it's just the sugar in the bloodstream. 

What makes up the iron is the ability to efficiently manage all the components of your network -- from packet to CEO -- with alacrity and precision. That means fast file and print, good application services, and an extensible and hierarchical directory service. It also means supporting the Internet's TCP/IP protocol. Most importantly, if a company wants to sell you your next network OS (NOS), it's got to have a product that will allow you to change aging NetWare servers -- with all the users, printers, and other devices -- without changing any of the client's software. When Monday morning comes, no one should notice a thing. 

IntranetWare solution 

Bottom Line: 7.0 

IntranetWare's victory in the context of a NetWare 3.12 upgrade scenario may not be surprising, but a look at the scores shows solid superiority in nearly every aspect of the NOS. IntranetWare's strong showings in directory services and Internet suitability helped to propel it to first place. Between Novell Directory Services (NDS) and the enhancements to NetWare's traditionally weak IP support, IntranetWare has emerged as a viable NOS for the enterprise, perhaps finally shedding the "Yeah, it's great for file and print, but what else?" tagline that's dogged NetWare for the past decade. This is a full-fledged NOS that can do everything and excels at almost everything. 
Windows NT Server solution 
Bottom Line: 5.7 
NT has been closing the gap with NetWare during the past few years. Although in small installations NT is fast becoming a comparable NOS, its lack of real directory services makes large-scale implementation troublesome. As Microsoft constantly points out, people are doing it. But they're paying the price. Migration from NetWare 3.12 is so close to being easy -- but it isn't. The tools provided are oriented toward a complete, instantaneous changeover of clients and servers, which is not always a viable solution. NT's Internet capabilities are almost as solid as IntranetWare's and Solaris'. The lack of native Network File System (NFS) support is the only thing keeping NT from parity with them, but that's pretty important for integration into the enterprise network. 
Solaris solution 
Bottom Line: 5.7 
Solaris' tie for second place came as a surprise, but perhaps it shouldn't have. Whereas NT excels at making things easy, Solaris focuses on being incredibly powerful. The Unix interface is daunting at first, but it's very capable in the hands of an experienced administrator. The addition of Solstice NWServer 2.0 makes migration from NetWare 3.12 networks attractive, although there aren't enough tools to easily do so. Still, after a bit of administrative work, it's possible to mimic a NetWare 3.12 server to allow for a server changeover without affecting clients. NIS+ may not be as elegant as NDS, but it does offer a compelling directory-service model, complete with hierarchical administration and a great deal of delegation. Further refinements here and integration with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol standard should keep NIS+ in the running for a long while to come. Solaris' Internet and application support is perhaps the most robust of the bunch, but it lacked a unified administration console beyond the command line -- a boon or bane, depending on one's tastes. 
OS/2 Warp Server solution 
Bottom Line: 5.0 
Warp Server's star still seems to be falling despite the sometimes valiant efforts of its enthusiasts. Warp Server suffered from the word "go" in this Comparison by not being able to emulate a NetWare server. After that, it doesn't really offer compelling benefits in any of the categories, leaving it to finish with an even 50 percent of the possible points. Directory and Security Services for Warp Server helps out in the directory category, but it isn't as robust, standard, or well-supported as NIS+ or NDS. Warp Server's file and print services are solid but certainly not better than NetWare or NT. There are no tools to help manage multiple applications running on a server, and Internet support is spotty at best. On the whole, Warp Server remains a solid product. Unfortunately, IBM seems to be marching off in its own direction, not looking to see who's following -- or even where it is going, for that matter. The addition of NetWare emulation capabilities, a real directory-service model, and more robust Internet support would help breathe life back into this aging NOS. 

Solutions overview

IntranetWare solution 

IntranetWare got where it is today because Novell realized long ago that file and print was paramount and fast networking I/O was of the essence. With NetWare 3.12, the company commanded the network OS (NOS) market with a 4-to-1 margin. 

With NetWare 4.x, Novell stuck with its proven 32-bit kernel and added Novell Directory Services (NDS). With it came a centralized, common database that stored all the information about network resources. The database has proven to be very extensible and can replicate itself. 

Despite this advancement, not every 3.x shop moved with Novell because, quite simply, not all shops are enterprises. For smaller shops with a single location, perhaps even a single server, they didn't need what NDS offered. 

But with the explosion of the Internet, which so powerfully illustrates the benefits of a network-centric model, came the compelling need Novell was hoping for to upgrade the rest of its customers. 

With IntranetWare, Novell added auto-detection for hardware, integrated TCP/IP into the installation, made the directory faster and easier, and offered better client support. 

Furthermore, the company added a Web server that is integrated with NDS; Internet access, including a multiprotocol router; and WAN connectivity, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and an IPX/IP gateway. For clients, it bundled Netscape's Navigator browser. 
 
OS/2 Warp Server solution 
IBM's OS/2 Warp Server 4.0 SMP Feature is a multipurpose operating system for the same reason that Microsoft's Windows NT is. 

The first version of Warp Server was released 10 years ago as a stand-alone OS, and LAN Manager was IBM's NOS. Then IBM and Microsoft got together to create a super NOS. It would be based on IBM's LAN Manager and be an application server as well. In 1993, the two companies diverged, arguing about which API standard to use or other matters, depending on who you listen to. 

In 1995, OS/2 evolved into network-aware Warp Connect 3.0, and IBM moved on with the creation of the NOS, finally releasing it in 1996 as Warp Server 4.0. Later that year, the company released a symmetrical multiprocessing (SMP) version. It's not surprising that LAN Manager is alive and well. Version 5.1 handles the networking chores in Warp Server. 

For all things Internet, a comprehensive suite of TCP/IP tools are included, as well as a DHCP server and a DNS server. To be competitive, IBM is also offering its Internet Connection Server product at no cost during an indefinitely running promotion. 

The future of Warp Server SMP can be summed up in two words: Internet and Java. TCP/IP will become the native protocol, and Java run-time services will be available in the first quarter of this year. In the second quarter, IBM plans to release an integrated, full-service HTTP server. 
 
Solaris solution 
We've all heard that no matter how funky the shirt looks, it will come back into style if you hang onto it long enough. It seems the folks at Sun Microsystems paid heed to that adage, and it may work out for the company with its NOS, dubbed Solaris. 

Although Unix has been around since the '60s, it went out of style, way out of style, when a man named Bill Gates was busy making sure all of us used his Windows OS on our desktops. With Windows and its object-oriented navigation, the command line quickly became as passe as beanbag furniture. 

Ironically, because we all listen(ed) to the richest man in the country, Unix-based Solaris may today be back in vogue, kind of like bell-bottoms, go-go boots, and heroin. 

Consider Gates' multibillion-dollar vision that placed the personal computer on seemingly every desktop in the country. With it, we soon ventured onto the Unix-powered Internet. Now that the Internet is becoming part of business, a close look at Unix makes a lot of sense. 

For directory services, Solaris 2.5.1 employs NIS+. It's similar in design to NDS but is the only modern directory service to allow for column-level access control, allowing lower-level administrators to have limited authority over users (to enter or change phone numbers, for instance, without being able to change rights). 

Solaris' advantages are its stability and scalability in terms of processors, users, and clients on a network. The very same copy of Solaris can run, and stay running, on a single-processor desktop machine and on a mainframe-bashing server equipped with 64 processors that handles a database measured in terabytes and controls huge network traffic. Its weakness is that it's difficult to use: Cryptic Unix is a scary thing. Nevertheless, it is powerful and requires little movement for much effect. More importantly, it is based on an architecture inspired by genius -- and perhaps a little LSD. The key to Solaris' future will be in the creation of an interface that lets administrators access all its power without having to learn all its secrets. 
 
Windows NT Server solution 
When Microsoft talks about NT, it inevitably brings up "the graph." Imagine if you will: The company begins with a graph with two axes -- file and print on the X axis and application services on the Y. Far off on the horizontal axis is NetWare -- king of file and print. Far up on the vertical axis is Unix -- undisputed champ of application services. The intention of NT, the company says, drawing a line between the two and climbing at 45 degrees, is to be just as far out as NetWare and just as high as Unix. In short, it's designed to be the only true multipurpose NOS. 

Since NT 3.1 was released in 1993, Microsoft has steadily improved both file and print and application services and has an installed base of more than 1 million. Arguably, the only thing that held it back from reaching its goal of total category domination was the lack of foresight in the enterprise-administration category. The domain architecture that NT is based on makes it nasty to administer over multiple sites. Novell, in the meantime, scored a home run with its NDS. 

But then there was the Internet, and although Microsoft was slow to realize the opportunity, it suddenly embraced the Internet as if Bill himself had created it. With Windows NT Server 4.0, Microsoft includes a very impressive array of tools and applications to create a comprehensive and formidable Internet solution. By including Internet Information Server, or IIS, NT owners can serve up HTTP, FTP, and Gopher all from one easy-to-use package. Furthermore, NT also comes with recently acquired FrontPage to create and manage Internet and intranet sites. 

Now Microsoft is working on a solid directory service. 

 

IntranetWare solution

Components: IntranetWare 

Novell certainly has the inside track on migrating servers from NetWare 3.12, and it has capitalized on it. A smooth transition was marred only by IntranetWare's inability to keep client passwords, which would have been difficult but not impossible to do -- although we understand Novell's reluctance to distribute tools that suck passwords out of the bindery. 

The bindery emulation mode of Novell Directory Services (NDS) allows for a gradual transition to a tree, allowing IS to make a big server change in one evening without disturbing clients. It would have been nice if IntranetWare had been capable of automatically importing users from a NetWare 3.12 server into different containers based on which groups they belonged to, but that wasn't a requirement for our testing, so we didn't subtract points for it. We did find that NWAdmin made it easy to manually move users to their destination contexts. 

IntranetWare also sports a greatly improved installation program, which is even capable of detecting installed hardware. Although it is not as friendly as the GUI-powered programs of its peers, it is just as easy to install as Windows NT for an experienced administrator. 

NDS all over 

We liked the way NDS is leveraged nearly everywhere in the network OS. File and print services are truly an administrator's dream, and they are finally available over the Network File System (NFS) or the Network Core Protocol over TCP/IP or IPX -- all of which are administered centrally from NWAdmin. NDS is nearly a perfect directory service that suffers from only a few flaws. The first is a lack of client-side support; users will not be able to easily find that color printer on their floor. The second limiting flaw of NDS is its inability to allow delegation of administrative rights to particular schemas in user records. 

IntranetWare's Internet and intranet support is spotty, but where it exists, it is well done. Support for DNS and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is key, and the bundled Web, FTP, and Line Printer Daemon (LPD) servers are all ready to integrate with NDS. But unlike NT, IntranetWare is not bundled with a Gopher server. 

Furthermore, a built-in IPX-to-IP gateway allows IPX clients to access the Internet using special client-side software. Although it's not the answer for every IPX-based shop, the gateway provides an innovative interim solution. 

Long-lasting support 

Interoperability is provided by NFS and AppleTalk, and NDS clients are available for every major desktop OS. Unix clients will be right at home using IntranetWare as if it were a Unix server, complete with LPD support. IntranetWare administrators will be pleased not to have to deal with client-side tweaks on Unix machines. It would be difficult indeed to find an OS that wasn't capable of using NetWare's file and print and application services. 

On the whole, IntranetWare proved to be a joy to migrate to and use. Its robust file and print services are well- complemented by its other features, and, especially in the context of an upgrade from NetWare 3.12, we heartily recommend it. 

 

OS/2 Warp Server solution

Components: OS/2 Warp Server 4.0 SMP Feature 
Our experience with Warp Server was the most disappointing. It seems that rather than acknowledging Warp Server's low market share and making accommodations for more popular client/server operating systems, IBM has marched on -- pretending that Warp Server is the dominant platform. 
 
Migration migraines 
Providing migration tools from NetWare to Warp Server is a good first step, but unfortunately, the lack of NetWare-compatible server capabilities means that using the migration tools requires also migrating clients to either Microsoft or IBM client software. Not many people are going to do a massive deployment of Windows 95 on client stations accompanied by a rollout of Warp Server servers, but even fewer people are likely to do a wholesale replacement of NetWare clients and servers alike with Warp Server. 

Once installed, Warp Server is a credible network OS (NOS). Its file and print services are fairly robust, and the addition of Directory and Security Services (DSS) allows some degree of hierarchical management -- though not nearly as robust as what IntranetWare provides. Sharing files and printers is very similar to working with NT, which is not surprising considering its history. 
 
Not full-service 
Application services are fairly nonexistent: The only bow to any kind of integration with the NOS is the license-metering aspect of NetFinity, which requires specially enabled software to be useful. Needless to say, support is not very widespread. Although Warp Server makes a fine platform to run applications on, it lacks the tools and coherent service model that benefit its half-brother NT so much. 

DSS itself does provide a level of directory services that's much more usable than NT's current domain structure. But like Sun's NIS+, it falls short of the high standard set by IntranetWare's Novell Directory Services. DSS management tools were useful; it's the underlying structure that lacks concepts such as extensibility and replication. 

Warp Server has a lot of catching up to do to be a real contender in this kind of scenario. NetWare emulation is critical, as is an even more improved directory-service model. With those two key pieces, Warp Server would once again become an attractive choice. 

 

Solaris solution

Components: Solaris 2.5.1 
Solaris' performance was perhaps the biggest surprise in the Comparison. By turning in a solid, consistent performance in every category, Solaris managed to tie the much-vaunted Windows NT for second place. An improved migration strategy and some better administrative tools could well place Solaris squarely in IntranetWare's and NT's home market. 

Migration from NetWare 3.12 was one of the rockiest points with Solaris. Using Solstice NWServer 2.0, it was easy to get our Solaris machine to emulate a NetWare 3.12 server. However, Sun doesn't provide any tools to make the transition easier, so we had to manually move all of our files and re-create our users and printers. Once that was done, though, our existing NetWare clients could log right in to the Solaris machine with no idea at all that the back end had changed. 
 
Good 'n' nasty 
After the migration, adding users and printers was a bit odd. If you like Unix command lines, you'll be right at home adding printers with commands such as snexport-e re=NW, se=nwmars, and printer=laser4. For us, it took quite a bit of getting used to. NetWare-compatible user accounts are one and the same as Unix accounts, so eventual migration to native clients will be easy. 

Solaris offers very good application integration but, once again, without the kind of fancy GUI interface that lesser experienced administrators rely on. Experienced Unix administrators will find it a snap; others will experience a relatively formidable learning curve. Once proficient, though, the Unix command line is as powerful a tool as the fanciest GUI under development in Redmond. 
 
Home on the 'net 
For Internet support, Solaris is very well-equipped. Because TCP/IP is its native language (and always has been), Sun has done a lot of work to provide first-rate DNS, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, FTP, Line Printer Daemon, and many other servers. Their integration with Solaris' user accounts is seamless, which in turn allows NIS+ to be leveraged for Internet and intranet applications -- an elegant approach that Novell's IntranetWare definitely had in mind. 

On the whole, Solaris makes a surprisingly attractive option for use in modern networks -- not surprising to Unix-heads, probably, but surprising to those who have built careers on NT and NetWare. 

With some additional focus on migration issues and a less-intimidating user interface, Solaris could become an ideal step for those looking to bridge the traditional LAN and Unix worlds in their network. 

 

Windows NT Server solution

Components: Windows NT Server 4.0 
Although Windows NT offers some compelling benefits to existing NetWare 3.12 shops, it suffers from being "almost there" in too many ways. The most obvious problem is a terribly immature directory-service model. Compounded with an "almost but not quite" migration, the result is a network OS (NOS) that is very close to overtaking IntranetWare but isn't quite there yet -- just like the press has been saying for the past five years. 

Microsoft has put a lot of effort into making NT an attractive choice for current NetWare shops. Unfortunately, the company hasn't focused enough energy on one of the most relevant scenarios: organizations that want to upgrade from NetWare to Microsoft networking in a piecemeal fashion. Because of that, migrating NetWare 3.12 servers to Windows NT is frustrating. On one hand, Microsoft provides a bevy of tools to help the task, and File and Print for NetWare (FPNW) provides support for existing NetWare clients. On the other hand, nothing seems to work quite right. A few small changes could make the migration much, much easier. 
 
Mig ... Migra ... Migratio ... 
We installed and configured our NT servers without problems. Its installation program is the best of the bunch, IntranetWare's great improvements notwithstanding. Installing FPNW was also straightforward, which was good because we had to do it a few times before we could get all of the printers and volumes set up properly. 

Migrating users to NT was a snap, using NT's built-in Migration Tool for NetWare. Unfortunately, the tool is not designed to replace a NetWare server with an NT server. Instead, it is designed to migrate from a NetWare network to a Microsoft network. Therefore, it isn't as helpful with data files as it could be; it's happy to migrate them but isn't aware of FPNW, so it sets up NT File System security. It then leaves FPNW's NetWare volume unsecured until you reconfigure it. 

Printers were ignored altogether, so we had to set them up manually. What's more, by default, FPNW makes all existing NT printers available to NetWare clients. That's fine, but it uses the logical name of the printer, not the shared name -- giving the eventual transition to native NT clients one more configuration hassle to worry about. 
 
DNS-less but Internet-ready 
Despite a virtual lack of directory services we found NT's administrative tools to be the friendliest of the bunch, including a well-integrated performance-monitoring tool. 

For Internet or intranet use, NT is a natural. Bundled with DNS, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Gopher, Web, FTP, and Line Printer Daemon servers, it's easy to make NT at home on an IP-oriented network. The lack of DNS and DHCP integration and Network File System support are the only drawbacks to an otherwise robust Internet implementation. 

In its current incarnation, the only thing that recommends Windows NT as an upgrade to NetWare 3.12 shops is sheer ease of use. Every facet of the NOS is easy to install, manage, or remove. Unfortunately for us, that didn't compensate for a rocky migration and, most importantly, poor directory services. 

 

How we tested

To test network operating systems, we simulated the changes a network administrator might go through with a new network operating system (NOS) during the course of a year or so. These tasks started with a migration from NetWare 3.12 and continued into everyday administration of the new system. 

We started with a network consisting of four servers and 50 clients. 

First, we had two dual-Pentium 166-MHz servers with 128MB RAM acting as our database servers. Two single-Pentium 166-MHz servers with 64MB RAM and a 2GB disk became our primary file and print servers. 

In our enterprise model, our simulated headquarters was one additional departmental server with a single-Pentium 166-MHz CPU, 48MB RAM, and a 2GB disk. Lastly at headquarters, we had our legacy NetWare 3.12 server, a 66-MHz 486-based computer with 16MB RAM and a 1GB disk. 

A 10/100Mbps switching hub connected the servers at 100Mbps. Also connected to this hub were two more 10/100Mbps switching hubs with 100Mbps uplinks. 

The first of these hubs had two shared hubs attached to it at 10Mbps. The other had three shared hubs attached to it. Each these 10Mbps shared hubs had 10 clients, a mixture of Pentium and 486 computers. The Pentium clients ran Windows NT Workstation 4.0 with NT File System, called NTFS. Our 486s ran Windows 95 or Windows 3.1. 

 
How we Scored 

Installation and configuration 
Obviously, replacing our NOS with another is scary business. In this category we looked at the experience of replacing the new NOS over NetWare 3.12, so everything would work, come Monday morning, just like it did the Friday before. 

We awarded a score of satisfactory if file and print data could be manually transferred from a legacy NetWare server, and the OS installation went smoothly for both file and print and database servers. If the user information had to be re-entered or the installation process for the file and print and/or database server was a disaster, we called it poor. On the other hand, products that transferred the file and print and user information automatically and were a breeze to install received higher scores. 
 
Application Services 
Because you will want to administer databases, users, and file access transparently, we looked at the experience of loading databases and setting up additional database servers. Application-level security integration with the NOS as well as administration integration was also judged, as well as how easy it was to set up a remote, replicated database -- a natural occurrence in a growing network. 

If the solution provided server-level security, we gave it a score of satisfactory. We added points if the solution provided a unified application monitoring tool, if there was a centralized way to check users' rights to multiple database servers, or if it included a database-level security model. The ideal solution would have a single security model and a standard administration tool to control access to all databases and would make database replication simple. We subtracted points if user accounts couldn't be replicated, if database replication was difficult to set up, or if there were no real monitoring tools available. 
 
File and print services 
The workhouse category of a NOS is file and print. Although it is not as glamorous as application services, it is essential that a NOS provide robust file and print. We looked for client compatibility and the ease of use for both clients and administrator. 

For a satisfactory score, we had to complete each of our tasks including file transfers and printing between several users and locations. If all the tasks could be completed from a single location, we awarded a very good. The more trouble we had completing the tasks, the worse we made the score. 

Directory services 
Directory services is the glue that binds all the elements of the NOS together. Properly implemented directory services will allow you to administer users, not applications and files. We looked at how each directory service was implemented across application, file and print, and administration contexts. 

If the solution offered a rudimentary directory service, allowing central management of users and printers, we gave it a score of satisfactory. Allowing users to search for resources, good extensibility, and databases that were also treated as network resources earned a higher score. Confusing administration programs or solutions that looked at printer and users differently hurt the score. 

Internet Suitability 
It seems everyone is moving towards Internet/intranet technologies. A new NOS will be expected to be able to talk to the Internet and support intranet applications. We looked at how well each of these solutions integrated into the Internet as well as how comprehensive its IP toolset was. 

We awarded a score of satisfactory to solutions that supported IP and offered minimal SNMP and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) support. We gave higher scores to products that didn't rewire special software for IP-only clients, included DNS that integrated with DHCP, and offered robust SNMP support; in short solutions that looked and acted like first-rate Unix machines. We subtracted points from solutions that did not support DNS, SNMP, or DHCP, offering only rudimentary and difficult IP support. 

Interoperability 
Changing a NOS is a big deal, at a minimum it must coexist with both legacy systems and foreseeable future purchases. We looked to see how well each solution worked with standard client and server platforms. 

To receive a satisfactory score, we deemed each solution must be able to talk to MS-DOS, Mac, and Windows-based clients and allow each to use basic file and print services. The most services that were offered to the most types of clients, the higher the score. 

Support 
Support for something as important as a NOS is vital. Sometimes, it's more important than certain performance criteria. 

To earn a satisfactory score, we looked to 24-hour support, seven days per week. We added points for toll-free lines, money-back guarantees, Internet support, etc. The more support, the better. The less, the worse we graded them. 

 

Contributors:

Introduction by Brooks Talley - Senior Analyst 
Test plan by Brooks Talley 
Reviewed by Brooks Talley 
Edited bySteve Jefferson - Associate Editor 

 Questions or comments about this comparison? Please send E-mail to Brooks Talley at brooks_talley@infoworld.com. 

 Members of InfoWorld's staff and review board welcome your comments, but they may not be able to respond to all messages. 

Copyright © 1997 by InfoWorld Publishing Company