Upgrading and Repairing Networks

Chapter 54. Migrating from NetWare to Windows 2000 or Windows 2003

SOME OF THE MAIN TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER ARE

Windows Protocols and Services 994

Microsoft's Services for NetWare Version 5.0 (SFN) 1000

When Windows NT 3.51 was released, one of the default network protocols installed during initial installation was Microsoft's implementation of Novell's IPX/SPX protocol, NWLink. It easily can be assumed that at that time Microsoft perceived that Novell was its most important competitor in the network operating system (NOS) marketplace. With Windows NT 4.0, the TCP/IP protocol suite, along with the Internet Information Server (IIS) and a host of utilities for creating applications for the Internet, moved that focus away from Novell to the then-fast-growing Internet market.

Yet, over the years, Microsoft Windows has continued to dominate the desktop, from Windows 95 to Windows XP and beyond. So one has to consider what benefits Novell's eDirectory and related networking products are worth, when most of the functionality that Novell provides is already present in Windows Server 2000 and Windows 2003 Servers.

Novell has recently concentrated its efforts on a new and improved NetWare 6.x. But whether that remains the focus of the company is somewhat in doubt. Parts of NetWare 6.x have been removed from the base OS and made into separate modular products, such as iPrint, iStorage and iFile. As newer versions of NetWare are released, there is more of a focus on Linux and the offering of not only the base OS and eDirectory but all the modules as well. Each of these modules is installed on top of the Linux kernel. This brings Novell into the realm of Open Source computing where they have their products all lined up and channeled to compete in any market space]closed source, or open.

This chapter covers ways to migrate your network from Novell NetWare to Windows 2000 by doing the following:

• Examining features of the Windows operating system that help provide connectivity between Windows and NetWare computers.

• Looking at Microsoft Windows Services for NetWare 5, which can be very useful, along with other tools for performing a migration to a version of Microsoft Windows Server.

You can take a gradual approach, slowly integrating Windows into important roles in the network, or you can take the all-at-once approach. The former probably would be cheaper in the long run (you can lose NDS servers by attrition and you don't need as many people devoted to the migration if you have more time). And, if you take the slow road, you can learn from your experiences. The latter approach might be a lot more costly, because you'll need to have a larger team of trained professionals to get the job done quickly. Using the all-at-once approach also is riskier. If something goes wrong, or if your capacity planning or organizational planning is faulty, you'll need a good back-out plan (and probably another job).