Novell NetDrive

Novell NetDrive enables you to map a network drive to any OES Linux server without using Novell client software. This means that with NetDrive, you can access and modify your files from any workstation using just an Internet connection. After a network drive is mapped, the drive letter that you assigned during the mapping appears in Windows Explorer and functions just like those that are mapped through Novell client. Basically, the capability to map drives has been extracted from the Novell client where it can be used independent of all the other Novell client features. For more information on the Novell client, see Chapter 4, "OES Linux Clients."

NetDrive Prerequisites

NetDrive runs on any Windows workstation, including Windows 95/98/Me and Windows XP/2000/NT. You need only 2MB of available space on your hard drive to install and run the NetDrive client.

WARNING

If you are installing the NetDrive client on a Windows 95 workstation, make sure you have installed the Winsock 2 update from Microsoft. It is available on the Microsoft website.

NetDrive supports three protocols for accessing network files:

• WebDAV NetDrive integrates with NetStorage to provide a comprehensive file access solution with very little client overhead. NetStorage must be installed and configured prior to using NetDrive with WebDAV.

• FTP NetDrive can access network files using the standard File Transfer Protocol (FTP). An FTP server must be installed and configured on your network before using NetDrive with FTP. With OES, you can use one of the optional FTP servers, described later in this chapter, to provide this type of access.

• iFolder NetDrive can access files from your directory on the iFolder server. iFolder must be installed, and your iFolder account configured, prior to using NetDrive with iFolder.

The choice of protocol depends largely on your network environment. One is not preferable to another. Use the protocol that best fits your network strategy.

Using NetDrive

The latest version of the NetDrive client is available by searching on netdrive at http://support.novell.com/filefinder. If you need help installing the NetDrive client, see Chapter 4.

With the NetDrive client installed, you can access files on your OES Linux servers using standard Internet protocols. However, not every protocol is supported on every version of Windows.

• iFolder Windows NT and XP/2000

• FTP Windows 95, 98, NT, and XP/2000

• WebDAV (HTTP) Windows 95, 98, NT, and XP/2000

• Secure WebDAV (SSL) Windows NT and XP/2000

The NetDrive installation inserts an icon in the Windows system tray (lower-right corner of the Explorer window). To configure NetDrive and begin using it to access your network files, complete the following steps:

1.	Click the NetDrive icon in the system tray.
2.	From the main NetDrive window, as shown in Figure 12.4, you can create new sites, map network drives, and configure and manage the websites to which you have mapped drives. Figure 12.4. The NetDrive 4.1 configuration window.

Each of these functions is discussed in the following sections.

Adding a Site to NetDrive

Adding a site to NetDrive makes an OES Linux site available to NetDrive so that drive mapping can take place. To add a site to NetDrive, complete the following steps:

1.

In the main NetDrive window, click New Site.

2.

At the Add New Site screen, enter the requested information, and click Finish. Name for Your New Site Enter a descriptive name for the new NetDrive site. Address/URL For an FTP connection, specify the DNS name or IP address of your FTP server (ftp://ftp.quills.com/files). For a WebDAV connection, specify the DNS name or IP address of the server where NetStorage is installed, along with the NetStorage access path (http://prv-serv1.quills.com/oneNet/NetStorage). For iFolder, specify the DNS name or IP address of your iFolder service (http://ifolder.quills.com). If you omit the FTP or HTTP prefix, NetDrive defaults to FTP. If you want to use a nonstandard HTTP port, make sure you append it to the end of the URL.

NOTE

If you want to connect with WebDAV and SSL encryption, remember to specify the HTTPS prefix as part of the URL.

After you have created a site, the name of the new site and the URL of the OES Linux server are listed in the main NetDrive window. The rest of the page defaults to common connection options for the file protocol you have chosen (refer to Figure 12.4). However, you can change any of this information after the fact:

• Server Type Specify the protocol that you will use to access this site.

• Drive Specify the drive letter that you want to use for the mapped drive.

• Connect at Login/Startup Check this box to have NetDrive map its drive automatically when your workstation starts.

• Add to Tray Connect Menu If you right-click the NetDrive icon in the system tray, you will see a Connect To option. Check this box to add the site to those listed in the Connect To menu.

• Anonymous/Public Logon Check this box to bypass user authentication for an FTP connection. Both WebDAV and iFolder access require specific user authentication. Leave this box unchecked if you want to require authentication in order to access the site. If you do this, you will have to enter a valid username and password.

• (Conditional) Pass Phrase If you are connecting to an iFolder server, enter a passphrase. This is used to encrypt your files as they are transferred over the Internet. iFolder is discussed later in this chapter.

• Save Password Check this box if you want NetDrive to remember your authentication password.

Click the Advanced button to set optional download, caching, and file-locking parameters for the NetDrive site. You won't normally have to do anything in the Advanced area.

When you are finished configuring site properties, click Connect to actually map the drive. When NetDrive maps the drive, Windows opens a new window corresponding to the drive letter that you have just mapped.

After NetDrive has successfully mapped a drive to the site, the Monitor window appears. It provides you with connection status, file transfer statistics, and a connection log. With the newly mapped drive, you can copy, cut, and paste files as you would in any other Windows drive.

TIP

If you have problems viewing the mapped directory or connecting to a server using FTP, specify the server IP address instead of the URL. You might also need to enable passive mode if the problem does not go away. Click Advanced and select PASVPassive Mode. Then try connecting to the web server again.

For more information on the advanced options available with NetDrive, see the OES online documentation.