NNLS Components

NNLS Components

Test Objective Covered:

1. Describe Novell Nterprise Linux Services (NNLS).

Let's now turn to a discussion of the individual components included in NNLS to provide these services. Before doing so, you need to know that NNLS 1.0 isn't currently supported on all Linux distributions. The distributions that are supported include the following:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 2.1

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 2.1

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 8

Tip

The fact that NNLS isn't supported for a particular distribution doesn't necessarily mean that it isn't compatible. I've found that it runs very well on Red Hat 7.3, Red Hat 9, and SUSE 8.2. I have experienced problems, however, when installing on Red Hat 8.

If you have a particular distribution you are partial to, feel free to give NNLS a try on it. Be aware, however, that if you experience a problem and try to call Novell's Technical Support number, you will be told to install NNLS only on a supported distribution.

The individual components that comprise NNLS are discussed in the following sections.

Identity Management

To manage your network and keep it secure, NNLS provides eDirectory 8.7.3 for your Linux server. As mentioned earlier, eDirectory is the latest version of Novell Directory Services (NDS). With eDirectory, you can assign rights that control the level of access individual users have to network resources.

Note

Unlike many other network operating systems, eDirectory is extremely difficult to hack into. If you read the various hacker websites , you'll see that to hack eDirectory, you have to get an actual copy of the eDirectory database files. This is not any easy thing to do without having physical access to the server hardware.

NNLS also includes eGuide 2.12. eGuide is a web-based application that allows you to query any LDAP-compliant database and display the resulting information. eGuide is most frequently implemented with eDirectory to create a web-based organization directory of users and resources.

In addition to these two products, NNLS includes the Starter Pack version of the powerful Novell DirXML product. DirXML can synchronize your eDirectory database with other directory services and databases, such as Windows NT Domains and Active Directory. It can even be used to synchronize your eDirectory database with another eDirectory database.

DirXML is frequently implemented such that eDirectory is configured as the central, authoritative source for network information. When you make a change in eDirectory, such as creating a new user , DirXML replicates the change in the synchronized application.

NNLS also includes the Linux User Management 2.1 (LUM) product. LUM is a powerful service that allows you to redirect authentication from the standard Linux authentication mechanisms to eDirectory.

Each of these products will be covered in more depth in later chapters of this book.

File Management

In addition to identity management, NNLS also provides file management services. The key goal behind this suite of products is to allow end users to have the same level of access to their files regardless of where they are physically located.

For example, a traveling salesperson for your company should be able to access her presentation files on your server from her hotel room as easily as she does back at the home office.

One of the components that makes this possible is Novell's iFolder 2.1.2 product. iFolder is a file-synchronization tool. User files are stored centrally on the iFolder server. These files are synchronized out to user workstations using the iFolder client or the iFolder browser interface.

This allows users to work on their files locally. When a user makes a change to one of these files, the iFolder client synchronizes the changes automatically back to the iFolder server.

Tip

Because iFolder only synchronizes the changes made to a file instead of the whole file, it works very well across slow Internet connections.

If the user uses a different workstation to access her files, the most current copy is automatically synchronized down from the iFolder server.

One of the key benefits of iFolder is that it can eliminate a lot of document version problems. In the "old days," users would frequently email themselves documents. If a user needed to work on a document from home, he might email it to himself from work. Then, at home, he would access his email and download the attachment. When he was done, he would email the latest version back to himself again. Finally, back at work, he would open the email and download the attachment.

Doing this creates three separate versions of the same document. This can easily result in the wrong version being deleted. iFolder eliminates this problem. Because the files are automatically synchronized, there is always only one version of the file.

Note

Another benefit of iFolder is the fact that, if the network administrator is worth his or her salt, the central iFolder server is usually backed up on a regular basis. If the server goes down, its data can be easily restored from a tape backup. User files are, therefore, protected with a backup.

NNLS also provides the NetStorage 3.0 product. NetStorage is a simple, yet powerful product. It allows you to access your files on the server using a web browser. Although it doesn't synchronize your files the way iFolder does, it does allow you to get at your work files over the Internet. This can be a real lifesaver in an emergency. NetStorage also supports shared directories, enabling collaboration within a workgroup team.

NNLS also includes Samba 2.2.8a. If you haven't used Samba before, you're in for a real treat. Samba, when run on Linux, allows a Linux server to process Server Message Block (SMB) messages. In short, this allows your Linux server to emulate a Windows NT file and print server.

This is especially valuable in an organization that uses a Linux server with Windows workstations. By implementing Samba, users can map drives and printers to, what appear to be, shares on a Windows server. The shares, however, actually point to directories or printers on your Linux server. The NetStorage product also leverages Samba to provide much of its functionality.

Print Management

As with the file management services included in NNLS, the print management component's goal is to provide users with the ability to seamlessly print from any location. Imagine editing a document on a workstation at home and being able to print it on a printer in your company's Sydney office.

This can be done with NNLS using iPrint 5.0. iPrint is a powerful product that turns your Linux server into an Internet print server using the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP). Users can open web-based office floor plans and click the printer they want to send a document to. If they don't have the correct driver for that printer installed, iPrint will automatically download it to the workstation before sending the document.

Messaging Services

In today's business world, email is a must-have element of any network implementation. To meet this need, NNLS includes the NetMail 3.5 product. NetMail provides a very powerful messaging and calendaring solution that is also very easy to configure and manage. With it, users can send and read email messages, schedule meetings, and reserve organizational resources such as conference rooms.

Collaboration Services

One of the most useful components of NNLS is its collaboration product: Virtual Office 1.0.1. Virtual Office is a web portal that allows users to create virtual teams. These virtual teams can collaborate with a chat applet, send email messages, share uploaded files, and schedule meetings.

Virtual Office also presents users with a unified browser-based interface for accessing NNLS services such as email, iPrint, and eGuide.

Version Management Services

Ask any Linux administrator and he will tell you that one of the tasks that consumes a lot of his time is managing updates to the network operating system files.

NNLS includes the Red Carpet 1.4 daemon, which you can use to manage products installed on your Linux server, including downloading and installing updates of NNLS components.

Web-based Administration

True to Novell's oneNet strategy, NNLS can be managed using web-based administration utilities. The advantages of web-based administration are significant.

Image that you are responsible for administering a Linux server running NNLS. You get a telephone call at 3:00 a.m. from your company's night-shift manager indicating that one of his employees has been promoted to the position of Team Lead and needs rights to a particular printer in the managers office area. (And by the way, it's urgent and absolutely can't wait until you come in tomorrow morning.)

Without web-based management utilities, you would have to roust yourself out of bed, drive to work, make a rights assignment to a user object in the eDirectory tree, and then drive back home. Overall, this is a very poor use of time.

With the web-based administration component of NNLS, such a call (although irritating ) could be taken care of in a matter of minutes from a web browser on your home computer. Because NNLS uses encryption, you don't have to worry about sensitive network information being intercepted by hackers.

NNLS includes three web-based administration utilities:

• iManager 2.0.2 ”iManager is the primary administration tool for Novell eDirectory. It's used to manage users, manage eDirectory services such as DirXML, and back up the tree. iManager uses role-based administration. This allows you to create a management role, assign tasks to it, and then associate it with specific users. This automatically grants them the rights they need in the tree to complete the tasks you've assigned to them.

• iMonitor ”iMonitor is an advanced eDirectory troubleshooting and maintenance tool. You can use it to check the overall health of your eDirectory database and repair any problems you may discover.

• NetMail WebAdmin 4.0 ” WebAdmin is a web-based utility used to implement and manage the NetMail 3.5 service in NNLS.

These tools make NNLS relatively easy to manage. Let's now turn our attention to the relationship between Novell and the Open Source movement.