NETWORK OPERATING SYSTEM/OPERATING SYSTEM Network Operating System: IntranetWare I f hubs and routers are the highways and byways for raw data, the network operating system is the freight. The NOS provides services--mundane ones, such as file and print, and exotic ones, such as directory services, authentication and access control, encryption, and time synchronization. For the second year in a row, Novell IntranetWare 4.11 (formerly known as NetWare 4.11) stands in our winner's circle for best NOS. NOSes have changed significantly in large corporations. While the needs of smaller companies have not changed much, networks at large corporations span multiple time zones and continents, and a highly scalable network operating system is essential. Novell Directory Services (NDS)--a distributed, replicated database capable of storing information about all the devices and services on the network--is at the heart of IntranetWare. Stand NDS side by side with Microsoft Corp.'s networking "directory" (we use that term lightly), and Microsoft's product pales in comparison. NDS is a central repository for information about users, groups and access control rights. It can be expanded to hold encryption keys, graphics and other rich media. And now that NDS is supported on other platforms, such as those from Sun Microsystems and the Santa Cruz Operation, and provides support for the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), NDS can become the cornerstone of an enterprise. Embedded support for symmetric multiprocessing system (SMP) lets IntranetWare servers scale, making IntranetWare not only a strong workgroup application server but a core part of a mission-critical application. Some of IntranetWare's features d on't get much attention, but they are key to running a successful, reliable network. Compression is often overlooked, for example, but network administrators rely heavily on it. Although Microsoft's NT includes file compression, it is nowhere near as flexible or powerful as IntranetWare. Its ability to dynamically load and unload programs, device drivers and protocols without rebooting is another important feature. IntranetWare lets the network administrator keep the system up and running while making necessary changes. This is key to maintaining a 24x7 operation. An enterprise solution needs not only continuous operation but also a robust set of management tools. IntranetWare provides both a GUI and a text-based NDS administration tool for managing objects, such as users, groups and printers, on the network. For those tasks that can't be done with the client-based tools, the simple but elegant remote console is always there. Many people take this bit of functionality for granted, but you can get to t he server console no matter where you are. This isn't always true in a Windows NT environment where you need to install an add-on software package, either from a third party or from Microsoft, to get access to certain functions. IntranetWare , $1,095 to $47,995, depending on number of users, Novell, (800) NETWARE, www.novell.com Honorable Mentions: Windows NT Server 4.0 , $809 ($409 to $539 for upgrades from version 3.1), Microsoft Corp., (800) 426-9400, www.microsoft.com Solaris 2.5.1 , starts at $1,295, Sun Microsystems, (800) SUNSOFT, www.sun.com/sunsoft Awards Table of Contents

Updated April 24, 1997