NETWORK OPERATING SYSTEM/OPERATING SYSTEM Directory: Novell Directory Services W hen it comes to building a unified network services directory, the leader by a mile is Novell Directory Services (NDS), the winner of our Well-Connected award. No other product even comes close to NDS' overall functionality. NDS has a huge base of third-party support--more than any other directory technology on the market. If you need to find products that leverage the existing user account database, you'll have more luck here than with any other product. You'll also find more products that leverage NDS' NWADMIN management console, making it easier to get administrators up to speed quickly whenever third-party tools are used. In addition, NDS supports a variety of client platforms out-of-the-box, as well a s a smattering of cross-directory population tools such as Network Information Service (NIS) and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), though these are not yet included in the base NDS product. Honorable mentions IBM Corp.'s Directory and Security Server (DSS) and Banyan Systems' StreetTalk directory service both offer benefits in more narrow arenas. DSS works specifically with the Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), a major-league directory technology used by major-league companies that absolutely need the cross-platform advantages DCE provides. StreetTalk, meanwhile, works exceptionally well in highly distributed organizations that require localized control. Novell Directory Services (NDS) , bundled with NetWare 4 and IntranetWare, NDS single-server source code is available free to OEM partners, Novell, (800) 453-1267, www.novell.com Honorable Mentions: Directory and Security Serve r for OS/2 Warp , $3,999 (base). IBM Corp., (800) IBM-CALL, www.software.ibm.com StreetTalk for Windows NT , $1,995 per server, Banyan Systems, (800) 222-6926, www.banyan.com Awards Table of Contents

Updated April 24, 1997