Networking Student in need of help

[S Batts]

Hi. I am taking Networking at the community college and my professorgave everyone a problem. I just started the class and I haven't learned anything yet, really but she gave us this extra credit question. Her is the question. YOU ARE CALLED IN AS A CONSULTANT BY A FIRM THAT HAS THREE SEPARATE NETWORKS, EACH WITH THREE SERVERS AND ABOUT 50 WORKSTATIONS. THE FIRST IS A NETWARE NETWORK, THE SECOND IS A WINDOWS 2000 NETWORK AND THE THIRD IS AN HP/UX NETWORK. THE FIRM WANTS TO INTEGRATE THEM INTO ONE SINGLE NETWORK WITH A COMMON DIRECTORY SERVICE AND HAS ASKED YOU TO RECOMMEND A STRATEGY FOR DOING SO. DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT THEY CONSOLIDATE THEIR NETWORKS UNDER NETWARE USING NDS OR SOME OTHER ALTERNATIVE? IF THE LATTER, WHAT ALTERNATIVE DO YOU RECOMMEND? JUSTIFY YOUR RECOMMENDATION BY LISTING SIX SUMMARY POINTS EXPLAINING YOUR REASONS FOR THE DECISION YOU MADE. If you can help or have any idea or suggestion I would greatly appreciate your help. Thanx

[Patrick Wallek]

NDS = No - Netware is no longer using NDS they are now using E-Directory.

Go with some sort of LDAP type database. Novell E-Directory is actually LDAP compliant I belive. But then I believe MS Active Directory is LDAP compliant as well, though I am not sure.

I suggest you look at Novell's website for details on E-directory and Microsofts website for details on Active Directory. You should also just do a google search for LDAP and see what you can find.

Good luck.

[Robert-Jan Goossens]

an other option is CIFS,

HPUX client

http://www.software.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=B8724AA

Netware

http://www.novell.com/documentation/lg/nw65/index.html?page=/documentation/lg/nw65/native/data/amax3xh.html

win2000

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c4adb584-7ff0-4acf-bd91-5f7708adb23c&displaylang=en

HTH,
Robert-Jan

[melvyn burnard · Accepted solution]

try reading the manuals on LDAP for HP-UX at
http://docs.hp.com/hpux/internet/index.html#LDAP-UX%20Integration

[Bill Hassell]

LDAP is the emerging cross-platform industry standard. This is commonly incorporated into a single sign-on solution and is becoming very important in multi-platform networks. The Windows and Novell solutions are typically too narrow for a company-wide solution whereas LDAP has the features and extensibility needed to handle all directory services. And most platforms have LDAP as an option. Here are a few references:

http://www.kingsmountain.com/ldapRoadmap.shtml

http://www.intranetjournal.com/foundation/ldap.shtml

http://networking.earthweb.com/netsp/article.php/1444871

[IT Response]

Hi Batts

As every body said you can use the LDAP getting integrated into all the three platforms.


For common Storage you can go for VA/EVA in HP to have shared storage across all the Networks .



Regards
Jaffar