NewsBytes
September 2004
BrainShare
Barcelona Update
BrainShare Barcelona is now over – another highly successful Novell event. If you did not get the opportunity to attend the information below will provide you with an update on the Novell news and technology enhancements presented (see the separate press releases for more information):
Novell Highlights Enterprise Infrastructure, Identity-Driven
Solutions at BrainShare Europe 2004
http://www.novell.com/news/press/archive/2004/09/pr04064.html
BrainShare Keynote
slides:
15 Sept 04 Alan Nugent: http://www.novell.com/news/press/pressroom/presskit/brainshare_europe2004/pdf/day_4_alan_nugent.pdf
15 Sept 04 Daniel Veitkus: http://www.novell.com/news/press/pressroom/presskit/brainshare_europe2004/pdf/day_4_daniel_veitkus.pdf
14 Sept 04 Alan Nugent: http://www.novell.com/news/press/pressroom/presskit/brainshare_europe2004/pdf/day_2_alan_nugent.pdf
13 Sept 04 Jack Messman: http://www.novell.com/news/press/pressroom/presskit/brainshare_europe2004/pdf/day_1___01___jack_messman.pdf
13 Sept 04 Richard Seibt: http://www.novell.com/news/press/pressroom/presskit/brainshare_europe2004/pdf/day_1___02___richard_seibt.pdf
13 Sept 04 Andew Sutherland: http://www.novell.com/news/press/pressroom/presskit/brainshare_europe2004/pdf/day_1___03___andrew_sutherl.pdf
13 Sept 04 David Litwack: http://www.novell.com/news/press/pressroom/presskit/brainshare_europe2004/pdf/day_1_04_david_litwack.pdf
Some interesting
technical articles:
Life Support: Novell GroupWise Cross-Platform client
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/gwmag/features/a_connection_mag_life_support_gw.html
GroupWise Tips from BrainStorm Inc
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/gwmag/features/a_brainstorm_training_tips_gw.html
Migrate to Linux the
http://www.novell.com/linux/migrate/
Testing LDAP Authentication
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/nds/features/a_ldap_authent_edir.html
Upgrading to NetWare 6.5 on a down server
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/nds/features/a_down_server_upgrade_edir.html
Migrating to Novell GroupWise from Microsoft Exchange
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/gwmag/features/a_migrating_from_msexchange_gw.html
Identity Integration Solutions
http://www.novell.com/solutions/nsure/nsure_solve6.html?sourceid=identityintegrationtypedin
Password Management Solutions
http://www.novell.com/solutions/nsure/nsure_solve8.html?sourceid=passwordmanagementtypedin
Secure
http://www.novell.com/solutions/extend/extend_solve10.html?sourceid=secureenterprisedashboardtypedin
ZENworks 6.5 Comparative Analysis
http://www.novell.com/products/zenworks/keylabs_report.pdf
How to use the View Builder Framework
http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/zenworks/features/a_view_builder_zw.html
This time it is for real
Here we are, a year after the
surprising upsurge of interest in Linux as a server. Back then I thought folks
would be installing test servers, and more, as quickly as they could, but it
did not turn out that way. Instead there was a rush of interest in Linux, to
understand what it was and had to offer, but not a movement to deploy. Folks
looked to their proven solutions running today, particularly NetWare, and
focused on keeping them productive for the near term.
Two factors seem to be responsible
for this pause. One is the steep learning curve of Linux/Unix. Another is the
lengthy in-house test and evaluation process which we must endure and savour.
Managers, particularly managers of NetWare servers, are a stalwart bunch, not easily
impressed with the latest fads. Both attributes meet head on the need to devote
time and resources to learn and test, and right now these resources are very
slim indeed. We had better find a way.
Novell has been building more server
offerings for Linux all that time, starting with the NNLS suite of a year ago
and emerging as the Open Enterprise Server (OES) which will ship this December for
SuSE Linux and NetWare. They are also building a Linux desktop solution, but
that is not out yet. I can tell you that OES for Linux is a lot more than last
year's product, more than most folks may realize.
Thus the time is upon us when we
simply cannot focus on just what we have been using. We must dig in and
understand this new system and in particular the OES additions on the top of
Linux, and think of advantages which may accrue from merging it with NetWare
and our other
major systems on site. Adding
services from the wide range of open source programs is a real cost saver and a
breath of fresh air, particularly when we can integrate them with directories.
Identity Management is a central theme. Spread services to platforms best
suited for them is another. Cross couple systems when it makes good sense, use
XML drivers to join data sets and decouple politics. And hide the details from
our Windows, Mac, and Linux clients (which now will be treated more equally,
says Novell).
Golly, this will be a more
complicated environment to understand at first, and a richer one to exploit
when we master the components. The times they are a-changing. We can't get by
with just our present skills. Cookbooks will not get us to where we need to be.
Understanding will.
Joe Doupnik, Visiting Professor,
Tailored Training
More and more sites are finding that tailored training courses are more cost effective from a time, relevancy and financial point of view than the more traditional certified courses of n days in length. Mindworks specialize in delivering training of this type usually on-site within a customers own premises. Training of this type is charged by the day rather than by the number of students involved in the course, although we do try to restrict the number of people on a hands-on course to fifteen as the learning experience is greatly reduced above this number.
Needless to say an organization has to have a critical number of people who would be interested in the particular course before the cost-benefits for a four or five day course kick in.
Examples of tailored courses might be combining ZENworks with enough Microsoft material to cover how to cope with XP in a multi-user environment; you might only be interested in two days of the five day updating to NetWare 6.5 course; you might need instruction on how to use dirXML with Oracle; etc etc
The problem with tailored courses is that in many cases they are only of inertest to the people who have tailored them – or are they? If you are interested in a particular tailored course and are one of one or one of two at your site please email me with the details (Peter@mindworksuk.com) and I will look at the concept of putting together public courses to cater for your needs. Of course I cannot promise at this point in time that we will be able to do this but I am sure under the surface many peoples needs are quite similar. So please spare a few minutes and let me have your ideas. Many thanks – Peter Atkins.
Rob's guide to using VMware
A book for newbie's and experienced
users
This book covers many interesting
topics for users of VMware technology.
Part I
Contains a Fast Track to VMware
Workstation that will help new users to get up to speed.
Topics are: Creating Virtual
Machines, installing operating systems and tools, using snapshots and methods
of transferring data to and from Virtual Machines
Part II
Contains general configuration
information and tips for using VMware Workstation.
Topics are: Virtual Floppy's and
cd-roms, VMware Virtual Disk Manager and DiskMount Utility, sharing a base disk
to save disk space, performance tuning, Virtual Machine monitoring and network
routing options
Part III
Contains tips for Windows and
NetWare guest operating systems.
Part IV
Contains methods to perform Physical
to Virtual conversions.
Explains how to convert real
machines into Virtual Machines with low cost tools and imaging operations
Part V
Covers clustering for NetWare and
Windows for VMware Workstation and VMware GSX/ESX Server.
Topics are: how to create a NetWare
6.5 and Windows Server 2003 cluster with shared disks in VMware GSX Server. It
also covers how to setup a cluster with VMware Workstation for both NetWare 6.5
and Windows Server 2003 using iSCSI technology.
The book is available for on-line purchase
today at http://www.robbastiaansen.nl/book/bookoverview.html
You can buy an electronic PDF
version, a printed book or a combination of both.
The introduction to this book and
the complete table of contents are available at the website
Novell Nsure Identity
Manager 2
Novell IDM2—formerly DirXML—helps you securely manage the access needs of your
ever-changing user community. With Nsure Identity Manager, you can manage the
full user lifecycle—deliver first-day access to essential resources,
synchronize multiple passwords into a single login, modify or revoke access
rights instantly and even support compliance with government regulations. Nsure
Identity Manager also provides self-service features that enable users to
maintain their own passwords and profile information. With these capabilities
you will realize tangible business benefits: streamlined administration,
increased security, reduced costs and a swift return on investment (ROI).
With Novell Nsure Identity Manager, new users can be immediately productive,
receiving access to essential business resources on the first day of their
relationship with your organization.
With Identity Manager, you can synchronize a user's passwords to provide a
single password to all systems. Users are likely to remember a single password,
but if they don't, they can receive hints or change the password through
self-service capabilities. Users can also manage their passwords using the
native password interfaces in systems such as Microsoft Windows.
Nsure Identity Manager streamlines administration by automating routine user
management tasks or enabling users to perform the tasks themselves. As users
switch offices, receive promotions, take on special assignments or begin new
projects, they may need updated access rights or user profile information. With
a single change, Nsure Identity Manager can automatically update users' rights
and information across all systems. It also enables users to update their own
profiles—including contact information and other personal data—through an
integrated self-service tool, Novell eGuide.
Former employees pose a common threat to many businesses, but Identity Manager
closes this security loophole. The moment you change an employee's status to
"dismissed" in an authoritative data source, Nsure Identity Manager
will terminate the user's accounts and access rights in all specified systems,
and provide an audit report of the revoked user access rights. Your
confidential resources remain safe, and you eliminate countless hours of
manual, error-prone administration.
Gary Porter will be teaching a four
day hands-on course for Mindworks on Secure Identity Mananagement in