- A Brief History of the NetWare Operating System
- Identify NetWare 6.5 Features
- Describe How NetWare Works with Other Operating Systems
- Exam Prep Questions
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Describe How NetWare Works with Other Operating Systems
No major network environment can be solely dependent on a single network operating system. Most environments today are made up of two or more platforms. It is imperative that you know how NetWare 6.5 interoperates with each platform. Three relationships are of particular importance:
- How NetWare interacts with DOS
- Which operating system platforms can function as a NetWare 6.5 client
- Which platforms can function as a server if eDirectory is installed
How NetWare Interacts with DOS
NetWare 6.5 has an interesting relationship with DOS. NetWare 6.5 cannot by itself boot a computer. It relies on DOS to boot the computer. Therefore, a DOS partition is required on a NetWare 6.5 server. DOS partition requirements are discussed in Chapter 3, "Installing and Configuring NetWare 6.5."
During the boot process, depending on whether you are running MS-DOS or DR-DOS, three system files are required.
If you are using MS-DOS, these are the three files:
- Io.sys
- Msdos.sys
- Command.com
If you are using DR-DOS, which comes with the NetWare 6.5 operating system, these are the three files:
- Ibmbio.com
- Ibmdos.com
- Command.com
After you boot the computer, you are at a C: prompt. You can then load the NetWare 6.5 operating system by entering two commands:
- cd\NWSERVER
- SERVER.EXE
The NWSERVER directory is the DOS folder that holds the executable that launches the server operating system. The server operating system is launched when SERVER.EXE is run.
After the server is up and running, NetWare no longer needs DOS to function. You can run the following server console command to remove DOS from server RAM:
- SECURE CONSOLE
In earlier versions of NetWare, you could also use the REMOVE DOS command to remove DOS from server memory. However, REMOVE DOS is not supported in NetWare 6.5.
Now that you have your NetWare 6.5 server booted, using DOS, the following question arises: Which operating system platforms can function as a NetWare 6.5 client?
Operating System Platforms That Can Function as a NetWare 6.5 Client
To answer the question of which operating system platforms can function as a NetWare 6.5 client, you must fully understand what a server is and what a client is. A server is a computer that provides resources and services. A client is a computer that requests resources and services from a server. NetWare 6.5 is a client/server operating system. Part of the operating system resides on the server, whereas the requesting part resides on a client.
A host of operating system platforms can serve as NetWare 6.5 clients. Some use the Novell Client, whereas others access a server either with a browser or through the Native File Access Protocol (NFAP). Those that are of interest for this test involve the platforms that use the Novell Client. They include the following:
- DOS
- Linux/Unix
- Windows 9x/Me
- Windows NT Workstation and Server
- Windows 2000 Professional and Server
- Windows XP Home and Professional
- Windows 2003 Server
Platforms That Can Function as a Server if eDirectory Is Installed
Now that you know the platforms that can function as a NetWare 6.5 client, you need to be able to identify those that can function as an eDirectory server. The following server platforms can interoperate with NetWare 6.5:
- Linux/UNIX
- Windows NT Server
- Windows 2000 Server
- Windows Server 2003