Novell Netware 4 and 5

Introduction

This web page provides information on the differences between Novell Netware 4 and 5.

The information has come from Novell documentation, text books, and my observations. It is not an exhaustive list, there are a lot more - but these are some of the more obvious differences.

Kernel

Netware 5 has an improved kernel compared to Netware 4. It supports up to 32 processors. An Intel Pentium is the minimum spec for Netware 5.

Network Protocols

Netware 4 uses IPX as its default routing or layer 3 protocol, although IP can also be used.

Netware 5 uses IP as its default routing or layer 3 protocol, although, again, others can be used. IPX can be used, as can Appletalk.

By default, in Netware 5, the IP layer runs on top of Ethernet_II as the layer 2 protocol.

Netware 5 can be configured to run

in a pure IP environment, with no IPX at all
in an IP only environment, but with backward compatability with IPX aplications
in a mixed IP and IPX environment - normally using the layer 2 protocols of Ethernet_II and IEEE 802.2 respectively
in an IPX only environment

File system

Netware 4 could only use the original Netware File System.

Netware 5 provides the option of using

The original Netware File System, but on Netware 5 is has a higher capacity than on Netware 4
A new filing system called Novell Storage Services, or NSS for short. This is a 64 bit system, with higher capacity than NFS, and offers a much faster mounting and dismounting of volumes

Partitions

Netware 4 only allows one Netware partition per hard drive.

Netware 5 allows more than one.

Install and Nwconfig

Netware 4 uses the install.nlm as one of the console based server set-up and management tools.

In Netware 5, this has been replaced by the nwconfig.nlm. This nlm includes the same functionality as the install.nlm, but it has an expanded range of functions, in order to provide management of the new NSS file system.

Load command

In Netware 4, to load an nlm such as install.nlm, or monitor.nlm, it is neccessary to use the load command, ie, at the command prompt, type

load monitor

load install

In Netware 5, it is not usually neccessary to use the load command, just the name of the nlm is sufficient - ie,

nwconfig

typed at the command prompt will load the nwconfig.nlm.

However in Netware 5, the load command can be used if required, as it provides a number of options relating to the loading of the nlm, eg, if the nlm is to be loaded into protected memory space.

Downing and restarting servers

When the "Down" command is used on a Netware 4 server, the server is brought down, but it stays in a minimised state - it is still the Netware operating system that is controlling the server hardware. The command line screen is still active, and a limited number of commands still work. So far I know of "Help", "Set", and "Config" being useable in this downed state.

The "Restart server" command brings the server back up to its normal running state.

Alternatively, the "Exit" command kills the Netware operating system, and returns the server to DOS.

Using the "Down" command on a Netware 5 server will also bring down the server, but in Netware 5, the Netware operating system is fully killed off, and the server goes back to DOS.

None of the Netware commands are recognised.

To bring the server back up from this state, it is neccessary to run the DOS executable

C:\nwserver\server.exe

In Netware 5, the "Restart server" command works when the server is up and running normally.

This command initiates a warm reboot of the server, with no further human intervention required.

It can be run from the server console, or from a remote console. So Netware 5 servers can be warm rebooted remotely.

Note that the options available on the "Restart server" command work on both Netware 4 and on Netware 5 :-

-ns = don`t run startup.ncf
-na = don`t run autoexec.ncf
-d = internal debugger

Java

Netware 4 doesn`t know anything about Java.

Netware 5 comes with a set of nlm`s that enable Java applications to be run at the server console.

Some of the applications that can be run using Java follow :-

Remote consoles

Netware 4 provides the ability to run a remote server console on a Windows workstation.

This is done by loading the remote.nlm and the rspx.nlm on the Netware 4 server, usually via the autoexec.ncf file.

On the workstation, the DOS executable rconsole.exe is run, and the workstation and the server use IPX to communicate.

On Netware 5, this remote console also works in the same way, as long as IPX is enabled.

However Netware 5 also provides another type of remote console, that uses IP as the communication protocol.

The workstation runs the DOS executable rconj.exe.

The server runs spxs.nlm and rconag6.nlm

Rconag6.nlm requires Java, so cannot be used on a Netware 4 server.

Remote console from a server

Netware 5 provides the ability to run a remote console window on one server, and control another server.

The local server runs rconj.ncf.

The remote server runs spxs.nlm and rconag6.nlm, just as before.

Communication is via IP.

This of course cannot be done on a Netware 4 server.

NDS management

On Netware 4, one of the main NDS management tools is NWAdmin.

On Netware 5, NWAdmin still works, however Netware 5 provides a new Java based tool called ConsoleOne.

The early versions of ConsoleOne, provided with Netware 5.0, had limited functionality compared to NWAdmin - it was neccessary to use NWAdmin for many tasks.

However ConsoleOne broke new ground within Netware, because it can be run on the server console - so NDS administration can be done from the server console.

The functionality of ConsoleOne is increasing all the time, to the extent that ConsoleOne will now work with object types that NWAdmin does not recognise. ConsoleOne is now the recommended tool, and NWAdmin is no longer supported.

Versions of NWAdmin

Netware 4 shipped with several versions of NWAdmin, including

Nwadmn3x.exe
Nwadmn95.exe
Nwadmnnt.exe

and possibly also

Nwadmn32.exe

However Netware 5 ships with only one version - Nwadmn32.exe

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