NDS (Novell Directory Services)

One of the features that really put NetWare on the networking map was Novell Directory Services (NDS), now called Novell e-Directory. Like Microsoft's Active Directory, NDS (which has been around since 1994) is a directory services system that allows network objects to be stored in a database. This database can then be divided and distributed among different servers on the network. These processes are known as partitioning (the dividing up) and replication (the distribution among servers on the network). Although introduced as NDS with NetWare 4.x, Novell has now renamed the product e-Directory and has made it platform independent.

Remember Although a detailed understanding of NDS is not required for the Network, working with a NetWare server will most certainly require a thorough knowledge of NDS.

Like the other network operating systems, NetWare is a full-featured operating system that offers all the functions required by an organization, including file and print services, DNS and DHCP servers, and FTP and Web servers. NetWare also supports a wide range of third-party hardware and software.