Novell Technical Subscriptions
December 2005 Highlights - Tech Select Service
Time and again, your subscription has proven its worth. It's saved you countless hours of administration and given you new resources to optimize and support your systems. At the forefront of this month's update, Novell® eDirectory™ 8.8 offers you a proven foundation for managing user identities and systemwide security. You also receive the in-depth LogicSource® for eDirectory, more than a dozen new bonus utilities, outstanding technical papers, 27 new patches, essential documentation, 450 Support Knowledgebase documents (TIDs) and 139 Product Communities updates.
- New Software
- Advanced and Expanded Resources
- Support Resources
- Technical Information Resources
- Developer Resources
- What's New and Upcoming
New Software
Novell eDirectory 8.8
It's the latest in directory technology, and it's yours in this month's update! Novell® eDirectory™ 8.8 provides a foundation for the world's largest identity-management deployments, allowing businesses to manage identities and security access for employees, customers and partners.
Novell eDirectory is compatible with a host of open and emerging standards. It is LDAP Certified by The Open Group, signifying conformance to the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol version 3 (LDAP v3) standard. eDirectory also supports Extensible Markup Language (XML), Directory Services Markup Language (DSML), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) and many other open standards. This support helps organizations maximize their technology investments and avoid getting locked in to any particular vendor's product set.
Equally important, eDirectory is truly multiplatform: it runs natively on Linux, Windows, Solaris, AIX, NetWare® and HP-UX, so eDirectory is an ideal way to host identity services within heterogeneous networks.
With eDirectory, you have real-time control over users' access to network resources. If you terminate their access to the network, they will be instantly locked out. Swift, precise control over users and resources helps block unauthorized access and saves you money. eDirectory also provides a very flexible security framework, including support for any combination of biometrics, smart cards, tokens, digital certificates and other authentication methods.
The following features are just a small sampling of what's new in eDirectory 8.8:
- Numerous install updates: multiple package formats for installation, automatic deployment through ZENworks® Linux Management 2.2, installation and configuration of eDirectory through YaST and much more
- Configuring multiple instances of eDirectory on a single host
- Authentication to eDirectory through SASL-GSSAPI
- Enforcing case-sensitive universal passwords
- Priority Sync
- Encrypted attributes and replication
- Improved bulkload performance
- LDAP-based backup
- Error logging
Finally, Novell eDirectory provides flexible, centralized management of users, resources, devices and policies. Its management console, Novell iManager, provides secure, Web-based access to all administration functions. This feature eliminates both administrative redundancy and unnecessary travel, saving you time and money.
Advanced and Expanded Resources
Updated LogicSource for eDirectory
After trying out eDirectory 8.8, you can explore key eDirectory processes in this month's update to LogicSource for eDirectory. A new chapter, titled "The Backlinker Process," describes in detail the Backlinker background process. This critical process is used to maintain referential integrity and cached security objects (specifically in eDirectory 8.8). These cached objects make it possible for all servers to contain the necessary data to obtain password policies for authentication, regardless of what replicas are contained on the server. This new chapter is located in the "Understanding eDirectory Processes" section.
Bonus Utilities
They save you time, they protect your systems and they require just seconds to install. Take some time to try one or more of the bonus utilities in this month's shipment. A small sampling of new utilities is listed below:
- Asgard–IDMTest Tool—provides an integration test tool for Novell Identity Manager projects
- BorderManager Wallpaper—includes popular wallpaper first published as a tip in 2002
- GateKeeper 1.1—provides an easy-to-use, powerful antispam and antivirus solution for GroupWise, with e-mail logging, monitoring and retention capabilities
- Binhack—delivers a way to run Novell Client for Linux on SUSE Linux 10.0
- DesktopClean 1.6—scans the local desktop, moves files to a specified network path and then creates desktop shortcuts to the moved files
- ENGL Zwlancfg 1.2—provides a Windows Wireless Management configuration tool
- iPrint Map Links—offers a modified map tool to handle geographical maps
White papers
Read anything good lately? If not, pick up one of the exciting new white papers shipping in this month's update:
- A Collaboration Solution That Supports Your Business Goals
- Migrating to Novell eDirectory from Sun ONE
- Policy-driven IT Controls and Identity and Access Management: A Winning Partnership for Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance
- Novell Open Enterprise Server vs. Microsoft Windows Server 2003: A Total Cost of Ownership Study for NetWare Customers
- Novell Small Business Suite 6.6
- Linux as Operating Systems for Application Servers
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 and Solaris 10 on x86: A Comparison
- Knowledge is Power: The Knowledgebase Advantage of Novell ZENworks Asset Management
- Protecting Systems with Novell AppArmor Linux Application Security
Support Resources
Latest Files and Patches
What's the best way to keep your systems running optimally? Just take a few minutes to download and apply relevant files and patches from among the 27 shipping in this month's release.
Technical Information Resources
New and Updated Documentation
Where do you turn when you need to know more about a product? Very often, you look at the documentation. This month's update includes the latest documentation for the following products:
- Novell eDirectory 8.8
- Novell File System Factory 1.2.1
- Novell Security Manager Powered by Astaro 6
New Support Knowledgebase documents (TIDs)
Take advantage of our vast collection of detailed technical documents! Whether you have a specific question or just want to research some general information, be sure to check out the Support Knowledgebase documents (TIDs), This month, there are 450 newly available TIDs that can give you ready answers for even the toughest technical questions.
Product Communities articles
However you use your Novell software, you're sure to learn of new deployment strategies and options when you visit Novell Product Communities. This month, you can browse 139 new AppNotes, feature articles, tips and more. (As always, we welcome additional contributions or feedback on current content.)
Online Web Forums Archive
If your search for answers has proven fruitless, try looking in the Online Web Forums Archive. This extensive resource gives you two ways to resolve some of your most pressing IT questions: you can search an in-depth compilation of answers to similar questions or ask IT experts directly in real time.
Developer Resources
DeveloperNet Newsletters
To find out about the latest DeveloperNet news, program information and articles, check out our recent newsletters:
- November 3, 2005—This edition examines Linux desktop application development with articles on the Novell Linux Desktop SDK, an introduction to Mono and the Linux Developer's Corner. You can also learn about a C# Simple Blogger Client and enter to win a 4GB iPod Mini. Read the entire newsletter online at: http://developer.novell.com/wiki/index.php/DeveloperNet_Newsletter_2005-11-03
- November 17, 2005—This edition explores Linux system application development. It includes articles on creating SUSE Linux device drivers, understanding GNU Autotools and optimizing the Linux kernel to work with the processor of your choice. You can read the newsletter in its entirety by visiting http://developer.novell.com/wiki/index.php/DeveloperNet_Newsletter_2005-11-17
Early Releases
Here's a small sampling of the early release (beta) products that are now available on the DeveloperNet Portal and the Subscriber Portal. Check back often, as new releases are added regularly.
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) SP3 RC1
- Novell Open Enterprise Server (OES) SP2 SLES 9 Build 11
- Novell Open Enterprise Server (OES) SP2 NetWare 6.5 SP5 Build B10
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) SP3 Beta 4
- Novell Linux Desktop (NLD) SP3 Beta 4
- Novell Open Enterprise Server (OES) SP2 NetWare 6.5 SP5 Build A27
What's New and Upcoming
Avoid a Bad 'New Year's Day Surprise'
Regardless of your subscription's expiration date, your evaluation software will expire at the end of 2005. Don't procrastinate—download the new 2006 licenses from the Subscriber Portal today. You will also find standard licenses on CD 1A in your November shipment. Alleviate some end-of-year stress by updating your licensing today!