NetWare 4.1 CIT Interoperability Testing Overview
Articles and Tips: article
Software Engineer
Corporate Interoperability Testing
LAMONT LEAVITT
Software Engineer
Corporate Interoperability Testing
JENNIFER WAHLQUIST
Software Engineer
Corporate Interoperability Testing
BRYAN BARNEY
Software Engineering Manager
Corporate Interoperability Testing
01 Jan 1995
This AppNote is a companion to the Interoperability Test Configuration and Troubleshooting AppNote in this issue. Both AppNotes address the testing of NetWare 4.1 and other Novell products in an enterprise environment. The purpose of this AppNote is to discuss this testing at a relatively high-level. Configuration details and tips on interoperability issues are addressed in Interoperability Test Configuration and Troubleshooting.
Introduction
The charter of Novell Corporate Interoperability Testing (CIT) is to test Novell's networking products together in a customer-simulated environment. In this context, networking products refers to the NetWare operating system; UnixWare; and Novell's "add-on" products, such as NetWare for SAA, NetWare/IP, and NetWare Navigator.
During NetWare 4.1 testing, CIT's objectives were:
Use NetWare 4.1 and other networking products in an enterprise environment.
Verify that the installation of a product on NetWare 4.1 does not disable any previously-installed products.
Validate that server-based products function correctly on NetWare 4.1.
Verify that Novell's networking products are compatible and interoperable.
Test Environment
In attempting to simulate an enterprise, CIT built a test wide area network (WAN) incorporating several of its development centers in the U.S. A portion of this test WAN was utilized to simulate communication latencies (delays).
The NetWare 4.1 test environment was designed to emulate typical network environments implemented by Novell's customers. The configuration included WAN links, token-ring source-route bridges, multi-protocol segments, and multiple host access. In addition, a variety of hardware from a wide range of vendors was used. Details on the hardware and its configuration may be found in Interoperability Test Configuration and Troubleshooting.
Products Tested
As is the case with many enterprises, CIT's internetwork was comprised of servers with various versions of NetWare: NetWare 4.1 (a.k.a. native NetWare), NetWare 4.1 for OS/2, NetWare 4.1 SFT III, NetWare 4.02, NetWare 3.12, and NetWare 3.11. Several of the pre-NetWare 4.1 servers were upgraded to 4.1 during the test. In addition, multiple topologies, protocols, frame types, and line speeds were used.
Novell add-on products and their versions tested on native NetWare 4.1 and NetWare 4.1 for OS/2 were:
Global MHS 2.0d
Host Print 1.1
Lan WorkGroup 4.2
Lan WorkPlace for DOS 4.2
Lan WorkPlace for OS/2 4.2
MHS Services 1.0
MultiProtocol Router 3.0 (beta version)
Mass Storage Service 1.0 (beta version)
NFS 1.2c
NFS 2.0 (beta version)
Network Management System 2.0
NetWare Connect 1.0
NetWare for LAT 1.1
NetWare for Macintosh 4.1
NetWare for SAA 1.3b
NetWare for SAA 2.0 (beta version)
NetWare/IP 1.1
NetWare Navigator 3.0
Personal NetWare 1.0
UnixWare 2.0 (beta version)
The following products were tested with NetWare 4.1 SFT III:
Global MHS 2.0d
Lan WorkGroup 4.2
Lan WorkPlace for DOS 4.2
MHS Services 1.0
Mass Storage Service 1.0 (beta version)
NFS 2.0 (beta version)
Network Management System 2.0
NetWare for Macintosh 4.1
NetWare/IP 1.1
Personal NetWare 1.0
UnixWare 2.0 (beta version)
The following currently-shipping products are not compatible with NetWare 4.1 SFT III and, subsequently, were not tested in this environment:
Host Print 1.1
MultiProtocol Router 3.0 (beta version)
NFS Gateway 1.2
NetWare Connect 1.0
NetWare for LAT 1.1
NetWare for SAA 1.3b
NetWare for SAA 2.0 (beta version)
NetWare Navigator 3.0
Figure 1: The CIT test environment.
Network Architecture
The test environment included a diversity in network architecture, separating NetWare servers by a variety of topologies, bridges, and routers. Servers were attached to the Ethernet segment (HARDY ETHER BACKBONE) and to 3 Token-Ring networks (HARDY RING, LAUREL RING, and HOST RING).
A T1 leased line, using the frame-relay protocol, was established between the Novell Provo, Utah and Sandy, Utah offices to connect the LAUREL and HARDY rings. Novell's MultiProtocol Router (MPR) software was installed on NetWare 3.12 servers at each end of the WAN-link. The frame-relay network had an aggregate bandwidth of 704 KB.
Servers IBM1 and IBM3 were attached to the 4 Mbps Token-Ring used for host connectivity (HOST RING). This ring allowed connection to an IBM 9370 and an IBM AS/400 for NetWare for SAA and Host Print testing. In addition, an IBM ES9000 located at the Novell Sunnyvale, California office was accessible through an asynchronous link established through a NetWare 3.12 server (PRV_TW_MPR1).
Server Hardware Configurations
The main servers of the test environment were designed to emulate configurations of NetWare customers. The following table outlines the server configurations.
|
Name
|
IBM 1
|
|
Operating System |
NetWare 4.1 |
|
System |
IBM Model 95 (486/50) |
|
Storage |
PS/2 SCSI HBAwith 1.5 GB disk storageFuture Domain Fast SCSI-2 adapter with HP low-density jukebox |
|
Network |
NE/2 Etherneton 10 Mbps segment to HARDY ETHER BACKBONEusing IPX, IP, and AppleTalk protocolsIBM16/4 Token-Ring on 4 Mbps segment to HOSTRING using SNA protocolIBM 16/4 Token-Ringon 16 Mbps segment to HARDY RING using IPX,IP, and AppleTalk protocols. |
|
Name
|
IBM 3
|
|
Operating System |
NetWare 4.1 for OS/2 |
|
The hardware configuration was identical to IBM1. |
|
Name
|
CET_410_SFT3
|
|
Operating System |
SFT III for NetWare 4.1 |
|
System |
Compaq Proliant2000 (2 Intel 586/66 processors) with 64MB RAM (15 MB for I/O engine and 49 MB forMS engine) |
|
Storage |
Compaq IntegratedFast SCSI-2 controller with 1 GB storage1Compaq and 2 Hitachi CD devices on primaryserver1 Compaq CD device on secondaryserver |
|
Network |
NE3200 Etherneton 10 Mbps segment to HARDY ETHER BACKBONEusing IPX, IP and AppleTalk protocolsNTR2000Token-Ring on 16 Mbps segment to HARDY RINGusing IPX, IP and AppleTalk protocolsNMSLMirrored Server Link board rev J |
Note: This server was created from 2 identical machines.
Workstations
Workstations were located in three areas: 1) HARDY ETHER BACKBONE using IPX, IP, and Appletalk protocols; 2) four separate CLIENT rings connected to the HARDY RING via IBM source-routing bridges - these rings used either IP or IPX protocols; and 3) an IPX Client ring connected to the LAUREL RING across an IBM source-routing bridge. During the tests, several of these workstations accessed servers across the WAN links.
Test Approach
CIT focuses on interoperability testing. In addition, it may test some of the operating system's key features likely to be used by enterprise customers. In the case of NetWare 4.1, the features tested were Directory Services, upgrade, and product operations on the different "platforms" (i.e. OS/2, SFT III) of NetWare 4.1. In addition, the main functions of each add-on product were exercised during the interoperability test. Groups of tests were performed in the test environment in the following sequence.
Basic Installation
NetWare 4.1 was installed on the "main servers." Each main server was placed in its own tree. Server names, their platforms, and Directory Services tree name are listed in the following table.
|
Name
|
Platform
|
DS Tree
|
|
IBM1 |
Native NetWare |
NATIVE_TREE |
|
IBM3 |
NetWare for OS/2 |
OS2_TREE |
|
CET_410_SFT3 |
NetWare SFT III 4.1 |
SFT3_TREE |
NDS Synchronization
In addition to the main servers, NetWare 4.1 was installed on "peripheral" servers in order to exercise NDS synchronization locally and across the WAN. Each peripheral server was installed into one of the three trees noted in the table above. The peripheral servers were also used in the testing of add-on products.
The following actions were performed to complete this test:
A replica of the [Root] partition was placed on at least one other server in the tree.
Subordinate partitions were created and replicatedon servers locally and across the WAN.
The table below identifies the names of the trees, the servers installed in each tree, and the type of DS replica of the [Root] partition that was placed on the server.
|
Tree Name
|
Servers in Tree
|
NDS [Root] Replica
|
|
NATIVE_TREE |
IBM1 |
Master |
|
PENTIUM |
Read/Write |
|
|
IBM3 |
Read/Write |
|
|
DELL1 |
Read/Write |
|
|
OS2_TREE |
IBM3 |
Master |
|
DELL2 |
Read/Write |
|
|
SFT3_TREE |
CET_410_SFT3 |
Master |
|
CET_410_BART |
Read/Write |
Interoperability Test
The interoperability test consisted of install-order dependency testing and functional testing of the add-on products as they were executed together in the same server and network configuration.
Install-order dependency testing was performed by installing the add-on products in various sequences on the servers. For example, on one server the order of installation may have been 1) MPR, 2) NFS, and 3) NWIP; while another server's install sequence may have been 1) NWIP, 2) MPR, 3) NFS. This type of testing allowed CIT to determine whether the installation of a product on a server disabled the functionality of another product already installed.
"Small group" and "large group" functional testing was conducted on the main servers as the add-on products were installed. With each set of 4 add-on products installed on a server, a small group functional test was conducted, exercising key functions of the products simultaneously. These small group tests were conducted after installing 4, 8, 12, etc. products on a single server.
Once all add-on products were installed on a server, large group tests were performed. These large group tests exercised the functions of all products simultaneously.
Add-on products installed and tested on the test environment's servers are detailed in the following table.
|
Server
|
Product
|
|
IBM1NetWare 4.1 |
Host Print 1.1 Lan WorkGroup 4.2Lan WorkPlace for DOS 4.2Lan WorkPlace for OS/2 4.2MHS Services 1.0MultiProtocol Router 3.0Mass Storage Service 1.0 NFS1.2cNFS 2.0Network Management System 2.0NetWare Connect 1.0 NetWare for LAT 1.1NetWare for Macintosh 4.1NetWare for SAA 1.3b NetWare for SAA 2.0NetWare/IP 1.1 NetWare Navigator3.0Personal NetWare 1.0UnixWare 2.0 |
|
IBM3NetWare 4.1 |
Host Print1.1Lan WorkGroup 4.2 Lan WorkPlacefor DOS 4.2Lan WorkPlace for OS/2 4.2MHS Services 1.0 MultiProtocol Router3.0Mass Storage Service 1.0 NFS1.2cNFS 2.0 Network Management System2.0NetWare Connect 1.0 NetWare forLAT 1.1NetWare for Macintosh 4.1NetWare for SAA 1.3b NetWare for SAA2.0NetWare/IP 1.1 NetWare Navigator3.0Personal NetWare 1.0UnixWare 2.0 |
|
CET-410-SFT3NetWare SFT III 4.1 |
Lan WorkGroup4.2Lan WorkPlace for DOS 4.2 MHSServices 1.0Mass Storage Service 1.0NFS 2.0Network Management System 2.0NetWare for Macintosh 4.1 NetWare/IP1.1Personal NetWare 1.0UnixWare 2.0 |
|
CET-410-BARTNetWare 4.1 |
MHS Services1.0NetWare Navigator 3.0 |
|
PENTIUMNetWare 4.1 |
Global MHS2.0dNetWare Enterprise MPRNetWare Navigator 3.0 |
|
IBM2NetWare 4.1 |
MHS Services1.0NetWare Enterprise MPRNetWare Navigator 3.0 |
|
CET_CORPNetWare 4.02 |
Hostprint 1.1 NetWare IP 1.1 NetWare for SAA 1.3b NetWare TN3270 1.0 Patches and updates |
|
CET_ROUTERNetWare 3.12 |
MultiprotocolRouter 3.0Patches and updates |
|
MPR_LAURELNetWare 3.12 |
MultiprotocolRouter 3.0Patches and updates |
|
PRV_TW_MPR1NetWare 3.12 |
Global MHS2.0dHostprint 1.1 LAN WorkGroup4.2Multiprotocol Router Plus 2.11NetWare Connect 1.0 NetWare IP 1.1NetWare LANalyzer Agents NetWare forLAT 1.0NetWare for Macintosh 3.12NetWare for SAA 1.3b NetWare for SAA2.0NFS 1.2cNFS Gateway 1.2UnixWare Client NLM 2.0Patches and updates |
|
DELL311NetWare 3.11 |
NetWare forLAT 1.0NetWare for SAA 1.3bSNMP Update 2.1 |
|
DEC311NetWare 3.11 |
Global MHSHostprint 1.1NetWare Connect 1.0NetWare IP 1.1NetWare Management AgentsNetWare for LAT 1.0NetWare for SAA 1.3bNFS 1.2cNFS Gateway 1.2Patches and updates |
NetSync Test
Since many of the add-on products utilize Directory Services objects, the NetSync feature of NetWare 4.1 was tested in the enterprise environment. A NetWare 3.12 server (PRV_TW_MPR1) was installed with many of the add-on products (see the preceding table). The DS objects on this server were then synchronized with a NetWare 4.1 server (IBM1). Following this synchronization, large group functional tests were conducted on both servers.
Directory Services Merge Test 1
The effect of merging add-on product-related NDS objects from one NDS tree to another was tested using DSMERGE. During this test, OS2_TREE and SFT3_TREE were merged into NATIVE_TREE using DSMERGE on both NetWare for OS/2 and SFT III servers. During these operations, merging required communication with partition replicas across the WAN link. Following the merge, large group functional tests were performed on all three main servers (IBM1, IBM3, and CET_410_SFT3).
In addition, a NetWare 4.1 server (GREEN) was installed into its own tree (GREEN_TREE) and later merged into NATIVE_TREE.
Upgrade Test
During CIT testing, several peripheral servers were installed with a version of NetWare previous to 4.1. These servers were then upgraded to NetWare 4.1 - each with its own NDS tree - using the Upgrade option of NetWare 4.1's installation module. The servers, their NetWare versions, and NDS tree names are shown in the following table.
|
Server
|
NetWare Version
|
NDS Tree Name
|
|
AST2 |
NetWare 4.02 |
AST2_TREE |
|
CET_CORP |
NetWare 4.02 |
CORP_TREE |
|
AST1 |
NetWare 3.12 |
AST1_TREE |
|
DELL_311 |
NetWare 3.11 |
DELL_TREE |
Migrate Test
A NetWare 3.11 server (DEC_311) was migrated to a NetWare 4.1 server (MIG) using Migrate's "across-the-wire" feature. This server (DEC_311) was later upgraded to NetWare 4.1 and installed into its own tree (DEC_TREE).
Directory Services Merge Test 2
The majority of NDS trees that had been created with the installation and upgrade of peripheral servers were merged into NATIVE_TREE, resulting in an NDS tree of more than 500 add-on product-related objects. During these operations, merging required communication with partition replicas across the WAN link. Functional testing of add-on products was performed following these merges.
Additional Tests
During the course of the environment testing described above, other independent tests were conducted on smaller NetWare 4.1 configurations. These independent tests were designed specifically for the special environments in which they were tested. Examples of these tests and their environments are:
IP-only configurations
UNIX-oriented environments (emphasizing NFS, NWIP, UnixWare, Lan WorkGroup, etc.)
Mainframe connectivity-oriented environments (emphasizing SAA, Host Print, LAT, etc.)
NLSP-enabled configurations
WAN variations (using PPP, Frame Relay, Async protocols)
The types of testing described in Interoperability Testing (ie. install-order and functional) were also performed in these smaller configurations.
Conclusion
CIT's initial test design was ambitious, including several complex environments and heavily-loaded servers. Although there were more add-on products tested on a single NetWare 4.1 server than typically found in customer environments, NetWare 4.1 proved to be a stable and reliable platform. Moreover, NetWare 4.1 allows for some complex configurations.
Testing of NetWare 4.1 in CIT's test environment included NetWare Directory Services testing, interoperability testing, functional testing, and WAN testing. CIT's customer environment testing was successful, notwithstanding some caveats described in the AppNote Interoperability Test Configuration and Troubleshooting and in the NetWare 4.1 Readme file (README.41).
Overall, Corporate Interoperability Testing approves NetWare 4.1 and deems it ready for "prime time."
* Originally published in Novell AppNotes
Disclaimer
The origin of this information may be internal or external to Novell. While Novell makes all reasonable efforts to verify this information, Novell does not make explicit or implied claims to its validity.