Technically Speaking: NetWare 5 Client Software for Windows 95 and 98
Articles and Tips:
01 Dec 1998
Editor's Note: Technically Speaking answers your technical questions, focusing on network management issues. To submit a question for a future column, please send an e-mail message to nwc-editors@nwconnection.com, or send a fax to 1-801-228-4576.
When Novell released NetWare 5, it also released new client software to support the new features in NetWare 5. You can download the latest versions of this client software, Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98 and Novell Client 4.5 for Windows NT, free from Novell's World-Wide Web site (http://www.novell.com/download).
This article describes the features that have been added to Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98. This article also explores the client software's installation options and explains why you might want to use each option. (A future article will focus on Novell Client 4.5 for Windows NT. For information about a Macintosh client for NetWare 5, visit theNetWare Connectionweb site at http://www.nwconnection.com.)
EMBRACING TCP/IP
Like NetWare 5, Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98 includes native support for TCP/IP, thus enabling clients to establish a connection to a NetWare 5 server via the TCP/IP protocol stack that comes with Windows 95/98. With NetWare 5 and Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98, you can set up a NetWare 5 network that uses only TCP/IP and the Ethernet_II frame type. This capability provides direct Internet connectivity for both clients and servers.
With previous versions of NetWare and Novell's client software, you can connect clients and servers through TCP/IP only by using NetWare/IP, Novell's TCP/IP protocol stack. In this case, servers must run special services to support TCP/IP, including the following:
Domain Naming System (DNS), which provides name resolution
Domain SAP/RIP Server (DSS), which eliminates the need for the server to encapsulate Routing Information Protocol (RIP) and Service Advertising Protocol (SAP) information in TCP/IP
Network Information System (NIS), which provides internal IPX-to-IP name resolution
In addition, clients must perform a tunneling-type function that sends IPX-based NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) requests through the network via TCP/IP.
These additional services can hinder performance and can occasionally cause interoperability problems with some applications. However, you can improve performance and reduce interoperability problems by installing NetWare 5 and Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98 and by running only TCP/IP on your company's network.
If you have an IPX-only environment, you should be aware of one possible drawback: Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98 does not support Novell's IPX/IP gateway.
THE Z.E.N.WORKS STARTER PACK
Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98 includes Novell's Zero Effort Networks (Z.E.N.works) Starter Pack. Although primarily a management tool for network administrators, Z.E.N.works also allows users to perform some management tasks. (Novell provides two versions of Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98: one that includes only the client software and one that includes both the client software and the Z.E.N.works Starter Pack. If you want to take advantage of the Z.E.N.works Starter Pack, you must ensure that you download the appropriate version.)
When you install Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98 with the Z.E.N.works Starter Pack on users' workstations, a red icon shaped like the letter "N" appears in the system tray on users' desktops. If users click this icon, they can perform the following management tasks:
Browse Network Neighborhood.
Run Novell's NetWare Login utility.
Check the status of their network connections.
Map a network drive by using the Map Root, Map Search, or Reconnect the Mapping at Logon features.
Disconnect a mapped network drive.
Capture a printer port by using Novell's Capture Printer Port feature, which includes an option to reconnect at login. Although this feature uses the default capture settings defined in Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98, you can modify these settings by clicking the Settings button.
Disconnect a captured printer port.
Send a message to any user who is logged in to the network.
Manage their user account on the Novell Directory Services (NDS) tree or bindery that is stored on any attached server. Among other things, users can view and edit their user account information, view and edit their user login script, view their login information (such as login time restrictions), view their password information (such as password restrictions), change their password, and view their group membership.
View or modify the client software's properties. For example, users can set a default context and capture options.
Another Z.E.N.works icon also appears in the system tray on users' desktops. (This icon resembles a desktop blotter pad.) If users click this icon, they can perform the following management tasks:
Schedule an application to run on their workstation, and configure scheduling options.
Register their workstation and its services with NDS. This capability is useful if a user is logged in to multiple trees at one time. For example, suppose a user's primary connection were NDS tree A and the user logged out from this tree. The user could then register with NDS tree B, and NDS tree B would become the user's primary connection.
Display information about the NDS tree to which the user's workstation has established a primary connection. For example, users can see the name of their NDS tree and NDS context.
If you like the features offered in the Z.E.N.works Starter Pack, you might want to purchase the complete Z.E.N.works product, which offers additional management capabilities. For example, the complete Z.E.N.works product allows you to control workstations remotely, support roaming users, conduct a hardware inventory of workstations, and create help-desk request policies. (For more information about Z.E.N.works, visit Novell's web site at http://www.novell.com/products/nds/zenworks. You should also read "NDS and Z.E.N.works: Creating Transparent, Easily Managed Networks,"NetWare Connection, Oct. 1998, pp. 24-33. You can download this article from http://www.nwconnection.com/oct.98/zen08.)
INSTALLATION OPTIONS
To install Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98, you run the SETUP utility, which has two installation options: Typical and Custom. In almost all cases, you should select the Custom installation option. This option allows you to explicitly assign the protocols and frame types you want to use to connect to your server. You can also select the specific workstation services you want to load and run. This article assumes that you are using the Custom installation option.
Note: Note. As you install the client software, you should know Novell recommends that if you currently use 32-bit Network Driver-Interface Specification (NDIS) drivers for your network interface board, you should continue using these drivers with Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98--rather than installing the 32-bit Open Data-Link Interface (ODI) drivers that may come with this client software. Using 32-bit NDIS drivers helps you maintain full compatibility with Microsoft's TCP/IP protocol stack.
After you select the Custom installation option, you are prompted to select one of the following protocol options:
IP Only. You should select the IP Only option if the client resides on a network segment that includes only NetWare 5 servers running over TCP/IP. You should also select this option if you want to prevent TCP/IP-based clients and servers from being seen by IPX-based NDS trees and servers. (If you select the IP Only option, you can specify whether or not you want the SETUP utility to remove IPX from the client.)
IP With IPX Compatibility. You should select the IP With IPX Compatibility option if the client resides on a network segment that includes both servers running NetWare 5 over TCP/IP and servers running NetWare over IPX. If you select this option, the SETUP utility provides an IPX responder that tunnels through TCP/IP, essentially performing the reverse function of NetWare/IP.The IP With IPX Compatibility option allows TCP/IP-based clients to connect to a NetWare 5 server via TCP/IP. If these clients then need to connect to IPX-based devices or services, such as a NetWare server running IPX, the NetWare 5 server acts as a router between the TCP/IP-based clients and the IPX-based devices and services. (If you want a NetWare 5 server to act as a router in this way, you must bind both TCP/IP and IPX to the server's network interface board.)For example, you could use this capability if your company had a multisite network. Suppose one site were running TCP/IP on the local LAN segment hosted by a NetWare 5 server, while the other sites were running IPX on LAN segments hosted by NetWare 4 servers. If all clients needed to access both the NetWare 5 server and the NetWare 4 servers, you could bind TCP/IP to the LAN network interface board in the NetWare 5 server and IPX to the WAN network interface board in this server. Clients could then see both TCP/IP- and IPX-based devices and services without requiring you to run IPX on the local LAN segment.
IP and IPX. You should select the IP and IPX option if the client resides on a network segment that includes both servers running NetWare 5 over TCP/IP and servers running NetWare over IPX. You should also select this option if you want clients and servers on the same network segment to connect via either TCP/IP or IPX.If you select the IP and IPX option, the SETUP utility installs two sets of client drivers: one for TCP/IP and one for IPX. In effect, the client is then operating as two separate clients. In a TCP/IP environment, the client can connect to NetWare 5 servers via TCP/IP; in an IPX environment, the client can connect to NetWare servers via IPX.
IPX. You should select the IPX option if the client resides on a network segment that does not include any NetWare 5 servers or if this network segment is running only IPX.
After you select the protocol option you need, you are prompted to specify a primary connection type: NetWare 4/5 NDS or NetWare 3.x Bindery. A list of service options then appears, and you are then prompted to select one or more service options. If you select a service option, the SETUP utility installs the service's drivers and management files as it installs the client software.
Depending on the protocol option you selected, the list of service options may include any or all of the following:
Novell Workstation Manager. You should select the Novell Workstation Manager option if you want to manage the client's user and desktop information through NDS. For example, this option allows you to use the NetWare Administrator (NWADMIN) utility to manage desktop options, Windows policies, and Windows user profiles through NDS.
Novell Distributed Print Services. You should select the Novell Distributed Print Services option if you want to enable real-time communications between the client and NDPS-compliant network printers. (For more information about NDPS, see "NDPS: Good-bye, Queue World,"NetWare Connection, Oct. 1997, pp. 6-22. You can download this article from http://www.nwconnection.com/oct.97/ndpso7.)
Novell NetWare/IP. You should select the Novell NetWare/IP option if your network includes servers running a previous version of NetWare with NetWare/IP. This option ensures that the client can log in to these servers.
Novell SNMP Agent. You should select the Novell SNMP Agent option if you want the SETUP utility to install an extendable Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) agent on the client. You should install this agent if you are using a network management product that supports SNMP.
Host Resources MIB. You should select the Host Resources MIB option if you want to allow network management consoles to query the client for inventory purposes.
Network Management Responder. You should select the Network Management Responder option if you want the SETUP utility to install the Network Management Responder (NMR), a transport mechanism that enables the client to send operating system, BIOS, and ODI information to network management consoles.
Novell Target Service Agent. You should select the Novell Target Service Agent option if you want the SETUP utility to install a backup Target Service Agent (TSA), which enables backup products that are Storage Management Services (SMS) compliant to remotely back up the client's hard drive.
Novell Remote Access Dialer. You should select the Novell Remote Access Dialer option if you want the SETUP utility to install an extendable dial-up networking program for NetWare that supports both NetWare/IP and NWCAP, Novell's password authentication protocol.
Novell NDS Provider--ADSI. You should select the Novell NDS Provider--ADSI option if you want the SETUP utility to install a transport mechanism that enables the client to send NDS information to applications that are Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI) compliant. For example, you would use this option if you were running an application that used Novell's License Server. This option allows the application to communicate directly with NDS to find out how many licenses are available, how many licenses are in use, and whether or not the user is allowed access to the application.
After you select the service options you need, you click the Install button to begin the installation process. During the installation process, you are prompted to specify whether you want to define the client's properties. You should select the Yes option. The Client32 Properties page, which includes the following tabs, then appears:
Client. The Client tab allows you to define the preferred NDS tree, NDS context, and server, as well as the first network drive to be mapped. This tab also displays the client's major and minor version information. For example, the current client is version 3.01: The major version is 3, and the minor version is 01.
Location Profiles. Location Profiles tab allows you to capture the user's login properties and to store this information in a file on the network. When a user logs in to the network, information such as the preferred NDS context and server is provided by the file rather than by the client properties stored on the workstation. As a result, the user can log in to any workstation on the network and get his or her specific login properties.
Advanced Login. The Advanced Login tab allows you to set a default, or explicit policy support, option. This tab allows you to customize the look of the login screen by adding one or more of the following buttons, which the user can click during the login process to perform various management tasks:
Location List. The user can click the Location List button to view the location profiles you have created.
Clear Connections. The user can click the Clear Connections button to select or deselect the option. If the user selects this option, the client software clears the current network connection during the login process.
Advanced. The user can click the Advanced button to view or edit the preferred NDS tree, NDS context, or server. The user can also click the Advanced button to enable or disable login script processing.
Variables. The user can click the Variables button to change login command variables.
Contextless Login. The Contextless Login tab allows you to configure a contextless login, which enables the user to log in to the network without entering his or her NDS context. (For more information about contextless login, see the related article.)
Advanced Settings. The Advanced Settings tab allows you to select client functionality options, such as whether or not the client software should cache the NetWare password locally.
Protocol Preference. The Protocol Preference tab allows you to specify the protocol order--in other words, the client's primary and secondary connection options. Novell recommends that you specify a protocol order even if the client is using only one protocol.
Default Capture. The Default Capture tab allows you to select the capture options you want the user to use as a default when he or she executes Novell's CAPTURE command from the NetWare Services menu. For example, you can set the Timeout option or specify whether or not the user should use a banner.
After you define the client's properties, the installation process continues until all of the client files are installed on the workstation. You must then reboot the workstation to use Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98.
CONCLUSION
Although Novell Client 3.01 for Windows 95/98 is the latest version of Novell's client software as we go to press, you should check to see if Novell has released a newer version before you install the client software. You can find the most up-to-date information about Novell's client software on Novell's web site (http://www.novell.com/download).
Mickey Applebaum has worked with NetWare for more than 14 years. Mickey provides technical support on the Internet for The Forums (http://theforums.com).
NetWare Connection,December 1998, pp. 40-42
* Originally published in Novell Connection Magazine
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.