eDirectory Build Version Formats and the Differences Between the Versions of eDirectory
Articles and Tips: tip
Documents #10066623 and #10026433
01 Sep 2002
With the introduction of eDirectory 8.6, all eDirectory components have newer marketing and build version formats. These formats are meant to eliminate any confusion for future releases.
Marketing String Format
The marketing version string uses the following format:
[product] [major version].[minor version].[update/support pack number]
For example: eDirectory 8.6.0
Product Management owns the content of the Marketing String. This string will be available at the beginning of each new release. The Marketing String has no association with the Version Number. Each product component in a given release will ship with the same Marketing String.
Version Number Format
The following is an example of the build string found on an eDirectory component:
10110.20
This new format is strictly a build format to keep track of each build as it is released. The number is composed of the release number, the sub-release number, the release source, the build number, and the build source. The recent builds and their equivalencies are listed below:
10110.20 - Shipping DS version with NetWare 6 (eDirectory 8.6)
10210.43 - DS version that comes with eDirectory 8.6.1 (multi-platform)
10310.17 - DS version that comes with NetWare 6 Support Pack 1 (eDirectory 8.6.2)
10320.04 - DS version that comes with the eDirectory 8.6.2 FULL download and the 8.6.2 patch (EDIR862.EXE)
These are the official public releases. If you are running anything other than what you see listed above, you should update to the correct official release.
Note: Although the EDIR862.EXE patch is a later build than what ships with NetWare 6 Support Pack 1, there is no need to apply the EDIR862 patch to a server that is already patched to Support Pack 1.
For additional information on eDirectory 8.6, see TID #10066455, entitled "eDirectory 8.6 Readme Addendum." eDirectory 8.6 is an updated version of eDirectory available on NetWare 6, NetWare 5.1, Windows NT/2000, Solaris, and Linux.
The Differences Between the Versions of eDirectory
There are many functional differences between eDirectory 8.5.x and eDirectory 8.6.x. These include Web- based utilities, fully RFC-compliant LDAP support, and advanced directory synchronization. You can find more information at http://support.novell.com/techcenter/articles/ana20011001.html.
Novell eDirectory 8.5 (85.xx)
There has been some confusion as to the difference between newer directory services versions, primarily eDirectory 8.5 and the previously-released NDS 8 eDirectory. eDirectory 8.6 is the newest release of directory services, and includes functional enhancements, extended schema, and new features not previously available.
Note: For clarification, Novell is using NDS 8.xx to refer to the original eDirectory product and eDirectory 8.x to refer to the newer, fully-functional products. Both the older product (8.xx) and the newly-released 8.5 are based on the type of database referred to as "eDirectory."
The confusion over the versions arises because eDirectory 8.5 was conceived long before eDirectory (NDS 8.xx) ever reached the patch level of 8.73 (or higher). Despite these versioning conflicts, eDirectory 8.5 is the newer product and is an extension of the feature set originally released in 1999 with eDirectory (NDS 8.xx).
If you are using the shipping version of eDirectory 8.5, type "MODULES DS.NLM <Enter>" at the network prompt on a NetWare server. This will return a result of NDS version 8.5, and DS.NLM revision 85.01r.
Although NDS 8.xx is currently using version numbers that are higher than eDirectory 8.5, it is the older of the two products. Patches and updates are still being produced, and you can expect version numbers to increase. Current versions of NDS 8.xx use the same basic database engine as eDirectory 8.5 (versions 8.7x and above), which should increase overall performance of the system. However, NDS 8.xx does not include the fully-functional enhancements that are listed below.
New features that have been added since the original eDirectory, NDS 8.xx, include (and this is not a complete list):
Full e-Directory functionality, including the ability to merge trees
Filtered replicas
DNS-Rooted trees
LDIF import/export
Index Management utility
Support for DirXML
Multi-platform support (NetWare, NT, UNIX, Linux)
NDS iMonitor Web-browser management utility
Versions of eDirectory 8.5 begin with DS.NLM version 85.01.
DirXML 1.0/1.1.
DirXML is technology to drive a meta-directory and uses XML code to synchronize data between disparate directory structures. This can help minimize the cost of network management. It is also used to automate business process data flows, extend NDS synchronization, replication of business data.
DirXML is a data sharing service that is flexible enough to accommodate any application, database, or directory. DirXML extends the data replication and synchronization capabilities of NDS eDirectory to other data sources, eliminating the isolation of your data among your various applications.
As a data sharing service, DirXML and NDS eDirectory allow the automation of your business process data flow. Through rules and policies stored in NDS eDirectory, not only can DirXML manage the flow of your data, but the authoritative sources of your data are also preserved and enforced.DirXML is event driven, so the changes to your data are propagated through your environment in real-time.
DirXML 1.1 enhances the functionality of DirXML 1.0, adding updated and new drivers.
Novell Account Management 2.1.
Novell Account Management 2.1, formerly named NDS Corporate Edition is a directory-enabled solution that can be used to create a seamless, unified network from heterogeneous systems. Novell Account Management integrates Windows NT, Sun Solaris, and Linux user management functions into NDS eDirectory so that you can easily and inexpensively manage a network comprised of multiple platforms and operating systems.
Novell Account Management 2.1 is further divided between two products:
Novell Account Management 2.1 for Windows 2000/NT
The product is designed to leverage DirXML 1.0 to provide eDirectory and Active Directory user synchronization including password synchronization. The same functionality may be used with DirXML 1.1 and Password Synchronization 1.0.
Novell Account Management 2.1 for NT
This product is designed to redirect requests from the Microsoft SAM database or UNIX NIS/PASSWD system into NDS, so that a single NDS account can provide access to virtually all network resources.
NDS eDirectory version 8.
Novell Directory Services 8 (NDS 8) is the foundation for the "next generation" of Directory Services. It was originally developed for Novell NetWare 5 environments only. Its new architecture eliminates many of the limitations of earlier versions of the Directory. It is the foundation for directories that are truly interconnected and global.
NDS Corporate Edition.
NDS Corporate Edition is a network resource management tool built on top of NDS eDirectory to enable companies to integrate resources (like user accounts, printers, routers, NT domains, etc.) across the network and thereby simplify network management. eDirectory is designed to be platform independent and purchased separately from NetWare.
The key difference between Corporate Edition and eDirectory is redirection. Corporate Edition includes the modules necessary to redirect authentication requests in Linux, Solaris, and Windows NT. This allows the user databases for each of these platforms to directly integrate with NDS.
NDS Corporate Edition combines an NDS 8 database engine with account redirection features to create a centrally managed, integrated network. All of the features and functionality of NDS for NT and NDS for Solaris have been rolled into NDS Corporate Edition. NDS for NT and NDS for Solaris, as product names, will no longer be used.
* 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.