Brainshare, the annual Novell training and information conference, kicked off in Sandton today with the formal announcement of
Netware 6
.
Opening the 500-delegate conference, Richard Beytagh, Novell`s regional director for Africa, said the focus of the of three-day event is Netware 6.
He noted that while most people thought of Novell as simply a file and print services company, the reality is very different. "We`re a very different company from where we were a couple of years ago," he said, referring to the launch of Netware 6 and Novell directory services. Netware 6, he explained, is built around the Internet and promises to deliver information to users no matter where they are.
A significant portion of Netware 6 has been re-worked to take advantage of multi-processor hardware, including TCP/IP, and a full range of Ethernet products, including support for gigabit Ethernet. For high availability, Netware 6 is built around Novell Cluster Services 1.6. The basic Netware package will include a two-node cluster licence, which can be upgraded to support up to 32 nodes by purchasing the full-blown cluster product. With clustering installed, applications are easily migrated between machines, allowing for maintenance to be performed, or in the case of server errors.
During his presentation on the directory-enabled enterprise, Mikko Valimaki, VP of engineering for Net Directory Services, said directory services are designed to "deliver the relevant information to the right people, at the right time and the right location, on the right device".
Valimaki added that what differentiates Novell directory services from other players in the market is that Novell is capable of delivering circular e-provisioning services. "This is much more powerful than just being able to push information one level," he said, referring to other systems on the market. "I can`t emphasise enough how foundational this is for the directory-enabled enterprise." Circular e-provisioning is able to propagate information in multiple directions and multiple levels.
Using directory services, said Valimaki, corporations are able to build a foundation of identities upon which to develop their infrastructure. "All people have an identity in the directory and we can authenticate them against it."
He explained that directory services allow for the easy customisation of information views and could also enable managers to control access to information without the need for technical staff to program in privileges.
Also speaking during the opening of Brainshare, Stafford Masie, Global ISV Alliance director, explained the recent announcement of a partnership deal between Yahoo and Novell. As part of the agreement, he said, Yahoo will include Novell eDirectory as the default directory server for the Corporate Yahoo enterprise portal, a division of Yahoo, replacing its current iPlanet directory server.
He added that Novell would integrate its Net services with Corporate Yahoo to deliver solutions, built around both companies` technologies, to Novell customers and partners.
Masie said that while Yahoo was "blown away" by the Novell offering, there are many benefits for Novell, not the least of which is Yahoo`s strong brand as well as the extensive content the company provides.
Brainshare is being held at the Sandton Conference Centre in Johannesburg and continues until Friday.
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