In another move to make network administration easier, Novell has announced the availability of Novell Replication Services (NRS) 1.21 - a software solution for replicating, distributing and synchronising server-based information across wide area networks and corporate intranets.
NRS 1.21 features improvements that speed the replication process and better protect replicated data. Through tighter integration with Novell Directory Services (NDS), Novell`s industry- leading directory technology, NRS 1.21 further simplifies and centralises management of replicated data. The shipment of NRS 1.21 signifies Novell`s ongoing commitment to providing customers with solutions that allow them to maintain manageability of the network as they grow to have global businesses.
By simplifying administration and speeding replication across WANs , NRS 1.21 reduces the overall cost of networking. In companies with several branches, customers must implement vast networks to link resources, applications and files housed in various offices. However, accessing information stored in Johannesburg from an office in Cape Town can be inefficient due to slow and expensive WAN connections. NRS 1.21 solves this problem by enabling administrators to store several copies of the same information on local servers. NRS 1.21 optimises available bandwidth and allows administrators to schedule replication and synchronisation during off hours, further reducing WAN communication costs.
"Novell Replication Services provides our global customers with an efficient and cost-effective way to access files and applications in offices around the world," said Novell corporate business strategist and business development manager Stafford Masie. "By enabling customers to store copies of the same information locally, we eliminate the long wait and the cost of requesting information from a remote server. By allowing data changes from only one server, we protect the integrity of network-based information. Finally, NRS replaces the need for manual replication, providing network managers an opportunity to focus on more pressing administrative matters, without worrying about the safety and accessibility of the information they rely on everyday."
Novell Replication Services 1.21 enables replication of documents, applications, graphic images, audio clips, video clips and Web server content. The enhanced release offers the following new benefits to customers managing information systems that include branch offices:
1. Performance/Scalability: NRS 1.21 increases the speed of one-way data or application distribution and allows the inclusion of up to 15 replica servers per master server. This improvement means that with 15 servers linked from the master server, NRS 1.21 can support up to 241 servers in a single replication tree, improving scalability and decreasing the cost of expensive WAN links.
2. Management: Key management enhancements make NRS easier to use and more cost effective. A new console screen has been added on the server to show which operations NRS is currently performing. In addition, a NetWare Administrator snap-in has been added that gives customers the synchronization status of all servers at a glance. NRS now offers flexible placement of the NRS database, allowing it to exist on any volume.
3. Reliability: One-way software distribution is now more reliable since replicas of protected master servers no longer allow file system changes. This allows customers to publish data once and then watch it flow down the replication hierarchy without worrying about the data being changed along the way.
Free upgrades are available to all existing NRS customers and for more information about NRS 1.21 visit http://www.novell.com/nrs
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