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1992-03-16
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NOVELL INTEGRATES NETWORK WIRING HUBS WITH NETWARE SERVERS
New Architecture Lets Users Create Intelligent Hubs in NetWare 3.11 Servers
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- October 7, 1991 -- Novell, Inc., today announced the
first hub management software architecture designed to run in NetWare 3.11
servers, giving NetWare users a single platform on which to integrate
managed connectivity functions along with file, print, communications,
database and messaging services.
Key to Novell's intelligent hub solution is an open driver interface, known
as the hub management interface (HMI), to which hardware vendors can design
server-resident hub interface cards and write drivers compatible with
NetWare. The solution includes a hub management utility, HubCon, which lets
users manage hub connectivity functions locally at the server console or
remotely via Novell's NetWare Remote Management Facility. The architecture
also includes an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) agent that can
relay data to enterprise network management systems.
"Our primary mission has always been to grow the network computing
industry," said Ray Noorda, president and CEO of Novell. "Our new hub
solution will do that by improving networking reliability, creating an
environment that should lower the cost of connectivity while increasing its
manageability."
Duane Murray, vice president and general manager of Novell's Network
Management Products Division, said the hub management solution keeps pace
with user demand and will make manageable network connectivity more
accessible. "This is the connectivity solution that Novell's customers
have told us they need," Murray said. "Hubs that use manageable structured
wiring are rapidly replacing traditional Ethernet and Token Ring cabling in
today's networking installations. Chip technology has reached the stage
where it's now possible to implement manageable hubs on an interface card.
And NetWare users have wanted an opportunity to centralize their network
administrative functions at the server."
"This announcement leverages these three factors and provides the
foundation for a new generation of manageable hubs that run on a standard
PC chassis, take advantage of the transport protocols and network
management capabilities of NetWare, and give users an efficient
alternative to traditional Ethernet and Token Ring cabling systems," Murray
added.
Dan Kohner, network services team leader at the University of Texas' M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, says Novell's hub management technology
looks like the cost-effective connectivity solution he's been waiting for.
"Effective network management is critical in our environment," Kohner said.
"Novell's hub solution will give us the capability to manage connectivity
functions from our NetWare server consoles, while providing the option to
control things centrally from an SNMP-based console. We're on a tight
budget, so we're always looking for ways to get the most bang for the
networking buck. We're planning to go with this solution as soon as
products become available."
HUB MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURE
Novell's hub management architecture, implemented as a NetWare Loadable
Module (NLM) on the NetWare 3.x operating system, has three primary
components:
o Hub management interface -- gives hub card manufacturers a standard
specification for hardware and driver development.
o Hub management utility -- HubCon provides local management
functionality for the hub, and is similar in appearance to other
Novell server management utilities such as SysCon. The utility can
also be controlled remotely via Novell's Remote Management Facility
(RMF).
o SNMP agent -- lets NetWare hubs be managed by SNMP- based consoles;
for NetWare workgroups that exist within an internetworked
environment.
NOVELL LABS CERTIFICATION
All hub components from third-party vendors, including interface cards and
drivers, will be tested for HMI specification compliance through Novell
Labs certification programs. Novell Labs programs assure customers that
networking components from third-party developers are compatible with the
NetWare network computing environment. Interested developers can contact
Novell Labs at 801-429-5544.
Novell's Network Management Products Division provides monitoring, analysis
and management solutions for computer network managers, service
organizations and software developers. Its products include the LANalyzer
network analyzer and the LANtern network monitoring system.
Novell, Inc., (NASDAQ: NOVL) develops NetWare systems software products
that manage and control the sharing of data across a variety of network
computing environments, including computer workgroups, departmental
networks and business-wide information systems.