Network Support Library/RoseWare - Network Support Library.iso/pressgen/bigsrv.txt

Text File | 1994-02-06 | 20KB | 423 lines

Implementing More Than 250 Connections on NetWare
(500 and 1,000-user Servers)


Introduction

Novell believes that NetWare 4 is the future of network computing.  Key
features provided in NetWare 4 address a variety of needs for both small
single file server networks and large corporate wide networks with
distributed services.  These features range from NetWare Directory
Services (NDS) to dynamic file compression.  NetWare 4 is proving to
be cost effective as well as easy to implement.  Considering the benefits
of NetWare 4 and balancing those benefits against the NetWare 3 for
configurations above 250 connections per server, NetWare 4 is the clear
winner.

This paper presents a simple review of various issues which should be
considered when  implementing configurations with more than 250
connections (specifically 500 and 1,000 connections).  The issues
include:

1.      1.Issues and limitations of NetWare 3.11 1,000 user. (References
    to NetWare 1,000-user also means NetWare 500-user.)

2       Key advantages of NetWare 4, particularly for configurations
    above 250 concurrent connections.

3.      How to implement NetWare 4 into an existing NetWare 3
    environment.


NetWare 3.11 1000-user Issues

NetWare 3.11 1000-user is a controlled release product with known
limitations.  As a result of these limitations, the product has not been
fully subjected to Novell's regression testing and certification process.
NetWare 3.11 1000-user is an "as is" product with limited support and
no further engineering development.  NetWare 3.12, which replaces
NetWare 3.11, will not be released in either a 500-user or a 1000-user
offering.  On the other hand, NetWare 4 is available in both 500-user
and 1000-user configurations.

The major limitation for NetWare 3.11 1000-user is compatibility with
server and client applications running above file server connection 255.
NetWare 3.11 1,000-user provides support for both single and double
byte connection numbers.  If an application depends upon connection
numbers it must be specifically engineered to use double byte connection
numbers or it may not function properly if the user is logged in above
connection 255.  For example: the user logged in as connection 257 is
running a connection number dependent application, which  makes a
connection call to the server.  Depending upon the NCP called, the
server returns either a single byte connection number, valid for
connections below 256, or a double byte connection number.   The point
is that the application must make the proper call and correctly handle the
information when it is returned from the server.  Otherwise, information
will be truncated causing connection number 257 to wrap and appear as
if it were connection number 1.

Continuing the example we see that  the largest value that could be
expressed by a single byte (8 bits) is:

    Hex             Binary                  Decimal
     FF             11111111                  255

Adding one to the above values result in 0 because it wraps:

    Hex             Binary                  Decimal
     FF                11111111               255
       + 1h              + 00000001            +    1
     0h               00000000                  0

Therefore, with a single byte as the connection number, not all Novell
and third-party utilities or applications will work correctly above the
256th connection on NetWare 3.11 1000-user.

NCPs in older versions of NetWare, such as NetWare 2.15, 2.2, and
3.0, provided support  for only single byte connection numbers.  The
result was a physical limit of 256 (0-255) concurrent connections for
these versions.  NetWare 3.11 1000-user and NetWare 4 contain NCPs
that support multiple byte connection numbers.

Although the NetWare 3.11 1000-user operating system removed the
limitation by changing the internal connection field at the file server to
multiple bytes, the basic programming interfaces to change the
applications are not available.  NetWare 4 includes NCPs for both single
and multiple byte connections numbers,  but more importantly, this latest
product also includes all the necessary application programming
interfaces (APIs) within software development kits (SDKs). These APIs
allow the third party software vendors to modify their applications to
function properly for connection numbers above the 256 threshold.


NetWare 3.11 1000-user Limitations

Products affected by the dual byte connection number change are those
that use the Novell Connection Services, Broadcast Services, and Queue
Management Services.  Any utility or application wanting to support
connections above 256 and these services need to be modified.

Many of Novell's own network administration utilities use connection
based calls.  All such services have been modified as part of the
NetWare 4 release.  However, older versions of NetWare, including
NetWare 3.11 1000-user, include utilities intended for use only below
the 256 connection threshold.  Although these utilities function properly
below the 256 connection threshold, they do not function correctly above
that threshold.

These utilities will not be fixed and are maintained in an "as is" state.
The following list of NetWare 3 utilities are not supported for
engineering changes above the 256 connection threshold by NetWare
3.11 1,000-user:

1.      CHKVOL, CHKDIR, and FCONSOLE.

2.      All versions of the Novell Macintosh product.  If Macintosh
connectivity is necessary, we recommend that you off-load the
Macintosh NLMs to other NetWare 3.1x servers

3.      All versions of the Novell NFS product.  We recommend that
NFS support be offloaded to other NetWare 3.1x servers.

4.      All printing utilities have limited functionality.  For example,
printing jobs using the NetWare forms and print job configurations
is not supported.  We recommend that printing be offloaded to
other NetWare 3.1x servers.

5.      OS/2 support is limited to v2.0 or greater.

6.      Workstation with remote boot PROMs will not connect to a
NetWare 3.11 1,000-user file server above the 256th connection.

7.      A NetWare 3.11 1,000-user file server can not be placed in
NNS domains.  The NNS management utilities will not run
properly if the workstation is connected above the 256th connection
threshold.

8.      The security enhancement which enables packet signing is not
supported.

Like the Novell utilities, all third party utilities and applications that use
the Novell Connection Services, Broadcast Services, and Queue
Management Services must be modified by the manufacturer to be NW
3.11 1,000-user aware.  Please check with the manufacturer of your
products for compatibility.  Examples of third party products that may
be affected:

    -  Print Server software.
    -  Network Management software.
    -  Metering software.
    -  Backup Systems (server based).
-  Hardware Print Server devices (printer cards that service
Novell queues directly).

Any third party application that is strictly file based and does not use the
connection number from NetWare (meaning:  Novell Connection
Services, Broadcast Services, or Queue Management Services) are not
affected.  Examples of applications that are unaffected and should
function properly are:

    -  Word Processing software.
    -  Spreadsheet software.
    -  Database software.
    -  E-mail software.
    -  Backup Systems (workstation based).


Key advantages of NetWare 4 for 1,000-user environments

1.      NetWare 4 includes improved administration utilities.  The
utilities are more consistent and consolidated than 3.x, than those
included with NetWare 3.11, allowing a shorter training cycle for
administrative personnel.  A Graphical User Interface (GUI)
version of all utility functions is supplied with the NetWare 4
product.  This interface is comfortable for those users familiar
with the popular windowed interface environments.  However,
character based utilities are also included with the NetWare 4
product for those who are more comfortable with the look and
feel of the existing NetWare 3 utilities.  More importantly for our
purposes here, all NetWare 4 administration utilities have been
designed for use above the 1,000-user level.

2.      File by file disk compression is available.  Compression may be
controlled at various file levels based on several parameters.
Compression can allow significantly reduced costs for disk
storage in 1,000-user environments.  Some users have reported a
50% reduction in disk storage requirements to support a given
user environment.

3.      NetWare 4 allows larger block sizes on the disk than have ever
been available before in Novell products.  These larger block
sizes allow more efficient use of the Disk and its I/O channels.

4.      With the larger block size, NetWare 4 also provides a new
suballocation feature.  This feature allows several small files to
share a single physical block on the disk.  This feature also adds
to the cost savings available in NetWare 4 as the amount of disk
required to support an environment with many small files (such
as an E-mail server) is greatly reduced.

5.      NetWare 4 provides improved memory management services.
NetWare 4 will better use available memory, reducing memory
fragmentation and related problems.

6.      Protected NLM support is available in the NetWare 4 product.
As outside parties develop new NLM programs, server security
and integrity will be enhanced through implementation of the
memory protection feature.

7.      New and improved security auditing features are available to
allow 1,000-users configurations to be monitored for potential
security problems.  Larger sites benefit particularly from these
auditing and security features.

8.      Enhanced security, packet burst transmission and large internet
packets are available in the NetWare 4 product.  These features
will greatly improve the performance of NetWare 4 over
NetWare 3.11.

9.      Documentation is available in an on line format.  The new
documentation is easy to use, more available to the larger user
community working with 1,000-user servers and easier to update
for future versions.  Simply copying files to the server will make
new documentation available to the entire user community.

How to implement NetWare 4 1,000-user into an existing NetWare 3
environment

The following guidelines have been developed by Novell Consulting
Services (NCS) to allow the conversion of 1,000-user NetWare 3
environments to NetWare 4.  Often incorrect or inaccurate information
confuses the potential user of NetWare 4.  These guidelines are provided
to allow the user to implement NetWare 4 in the 1,000-user
environment, thus reducing or eliminating much of the planning and
problems supposedly required for the standard NetWare 4 installation.
These guidelines are also intended to reduce the risk of conversion as
existing NetWare 3 systems are moved to the NetWare 4 environment.

1.      Converting to the 1,000-user environment implies a new
connection number which will exceed the 250 connections
allowed in the small server environments of the past. This issue is
the same for NetWare 3 or NetWare 4.  Third party applications
must have support of connection numbers greater than 256.
Many applications and third party NLM's have been modified to
properly use the connection number greater than 256.

2.      NetWare Directory Service Tree planning and naming is
eliminated by simply accepting the defaults provided through the
installation program.  These defaults will establish a tree with a
single Organization (O).  Under that O you should create a single
Organizational Unit (OU) and place the 1,000-user server in that
OU.  All existing users and known NetWare resources will be
migrated into that single OU. More servers can be added later to
that OU, or to new OU's, in the Directory Tree. Utilities planned
for a future releas will allow the OU to be renamed or moved.

3.      Time Synchronization issues are completely eliminated by
accepting the default SINGLE REFERENCE SERVER
configuration.  By default, additional servers will be added as
secondary time servers.  Again, in the future this can be changed
if the needs of the organization change.

4.      Normally, through the installation process, the defaults will be
accepted.  This reduces the time and planning required for the
installation.  The defaults will normally meet the needs of the
initial 1,000-user environment.

5.      For all of the standard users of the new server, the client
software does not need to be upgraded.  This greatly reduces
problems which are created as client software and configurations
are changed.  One or two clients must be upgraded to use the
VLM software to run the administrative utilities.  The rest of the
existing NETX clients can be allowed to connect with the new
server using the NETX client software. This step eliminates the
requirement to change all clients to the VLM client software
during the initial conversion.  For the initial conversion, risk will
be greatly reduced by leaving the client software and
configurations intact.

In the future clients, can be changed as a need arises to
implement features such as security and packet burst which
require the VLM's.  The modularized VLM's are more flexible
than the NETX architecture.  VLM's also take a smaller memory
foot print than NETX, allow access to the features of the
NetWare Directory Service, allow additional server connections
above the eight allowed by NETX and support concurrent
connections to different protocols.

6.      The migration utilities provided with the NetWare 4 product will
be used to migrate the existing NetWare 3 server during the
installation process.  These utilities work very well in the
environment we are addressing.  The user must select either the
"in place" method of migration or the "across the wire" method
of migration.

a.      In Place Considerations - In place migration allows an
existing NetWare 3 server to be migrated to NetWare 4
without using additional hardware or requiring the
additional network or tape backup time which might be
required to move the existing server data.  The existing
server will become the new NetWare 4 server.

i.      In place preserves all NetWare volume definitions
as they were on the NetWare  system.  This
precludes changing the block size of the NetWare
disk volumes.

ii.     In place migration uses the existing hardware.
This eliminates the cost of a new system just for
the migration process.

iii.    In place migration is able to preserve print jobs
and other definitions.

iv.     In place migration is very fast.  No data needs to
be transferred.  The volumes are simply upgraded
and the large data volumes remain largely un-
disturbed reducing the time required to complete
the migration process.

v.      Because in place is upgrading the system on the
existing volumes, it requires an excellent backup
strategy.  If a problem occurs with the in place
migration, all data must be restored from the
backup to return the system to the pre-migration
condition.

b.      Across The Wire Considerations - Across the wire
migration allows an existing NetWare 3 server to be
migrated by moving the information from the existing
server to a new server which will replace the existing
server at the completion of the upgrade process.

i.      Across the wire allows the block size to be
changed as the new NetWare volumes are defined.

ii.     Across the wire requires two sets of hardware.
One for the existing NetWare 3 system and one set
for the new NetWare 4 system.  If the 1,000-user
configuration will require a new processer or a
hardware migration is planned, across the wire
becomes a great way to move to the new server.

iii.    Across the wire will not convert all the print job
configurations.  All bindery objects are converted
in either method, but the print job configurations
are not properly converted when using the across
the wire method.

iv.     Across the wire can be much slower based on the
amount of data which must be transferred across
the network to the new server.

v.      Across the wire provides an excellent backup and
recovery strategy because the existing server is not
modified allowing the conversion to occur with no
risk to the existing system.

7.      Printing with NetWare 4 is fully supported and significantly
enhanced with more features, capacity and performance over the
support available in NetWare 3.  Printing in the NetWare 3.11
1,000-user environment has limited support, as stated above.

8.      Bindery emulation issues are often raised as problems when
implementing NetWare 4.  Bindery emulation is not a limitation
in NetWare 4, it is a feature that allows those products which
have not yet been upgraded to work with NetWare 4.  Using
bindery emulation, these products will continue to run on
NetWare 4 while the vendor of those products, provide upgrades
that are fully compatible with and exploit the features of NetWare
4.

As stated above, we recommend that Directory Services is
implemented as a single OU (under a single O) and that Bindery
Context is set to this OU.  Be aware of where the Bindery
Context on the file server is actually set during the file server
installation. The Bindery Context is set automatically during
installation, just check the value being set.

All of the users should be migrated into this single OU.  This
configuration eliminates bindery emulation issues and makes the
new NetWare 4 1,000-user function very much like the NetWare
3 server.  Almost all products which use the bindery will work
properly in the new environment.

9.      As previously stated, NetWare 3.11 1,000-user suffered several
incompatibilities with Novell products.  Most of those issues are
eliminated with the NetWare 4 implementation.  NetWare 4 is the
future direction of Novell and all products will be enhanced to
further support the NetWare 4 environment.  No further
enhancements to Novell products will made be for support of the
NetWare 3.11 1,000-user product.  NetWare 4 is the future and
NetWare Directory Services will be further exploited with each
new release of the Novell products attaching them directly into
the NetWare 4 NDS environment.

10.     Compatibility of products provided by third party vendors will
continue to improve as they introduce NetWare 4 capable
products.  Several NLM's have been certified for NetWare 4 and
many more are in the certification process.  Compatibility issues
will be resolved and enhanced as vendors support the NetWare 4
product.


Summary

Our message is simple.  NetWare 3.11 1,000-user is no longer available
and should not be used for configurations above 250 connections per
server.  Further NetWare 3.12 will not be provided in configurations
above 250.

On the other hand, NetWare 4 is readily available in 500 and 1,000-user
configurrations.  And NetWare 4 1,000-user is easy to install, cost
effective and provides the power and flexibility that customers need.
NetWare 4 is the future of Network Computing.  By using these
migration guidelines the user is able to preserve his investment in
NetWare 3 applications and training and, at the same time, exploit the
latest NetWare technology.  During the migration, risk is minimized by
following established and tested procedures.  Migrating to NetWare 4 for
configurations above the 250 connections per server is the best solution
available today and in the future.