Customer Reviews

NetWare to Windows NT Complete: Integration and Migration

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The authors know their stuff, and they stuff a lot into this book. I found the book difficult to read and use, though, because it is so poorly edited. The most glaring example is that two entire sections of Ch. 7 are hidden out of the table of contents because their heading levels are mis-assigned. That's almost 60 pages, and it is the crucial sections describing Microsoft's and Novell's migration tools. As a technical communicator (-slash-novice network administrator), I consider that a shameful, crippling flaw. The book is also scantily indexed, increasing the difficulty at finding content.

Villeneuve focuses in great detail on low-level network protocols. That's great for helping you understand what's happening, and for debugging problems, but it makes for boring reading sometimes.

Author Arnold Villeneuve comments on the NetWare to Windows NT Integration and Migration book due to be released next month - Dec. 1997. Much has been said by both Novell and Microsoft regarding the benefits of their network operating systems. However, when one reads the marketing and technical literature alone, obviously there is a vested interest by the company in putting the best light on their solution. Both IntranetWare and Windows NT are great server operating systems. And they both accomplish similar objectives. However, there is no doubt that they also take different a different approach to getting there. Herein lies the reason that Wayne McKinnon and I wrote this book - we wanted to provide readers with an independent view of the merits and potential pitfalls of the different product solutions. We also wanted to share our many years of experience in multiplatform integration and migration projects. The result is a well researched, practical guide to integrating and migrating Novell NetWare 3.x or IntranetWare 4.x and Microsoft's Windows NT Server network operating systems. However, we didn't stop at just the servers. We included concise information on how to configure and maintain DOS, Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95, and Windows NT Workstation client in a multiplatform network operating system environment. Support for dual login/logon scripts, roaming profiles, and policies is also covered with practical examples and many screen shots. There is over 100 pages covering client configuration issues alone. Detailed comparisons are made of the server operating systems and supported networking protocol architectures. An initial summary of all possible integration and migration solutions is provided with indepth coverage in later chapters. Migration solutions are also covered in detail including methods for migrating from Windows NT to NetWare should this be your objective. However, due to market reality, a major portion of the migration chapters forcuses on Microsoft's NetWare Migration software to migrated from NetWare 3.x and 4.x server to a Windows NT Domain Directory structure. And once you have migrated we show you how to manage your NetWare servers from a Windows NT Domain if you need to. Not to be outdone however, we also cover the NetWare NT Integration Utility from Novell which allows you to manage your Windows NT Domains from the very powerfull Novell Directory Service hierarchical database. And finally, much of the information can be applied to writing your Windows NT or NetWare certification exams. As you can see, we tried to cover all of the bases - regardless of which side of the network operating fence you sit on. Many companies are migrating from NetWare to Windows NT - we cover this. An equally great number of companies are sticking with IntranetWare 4.x and integrating Windows 95 and NT Workstation clients withing their Novell networks - we cover this too. If you need to support both Novell and Microsoft networking products, this book will help you do it. Arnold Villeneuve

Like all books advocating migration, insofar as it advocates migration from NetWare to NT, this book is absurd.

Integration is another story, however, so long as it is the NT Servers being integrated into the NetWare NDS network, with NDS for NT. Otherwise, integration too will more than likely be a disaster.