Customer Reviews

Novell's Guide to Integrating NetWare® 5 and NT

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Of all the books on computers, networking, technology, and testing that I have ordered and read, this book is the most easily understood and complete instruction yet. 7 Years of networking has taken me through many books to learn the craft and I always find myself searchng for more resources. The book "Novell 5 and NT" will get you 99% there and give you sources for the things it doesn't. This book is a high-paying career all by itself. Learn Novell and NT integration and you will be highly sought after. How do I know? It's my job! How did I learn? This book!

Although published in 1999, this book is more than a little outdated. About 1/3 of the book centers on the utility, "Novell Administrator for Windows NT". The book touts the utility as a free snap-in to NWAdmin, allowing a network administrator to administer NT Workstations and Servers through NDS. Herein lies the major problem with the book: the "Novell Administrator for Windows NT" is no longer available. It seems that after speaking with a Novell salesperson that the replacement is "NDS Corporate Edition", which is certainly NOT free. I have not figured out whether the book's content concerning Novell Administrator for Windows NT applies to NDS Corporate Edition, and I am not willing to pay thousands of dollars for the NDS Corporate Edition product to test it out.

Nowhere in this book does it claim to be a study guide for the Integrating NetWare and NT exam, however I'm sure many people will buy this book for just that purpose (myself included). The best book to study for the Integrating NT exam of course is to read the white book, however if you cannot get your hands on one, you do not have many choices. Pretty much the only viable alternative you have at that point is this book and the Sybex book - which is very outdated but still covers NT itself very well, which is essential for the exam and for getting the most out of this book. If you are going to use the Sybex book together with this book to prepare for the Integrating NT exam, make sure to take all of the other Novell tests that you need first, in order to get as good of a feel as possible for what Novell tests for on their exams. Then read the Sybex book (read everything about NT in there, and skip the chapters on integrating it with IntraNetware), followed by this book. In this book you can safely skip the first three chapters. Chapter 3, the one on NT networking, is the one where the authors do their worst Microsoft bashing, and as another reviewer here said, that chapter is practically unreadable. However, do make sure to read Chapter 5, in which the Novell Client is discussed, Chapter 6, in which synchronizing the directories is discribed, Chapter 7, which discusses NDS for NT, and Chapter 10, in which ZEN Works is discussed, very carefully. As you read those chapters, make yourself a list of EVERY last NLM, exe, command, vxd, etc. that you come across, along with a note of what that file or utility does and where it fits in. Also write down every procedure, where they are done, how you get to them, and what they do, and then memorize them. I have to emphasize that you do this for EVERY utility, file and procedure, no matter how obscure and insignificant they may seem from the text. If you do that, then IMO you will have a very good chance of passing the test with confidence.

After reading a negative review on this book I still purchased it. If you are buying it to pass the CNE elective exam it is a complete waste of time and money. Only about 20% of the content relates to stuff that will be on the test. Sorry to bash Novell which I have alwayse been impressed with; but this time they really let me down. Head to... and pleanty of suggestinos for studying for this test.

SPS Auckland

I used this book in studying for the Integration Netware and NT test and it did the job for me. I covers most of the stuff for the test and is very helpful with using the NDS for NT product. Seeing how Novell has the last NT 4 exam is quite ironic but this book is very good for helping you pass and in real life situations.

This book is definitly not for the CNE elective, but u will learn alot of it. Shall be a good reference book.

Other Sybex book is too out-dated.

First off, please don't mistake this book for a study guide for the "Integrating NetWare 5 and NT" CNE elective. It isn't!!!

How can one integrate NetWare 5 and NT? This book tries to address this question and does a decent job. First, in chapter 1 the question "why integrate" is addressed. Chapters 2 and 3 provide a little background on NetWare and NT. Finally, in Chapter 4, we can begin discussing integration of the two. From this point on, I found the book informative explaining various ways to integrate, why integrate, what are the down sides to each option, etc. For someone wanting to know the concepts for integrating, it's fine. If you are actually trying to implement an integration method, I'm not sure if this book will be enough.

I must agree with some other reviews I've read here... the book is a little dated and, being from Novell Press, a bit Novell biased. Much of the book boils down to NDS and how it can simplify your life.

The first part of the book is review of how NT and Novell work, pretty basic stuff. Chapter 4 is the best part of the book - it lays out what your options really are (or were 2 years ago). The rest of the book goes into detail on each of the options outlined in chapter 4, then throws in some extra stuff on ZEN and scripting. Overall it was very helpful, but unfortunately dated. There have been many significant developments in this area since this book was written that, of course, aren't in the book (ie Win2K, eDirectory, single sign-on, etc.) Its also definitely slanted towards the Novell way to approach this issue with the MS options mostly omitted or only briefly mentioned. A good place to start if you're coming from the Novell side, but you'll need more than this get the whole picture.

I'm no great fan of Microsoft, but the authors spend so much time bashing Microsoft that I could not finish the book.

What a turnoff.

This is an official Novell Press book, and if I wasn't sure if Novell hated hated M$ before, I am now.

They really could have taken an unbiased view, and presented me with facts, instead of taking every opportunity to rip their competition.

Not recommended. Want mine?