NDS or Not - Need Opinions

[jeffkelly]

I have two NW4.11 servers to build (hardware upgrade, same licenses). The builder of the current servers fumbled his way through configuring them and we have a mess. He configured them so workstations log into a context. We also have many unnecessary NLMs installed.

Our application is simple...no people, just utility machines. One server is configured as the primary and one server as a secondary. Both are identical except for the server name. We use a cloning utility to copy a few files to the secondary server once an hour. The workstations logging into the server are Windows 3.1 w/ a DOS NW client. They log in, run a server side copy of Win 3.1 and then another application...that's it. There are about 70 machines doing this on the network.

Before I build the new machines, I need your opinion about how to configure them. I have no plans to enable TCP/IP or any other extraneous protocols/NLMs. In other words, the server will be a minimal installation w/ SP 9 applied. One last thought is that we have Veritas 9 (NW Backup Exec) running on the server.

I have no plans to change the network model. So, can the servers be configured as a Bindry like 3.x or is it better to configure them w/ directory services and log into a context?

Thanks in advance to all who answer.

Jeff

 

[marvhuffaker]

Personally, I could go on for hours about the benefits of NDS. But I'm not going to because it sounds like you have no interest in new technologies and I won't try to convince you otherwise. You should be fine with just Bindery services.

Note that you WILL have NDS on a 4.x server. No way around that. But you can set it up so you get Bindery emulation and virtually no functionality or benefits from NDS.

Note also that if you have problems, it will be very difficult to get support.

Marvin Huffaker, MCNE

http://www.redjuju.com

 

[jeffkelly]

Maryhuffaker,

Based on my simplistic network model, can you give me a highlight of benefits I will get from using directory services?

Thanks

 

[Provogeek]

For the enviroment it will be used it, the only real advantage I see my self is you will have a GUI administration tool. NW3.x use DOS administration tool that some do not like to use. NDS uses a GUI admin tool called NWAdmin32.

You could leverage the tools of NDS by using products like Zenworks to manage the PC's. Using policies to lock down workstations, but you would have to use older version of Zenworks since current versions do not support a Win/DOS enviroment.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Brent Schmidt Certified nut case
Senior Network Engineer

http://www.kiscc.com

http://www.bluegunk.com