Provo, Utah-based Novell Inc’s delayed NetWare 4.1, launched at a price comparable to NetWare 3.12 (CI No 2,384), which is effectively a 25% price cut from NetWare 4.02 to coax Version 3 users to upgrade. Features include NetWare Directory Services, Novell’s distributed global information repository; support for messaging client applications such as GroupWise, NetWare MHS, Message Handling System, with messaging integrated into NetWare Directory Services; and routing support for Internet Packet Exchange/Sequential Packet Exchange, TCP/IP and AppleTalk. Also new to version 4.1 is the NetSync utility, said to enable NetWare 3 servers to be synchronised and administered from a NetWare 4.1 console; support for NetWare SFT III, System Fault Tolerance, mirrored server technology; support for NetWare services over both TCP/IP and/or Internet Packet Exchange on the same network; and the NetWare Link Services Protocol, a link state routing protocol for Internet Packet Exchange said to improve the routability of IPX over wide area networks by signature-reducing overhead traffic. Further innovations include integrated support of NetWare for OS/2, enabling NetWare and OS/2 server applications to run on the same server hardware; enhanced client support, including new VLM Virtual Loadable Modules for Windows; connection support for NetWare for Macintosh clients; and ‘full’ use of NetWare Directory Services by all clients. Virtual Loadable Modules harmonise the client software between the MS-DOS and Windows versions and load more functions into high memory to free memory work space. Pricing ranges from $1,100 for a five-user licence, through $5,000 for a 50-user licence, $25,000 for a 500-user licence, and up to $48,000 for a 1,000-user licence. The new release is available now.
