Novell Open Enterprise Server Administrators Handbook, SUSE LINUX Edition

The Novell Client and OES Linux

• The Novell Client provides NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) services to client workstations. Used in conjunction with the NCP Server component of OES Linux, the Novell Client allows workstations to log in to eDirectory, map local drives to OES Linux NCP volumes, and seamlessly authenticate to OES services.

• The Novell Client provides a single method of accessing files in mixed NetWare and OES Linux environments.

• The Novell Client is an optional component that is not required for administration of OES Linux.

Installing/Upgrading the Novell Client

• Two Novell Clients are currently available: one for Windows 9x and one for Windows XP/2000. The Novell Client for Linux is expected to become available shortly after OES ships. Novell Client files may be downloaded from http://download.novell.com and installed directly, or copied to any convenient location, such as a network server, for installation by any client with existing network access.

• Use the Novell Client Upgrade Agent to periodically check for updated client files. When updated files are found, the Upgrade Agent will automatically start the client upgrade routine.

• If you are upgrading multiple existing Novell or Microsoft clients for OES, you can use the Automatic Client Upgrade (ACU) feature to automate this process. Place ACU commands in a profile or container login script to detect whether the client software needs to be installed, and then the ACU updates the workstation automatically, if necessary, when the user logs in.

• To install the Novell Client from a web server, copy the client files to the web server and use the WriteIP utility to create a SETUPIP executable that will download the Novell Client install files from the web server and launches the client install routine.

Configuring the Novell Client

• After installing the Novell Client, you can configure it by using the Novell Client property pages. Right-click on the red "N" icon in the system tray and select Novell Client Properties.

• To configure the login for a Novell client user, create a login script. Login scripts can be associated with Container, Profile, and User objects. A login script can control what happens when a user logs into your Novell network. For information and syntax on login scripts, see Appendix B, "The Most Essential Linux Commands."

The NICI Client

• NICI Client v2.2 ships with OES NetWare. The NICI client (Novell International Cryptographic Infrastructure) provides cryptographic services to all client-side applications and services, including Deployment Manager, Native File Access, Novell Modular Authentication Service (NMAS), and Certificate Server.

Integrating the NMAS Client

• Novell Modular Authentication Services (NMAS) allow you to supplement or replace the traditional Novell password authentication mechanism with alternative mechanisms such as SmartCards, Tokens, and Biometrics.

• The NMAS client provides a framework within which authentication methods can be configured and integrated with Novell eDirectory to provide a flexible and seamless authentication process.

• The NMAS client can be installed from the Novell Clients CD-ROM.

Mapping Drives to Servers with NetDrive Client

• With NetDrive, you can access your files on any server and modify them through standard Windows utilities such as Windows Explorer.

• The NetDrive client can be installed from the Novell Clients CD-ROM.

Accessing Files Through Native Linux Methods

• OES Linux servers natively support remote file access through Network File System (NFS) and Samba.

• The YaST administrative tool is used to enable and configure native file access methods.

Getting the Latest Client Software

• Novell frequently updates its client software.

• Check on Novell's support website's software download page at http://download.novell.com/ for the latest versions of the NetWare clients.

On a NetWare network, workstations traditionally use special Novell client software to access NetWare servers. (Workstations are often called clients because they request services from the network.) With the inclusion of the NCP Server with OES Linux, these same traditional Novell clients can now access the SLES filesystem as easily as a NetWare volume!

The Novell Client software enables workstations to communicate with the network. However, the majority of OES Linux components do not rely on a specific client. Rather, OES components provide clientless services and small service-specific clients. Web-based management, iFolder, and iPrint are a few such services that OES Linux provides to ensure that your network is not bound by client requirements.

In a pure OES Linux environment, the Novell Client is not required to make use of most OES resources. The NCP Server component of OES is the only feature that can only be accessed via the Novell Client. However, NCP file access is not the only reason to deploy the Novell Client. Workstations running the Novell Client can also receive the benefit of single sign-on authentication, the flexibility of modular authentication, and the power of an eDirectory-based user environment.

When combining OES Linux with OES or traditional NetWare, workstations using the Novell Client also have the ability to access data on either platform using a single, familiar method. This capability greatly decreases the complexity for such multiplatform environments.

NOTE

At the time of this writing, Novell only offers the Novell Client for Windows-based environments. A Novell Client for Linux is under development, and should be released shortly after OES. Unfortunately, this client was not available in time for inclusion in this book.

Because of this, the focus of this chapter is on Windows-based clients accessing OES Linux resources. Depending on the section focus, path and filenames may be displayed using either a Linux or Windows notation.

This chapter explains how to install and configure the traditional Novell client software. It also describes how to use the Automatic Client Upgrade (ACU) feature to simplify the process of upgrading numerous workstations to the latest Novell client software. It also explains how to remove the client software, should that become necessary.

In addition to the traditional Novell client software, Novell offers other modular client pieces with OES. These include the NICI client, the NMAS client, the NetDrive client, and the NetIdentity client. This chapter presents overviews and installation procedures for these client pieces. This chapter also discusses other file access options for OES Linux that can eliminate the need for the traditional Novell client for some network users.