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Application programming interface (API) access to the NDS directory is broad, providing read and write access to a large number of objects, allowing for yellow-page search operations, comparison of attributes, modification to the schema of the directory, and partition management. In addition to information about users, the directory can contain information about many other types of objects, printers, devices, queues, file volumes, and more. Because the schema is extensible, other types of information can also be added.

To facilitate management of the directory, NDS divides the tree into logical divisions or partitions. The partitions may not overlap, and each node in the tree falls into a partition. Information about each partition is kept in a file on a server. The administrator determines where the master copy of the partition data resides and where replicas of each partition (if any) are to be kept. Making replicas of partitions increases the reliability of the directory and can also increase its performance. If a query to the directory is made and the currently attached server does not have the information locally, it will refer the requester to a server that does have the information. The effect of replicated partitions is similar to that of the Global MHS subscription mechanism.

MHS Services for NetWare 4.1

Messaging is a network service that provides the basis for automatic data transfer across the network. Novell bundles its industry-standard back-end messaging server, NetWare messaging services, in NetWare 4 as a core network service. Because NetWare 4.1 messaging services are integrated with Novell’s NDS, administration of the messaging environment is now accomplished using the same directory for both the network users and messaging users. The same GUI utility, NWAdmin, is used to administer both users in the NetWare 4 environment. This reduces administrative costs and overhead by simplifying management and administration of the messaging system.

MHS Services for NetWare 4.1 is an open platform supporting many popular E-mail client applications: Microsoft Mail, NetWare MHS client applications, and mail-enabled applications based on Common Mail Call (CMC), Vendor Independent Messaging (VIM), and Simple MAPI APIs. MHS Services for NetWare 4.1 is a service that exploits NetWare and Novell’s other connectivity products, including TCP/IP, NetWare for SAA, NetWare Connect, and NetWare MultiProtocol Router (MPR).

NetWare MHS offers server-to-server connectivity over IPX and TCP/IP connections, plus asynchronous support for remote servers and dial-in laptops by making using of NetWare Connect clients and servers. Multithreaded operations within NetWare MHS support as many as eight concurrent asynchronous sessions.

The MHS Services for NetWare 4.1 solution exploits the multithreaded nature of NetWare for higher throughput. MHS Services for NetWare 4.1 has very low incremental memory requirements on the NetWare server (250K). Local groups of users are serviced without adding load to the backbone network. The NetWare 4.1 messaging services are fully backward compatible with the SMF v71 API, and ship integrated with NetWare 4.1 at no additional cost.

GROUPWISE

Not long ago, a messaging system was seen simply as a means for people to exchange E-mail messages. As workgroup computing evolves, however, many agree that the right messaging system can also erase the traditional boundaries of disparate applications, multiple operating system platforms, and multiple geographical locations, thereby extending the scope of workgroup computing and making the virtual workgroup a reality. For a messaging system to provide a solid yet flexible foundation for workgroup computing solutions, the messaging system architecture must be broad enough to support both an organization’s current needs as well as its future needs for the next 5 to 10 years. Its architecture must therefore embody five important design principles. The architectural foundation must include the following attributes:

  It must be elegantly simple, yet powerful enough to handle very complex solutions.
  It must be flexible enough to change and expand without affecting the workgroup applications and solutions already dependent on it.
  It cannot be dependent on a specific operating system or environment, but must be open, portable, and full-functioned while operating on multiple existing and new operating systems and environments.
  It must be powerful enough to work under multiple client/server operating models concurrently to provide the best for process load-balancing and data security needs.
  It must be robust enough to support Novell’s distributed document processing architecture, as well as open enough to support other industry applications and standards.

The overall effectiveness of workgroup solutions depends in large measure on how much the underlying messaging system architecture embodies these principles. As organizations look for workgroup computing solutions, they should carefully consider both the workgroup applications and the messaging system architecture that will provide the workgroup-enabling foundation for those applications.

GroupWise Positioning

Before explaining the details of the GroupWise messaging system architecture, it is important to position GroupWise in the workgroup software industry. Workgroup software represents a broad category of applications and services that help groups of people work together more efficiently. The depth of GroupWise encompasses several groupware categories, including electronic messaging, calendaring and scheduling, and office automation. For today’s workgroup communication needs, simple E-mail is not enough anymore. GroupWise provides the messaging services required for a strong workgroup computing foundation, including the following:

  Support for multiple message types (e.g., mail messages, schedule requests, task assignments, scheduled calendar notes, phone messages, and custom messages)
  Workflow routing for collaborative work
  Full message status tracking for knowing when messages are delivered, opened, deleted, accepted, declined, or delegated, and for tracking the progress of routed messages

The open messaging environment (OME) electronic messaging strategy guides the development direction of GroupWise. The OME strategy incorporates strengths from today’s GroupWise products and services and those services available in MHS. The convergence of these technologies will strengthen the already robust messaging services in GroupWise.


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