Overview

I connect to my ISP while traveling in France (I'm using any PC on any OS) and point my browser to http://myserver.mycompany.com. I am then presented with a dialog box asking for my name and password, which, when provided, will enable me to access my files. What OS is the server running on? Linux, Solaris, Windows 2000, NetWare, IBM mainframe, or TRU64: The point is, it does not matter (as long as the OS supports eDirectory). Did I mention that I do not need a 20-some megabyte Novell client or that I do not need a virtual private network (VPN) connection? Sounds too good to be true, right? That is the compelling reason Novell is presenting you with for upgrading to its eDirectory product (or "solution," as they prefer to call it).

Novell's new flagship product (it's not NetWare anymore) is the cross-platform answer to solutions that require authentication or some sort of digital ID for access. This was Eric Schmidt's dream for a while he wanted to challenge the concept of using a firewall. The logic was that you could deny everything and allow access only to authenticated users through whatever means using standard protocols. You can point your browser to http://www.cnn.com and see the shocking Novel Directory Services (NDS) eDirectory advertisement at the bottom of the page to see that Novell does have some current mind share for using the directory for more than just local LAN file and print access Eric's dream realized.