Appendix E Where to Go for More Information
NetWare 6.5 is a very large and complex product. It also includes a large number of services that many NetWare administrators might not have seen before. Fortunately, when a product becomes as popular and as widely used as NetWare, an entire support industry develops around it. If you are looking for more information about NetWare, you’re in luck. You can go to a variety of places for help.
This appendix points you toward sources of information that will help you:
Dig further into Novell’s vision and strategy
Find more information on NetWare 6.5 configuration and troubleshooting
Get more information on the new products and services offered with NetWare 6.5
The main Novell information number, 1-800-NETWARE, is your inroad to all types of pre-sales information about Novell or its products.
By calling this number, you can obtain information about Novell products, the locations of your nearest resellers, pricing information, and phone numbers for other Novell programs.
To access the online documentation for any current Novell product, visit Novell’s online documentation site at
There is a tremendous amount of information about Novell and NetWare products, both official and unofficial, on the Internet. Officially, you can obtain the latest information about Novell from Novell’s Web site. Novell also helps support several user forums that deal specifically with NetWare or generally with networking and computers.
Novell’s Web site is at
Novell user forums can be found at
These user forums are not managed directly by Novell employees, but offer users access to a wide variety of information and files dealing with NetWare and other Novell products, such as GroupWise. You can receive information such as technical advice from sysops (system operators) and other users, updated files and drivers, and the latest patches and workarounds for known problems in Novell products.
The Novell sites also provide a database of technical information from the Novell Technical Support division, as well as information about programs such as Novell Training classes and NetWare Users International (NUI). You can also find marketing and sales information about the various products that Novell produces.
Novell Cool Solutions is another way of hooking up with Novell’s broad community of users. It offers product reviews, tips, and tricks and the opportunity to share knowledge with Novell users all over the world.
Information is organized by solution set and by product, and there is a lot to see. To check out Novell’s Cool Solutions, visit the Web site at
Novell’s Research Department produces a monthly publication called Novell AppNotes. Each issue of AppNotes contains research reports and articles on a wide range of topics. The articles delve into topics such as network design, implementation, administration, and integration. AppNotes are available online at
Novell Connection magazine is a bi-monthly publication devoted to providing the latest and greatest strategy overviews, product reviews, and customer case studies. Novell Connection is written at a higher level than AppNotes, so it is ideal for helping you communicate IT messages to your business executives.
Best of all, Novell Connections is available online free! To check out the latest edition of Novell Connection, or check out past issues, visit the Web site at:
If you encounter a problem with your network that you can’t solve on your own, there are several places you can go for help:
Try calling your reseller or consultant.
Go online, and see if anyone in the online forums or Usenet forums knows about the problem or can offer a solution. The knowledge of the people in those forums is broad and deep. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of it, and don’t forget to return the favor if you know some tidbit that might help others.
Call Novell technical support. You might want to reserve this as a last resort, simply because Novell technical support charges a fee for each incident (an incident can involve more than one phone call). The fee depends on the product for which you’re requesting support.
When you call technical support, make sure you have all the necessary information ready, such as the versions of NetWare and any utility or application you’re using, the type of hardware you’re using, network or node addresses and hardware settings for any workstations or other machines being affected, and so on. You’ll also need a major credit card.
Novell’s technical support department also offers online information, technical bulletins, downloadable patches and drivers, and so on. They also offer the Novell Professional Resource Suite (NPRS). The NPRS is a collection of CDs, offered on a subscription basis, that includes the support knowledge base, product evaluation library, and other useful support tools to help you support your Novell environment and plan for the future.
To get in touch with Novell’s technical support, or to find out more about Novell’s technical support options, visit Novell’s support Web site at
To open a technical support incident call, call 1-800-858-4000.
Because of the complexity of many of the modern information solutions offered by Novell, it’s not practical to assume that you are going to stay on top of every aspect of your modern network environment. To help you cope, and make the most of your investment in Novell solutions, Novell offers comprehensive, fee-based consulting services, marketed under the brand Novell Ngage, to help you with system planning and design, custom development, and comprehensive solution implementation.
For more information about Novell Ngage services, visit the Ngage Web site at
Developers who create applications designed to run on NetWare might qualify to join Novell’s program for professional developers, called DeveloperNet. Subscription fees for joining DeveloperNet vary, depending on the subscription level and options you choose. If you are a developer, some of the benefits you can receive by joining DeveloperNet are
Novell development CD-ROMs, which contain development tools you can use to create and test your applications in NetWare environments
Special pre-releases and early access releases of upcoming Novell products
Special technical support geared specifically toward developers
Discounts on various events, products, and Novell Press books
For more information, visit Novell’s developer Web site at
You can also apply for membership or order an SDK by calling 800-REDWORD.
If you are looking for a way to learn about NetWare in a classroom setting, Novell Training offers a variety of options with hands-on labs and knowledgeable instructors. As a pioneer of IT training and certification, Novell has a broad range of training opportunities available. For the most current information on Novell Training courses, certifications and materials, visit the Novell Training Web site at
http://www.novell.com/training/
NetWare classes are taught at more than 1,000 Novell Training Service Partners (NTSPs) throughout the world. They are also taught at more than 100 NATPs (Novell Academic Training Partner), which are universities and colleges that teach these courses.
Certification courses offer an excellent way to get some direct, hands-on training in just a few days. Classes are also available in Computer-Based Training (CBT) form, in case you’d rather work through the material at your own pace, on your own workstation, than attend a class.
These classes also help prepare you if you want to become certified as a CNE, signifying that you are a Novell professional.
The Novell CNE program provides a way to ensure that networking professionals meet the necessary criteria to adequately install and manage NetWare networks. To achieve CNE status, you take a series of exams on different aspects of NetWare. In many cases, you might want to take the classes Novell offers through its NTSPs to prepare for the exams, but the classes aren’t required.
The classes and exams you take depend somewhat on the level of certification you want to achieve. Although certain core exams are required for all levels, you can also take additional electives to achieve the certification and specialization you want.
The following levels of certification are available:
CNA (Certified Novell Administrator): This certification is the most basic level. It prepares you to manage your own NetWare network. It does not delve into the more complex and technical aspects of NetWare. If you are relatively new to NetWare, the class offered for this certification is highly recommended.
CNE (Certified Novell Engineer): This certification level ensures that you can adequately install, manage, and support NetWare networks. While pursuing your CNE certification, you “declare a major,” meaning that you choose to specialize in a particular Novell product family. For example, you can become a NetWare 6 CNE or a GroupWise CNE. There are several exams (and corresponding classes) involved in achieving this level of certification.
Master CNE: This certification level allows you to go beyond CNE certification. To get a Master CNE, you declare a “graduate major.” You will delve deeper into the integration- and solution-oriented aspects of running a network than does the CNE level.
CNI (Certified Novell Instructor): CNIs are authorized to teach NetWare classes through NTSPs. The tests and classes specific to this level ensure that the individual taking them will be able to adequately teach others how to install and manage NetWare.
Certified Directory Engineer: A Novell elite training program for IT experts using directory-enabled solutions.
Specialist Certificates: These one-course, one-test certificates provide you with the solution-focused training you need to implement Novell products and solutions.
CNEs and Master CNEs qualify for membership in the Network Professional Association (NPA), which is explained later in this appendix. For more information about Novell Training certifications, classes and programs, visit the Web site at
http://www.novell.com/training/
Numerous organizations also provide classes and seminars on NetWare products. Some of these unauthorized classes are quite good. Others are probably of lower quality, because Novell does not have any control over their course content or instructor qualifications. If you choose an unauthorized provider for your NetWare classes, try to talk to others who have taken a class from the provider before, so you’ll have a better idea of how good the class is.
In addition to standard Novell Training courses, Novell also offers highly technical and specialized seminars known as Advanced Technical Training (ATT). ATT is the most advanced training offered by Novell, and covers a wide range of advanced topics including support issues, in-depth architectural reviews and advanced enterprise solutions. ATT is an excellent way to keep your skills, and those of your IT staff, in top form so that you are able to effectively support emerging technologies and complex network infrastructure solutions. For more information on ATT, visit the Web site at
Novell Users International (NUI) is a nonprofit association for networking professionals. With more than 250 affiliated groups worldwide, NUI provides a forum for networking professionals to meet face to face, to learn from each other, to trade recommendations, or just to share war stories.
By joining the Novell user group in your area, you can build relationships and network with other Novell professionals in your area, attend regularly scheduled local user group meetings for training, and have access to regional NUI conferences, held in different major cities throughout the year. Best of all, there is usually little or no fee associated with joining an NUI user group.
For more information or to join an NUI user group, visit the NUI Web site at
You can also call 800-228-4NUI.
If you’ve achieved, or are working toward, your CNE certification, you might want to join the Network Professional Association (NPA). The NPA is an organization for network computing professionals, including those who have certified as networking professionals in Novell, Microsoft, Cisco, and other manufacturers’ products. Its goal is to keep its members current with the latest technology and information in the industry.
If you’re a certified CNE, you can join the NPA as a full member. If you’ve started the certification process, but aren’t finished yet, or if you are a CNA, you can join as an associate member (which gives you all the benefits of a full member except for the right to vote in the NPA’s elections).
When you join the NPA, you can enjoy the following benefits:
Local NPA chapters (more than 100 worldwide) that hold regularly scheduled meetings that include presentations and hands-on demonstrations of the latest technology
A subscription to Network Professional Journal
Access to NPA Labs that contain up-to-date technology and software for hands-on experience
Job postings
NPA’s own professional certification programs
Discounts or free admission to major trade shows and conferences, including NPA’s own conferences
For more information on the NPA, visit the Web site at