Date: Fri, 27 Oct 2000 00:29:10 -0600 From: Jeff V. Merkey jmerkey@timpanogas.org To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: NWFS Imaging/Migration tools for Linux Posted I have posted a very complete set of server migration/consolidation tools for Linux at vger.timpanogas.org. These tools include Installshield versions for W2K, Linux, and DOS and provide a complete set of tools that can be used to perform large-scale organization-wide migrations of NetWare servers to Linux. These tools allow IT personnel to boot NetWare servers on DOS, W2K, or Linux, and compress and archive entire volume sets of a NetWare server's data into offline archives for migrating and consolidating NetWare servers and moving large amounts of user data over to Linux systems. NDS (NetWare Directory Services) database files are preserved and stored as well in these archives and these tools preserve all of a customer's NDS data for review and import into Linux in native eDirectory formats. We are releasing these tools to aid Novell's Oracle customers who have been advised by Oracle to immediately migrate to Linux from NetWare. TRG will be posting Ute-NWFS Oct 30, 2000 (Linux on Native NWFS) along with the NWFS patches for 2.2.17 on Monday. The full source code for the Imaging tools will also be posted at the time at vger.timpanogas.org. The inode mapping problems for NWFS are completed and ready to roll out. All Imaging/Migration tools and related source code for W2K, Linux, and DOS versions are released under the GPL, and are freely redistributable. Jeff Merkey CEO, TRG P.S. This wa[s] sent to TRG by NetWare customers using Oracle who wanted an easy path to get from NetWare to Linux. Oracle cuts NetWare support Oracle is to drop its support for Novell's NetWare in a move which analysts say will kill off the operating system as a database platform. The company unexpectedly announced last week that it would withdraw all support for NetWare from 31 December 2001, giving users just one year to migrate to other platforms. Robin Bloor, chief executive at Bloor Research, said it would be difficult for Novell to maintain Netware's role as a database platform without the support of Oracle. "I believe that NT is a better database server than NetWare, and the market agrees. But for those who have NetWare, it is important to have support," he said. "We'll see if they will now move over to Linux or NT." Oracle will continue to offer limited 'extended assistance support' for its products on NetWare for another three years, but this was described as "worthless" because it does not cover bug fixes, certification or response time support. "Without error correction support, the extended assistance support is meaningless," said one user. Oracle has recommended that "customers upgrade to other platforms as soon as possible", and is touting its own Oracle 8i appliance as well as Linux, Sun Solaris and HP-Unix. A Novell spokeswoman said that the discontinuation of support was Oracle's decision but that Novell was helping to find migration arrangements for its users. "Our customers are unhappy and say that Oracle is wrong," she said. The announcement comes as a blow for Novell so soon after announcing the release of its internet-based open platform, NetWare 6. Gartner's Mike Silver predicted last week that investments in Novell's products and services would only be viable up until 2004.