In the beginning there was the mainframe computer. It required a lot of computer personnel to maintain and operate it. People had to wait longer than usual before their data was processed.

In 1980s micro and mini computers became in use to process data. With time and the quest for technological advancement came evolution of resource sharing devices e.g. printers, servers.

In 1983, Novell's first file server was launched under this set-up, each PC workstations communicates with the hard disk through the file server software. With this sophisticated arrangement of volume moved from a physical, private access section of hard disk to a logical (software managed) section of disk space.

At present Novell NetWare is a popular local_area network (LAN) Operating system developed by Novell Corporation. NetWare is a software product that runs on different types of LANs. It provides users and programmers with a consistent interface that is independent of the actual hardware used to transmit messages.

Novell NetWare V4.11 is the most current version. Before now there were five different versions.

• ELS level I
• ELS level II
• Advanced NetWare Generation.
• System fault tolerant (SFT)
• NetWare 386(3X)

In July 1993, Microsoft released a totally new and revolutionary operating system Windows NT for the first time.

Windows NT is now Microsoft Corporation's premier operating system. Windows NT is available in two versions, NT workstation and NTserver. To a casual observer they are very a like, but infect each version has a unique role.

Windows NT Server V4 is a powerful operating system and it needs a powerful computer. Version 4 of Windows NT represents a tremendous advance in network operating systems. It is not only the incorporates, the easy to use graphical interface from Windows 95 but also because it provides solutions to problems of how to connect users in disparate geographical locations. On a Windows NT server network, clients can run just about any operating system including MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows NT workstation.

Windows NT users can access Novell NetWare 4.X servers running NetWare directory services (NDS). Shared objects on NetWare server are organised in to easy to use hierarchical tree.

• Setting up a user with appropriate login Security.
• Creating a group and putting your user in the group.
• Creating a Home Directory for your user.
• Creating a Shared Directory for the Group.
• Giving the User and the Group access rights to the Directories.
• Limiting the size of the home and shared directories.

In the Windows NT the primary tool for managing user account, groups and security policies is User Manager for Domains and in Novell NetWare (NetWare Administrator).

In Windows NT User Manager for Domains Window is divided in to two sections, one for users and other for groups while in Novell NetWare Administrator screen has got only one but comparatively complex section which contains all the objects such as user, group, volume, server, computer, country, print server etc. Compare to Novell NetWare' s NetWare Administrator screen, Windows NT's User Manager screen is very simple and self-explanatory. The upper section of the screen has got user's full name, description as well as user name and lower section has got group name and group description to describe the group. Novell NetWare's netware administrator screen contains only object's name.

In Windows NT User Manager for domains, functions that are related to user accounts are these.

• Create change and delete user accounts in a domain.
• Create a user profile that includes the user's desktop environment.
• Assign a login script to users accounts.
• Create Home Directory for users.
• Establish domain wise password rules.

In Novell NetWare's NetWare Administrator, functions that are related to user accounts are these.

• Create, change, and delete user accounts.
• View a user account.
• Search a user account.
• Rename and move a user.
• Work with user properties.

In Windows NT you can set up several login security measures for a user including login password, time restriction, log on to, account, dialling.

When you create a users account you have to enter a password. You can also check other options in the new user dialogue box, such as user must change at next login, user can not change password, password never expires and account disabled. In account policy dialogue box there are plenty of password restrictions that you can implement.

You can put login time restrictions for a user account. It is used to restrict days and hours, which a user can connect to a server. When time is over the computer will disconnect the user but in some cases a user can continue with his work but he/she will not be able to login on other computers.

If you want to restrict user to specific workstation you use the log on to option. You can also specify an expiration date for a user account you need to select account option to do so. Dialling option is used to grant users permission to use dial up networking.

Login Security in Novell NetWare is quite complex and better than Windows NT. You have to set up login security yourself because it is not provided default. You can set up several login security measures including password, time restrictions, login restrictions, intruder detection and login network address restrictions and disabling. In Novell NetWare you assign a password to a user to restrict unauthorised access to the system. If you have a supervisor rights to a user object you can change the password for that user otherwise you can change your own password by entering old pass world first and then a new password if you have rights to do so. Time restriction option controls the times during which the users can login. If the user is logged in and his time is finished the system will issue a warning five minutes before user is logged off. If user is still logged in after five minutes the system will disconnect the user and unsaved-saved saved work will be lost. You can disable or able an account through login restriction dialogue box. You can also set an expiry date and time for the account. Intruder detection could be activated through intruder detection option. You can specify number of incorrect passwords that can be entered.

To stop intruder from entering guessed password again and again you can select the lock account option in intruder detection. There are few other optional features you can include when you set login security for a user.

1- Identification 2- Postal address 3- Network address restrictions 4. Rights to files and directories 5. Security equals 6. Account balance

In Windows NT creating group is a very simple process. There are two types of groups, local and global groups. The both groups are created in a similar way. I created a local group for the assignment. Local groups are created to grant permissions for access to different sources. You can add members to a local group through add users and groups dialogue box. Member can also be removed from the group. Another way of putting user in a group is group's option on new user dialogue box.

In Novell NetWare you create a group in a container. A group is assigned members on members page you can set up characteristic for the group including identification, see also which lets you list other objects that are related to the group, applications, and rights to files and directories.

In Windows NT you can create a home directory in user environment profile by setting up a local path c:\winnt\profile\mohammad. It will not show unless you log off and than login again as a user. Home directory could also be manually created and assigned user to. A home directory could be shared with other users and it up to you what access rights you give them.

When you create a user's account in Novell NetWare you can create a home directory for the user at the same time automatically by checking the create home directory box. Besides specifying the home directory name you must also specify the home directory path. The path includes volume and directory under which the home directory will be created. You can also do it manually by creating a directory in NT Explorer and assigning a trustee to it. When you assign a trustee to the directory you can give it all or some of the following access rights.

• supervisor
• read
• write
• create
• erase
• modify
• file scan
• access control

In Novell NetWare you create a shared directory in the same way as you create manually a home directory for a user but the only difference is you assign more than one trustee to it. You can give the objects same rights as above. The effective rights of user and groups are those which are checked. You can delete a trustee/trustees as well as add a trustee. You can give trustees the following rights.

• supervisor
• read
• write
• create
• erase
• modify
• file scan
• access control

Creating a shared directory in Windows NT is not a big deal but available help on the system is not good enough for a new user to understand the process of creating a shared directory. When you share your files and folders with other users on the net work you don't need to worry because security provided by NT is very good and sophisticated. You can specify who can access and how. You could allow every one access to your folders but only for reading or you can deny access by specifying no access.

In Novell NetWare you can limit the size of home and shared directories through restrict size dialogue box but you can't limit the size of directories in Windows NT.

NetWare server offers the best file and print delivery performance. NetWare is quite complex to set up and administer. For small Shops, with few network resources to manage, NDS may be. If your network is 25 or fewer users and you are not so concerned about security, i.e.. You don't allow dial-in access, and you are not connected to interment, and you have a group of people that are trustworthy and not nosy then go for NT. If you want an application server for a small organisation, NT is probably better. Speed wise Windows NT is faster and its also easy to use. NetWare is slowly losing market as many LANs are moving to other platforms.

Network Operating Systems Philip Hunter

Novell NetWare 4.1 Stephen Cobb

Windows NT Power User's Toolkit Bill Lawrence

http://hilbert.hr/archive/alpha_osf_managers/1996/0208.html

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/dailynews/042998.htm

http://www.novell.com/

http://www.austin.ibm.com/pspinfo/lansrvr.html

Double click on "Nwadmin" icon.

Container "a124" highlighted by clicking on it.

Clicked the "Object" menu (top, left).

Click on "create".

Double clicked on "User"

On grey "create user screen " Enter login name "Ali" for the user and last name Khan.

Click on "create" at the top left

Object is added to the list.

Double click on user object that I have just created.

A large grey screen opens

Click on "Password Restrictions" tab at the right

Put a tick in the "Require a password "box.

Set the followings

Minimum password length - 6

Force periodic change - yes

Days between changes - 30

Unique password - yes

Grace logging - 2

Click the "Change password" tab at the bottom, left

Enter password - Zarrar

Click on OK.

Now click on "Login Restrictions" tab at the right.

Put a tick in " Account has expiration date" box.

Enter Date 15/7/98 and time 20:30

Now click on "Login Time Restrictions"

Carefully point to the squire that represents a time that you want to disallow and click the square you selected changes to grey indicating that this time is disallowed. You can unmark the grey square repeating the same steps and

Click on OK.

Right _click on container a124 + create

In class of new objects, chose group+ OK

In group name, type "Pakistan"

Check define additional properties box + create

On members page add users that you want to be members of the group + OK

Assign the right s that you want the group to have by checking rights boxes.

(Supervisor read, write, create, erase, modify, file scan, and access control)

From additional properties select "identification"

Enter other name Islamabad

owner = Mohammed

Description = Student

Location = Hounslow Now select "Member" tab

Click on Add

Click on a user + ok repeat this until you have put all the members in the group.

You can create a home directory when you create a user but I created one later manually.

Click on start button, go to programs and open windows NT explorer, click on public under 'Delta\sys'(z:) and create a folder (isakhel) now close the window and got to volumes and select public, double click on public, you will see folders come up, now click again on public folder and sub-directories will show now select isakhel+ right -click and select details , now you will see grey page with options on, Click on trustee

Of this directory and then (add trustees) and now from (available objects) section choose your user who you want the directory assigned to and click on it and then OK. Now go to access rights and check read, write, create, erase, modify, and file scan. Now click on OK.

Click on start button, go to programs and open windows NT explorer, click on public under 'Delta\sys'(z:) and create a folder (mianwali) now close the window and got to volumes and select public, double click on public, you will see folders come up, now click again on public folder and sub-directories will show now select mianwali+ right -click and select details , now you will see grey page with options on, Click on trustees of this directory and then (add trustees) and now from (available objects) section choose your users who you want the directory assigned to and click on it and then OK. Now go to access rights and check read, write, create, erase, modify, and file scan. Now click on OK.

Now select isakhel again

Right-click + details now you will see grey page with options on click on facts now in this dialogue box check Restrict size. In this field enter 1000 kb and click OK. You have limited the size of the directory to 1000 KB. You limit the size of a shared directory in the same way.

Creating A user and setting login security

Click start (bottom left)- programs- administrative tools finally double click on the user manager tool icon.

Select usermenu

Select new user

Enter

Check User must change password at the next login.

Click on Add.

Now click on "Hour" and you will see login hours dialogue box.

Select a cell in Sundays row which represents 12 O'clock midnight and drag the cursor to select five more cells and then click on disallow. Now blue line has disappear and these six cells from 12 midnight to 6 am are empty. From 12 midnight to am on Sunday user can't log in.

Now click on "Account" and in account information dialogue box in section (account expires) check end of and then enter date 27/11/99 for account expire. Click on OK.

Click on user and from menu click on New local Group.

Now you will see new local group grey form, enter group name London and Description: A group of students.

Now you have to assign members to the group

Click on Add

You will see Add users and group form.

Now you highlight your user and click on Add and your user will appear in Add Names: section with its address DOMAIN-J\ London.

Repeat same process to add other users and when you are finished click on OK. Now you will see members added to the group.

Click OK to complete the task or use REMOVE button to modify or remove users.

In new user dialog box open PROFILE, set the Local path to C:\winnt\profiles\London.

While your are logged on as admin you can't see it. When you log off and login again as a user you will see the home directory LONDON under Winnt and profile directress.

While you are in windows Explorer you click on folder London and in file manu click on properties and then click on Not shared + permissions now in permissions section specify permissions to the user and click on Add. You can add another user and give him access rights you want to the directory.

Click on Explorer icon.

Locate the folder to be shared.

Click on file and them properties.

Open the sharing tab.

Enter the share name and a comment

Click on permissions

Click on Add

Select a user or group

Select type of access

Click Add to Add to those authorised to access the folder

Click OK

Check, the folder is now shared.