What's There Now
Right now, NT users are stuck with something less than half a loaf. Although both Novell and Banyan are selling NT client software, it's only for their own NOSs. Companies with NT Server as the NOS can't get server support, although the NT Server client function can still run the client software and have directory service support with the other NOS on the LAN.
Making matters worse, neither the Novell nor the Banyan solution is ideal, even for client software. Both are limited and, to some extent, buggy. Novell's new client has trouble supporting network interface cards (NICs) that also support Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) drivers, a task often performed in NT Workstation systems that attach to both a NetWare and an NT network. In addition, a number of users have complained of slim support for current NICs and of difficulty in running important applications, such as Lotus Notes.
Although Novell's problems with its Windows NT Requester client software are being fixed, sources within Microsoft say that the company is already working on the NDS problem. Banyan, meanwhile, has problems of its own with clients for its directory service. Mainly, it allows you to use the service even if you're not logged on as a supervisor- or administrator-level user. This security lapse allows ordinary Banyan users to change network software that they normally aren't even allowed to access.
Should You Wait?
Right now, companies with enterprise networks that use both NT Servers and Workstations are in something of a quandary. If they stay with their NetWare or Vines networks, they aren't going to get exactly what they want for a directory service. On the other hand, if they move to NT Server as their NOS, they aren't going to get a full directory service.
Fortunately, the quandary may have a resolution. Banyan plans to have the few remaining problems for StreetTalk fixed soon, so if you're willing to use Vines as your enterprise NOS, you can have both NT and a directory service. Novell already has a directory service that works with NT clients (regardless of whether they're running NT Workstation or NT Server), but it has a lot of limitations.
For many users, especially those on NetWare 3.12 and 4.1, the NDS limitations may be manageable. For those with earlier versions of NetWare, which the NT Requester has some problems with--especially version 3.11--and those with NICs or network software that isn't supported, there may be a problem. Then, you're probably wiser to stick with Microsoft's NetWare Client for your Novell environment--at least until some more bugs have been exterminated.
Should You Change?
Another solution, of course, is to change to NT Server as your NOS. For many networks, the domain name service is entirely adequate. Although it may not have all the capabilities of a full directory service, you may not need those capabilities--at least not now.
Although NT Server requires a somewhat heftier hardware environment than NetWare does, it has its compensations. For one thing, NT Server is a solid platform for application services, including such things as database servers and servers for Lotus Notes. In addition, it interacts well with existing NetWare servers so you don't need to make a dramatic change but instead can migrate easily. In fact, Microsoft includes tools with NT Server that do a lot to automate the migration process if you're moving from NetWare version 3.
The easiest answer, meanwhile, is not to do anything at all. If you're already running an NT Workstation, and it's doing what you need with NetWare--even if it's not all you'd like--you might want to be patient. Similarly, if you attach an NT Server to a Novell environment for such things as print services, and it works well, there may be no urgent reason to change that either.
However, if you really need a directory services solution, there's only one right now that supports PC-based networks. Banyan's Universal StreetTalk supports NT Server, NetWare, and Vines. Novell plans to have client support available for NT, perhaps by the time you read this, but NDS support for Microsoft servers is still in the planning stages. Or, you can wait until Microsoft ships Exchange and see if it includes a complete directory service.
For once, it might pay to be on the trailing edge of technology instead of the leading edge. Eventually, directory services will be readily available for all the major NOSs, and they'll support users on heterogeneous networks. But until then, maybe it's best just to wait.