Understanding Networking Basics
Network Resources
Network Resources
After connecting to a NetWare network, you have access to physical and logical resources across the network. A definition for each resource is maintained in a database used by the NetWare operating system.
An example of this is a print queue or group name. How you interact with the resource database depends greatly on which version of the NetWare operating system you are running.
Resources for NetWare 2 and NetWare 3
The NetWare 2 and NetWare 3 operating systems use a flat database structure called a bindery for managing network resource definitions. A definition for each network resource is maintained in the bindery.
For example, a definition exists for your user information, such as your username and password. A bindery exists for each server in the network and is independent of resource definitions created on other servers.
The bindery structure for each server is flat, with a single location for accessing and managing network resources. Therefore, when you use network resources in a multiple server network, you must be aware of their physical and logical locations in order to use them.
Resources for NetWare 4
NetWare 4 uses a global database structure called NetWare Directory Services (NDS™) for managing network resource definitions. NDS treats all network resources as objects in a distributed database known as the Directory database. This database organizes resources in a hierarchical tree structure, independent of their physical location.
The Directory database supports an entire network of servers. Instead of storing all information on each individual server as in NetWare 2 and 3, information is distributed over a global database and can be accessed by all NetWare servers.