Lesson 13. Network Operating Systems (NOS)

Objectives

At the end of this Presentation, you will be able to:

• Explain the difference between a Network Operating System (NOS) and a desktop Operating System.

• Identify and compare the major Network Operating Systems including Windows NT, Novell Netware, UNIX and Macintosh OS.

• Specify the network clients that best serve specific network operating systems and their resources.

• Identify the directory services of the major network operating systems.

Network+ Domains covered:

• 3.1• 3.2• 4.4

Networks can be classified according to where the

resources reside and how the resources are accessed.

• Peer-to-peer• Server-based or Client/server

Peer-to-Peer Benefits

• Easy to implement.• Inexpensive and easy to operate.• Does not require a special operating system.• Fault tolerant.

Peer-to-Peer Limitations

• Lack of Security• Lack of Consistent Administration• Lack of Performance• Lack of Scalability

Client/Server Network

ServerClient

Client

ClientClient

Client

Benefits of the Client/Server Network

• Improved security• Better performance• Better administration• Scalability

These benefits are a direct result of the

Network Operating System (NOS) used by the server.

Network Operating System (NOS) versus

desktop Operating System (OS)

The NOS provides improved security.

• User-level Security• Server authenticates:

o User nameo User passwordo User location

• Server determines which resources the user may access.

• Simplifies security for the user.

The NOS allows sensitive resources to be maintained in a centralized and

secure location.

The NOS provides improved performance.

• Client is relieved of the burden of server• Server can be optimized• Adds administration and management

capabilities.

The NOS provides better administration.

• Centralized security• Centralized data• Consistent policies• Administrative tools• Accountability

The NOS allows scalability.

• The client/server network grows gracefully.• A single server may handle 50 or more

clients.• Additional servers can be added.• Specialized servers

oFile serveroPrint serveroCommunications Server

Disadvantages of the NOS

• More expensive• More complex• Requires administration.

NOS Directory Services

• Refers to the way the resources on the network are organized.

• Directory Services manages resources from multiple servers as if they were one data base.

• This not only includes resources such as files, folders, and printers, but information like user names, passwords, and groups, as well.

With stand-alone servers each server’s user and account data

base must be managed separately.

With Directory Services based servers all servers’ user and

account information is in one data base.

Major Network Operating Systems

• Unix• Novell NetWare• Windows NT/2000 Server• Macintosh

Unix

• Unix is a Multitasking, Multiuser OS• Influential in the evolution of the Internet • Unix uses the TCP/IP protocol• Client computers communicate with the Server

using Terminal Emulation

Unix Directory Service

• Unix’s implementation of directory services is called Network Information System, or NIS.

• A single user and password file is maintained by an NIS server.

• The NIS server copies the user and password data from the other computers in the network.

Unix’s Network File System (NFS)

• Allows you to share resources on a remote machine as if the resource were on your own machine.

• Called “mounting,” it is Unix’s equivalent of mapping a remote resource to your machine.

Linux

• Smaller, easier to use version of Unix• Easily adapted to individual computers or

as a server in a small network• Like Unix, Linux uses the command line as

the user interface.• Unlike Unix, Linux is offered with a

graphical user interface.

Unix/Linux “rwx” Permissions

• Read (r) – Allows you to see but not change a file.

• Write (w) – Allows you to both see and change a file.

• Execute (x) – Allows you to run a program or a shell script

Unix/Linux Printing Services

• LPD/LPR – Industry standard TCP/IP based printing protocols.

• LPR (Line Printer Request) – Allows a host to send printing jobs to any TCP/IP system that supports the LPD protocol.

• LPD (Line Printer Daemon) – Allows a host to receive print jobs from a system that support LPR.

Novell’s NetWare

• Most popular NOS• Text-based operating system• Supports virtually all Windows-based client

computer operating systems• IPX/SPX is the primary NetWare protocol

NetWare Directory Services

• Prior to version 4, NetWare used Bindery as a form of directory services

• Beginning with version 4, Netware uses directory services called NetWare Directory Services, or NDS.

NDS Tree Structure

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English

History

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NDS Structure

• Tree – A major collections of objects under a single heading.

• Context – The object’s position within the directory tree.

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Context Tree

Netware 5

• Supports Multiprocessing• Runs TCP/IP in native mode• Backward compatible with earlier versions

of Netware i.e. Versions 2 through 4.• Supports Hot Plug PCI• Novell Storage Services (NSS) – Supports

virtually unlimited amounts of storage. In theory, it can support 255 volumes of up to 8 trillion files each.

NetWare Security

• File System Security – Controls access to the file system.

• NDS Security – Controls access to objects in the directory.

NetWare File Security System

• Read – Read an existing file.• Write – Write to an existing file.• Create – Create a new file.• Erase – Erase an existing file.• Modify – Re-name a file or change its attributes.• File Scan – List the contents of a directory.• Access Control – Control the access that others

have to the file or directory.• Supervisor – All the above rights.

NDS Security

• Supervisor – All rights listed below.• Browse – User can see objects in the

Directory tree.• Create – User can create objects under

existing objects.• Delete – User can delete objects• Re-name – User can change the object’s name

Windows NT Server and

Windows 2000 Server

Windows NT

• 32-bit network operating system• First to use a graphical user’s interface• Not as feature-rich as Unix and NetWare• Supports a wide range of network clients

Windows NT Directory Services

• Called NT Directory Services (NTDS) • NTDS is not true directory services like NDS

in NetWare.• NTDS manages user names, passwords, and

groups.• NTDS is far more limited in its management

of shared directories and printers, as compared to NDS in NetWare.

Windows 2000

• Family of Operating Systems designed to replace the Windows NT Family.

• Aimed at Business, not the consumer market.

The Windows 2000 Family

• Windows 2000 Professional• Windows 2000 Server • Windows 2000 Advanced Server• Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

The Windows 2000 Family

• Windows 2003 Server Standard Editon • Windows 2003 Enterprise Edition• Windows 2003 Datacenter Edition• *Web Edition

Windows 2000 Professional

• Designed for Stand-Alone or Network Client PCs.• Replacement for Windows NT Workstation 4.0.• Plus:

o Plug and Playo New hardware support – USB, IEEE-1394, AGP, etc.o Improved Mobile Support – Connectivity, Battery-life

• Supports a single CPU.

Windows 2000 Server Family

• Windows 2000 Server/2003 Standard Edition

• Windows 2000 Advanced Server/2003 Enterprise Edition

• Windows 2000 Datacenter Server/2003 DataCenter Edition.

Windows 2000 Server/2003 Standard Edition

• Processors supported• Memory supported• Network load

balancing• Server Clustering

44 Gigabytes2000 No /2003Yes

• No

New Terms

• Load balancing – Spreads processing burden over several processors, or the nodes in a cluster.

• Cluster – Two or more servers that are loosely coupled together and can perform as a single entity.

• Clustering – The coupling of servers to form a cluster. Provides “fail-over” in case one system goes down.

• Fail-over – The ability to detect and replace a system that has gone down.

Windows 2000 Advanced Server/ 2003 Enterprise

• Processors supported• Memory supported

o 2000o 2003

• Network load balancing

• Server Clusteringo 2000o 2003 Enterprise

8

8 Gigabytes32 GigabytesYes, up to 32 nodes

Yes, up to 2 nodesYes, up to 8 nodes

Windows 2000/2003 Datacenter Server

• Processors supported• Memory supported• Network load

balancing• Server Clustering

3264 GigabytesYes, up to 32 nodes

Yes

Windows 2000 File System Support

• FAT• FAT32• NTFS• NTFS-5

Windows NT/2000 Family Access Permissions

• Full Control – Perform any and all functions including changing permissions

• Change – Read, execute, modify, and delete, but not changing permissions

• Read – Read and execute but not modify or delete.

The default shared folder permission is Full Control.

• You must assign shared folder permissions to change this.

• You can allow or deny permissions to individuals or groups.

• Generally, it is best to assign an individual to one or more groups.

• And then assign permissions to the groups.

Macintosh NOS

• Family name for almost two decades of computers from Apple Computer Inc.

• Ten or more generations of operating system.

• Concerned here with its networking capability.

Macintosh Networking

• AppleTalk – Apple’s Proprietary protocol suite used in virtually all Macintosh computer since 1984. It gives every Macintosh computer networking capabilities.

• AppleShare – A network operating system from Apple that runs on Macintosh servers.

• Built-in Ethernet.

Client

• A piece of software that is installed in every workstation attached to the server.

• It allows a workstation to communicate with the Network Operating System on the server.

• Most workstations use some form of Microsoft Windows product.

Where do you find the right Client?

• The Clients for Microsoft Based Network products are provided with Windows 9X.

• Windows 9X also provides a Client for NetWare.

• NetWare Clients are provided by Novell.• Unix Clients are provided by third party

Vendors.

Generally, the key to selecting the right Client is to select the Client provided by the Vendor

of the NOS.

Clients provided by Microsoft• The Client for Microsoft Networks

o Client of choice for Microsoft workstationso Supports Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95,

Windows 98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000.• The Client for NetWare Networks

o Does not connect to NetWare using TCP/IPo Does not understand NetWare Directory Services (NDS)o Better Clients available from Novell.

Client provided by Novell

• Client v3.1 for Windows 95/98o Also called “Client 32” after an earlier version

of the program.o Allows Windows 9x workstations to connect to

a NetWare server.o Supports both IPX/SPX and TCP/IP Protocols.o Supports NetWare Directory Services (NDS).

Unix Clients

• Generic term is Client for NFS.• Available from various third party vendors

such as Sun Microsystems.

• Explain the difference between a Network Operating System (NOS) and a desktop Operating System.

• Identify and compare the major Network Operating Systems including Windows NT, Novell Netware, UNIX and Macintosh.

• Specify the network clients that best serve specific network operating systems and their resources.

• Identify the directory services of the major network operating systems.