Novell Netware +16 bit application

[jackietpy]

Hi,

My company still using the Novell Netware 4.x and 5.x. And also application running on the Foxbase and Clliper. We intend to change to Windows server 2003 and the thin client.

We are thinking just use the RDP protocol only because the ICA protocol is too expensive.

Does any one can help on the folowing :

i) Can the Windows server 2003 and thin client connect to the Novell Netware or we should consider migrate the Netware to Windows server 2003. Which one is better ?

ii) What should we take into consideration if we want to migrate Netware to Windwos 2003 server ?

iii) Is there any problem running the Foxbase and Clliper on the Windows 2003 server and thin client. I heard that there is always a problem for the 16 bit application running on Windows 2003 server.

iv) Any suggestion for the Server specification. Basically the requirement is Foxbase and Clipper application and also MS Office running on 40 -50 thin client with RDP. In future it may go up to about 100 thin client.

Thank you in advanced.

JT

 

[compuveg]

I) Just install the Netware client on the server and they'll be presented with that login when they connect via RDP.

II) Do you feel comfortable running the same OS on your file and print server that you've got running on your spyware and virus magnet users? Given a choice, I'd never use a windows server for file and print services, as an infected user will turn into infected servers, which will turn into a long wait in the unemployment office.

III) The only real way to test it is to install it and find out. We've had problems with some 16-bit apps, but nothing serious.

The only real problem we've had with backwards compatibility is an old DOS application that one of our departments has been very lazy on finding a replacement for. That app's the only reason we're running any Win98 here. One other 16 bit app we've got that's troublesome only works when running the 16 bit version, and not the included 32 bit version... Go figure.

We've also had an old DOS program running in another department. That's an old RBase program, and it still worked fine when we finally got rid of that a month or 2 ago.

IV) This is another 'test it and see' type situation. We've got a 2 processor 3.2Ghz xeon machine with 2GB of RAM that currently holds about 20 - 25 concurrent sessions before it starts performing noticeably slower. We've not really gone beyond that number of concurrent users, so I can't tell you when it get unusably slow. I do know that if we could get people to use newer apps (and fewer apps) that we should technically be able to have 60 concurrent sessions that aren't noticeably any slower than the first logged in session.

It sounds like you're looking at a terminal server cluster. Good luck with that. Dont' forget that to run, or be a member of, a terminal server cluster that you're going to need the enterprise version of the Win2k3 license.