Win2000 marries NetWare5 on the cheap

[cpettis]

I'm planning to build myself a network lab <br>
This isn't a production environment though it should model one in small scale.<br>
I'll want to be able to field about 3 servers and be able to set up workstations as needed.<br>
<br>
I envision about 5 machines 3 of which are able bodied servers.<br>
As I build a software demo library I plan to experiment with installations, upgrades and integrations of NetWare (3, 4 and 5) and Windows (NT4, 2000).<br>
<br>
This should include such slick moves as across the wire migration, schema extension, Back Office implementation, restore from tape, NDPS etc.<br>
<br>
For my lab I'll need a number of servers capable of running Win2000 which can also run NetWare5. Once I find a single machine that can do either of these I'm confident it can handle every previous version of NT or NetWare.<br>
<br>
My plan is to buy about 3 such machines. <br>
This plan gives me flexibility in terms of NOS combinations. I can set up domains and or replicas, combine different versions of NetWare etc.<br>
It allows me to Ghost configurations so that projects can be set up quickly from previous configurations of a NOS, saving setup time in future experimentation. <br>
Working with a single hardware platform, I should become very familiar with the nature of my machines allowing me to control for and discount the hardware factors.<br>
Having one hardware platform let's me swap hardware between machines without concern for compatibility so that upgrades and enhancements can move from unit to unit.<br>
<br>
Now the kicker, PRICE! <br>
Both Win2000 and NetWare5 say they want Pentium class machines for the NOS. Finding a cheap Pentium is very difficult. No one seems to be selling PII 300 or below anymore. <br>
Now the cheap choices are Intel Celeron, Cyrix and AMD.<br>
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After browsing Microsoft’s website I see that they support a number of Celeron processors for Windows2000.<br>
<br>
Novell is not wiling to be so clear and will only specify that they require a Pentium Class Processor.<br>
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Does anyone have any insight into running NetWare5 or Windows 2000 on Cyrix, Celeron or AMD processors?<br>
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Thanks in advance.<br>

 

[maccol]

Try egghead.com and ubid.com. Last November I purchased a new Compaq 6500 with 128k ram and one (of four) ppro 200 processors (1mb cache) for $1100 (3 year Compaq factory warranty). Three 9.1 scsi III drives were $1200 and a Compaq Raid controller for $500. Then I found a second ppro 200 with the same stepping code for $150 on Ebay. Total cost under $2900. This system is identical to another server in my system that I purchased 18 months ago for $22,500 from Compaq. Look around and you can find CPUs and memory configurations that will solve your problem.<br>
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[Guest_imported]

Check out the YES! list at developer.novell.com I know from experiance that novell 5 does not work well with anything other than a full intel pentium. This can be a p75 through PIII 850. Celerons and non intel cpu's give all sorts of &quot;funnys&quot;.

 

[Capo]

Hmmm... here's a second opinion. I'm doing pretty much the same thing and two out of three of my boxes are AMD. I run Win2K on an AMD K6-III/450, and I'm in the process of upgrading my NetWare 5 box to 5.1 - it's running on an AMD K6-2/300. The only Intel box in the house is my NT4 machine which is a dual PPro/200. The AMD chips both run on Soyo 5EH super seven boards. I've had good luck with all - no unusual problems or gremlins that I haven't seen at work on my PIII based servers. Naturally, Novell's 'Yes' list and Microsoft's equivalent are the final answer to the question, but when you're on a shoestring budget you make do with what you can afford.<br>Happy networking!