NetWare

NetWare is a family of network operating systems developed by Novell for server-based local area networks. Introduced in 1983 for IBM PC-compatible hardware, NetWare quickly became a dominant platform for file and print services, user authentication, and application hosting on LANs. It supported a client–server model in which servers provided shared resources to clients across the network.

Originally NetWare used the IPX/SPX protocol suite, with the NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) handling file and directory operations. Windows clients connected through Novell’s NWLink, a protocol translator that allowed IPX/SPX traffic to run over TCP/IP networks, and later through native TCP/IP support as IP networking became standard. NetWare’s architecture evolved to include a scalable directory service, first through Bindery in early versions and then with Novell Directory Services (NDS) in the mid‑1990s, providing a hierarchical, searchable directory for authentication and resource management. In the NetWare 5/6 era, Novell Storage Services (NSS) offered a high‑performance storage subsystem and enabled features such as storage management and clustering, while directory services were commonly integrated with eDirectory, a cross‑platform rebranding of NDS.

With the rise of Windows Server and other platforms, NetWare’s share declined in the enterprise market. Novell shifted emphasis toward Open Enterprise Server (OES), combining NetWare features with SUSE Linux, and later transferred NetWare assets through the acquisition by The Attachmate Group and subsequently Micro Focus. Today, NetWare survives largely as a historical reference and in legacy deployments, with NSS and related technologies influencing modern NetWare‑derived platforms and storage practices.