Novell ships metadirectory beta

By John Fontana
Network World, 03/28/00

SALT LAKE CITY - Novell has finally released the first public beta of its new directory technology that allows enterprises to synchronize and manage user data from across of variety of systems.

At the opening of its annual BrainShare conference Monday, the company handed out the long awaited beta of DirXML, which uses XML to link user data and create a metadirectory. A metadirectory collates data from disparate directories and joins it together to create a logical whole.

DirXML is built on top of Novell's eDirectory and features XML-based connectors that link directories together in a hub-and-spoke configuration. The connectors allow the directories to replicate changes among one another with eDirectory at the center.

Metadirectory technology is seen as the linchpin for integrating directories across the enterprise in an effort to lower user management costs, control access to applications and support e-commerce.

"DirXML's one goal in life is to reduce the cost of managing data," says Ed Anderson, Novell Directory Services (NDS) product manager. "We've taken eDirectory's ability to replicate data and extended it to other platforms."

Novell rival Microsoft has metadirectory technology of its own, called Microsoft Meta-Directory Services (MMS), which it acquired last year from Zoomit. Microsoft is building XML support into MMS.

DirXML is key to Novell's new Directory-enabled Network Infrastructure Model (DENIM), which was unveiled at BrainShare. DENIM is a framework for deploying directory-enabled applications and services across the enterprise and the Internet.

At the heart of DirXML, which is scheduled to ship this summer, is an XML-based rules engine and an Extensible Stylesheet Language processor, which lets users execute rules that dictate how directory data is synchronized. Novell will offer five connectors out of the box for linking the rules engine to Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange and Active Directory, Netscape/Lightweight Directory Access Protocol and NDS. DirXML also will ship with tools for mapping directory schema and for building custom connectors.

But even with support of standards like XML, enterprise users still will have to do plenty of work writing rules that govern the creation and deletion of users from their directory systems.

"Saying it's all XML is one thing," says Jamie Lewis, an analyst with The Burton Group in Midvale, Utah. "Putting the rules in place is another." Lewis says it won't be a trivial task for users of either DirXML or Microsoft's MMS, but it will be a task they must complete.

"In order for directories to take on network operating system and e-business roles you need metadirectory capabilities to integrate user data," Lewis says.

Novell also announced it is developing another technology for integrating directories, this one focused on linking trading partners. Based on the Domain Name System (DNS), "federated directories" let users integrate eDirectories over the Internet. For example, a user in Company A can access a resource in Company B by signing into Company A's directory and using DNS to locate Company B's directory.

To support the feature, Novell is adding an engine to eDirectory that can resolve DNS addresses, similar to those used on the Internet. No timetable has been set for release of the technology, but the first version will only work between copies of eDirectory.