Compaq signs Novell for Tru64 NDS port

Compaq yesterday threw its weight behind Novell Directory Services (NDS), pledging to optimise its ProLiant servers and integrate the technology into its OneStop solutions package in return for Novell's agreement to port NDS to the Big Q's species of Unix, Tru64. Of course, given Compaq's increasing interest in Linux, you might think this an odd course of action. Not so. The Big Q clearly doesn't want to antagonise its corporate customers who have spent big bucks on Tru64 to move over to the very much cheaper open source OS. NDS is something of a corporate crowd-pleaser, so should divert big business' attention nicely while Compaq gets on with persuading Linux buffs to shift over to Alpha hardware, which it's currently piloting in the Far East. Compaq recently released its C compiler for Alpha Linux, which is pretty similar to its Tru64 C compiler. But, unlike Tru64, Compaq is offering the Linux compiler at no charge to attract support for the Alpha platform. For its part, Novell gets further support for NDS -- a vital part of its attempt to win customers from Windows NT and back to NetWare -- and probably some financial help to pay for the porting process. Compaq's NDS announcement was accompanied by its decision to tie its upcoming AXL2000 security add-in card into the Novell product. The AXL2000 essentially does for security what a 3dfx Voodoo 3 does for graphics -- complex security-oriented algorithms can be offloaded onto the PCI card to allow the server's host processor(s) to get on with managing network traffic. The card was designed by Compaq's Atalla 'the Hun' subsidiary. ® Related Stories 1.6GHz Alpha to be fastest Quake chip on planet