Guidelines for implementing NDS

You can design a Directory tree several different ways. You might want to develop different prototypes and test them in a lab environment to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of your design.

Nevertheless, the necessary steps for implementing NDS are simple and remain essentially the same for small, medium, and large networks of any design.

Some of the following guidelines are not necessary for smaller implementations of NDS; however, all of these guidelines can assist you in planning for any present and future implementations.

To implement NDS on your network, you need to complete the following tasks:

1. Identify all potential Directory objects and create a NetWare Directory Services standards document that details how to name objects (Users, Printers, Servers, and so on) and how to name object property values, such as telephone numbers.

   You can distribute this document to network supervisors who are responsible for adding or moving objects in different parts of the Directory tree.

   You should use short names within the hierarchy because each object is identified by its location within the Directory tree. Use a naming scheme that is both practical and functional for your organization. For example, name servers for their function within a specific organization, and name printers for their type and location. See ``NDS objects and properties standards'' for more information.

2. Plan your Directory tree from the top, or [Root] level, down to the branches. See ``Planning an organizational directory tree'' for more details.

3. Organize objects into a logical hierarchy.

   The hierarchy of your Directory tree should be as shallow as possible (three to five levels) to facilitate access and manageability. However, NDS supports any degree of subordination you need to best support your organization's infrastructure.

4. Decide on the model for your Directory tree.

   Your Directory tree can model your organization, unit, and workgroup breakdown charts, or it can follow administrative, geographical, and functional divisions present within your organization.

   See ``Creating Directory tree maps'' and ``Placing leaf objects in the Directory tree'' for details.

5. Develop strategies for adequate replication of the partitions to:

   • provide fault tolerance

   • decrease traffic over WAN links

   You should plan to divide the Directory database into partitions based on logical boundaries, and replicate those partitions where you want users to access them without having to go over WAN links. See ``Developing a replication strategy'' for details.

6. Choose a method for providing time synchronization for the Directory. You must designate which time servers you want to use as time source servers. See ``Developing a time synchronization strategy'' for details.

7. Develop a strategy for implementing NDS security.

   You can use the design of the tree to implement security for containers and the objects in the containers. See ``Developing a security strategy for the Directory tree'' for details.

8. (Conditional) Develop a strategy for supporting bindery services. See ``NDS Bindery Services'' for details.