S 4.66 Novell Netware - safe transition to the year 2000

Initiation responsibility: Head of IT Section, IT Security Management

Implementation responsibility: Administrators

No patches are available from Novell for the date conversion to the year 2000 for Netware versions 2.x to 3.11 as well as 4.01 and 4.02. Although there is now a year-2000 patch for Netware 4.10, versions from Netware 4.11 still seem to be a safer solution to the year-2000 problem.

If Novell Netware versions 2.x to 3.11 are in use, early planning is required for a conversion to Novell Netware version 3.2 or Novell Netware Version 4.11 (or higher).

If Novell Netware 3.12 is used as the operating system, patches ensuring correct date conversion to the year 2000 can be obtained from Novell.

Registered customers who have acquired Novell Netware 3.12 within a certain specified time frame can obtain an update to Novell Netware 3.2 free-of-charge.

If Novell Netware 4.11 (IntraNetWare) is used as the operating system, patches ensuring correct date conversion to the year 2000 can be obtained via the Internet, for example.

Note:

During conversion to the year 2000, it is necessary to ensure - in addition to the use of these patches - that the hardware involved (BIOS) is capable of correctly processing the transition to the new millennium. (also refer to S 2.200 0 Year-2000 compatibility of products, programs and data).

Supportive measures:

Novell's homepage

• http://www.novell.de/jahr2000/

• http://www.novell.com/year2000/)

offers a tool which determines the serial numbers of the Netware licences used in the network. These serial numbers can be forwarded to the company via facsimile or e-mail, in order to obtain information on any measures which need to be taken (date of report: June 1999).

Under the URL http://www.novell.com/year2000/ in the Internet, Novell provides its own forum for dealing with problems concerning date conversion to the year 2000. A free mailing list distributed via this forum informs subscribers about recent developments in the "Novell Year 2000 Forum".

Additional controls:

• Have patches been downloaded from Novell via the Internet?

• Have checks been performed to ensure "year-2000 compatibility" of the IT hardware in use?