Microsoft-Certified Test Lab Verifies Novell's NDS eDirectory Fastest in Delivering Real-World Web Performance with Zero Failure Rate

Novell, Inc. today announced test results that demonstrate the power of its cross-platform NDS eDirectory in real-world Internet environments. KeyLabs Inc., an independent testing site and registered Microsoft Certified Solution Partner, found that NDS eDirectory outperformed both Microsoft Active Directory and iPlanet (formerly Netscape) Directory Server in real-world environments, simulating common directory loads and search requests.

"This is the first time we have been commissioned to design tests that simulated multiple types of directory searches simultaneously," said Matt Mace, director of quality at KeyLabs. "In each of the LDAP-based tests we performed, using simultaneous different search types, Novell's NDS eDirectory exceeded the performance of Active Directory running on Windows 2000 Server."

The tests were designed to simulate real-world use of directories, where most users perform both basic and complex Internet searches. Since consistent availability of a Web site is the most critical aspect of customer service, the test also tracked failures and successes of search completion.

The results of KeyLabs' latest tests of Active Directory and NDS eDirectory yielded the following:

• In multiple simultaneous searches simulating real-world scenarios, NDS eDirectory was consistently 250 percent faster than Active Directory. Any one who has used the Web knows the frustration of waiting for a reply. Returning fast results to a myriad of user queries based on a wide variety of search criteria is considered a baseline requirement for maintaining customer satisfaction.



• When searching for user names in the directory when only part of the actual name is spelled out in the search criteria, NDS eDirectory performed 1,250 times faster than Active Directory, and had zero failures. In the same test, Active Directory failed 715 times out of 6000 a one in eight ratio. Users tend to search on partial names because it takes less effort. An Internet directory must be able to accommodate typical user behavior.



• When KeyLabs increased from 2 to 100 clients on this common partial name search, Active Directory was unable to return a single result. This is the equivalent of going to your favorite search engine, searching for a topic, and never getting an answer.

Customer Perspective

The test results validate the experience of organizations like CNN and the University of Kentucky who are using NDS eDirectory to power high volume e-business environments.

For companies serious about their Internet business, failure is not an option. "We use NDS to make the Internet experience personal and more rewarding for our users," said Monty Mullig, vice president of CNN Internet Technologies. "NDS eDirectory allows us to tailor content and services to the individual needs of our users. We delivered nearly seven billion page views to our Web sites last year and anticipate significantly more traffic this year, and NDS is able to provide the performance to sustain this high volume of traffic."

"NDS eDirectory is a proven, fine-tuned directory that lets me centralize access to all the user profile data in my network. With its advanced replication features and LDAP performance, I'm looking at a whole new range of Internet applications to keep my users happy," said Gary Porter, senior systems manager at the University of Kentucky.

"As the intense public scrutiny and negative stock impacts surrounding failures of critical Internet sites has demonstrated, there is great need for Net services software that is designed and tested for mission-critical deployments, said Dave Shirk, senior vice president of product management for Novell. "Any vendor can run tests that make its product shine, but the numbers are meaningless unless they're based on real-world, e-business use of the Web. And it's not good enough just to be fast — if you fail to deliver the data reliably, time after time, fast test performance is meaningless."

More information on Keylabs test results is available on its Web site at www.keylabs.com/results/novell/nds/index.htm. More information about NDS eDirectory can be found at www.novell.com/advantage/nds/benchmark.html.

About Novell

Novell, Inc. (NASDAQ:NOVL), is a leading provider of Net services software that delivers services to secure and power all types of networks the Internet, intranets, and extranets; wired to wireless; corporate and public across leading operating systems. Novell's Net services software provides the foundation for one Net-a single global network that supports new applications and forms of business. Net Services software gives IT organizations a way to adapt and accelerate their transformation to e-business, simplify the management and control of all networks, create a secure foundation for doing business on the Net, and help deliver a consistent and high-quality experience to end users in all locations. Worldwide channel, consulting, education and technical support programs, along with strategic alliances, combine Novell Net services software with third-party products and services to form complete Net solutions.

For information on Novell's complete range of products and services, contact Novell's Customer Response Center at (888) 321-4CRC (4272), or visit Novell's Web site at http://www.novell.com. Press may access Novell announcements and company information on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com/pressroom. In addition, detailed comparisons between Novell products and competitive offerings from other vendors are available on the Web at http://www.novell.com/advantage.

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