Novell NetWare Revisor: Complete Guide to Features & InstallationNovell NetWare Revisor is a tool used by system administrators and network engineers to review, maintain, and update NetWare environments. This guide covers its primary features, typical use cases, supported environments, and a step-by-step installation and configuration walkthrough. It also includes troubleshooting tips, best practices, and migration considerations to help you integrate Revisor into your network management workflow.
What is Novell NetWare Revisor?
Novell NetWare Revisor is a utility designed to assist administrators in assessing, auditing, and updating Novell NetWare servers and related services. Historically, NetWare was a widely used network operating system that provided file and print services, directory services (NDS/ eDirectory), and network management utilities. Revisor focuses on making maintenance and revision control easier by identifying discrepancies, outdated components, and configuration issues, and by streamlining the application of fixes or updates.
Primary purposes:
- Audit NetWare server installations and configurations.
- Identify outdated or incompatible components.
- Standardize configurations across multiple servers.
- Automate repetitive tasks involved in maintenance and updates.
Key Features
- Automated environment scanning to collect configuration and version information.
- Comparison engine to highlight differences between servers or against a desired configuration baseline.
- Report generation with actionable findings and recommended remediation steps.
- Scripting hooks or modules to automate common fixes and batch updates.
- Logs and change tracking for auditing and compliance.
- Support for older NetWare versions and integration points with directory services (NDS/eDirectory).
Typical Use Cases
- Preparing servers for migration to a newer NetWare release or to other platforms.
- Regular compliance and security audits to ensure consistent configurations.
- Rapid identification of misconfigurations after hardware or software changes.
- Standardizing settings across large estates of NetWare servers.
- Generating documentation and change reports for management and auditors.
Supported Environments and Compatibility
While specific supported OS versions and dependencies can vary by Revisor release, the tool typically supports a range of NetWare versions (including NetWare 4.x, 5.x, and 6.x) and works alongside Novell directory services such as NDS and eDirectory. Check the Revisor release notes for exact compatibility details before deployment.
Pre-installation Checklist
- Inventory of NetWare servers (hostnames/IPs, NetWare versions, roles).
- Administrative credentials for targeted servers and directory services.
- Backup of critical configuration files and NDS/eDirectory where applicable.
- Ensure network connectivity and appropriate firewall rules (ports for NetWare management).
- Verify existing patch levels and read release notes for Revisor.
- Have a test environment or a pilot group of servers before full roll-out.
Installation Steps (Typical)
Note: Exact commands and procedures depend on the Revisor package and the NetWare environment. Always consult the product documentation for your Revisor version.
- Obtain the Revisor package and documentation from your software repository or vendor portal.
- Extract the package on a management workstation or a designated administration server.
- Review any dependency requirements (runtime libraries, scripting engines).
- Configure access — add administrative credentials and network targets to the Revisor configuration.
- Run an initial discovery scan in read-only mode to collect baseline information.
- Review scan reports to validate connectivity, permissions, and collected data.
- Apply patches or scripts first on a test server, validate results, then schedule batch operations for production servers.
- Configure scheduled scans and automated reporting if supported.
Example (pseudo-commands):
# extract package tar -xzf revisor-package.tar.gz # run discovery (read-only) ./revisor --discover --targets targets.conf --mode readonly # generate report ./revisor --report --output /var/revisor/reports/initial.html Configuration and Tuning
- Define a configuration baseline representing your desired server state.
- Tune scan frequency to balance freshness of data and network load.
- Use role-based targets: separate file servers, print servers, and directory masters for targeted policies.
- Enable verbose logging only for troubleshooting; keep routine logs concise for long-term storage.
- Secure credentials used by Revisor — use vaults or encrypted stores if supported.
Using Revisor Reports
Revisor’s reports typically include:
- Inventory of installed modules and versions.
- Configuration discrepancies compared to the baseline.
- Security-related findings (e.g., outdated patches, weak settings).
- Recommended remediation steps and scripts where applicable.
Read reports carefully, prioritize items by risk, and track changes in an IT change-management system.
Common Issues & Troubleshooting
- Permission denied errors: verify administrative credentials and remote management settings.
- Incomplete scans: check firewall rules and network segmentation that may block NetWare management ports.
- False positives in comparisons: ensure baselines are up to date and account for legitimate environment differences.
- Scripting failures: test scripts in isolation and confirm required interpreters are installed on target systems.
Best Practices
- Always run Revisor read-only scans before applying changes.
- Pilot changes on noncritical servers first.
- Keep backups of NDS/eDirectory and server configurations before automated updates.
- Integrate Revisor reports with your change-management workflow.
- Maintain an archival history of scans for auditing and trend analysis.
Migration Considerations
If you’re using Revisor to prepare for migration off NetWare (for example, to a modern file-server platform or cloud services), use it to:
- Identify dependencies on legacy services.
- Inventory user/group mappings and ACLs that must be translated.
- Find custom scripts and integrations needing replacement.
- Create a phased migration plan using Revisor’s reports to minimize disruption.
Example Workflow: From Discovery to Remediation
- Discovery scan (read-only) across all servers.
- Review and prioritize findings — focus on critical security and compatibility items.
- Test remediation scripts on a staging server.
- Apply changes in batches, monitoring services and NDS/eDirectory health.
- Run follow-up scans to verify remediation.
- Archive reports and update documentation.
Where to Find More Information
Consult official Revisor documentation, NetWare release notes, and Novell/Serena community forums for product-specific details and user-contributed workflows.
If you want, I can: (a) expand any section with detailed commands for a particular Revisor version, (b) create sample configuration files, or © draft a checklist you can print for on-site use. Which would you like?
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