Reference no: EM131127596

Discuss the concept of NOS in LANs, and its evolution in the LAN market from its inception by Novell, and market shift from Novell's dominance (for two decades) to the ongoing Microsoft's dominance.

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The Network Operating System in LANs is used to allow users access to the network. When the NOS system was first created all they really had was a mainframe network. All information was sent to the mainframe and then sent out throughout the network depending on where it needed to go. As network technologies increased so did the Network Operations Systems. Networks went from just a mainframe network to a Client/Server network which allowed PCs to do the work of the mainframe and then allow multiple servers throughout the network. Today there are multiple types of networks available. There are Web based networks along with server based networks and then there are peer to peer networks which allow the actual workstations to act as a server. Peer to Peer networks all the workstations are connected together and they share their information. When a host needs information from another host they become a client since they are needing to use another workstation or clients resources. For a while Novell lead the market with the best Network Operating system out there.

In 1985 Microsoft tried to come out with a Network Operating System that would end up being a complete failure when compared to Novell's system. It was not until 1994 that Microsoft finally came out with Windows NT Server that would end up completely changing the game for NOS's. At this point Microsoft had finally taken over in the Network Operating Systems world. It would not be until 2003 that Novells would come out with the famous NOS Linux. This system changed the game again. Today it does seem that Microsoft still has the advantage and I did read a few places that the two companies did begin to try and collaborate to make a Network Operating System together.
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Network Operating Systems are used to manage network resources. With both the client and the server parts of the NOS serve different functions just as the client and the server have different roles. There has been a power struggle for what company controls most of the NOS market. That power struggle has been between the companies of Novell and Microsoft. Novell started out as a small business in 1979. With in the following decade, this company would take over 70% of the profits in its respective business. Novell worked to include Unix operating systems into their products (Network World 2010). Trying to take down the giant of Microsoft in all domains, Novell created WordPerfect and Quattro Pro to compete with Microsoft Office. Clearly, this processor did not beat out Microsoft Word since we do not see it used today (Morettini 2011).

Their success was generally short lived, and by the mid 1990's Microsoft began taking of the market. Windows NT was the first Windows NOS to really gain traction over Novell. Some believe that Novell took on too many frontiers trying to take on Microsoft with both operating systems and word processors. (Morettini 2011). Microsoft NOS's success was due to companies that enjoyed the use of the file and print servers as well as the overall applications (Fisher & Girishanker 1995). Despite Microsoft gaining majority in the market of NOS , in 2006 Microsoft and Novell work together on projects (Network World 2010). For now, Microsoft is the clear winner in the NOS market.

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