Perhaps one of the most useful features that Novell has added to the NetWare operating system is the Native File Access Pack, which gives you the ability to access the NetWare file store using client operating system native protocols such as CIFS (Common Internet File System), AFS (Apple File System), and NFS (Network File System). The Native File Access protocols allow for a true "out-of-the-box" installation of NetWare, without the need for any additional software -- such as Client32 -- for access to files on a NetWare server. In this article, I'll show you how Native File Access works and how to set it up. Author's note
For this article, I'll be using a NetWare 6 server for the server component and a Windows XP Professional workstation running version 4.83 SP1 of the Novell Client. I'll offer only minimal coverage of native Macintosh access to a NetWare server. First things first
As with any software component, there are certain prerequisites for Native File Access under NetWare. On the server side, if you're running AFP.NLM and APPLETALK.NLM, you must unload them in favor of the MAC.NLM namespace and add the newer namespace to any volumes that you wish to access natively with Macintosh systems. To do so, go to the server prompt on your NetWare 6 server and type: UNLOAD AFP
UNLOAD APPLETALK
LOAD MAC.NLM
ADD NAME SPACE MACINTOSH TO VOLUME {volume} Even though the key benefit of running Native File Access is that it frees you from relying on the Novell Client, the workstation that you're going to use to install and configure Native File Access must be running a recent version of the Novell Client. Make sure that your workstation is running at least version 3.21 for Windows 9x systems and version 4.80 for Windows NT/2000/XP systems. In addition, if you want the ability to change passwords from a client workstation, you must install a strong version of Novell International Cryptographic Infrastructure (NICI) -- at least version 1.5.7. For my example, I'll be using Client 4.83 SP1 and NICI 2.4.2. The systems that will connect to the NetWare server using native protocols must also meet certain criteria. Fortunately, these criteria are very simple and easy to deal with:

• Macintosh clients must be running at least Mac OS 8.1 or Mac OS X.
• Windows clients must have the Client for Microsoft Networks installed.
• UNIX/Linux systems can use either NFS 2 or NFS 3.

Installing the software
At the server, insert the NetWare 6 Operating System CD. From the server's graphical console, choose Novell | Install. Browse to the Product.ni file on the NetWare 6 Operating System CD, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Browse to the Product.ni file on the NetWare 6 CD.