Novell's UDDI Server Set To Ship Dec. 17

The Novell Nsure UDDI server, the first deliverable from the company's Destiny road map unveiled last July, allows businesses to register Web services and make them available to internal or external users.

The server will enable businesses to exploit the security and management features of Novell's directory services software. It incorporates the latest version of Novell's Falcon directory, eDirectory 8.7, which shipped last month.

The Nsure UDDI server is expected to be available Dec. 17 free of charge.

UDDI registries enable companies to publish and discover information about Web services, including details about the service, finding and engaging new trading partners, and interacting with these partners via Web services over the Internet. Microsoft, IBM and Ariba unveiled the development of the UDDI specification in 2000. Novell's Nsure UDDI server uses the current UDDI specification version 2.

Novell is trying to establish its position in the burgeoning Web services market now led by IBM, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems. In July, Novell entered the Web services game by completing its acquisition of Silverstream and its ExteNd Web services development platform.

Observers say Novell's UDDI server strengthens its position against IBM, Microsoft and Sun because it exploits the security and management features of Novell's directory.

Other vendors currently offer UDDI support in their application servers. IBM, for example, integrates UDDI registry support in its WebSphere application server and WebSphere Studio 5, while Sun's J2EE 1.4, expected early next year, will provide UDDI support in the Sun One Application Server.

Like Novell, Microsoft plans to exploit the directory services of its forthcoming Windows.Net Server 2003. However, that product is not expected to ship until the first or second quarter of 2003, observers said.

"Novell is the first of the directory vendors to deliver a directory-enabled UDDI server. Combining the service with a directory server therefore makes a lot of sense," said Mike Neuenschwander, an analyst at the Burton Group. "Microsoft is doing something similar in [the Windows .Net server by optionally using Active Directory for authentication and access control."

The UDDI server is Novell's second product to use the company's new Nsure branding. The first solution, called Nsure Resources, is also a secure identity management solution that offers provisioning of network resources to corporate employees. It shipped in October.