Open Enterprise Server
| Company type | Operating system |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Predecessor | NetWare |
| Founded | March 2005 |
| Founder | Novell |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Server operating system |
| Owner | OpenText |
Open Enterprise Server (OES) is a server operating system created by OpenText. Originally introduced by Novell in March 2005 as the successor to their NetWare platform, OES marked a strategic departure from the proprietary design of NetWare.
OES is a Linux distribution constructed on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, reflecting Novell's shift toward embracing open-source technologies. The initial version, OES 1, supported dual kernel options: a Linux kernel paired with a NetWare compatibility layer or the original NetWare kernel supplemented by Linux compatibility. Prior to the release of OES 2, Novell discontinued the NetWare kernel focus, fully committing to the Linux-based system. Nevertheless, NetWare 6.5 SP7 and SP8 continued functioning as paravirtualized guests on the Xen hypervisor, with official support ending in March 2012 and community support lasting until March 2015.
OES 1 and OES 2
Novell unveiled OES 1 on March 25, 2005, providing two installation paths to ensure backward compatibility with NetWare: OES-NetWare and OES-Linux. These represent separate operating systems distinguished by their kernels and user environments.
OES-NetWare is essentially NetWare version 6.5 enhanced with NetWare Loadable Modules that enable Novell services such as NetWare Core Protocol, Novell eDirectory, Novell Storage Services, and iPrint. It also incorporates open-source components like OpenSSH and Apache HTTP Server.
Conversely, OES-Linux is based on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) and integrates ported versions of NetWare services—including NetWare Core Protocol, Novell eDirectory, Storage Services, and iPrint—directly into the Linux environment.
Released on October 12, 2007, OES 2 was the first edition to offer an installation solely based on the SLES Linux kernel while still maintaining the option for OES-NetWare. In this release, NetWare 6.5 SP7 operated as a paravirtualized guest within the Xen hypervisor. The underlying SLES version was upgraded to SLES 10 SP1.
Notable enhancements introduced in OES 2 included:
- Compatibility with both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures
- Support for hardware virtualization
- Dynamic Storage Technology facilitating Novell Shadow Volumes
- Windows domain services starting from OES 2 SP1
- Apple Filing Protocol (AFP) featuring Cross Protocol Locking AFP-NCP-Samba (CPL), also from OES 2 SP1
OES 2015
Launched on August 31, 2015, OES 2015 brought performance improvements alongside new functionalities. The first service pack, OES 2015 SP1, released on June 14, 2016, coincided with the rebranding to Micro Focus following its acquisition of The Attachmate Group, which had previously acquired Novell.
OES 2018 & 2023
Micro Focus introduced OES 2018 in November 2017, delivering three service packs with the final update being OES 2018 SP3 in July 2021. These versions were all built upon SLES 12 and its subsequent service packs.
Despite Micro Focus divesting SUSE in 2018, support and updates for SLES remain part of OES installations that include at least one OES component.
OES 2023 debuted in October 2022 based on SLES 15 SP4. This release featured a new Unified Management Console (UMC) that replaced iManager for server administration, added support for TLS 1.3, and bundled NetIQ eDirectory version 9.2.7. Departing from previous naming conventions, OES version 23.4 was issued in October 2023 under the OpenText brand following their acquisition of Micro Focus earlier that year. The general support period was extended from two to three years for this edition.
Components
- Automatic Client Upgrade (ACU) – facilitates the automatic updating of Novell client applications on existing user workstations.
See also
Further reading