YES Certified Program and Novell Ready Program

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the purpose of the YES Certified and Novell Ready Programs?
2. What is the difference between the YES Certified Program and the Novell Ready Program?
3. Why should products on my network be YES Certified or Novell Ready?
4. Does Novell offer certification for hardware running a virtualized operating system environment?
5. Does Novell offer certification for software being deployed into a virtualized operating system environment?
6. What are YES Certified bulletins?
7. What types of products are eligible to be YES Certified?
8. What products are not eligible to be YES Certified?
9. If I swap components in a YES Certified computer system, is it still considered YES Certified?
10. As a Hardware or Software Vendor, where do I go to get my products YES certified?
11. Does my company need a formal relationship with Novell to participate in the YES Certified or Novell Ready Programs?
12. Why should my products be associated with a logo that says they're Novell-compatible and what is the "value proposition" of the logo as it would appear on my product?
13. Where do I get the YES Certified or Novell Ready logos for use on my product web site, packaging, and promotional material?

Q. What is the purpose of the YES Certified and Novell Ready Programs?
A. The two main goals of the YES Certified and Novell Ready Programs are:

1. Help customers easily identify and purchase software applications and hardware solutions that have been tested for compatibility and are supported in a Novell environment - including SUSE Linux Enterprise and Open Enterprise Server - both in native and virtualized mode.
2. Help Hardware and Software Vendors deliver and market solutions that work well and are easily supported in a Novell environment.

Program details for YES Certified
Program details for Novell Ready

Q. What is the difference between the YES Certified Program and the Novell Ready Program?
A. YES Certified is for hardware and kernel-level software applications. Because these products interact directly with an operating system, Novell has developed rigorous compatibility tests to ensure very high levels of compatibility between hardware, kernel-level software and the operating system.

Hardware and Software Vendors participating in the YES Certified program agree to a close relationship with Novell for delivering support to customers. Support contacts are created to deliver joint support and "warm hand offs" between Novell and the vendor when supporting customers using YES Certified products. In addition, YES Certified configurations are documented and published as official YES Certified bulletins on the Novell web site.

Novell Ready is for user space software applications – applications which do not execute code in an operating system's kernel space. Vendors conduct their own compatibility tests (not defined by Novell) and must officially support their product in a Novell environment to be considered Novell Ready. Support is delivered directly from the product vendor - Novell does not provide customer support for Novell Ready applications.

Q. Why should products on my network be YES Certified or Novell Ready?
A. Information technology is a critical asset for any business – and deploying compatible and supported hardware and software applications protects and enhances your valuable information technology assets.

For hardware and kernel-level software, Novell works closely with companies testing products through the YES Certified program. If you call Novell for end-user or system integrator support and your network incorporates YES Certified products, Novell technicians can reference existing support documentation such as YES Certified bulletins and Technical Information Documents. If the error persists, technicians can duplicate the situation in a Novell lab or work with the product vendor, leveraging the relationship that was developed during the testing process, to resolve the problem. In short, YES Certified is the first line of hardware and kernel-level software interoperability assurance for Novell customers.

For user space applications, deploying Novell Ready solutions means you can rely on the product vendor to understand your Novell environment and be able to provide support if issues arise.

Q. Does Novell offer certification for products running a virtualized operating system environment or being deployed into a virtualized operating system environment?
A. Yes, see the Novell Compatibility Program for Virtualization.

Q. Does Novell offer certification for software being deployed into a virtualized operating system environment?
A. Yes, see the Novell Compatibility Program for Virtualization.

Q. What are YES Certified bulletins?
A. Novell publishes a YES Certified bulletin documenting tested product configurations. YES Certified bulletins detail what products were used in testing - such as versions of Novell products - network adapters, controller devices, and supported drivers. Bulletins also indicate specific product configuration, the date of the testing, special network configuration information or other related information important to product interoperability in a Novell environment. For example, a bulletin can tell you if a particular backup system can properly backup and restore all the various file formats supported on your network, or if a device driver handles memory over 16MB correctly. This information may be in the form of a configuration note or a line item indicating whether or not certain functionality is supported.

To view specific YES Certified bulletins, visit the YES Certified bulletin search.

Q. What types of products are eligible to be YES Certified?
A.

• Software applications that contain kernel modules, typically referred to as “kernel – level software”. Examples are backup engines, anti-virus applications, some types of databases, or any software that runs its execution code at the kernel level of the operating system environment.
• Computer systems including computers that run the SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, NetWare, or Novell network client software.
• Devices and device drivers including disk subsystems, host bus adapters (HBA), disk controllers, RAID systems, CD-ROM drives, juke boxes, and magneto-optical drives.
• Data backup/restore systems, or individual components of a backup/restore system.
• LAN adapter products that connect workstations and/or network servers to a network.
• Print Servers and standard printers that connect to a network server, print server, or directly to a network

Vendors - if your product does not fall into one of these categories, a Generic Test Request form may be requested from devsup@novell.com

Q. What products are not eligible to be YES Certified?
A. Hardware: Novell does not test motherboards due to variables within a computer system, in addition to the motherboard, that can affect compatibility. Vendors cannot move a motherboard from a YES Certified system into a non-tested system and expect that second system to be considered YES Certified. YES Certified system tests are executed against complete computer systems, not the motherboard itself.

System Components: While Novell does test some system components such as LAN adapters, disk controllers, and disk subsystems, Novell does not test products such as cabling, power supplies, and some types of I/O cards. These components may affect system performance, but in most cases do not have a direct effect on compatibility with the operating system.

"User space" Software: Software that runs in the operating system's user space and does not contain any kernel modules can not be YES Certified; however, it can earn Novell Ready status.

Undefined Test Criteria: As new technologies emerge products will be developed that do not fall into any of the Novell standard testing categories, but have a direct interface to the SUSE Linux Enterprise or NetWare operating systems. In these cases, Novell will not offer compatibility testing until we have the opportunity to define or develop specific compatibility testing criteria and programs for that category of product.

Q. If I swap components in a YES Certified computer system, is it still considered YES Certified?
A. Products using the YES Certified logo are tested in specific configurations which are documented in YES Certified bulletins. Customers should check the YES Certified bulletins to verify the computer system they receive is the same as the computer system that was tested. If the computer system is modified in any way, its certification may become void.

In general, vendors are allowed to swap any tested component for another similar tested component. They may also swap components such as cabling, power supplies, and some types of I/O cards that would not affect a system's interaction with the network. Vendors are not allowed to swap any non-tested components or low-level components such as motherboards, BIOS, or CPU. The only exception to this rule is that a vendor may exchange memory. Buyers should make sure that, if such a modification takes place, the dealer tests the system thoroughly for system integrity.

Please note: If the product is modified in any way other than stated in these conditions, its certification is void. Specific guidelines for Hardware Vendors for swapping components in computer systems is part of the YES Certified System test kit.

Q. As a Hardware or Software Vendor, where do I go to get my products YES certified?
A. Two options are available:

1. Enter into a certification support agreement with Novell authorizing you to self-test
2. Utilize a Novell Authorized Testing Center

Novell enables Partners with a certification support agreement to self-test their products using YES Certified test kits developed by Novell. Partners submit test results to Novell which are validated before a YES Certified bulletin is published. Learn more about a Partner Certification Support Agreement.

Partners can also have products tested for a fee by a Novell Authorized Testing Center.

Q. Does my company need a formal relationship with Novell to participate in the YES Certified or Novell Ready Programs?
A. Yes, becoming a Novell partner is required. Hardware and Software Vendors can join PartnerNet for Technology Partners.

Q. Why should my products be associated with a logo that says they're Novell-compatible and what is the "value proposition" of the logo as it would appear on my product?
A. In short, your product can achieve instant credibility in the crowded Hardware and Software Vendor marketplace.

In many cases, government agencies and quality-conscious enterprises require that products in a bid be tested for compatibility and achieve a compatibility status - allowing these organizations to stipulate that all bidders' products meet specified high standards of quality and interoperability.

In addition, when your company invests time and money to complete YES Certified testing or to gain Novell Ready status, the technical expertise you gain is likely to show up in reduced post-sales support. Since your company engineers have already worked with Novell to test your products on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, NetWare or other Novell software, your staff has plenty of real-world experience when it comes to installing and supporting your products on Novell platforms. Testing reduces the amount of post-sales support calls because problems are found and fixed before your product ships, saving you time and money.

The YES Certified and Novell Ready logos are a valuable trademarks of Novell and recognized around the world as the marks that indicate a product's compatibility with Novell technologies. When YES Certified and Novell Ready logos are tightly integrated with your corporate and product messages, you can achieve maximum value from your partnership with Novell.

Q. Where do I get the YES Certified or Novell Ready logos for use on my product web site, packaging, and promotional material?
A. ParnerNet Technology Partners can download the YES Certified, Novell Ready, and PartnerNet membership logos from the Novell Brand Guide. (partner log in required)