This network enables members to participate in demonstrations and to practice network management tasks during each study session. What began as study sessions for the Chattanooga, Tennessee NetWare User Group has turned into hands-on workshops in the attic of one member's home. The user group has also built two NetWare 4.11 servers and one NetWare 3.12 server, which members use while studying migration issues. The user group even plans to add another server so the network simulates those discussed in Novell Education courses. In addition to offering hands-on workshops, the user group has purchased networking books, study materials, and practice tests to assist members in their certification studies.
Members meet twice a week to discuss certification issues and to participate in hands-on workshops.
The Phoenix, Arizona NetWare User Group offers hands-on workshops every Saturday. Kent Fuge, a member who is responsible for organizing these workshops, has identified several factors that contribute to successful hands-on workshops. These factors include choosing an appropriate facility and then working closely with the facility's management team or with a local training organization to ensure that attendees' needs are met. According to Kent, one reason hands-on workshops are so useful is that attendees have the opportunity to acquire networking skills without having to discuss the organizational and marketing issues that are often part of user group meetings. In addition, hands-on workshops allow attendees to experiment without jeopardizing their company's network.