This article addresses features, capabilities of Linux, primarily Suse Linux Enterprise Server, Opensuse with some of the major comparisons to Microsoft Windows.
Suse Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) and Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) are products offered by Novell in Provo, Utah, the same company that was on of the industry leaders in Networking technologies beginning with its release of Novell Netware in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Some early releases were Novell 3.11, 3.2 and 3.3 which gained a world wide reputation for its rock solid stability.
Stories circulated where Novell servers would be unknowingly enclosed without access by builders and would continue to run for 3 to 4 years, only shutdown because the IT staff couldn't find the servers. This author personally saw a Netware server with 1056 days uptime --that's nearly 3 years. Other releases by Novell were 4.1, 4.2 then beginning with 5.0 Novell implemented TCP/IP as its protocol with IPX. IPX was eventually phased out. As of Netware 6.5, Novell is migrating it's Netware product to Suse Linux Enterprise Server, more specifically the Open Enterprise Server which includes the best of Novell Netware while adding the huge resource support of the Linux users.
In 2002, Novell had come to the realization that the Microsoft marketing machine had ate it's lunch. Novell's market share was on a decline from Microsoft's Johnny-come-lately Windows NT server released long after Novell Netware. Many are baffled how Microsoft supplanted Novell Netware in view that security and stability clearly did not measure up to Novell standards. For many years Windows NT did not meet minimum U.S government requirements for security.
This author attempts to inform how the best of Novell Netware has been incorporated into Suse Linux
OpenSuse
OpenSuse is Novell's open source Linux product available for free download Opensuse. This author has been awed by the vast repository of software available for free download. The OpenSuse.org website is extremely well designed making it a snap to find the desired package available for your version of Suse OS, not just a big pile of software to painfully find which one will work. Most packages are rpm's which makes them quite easy to install as well. Many packages such as the Mysql administrator and Professional level audio processing comes available for the download as well, such as 1/3 octave equalizers, active filters for example 12db /octave butterworth, the JACK suite and a host of others. This author has found the management of the Suse OS is quite robust as well as easy to find things.
Novell's Open Enterprise Server
Novell's Open Enterprise Server is a product add on to Suse Linux Enterprise Server. OES incorporates the best qualities of Novell Netware and makes them available as a product option for the Suse Linux Enterprise Server -- SLES. Some highlights of OES are as follows:
Edirectory -- which manages user accounts, data access and security through an enormously scalable database. Tests ran Edirectory into several billion (not million) objects and was still functioning as expecting while continuing to add objects.
NSS -- Novell's high performance file system, runs well with the SLES / OES suite.
Ifolder -- a real time desktop data synchronization backup solution.
Additional features supported on OES are as follows: Full Apache web server, JBoss, Perl, FTP, SOAP, UDDI, XEN virtual server, DNS, DHCP, Ifolder, Iprint, Novell client for Windows, Linux and Vista, Directory Integrated DNS/DHCP server, Apple File Protocol support, CIFS, 64 bit edirector, Domain Services for Windows, Yast, Auditing, Storage scalability, 4gb file support, Snapshot, Cluster services, Multi Processor Support, support for more than 4gb ram and 64 bit processor support.
A few of the highlighted products are described as follows:
Edirectory
Edirectory runs on Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Server. Novell offers its Edirectory as a product option for the Suse Linux Enterprise Server. Edirectory remains the gold standard for security and stability in the industry. Microsoft's Active Directory which look quite similar in architecture and management. Edirectory is a distributed database which manages user accounts, security, data access and network security. It has gained a reputation for it's reliability and stability with low overhead of resource requirements.
NSS
Novell Storage services is Novell's file system which has gained a reputation for stability, security and top rated performance now available as a product option in Novell's Open Enterprise server.
High Availability Clustering
This author has installed clustered systems on Novell Netware guaranteeing less than approximately 10 minutes downtime per year or.99999 percent uptime. These systems systems are intended for mission critical systems such as government or corporate systems requiring high performance. Novell as one of the industry leaders in clustering, has ported this system over to SLES as an add on product. Other flavors of clustering exist to make it affordable for the leaner budget as well.
Ifolder Ifolder runs a small client on the desktop which automatically backs up user data to the server as users make changes only, not the whole data file which would be a waste of bandwidth. This adds another layer of user confidence that when the anvil falls on the users computer their data remains safe. This also reduces total cost of ownership by utilizing the desktop / server combination more efficiently while reducing the management cost of the System administrators busy day.
Apache Web Server / Tomcat / LAMP
SLES comes with a full Apache web server including a Mysql database and Perl scripting support. The Apache / Tomcat / Lamp runs approximately 75 percent of the worlds websites.
High Availability Clustering
Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop - SLED
This author found that initially opening SLED, it took about an hour to feel comfortable with accomplishing comparable operations in Windows. The SLED gui is designed with similar, but not identical arrangement as the Windows system most users a comfortable with. The SLED OS can reduce the total cost of ownership since it comes with a full Office Suite -- the Novell version of OpenOffice which is more comprehensive than the regular OpenOffice. While a few exotic compatibility issues have surfaced in recent years such as spreadsheet macros or mail merges, Novell has made great strides in address those issues; however, this author did not run into those compatibility issues.
Source by G Woodroffe
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