Putting Together A Linux Office

Putting It All Together With Tools
Despite all the progress Linux vendors have made over the past few years, administration can be a daunting task for solution providers catering to small businesses. Walking out of a customer's location without properly configuring tools to match every job task could possibly mean the end of a business relationship.

To be successful, solution providers should find ways to automate many repetitive tasks, such as backup. Unfortunately, SUSE Enterprise running on the HP ML115 server does not include any active automated backup process. As such, it might be worth considering two vendors in the small-business Linux server space that do include automated processes: FileEngine and Net Integration Technologies.

To begin with, FileEngine's server provides a single backup button, while Net Integration's Nitix operating system provides a one-step backup procedure that automatically archives network files and burns DVDs. Any user can be designated to back up the network using these servers.

The vendors have also simplified Linux management by automating setup and maintenance. Solution providers do not need to be familiar with Linux to work with Nitix or FileEngine. For instance, Nitix arrives with tools that can repair its operating system automatically while its installation process is executed through a simple form. FileEngine's setup process likewise only takes a couple of minutes. The FileEngine server also can automatically identify and connect to Windows PCs through a wizard. In the front of the FileEngine box, an LCD control panel helps users track the status of the server.

Server Has Some Catching Up To Do
As a Linux server, HP's ML115 needs to catch up to some of the automated procedures. For instance, the ML115's setup process that comes with SUSE Enterprise is rather basic and there is a lot of room for improvement. In fact, the options are wide open for HP solution providers to develop and sell simple user-interface-driven applications that automate the setup process and integrate management utilities.

The HP server did arrive with many SUSE network tools turned on, but most are not needed by small companies. Tools such as Samba and VNC, however, play a crucial role in managing file shares and desktop connections. Other network tools such as FTP server and XEN virtual server are unnecessary for most small businesses.

Out of the box, SUSE's YaST2 toolset includes a backup module that is simple to use. The backup module does not check for free space, though, so all volumes have to be stored on a hard drive before burning archived files on a CD. The backup tool does not support incremental or network-based backups.

Another simple option is to use shell scripts to build an automatic backup process. Solution providers comfortable with command-line tools such as tar, bzip2 and cp can quickly create batch files that execute backup procedures at regular intervals.

For a more robust solution, HP sells StorageWorks internal USB and SCSI DAT tape drives for the server, which come in sizes between 40 Gbytes and 232 Gbytes. The SCSI backup drives require an additional SCSI controller kit.

The Bottom Line: Easier, But Not Easy
Rolling out a Linux-based office is easier than ever, but that's not saying much. Some solution providers know that the market can sometimes be a lagging indicator of whether a technology is ready to make a play. Rodriguez, of Austin Computer Solutions, is in that camp.

"I haven't had many customers say, 'Hey, let's go with a Linux office. Let's close the deal,' " Rodriguez said. "Sometimes it appears they look at it more for negotiating purposes. But it's at the point where I believe in it, and it works."