1. Print server
2. Backups of several home machines (a couple of laptops, one and a half desktops).
3. Photo archive storage
4. Music storage
5. Document storage

It will not be a router - another computer does that. And this server will handle exclusively internal needs. Plus, for complete happiness, you will hang on a different phase (and ideally, you will also be connected via wifi n, but this is also for the future).

Iron

I’d rather write about the server software - what I chose, why I chose it. Well, I’ll also write about my impressions. Later. :)

OS selection

1. FreeNAS. Free, but inside it is free with all its shortcomings in terms of hardware support. USB thermometers do not light up. :) And the functionality is not very interesting.
2. ebox is undoubtedly an interesting and worthy thing, but inside it is neon Linux. That is, either take what they give by default, or a lot of manual work, because what they give by default rarely suits me in Linux... For example, I don’t like Linux file systems.
3. Any Linux distribution. See previous point.

After I went through open sources, I came up with proprietary options, but free (in my case):

1. Windows XP Home (distribution kit with a sticker lying around). I won't say anything here. Only from poverty or complete lack of support for the necessary equipment by Linux. Otherwise, it's no better than Linux. The file system is nicer, perhaps (from the user’s point of view - accidentally deleted files can be restored, for example :)). But if there was a choice between Linux or XP Home, I would choose Linux.
2. Windows Web Server 2008. I have 3 of them - MS distributed them at one time at every opportunity. Maybe I would have stopped there, but WWS does not know how to share a printer, for example. Verified.

What exactly is WHS: it is a server operating system from MS, based on Windows SBS 2003 SP2. That is, inside it is almost a full-fledged Windows Server with some additional features.

What I personally liked:

• Collecting information about all home computers is initially just a security center complaint, but this is expanded with plugins.
• Automatic full backup of all home machines. That is, if your hard drive is damaged, you can install a new one, boot from the CD, which will merge the backup from the server and deploy it to your computer. To save space, identical files located on several computers are stored on the server in only one copy. You don't have to back up data that is not particularly important - there is an exception setting. All sorts of swap files, hibernation files, etc. entered there immediately.
• Single storage (all disks are combined into a single array, something like JBOD). But there is one very useful function - replacing disks in an array (Drive Extender). That is, you can connect a new disk, include it in the array, then click on the “Remove from array” button on one of the old disks and all the information from the extracted disk will be automatically shoved across all other disks. We can say that for this alone, in my eyes, WHS has no competitors - maybe Linux can be upgraded to the required functionality (dig towards LVM, mhddfs, etc.), but this is all the time, plus ease of use.
• Possibility to assign storage on two disks for important data. Those. select the folder, click “Duplicate” in the properties - and it will be physically stored on two different disks. Those. If one of them takes off, the information will not be lost. True, backups are not duplicated. On the other hand, it rarely happens that both the original and the backup are covered at the same time.

OS mining

But there are some problems with buying. You won’t be able to just come to the store and pay $100 - it’s not sold at retail (I’m in Russia, in case anyone decides to tell me the store’s address :)).

• Option one: Buy a piece of hardware based on WHS. It doesn’t fit - I don’t know any companies that sell such pieces of hardware in Russia.
• Option two: Order a piece of hardware abroad. What stops me is the price of such pieces of hardware (especially taking into account delivery and customs).
• Option three: Buy a box on ebay (~$130). I could try, but I still haven’t acquired a normal bank card.
• Option four: www.softkey.ru. In principle, the most realistic and convenient, but not without pitfalls, the name of which is the WHS license, which allows it to be distributed only as part of ready-made devices. That is, you can’t buy it, put it on a self-assembling piece of hardware and use it. The assembled computer must be sold. No problem. If I need to, I'll sell it. For yourself. :)

A friendly firm selling iron is hired. Ask to order it in the WHS softkey (the cost is around 3800 rubles + delivery). Then you order from this company the assembly of a system unit from the components you are interested in. When purchasing, enter WHS on the same receipt. Everyone is happy.

A couple of notes:
In principle, the components can be bought elsewhere, and the company can simply give the sales receipts - they will pretend that they bought them, and then sell them to you. :)

WHS in softkey can only be paid to a legal entity; private individuals are not allowed. After ordering, they called me back and warned me about the above-mentioned licensing restrictions.

Conclusion

PS. Everything I write is my personal opinion. If I'm wrong somewhere, please point out the errors. But preferably not in the “you’re wrong, MS paid you” version, but something like “you’re wrong in this place, here’s the proof link.”

Server Operating Systems (OS)

Server operating system is designed to manage software, which in turn serves all network users, both internal and external. Why can’t you use a regular, user OS as a server OS? You ask, because the server OS provides specialized management functionality, so to speak, more convenient, efficient, designed specifically for specific administration and management purposes, and such functionality simply does not exist in user operating systems, which, by the way, act as clients of these server operating systems. And, of course, we can conclude that if we have specialized functionality and the cost of this functionality will be completely different, there are, of course, exceptions.

Selecting a server operating system. First of all, it is necessary to clearly define for what purposes this server and, accordingly, its operating system will be used. And already, based on the specific task, select the operating system and the necessary hardware configuration for this operating system.

Let's look at the most popular and widespread server operating systems.

Microsoft Company. : The two operating systems are: Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Figure 13 OS Windows Server2003 logo

Windows Server 2003 is an operating system of the Windows NT family from Microsoft, designed to work on servers. It was released on April 24, 2003. Windows Server 2003 is a development of Windows 2000 Server and a server version of the Windows XP operating system. The main features of these operating systems are the presence of the Microsoft .NET Framework platform, as well as support for XML Web services (up to the presence of a UDDI server in the operating system). It supports servers based on up to eight 64-bit processors and up to 64 GB of RAM and is available in versions for 32- and 64-bit platforms;

This product can be used for almost all purposes that arise for administrators, but do not forget about quality, since all desktop options (i.e. have a graphical shell) require many more resources than non-interface operating systems, therefore, if you are going to use an OS with a graphical shell, you need to take this into account when choosing hardware for the server. Windows Server 2003 is great for novice system administrators. This platform is suitable for domain controllers, if you use the Active Directory directory service, and if you plan to use remote user connections in your network, then on this OS you can easily implement

"Terminal Server".

133 MHz or faster processor for x86-based PCs; 733 MHz for PCs with Itanium processors; Supports up to 8 processors, 32-bit or 64-bit.

RAM Minimum 128 MB RAM required; maximum 32 GB for PCs with 32-bit x86 processors, or 64 GB for PCs with 64-bit Itanium processors.

Hard Drive 1.5 GB of available hard drive space for PCs with x86 processors; 2 GB for PCs with Itanium processors; Network installation requires additional hard drive space.

Drive Drive for CDs or DVDs.

Screen Requires VGA or hardware that supports console redirection.

Miscellaneous Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, 64-bit edition is compatible with 64-bit Intel Itanium systems and cannot be installed on 32-bit systems.

Figure 14 Os Windows Server 2008 R2 logo.

Windows Server 2008 R2 is already a leader in many performance tests of server operating systems. For example, it is best to run a file server on this OS. In addition, this operating system has: improved support for virtualization, a new version of the Active Directory directory service, support for up to 256 processors, unlike Windows Server 2003, and a “terminal server” is also better implemented here. The advantage of this platform is that it is suitable for high-quality performance of almost all tasks, but the disadvantage is that it requires more resources, unlike its relatives.

Optimal: 3 GHz or more

Optimal: 2 GB RAM (full installation) or 1 GB (server core installation) or more

Maximum (32-bit systems): 4 GB (Standard edition) or 64 GB (Enterprise and Datacenter editions)

Maximum (64-bit systems): 32 GB (Standard edition) or 2 TB (Enterprise, Datacenter, and Itanium-based editions)

Free disk space Minimum: 8 GB

Optimal: 80 GB (full installation) or 40 GB (server core installation) or more. Note. Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM require more disk space for page files, hibernation, and memory dump

Ubuntu Server 10.10. which uses the Linux kernel. There are already newer releases of this distribution, such as Ubuntu Server 11.04 and Ubuntu Server 11.10

Figure 15 Os Ubuntu server logo

Ubuntu Server 10.10 is easy to install and maintain, provides high reliability and performance, and also has a high level of security and is great for almost all tasks.

Processor: 300 MHz x86128MB

Random access memory (RAM): 1GB available hard drive space

Video card and monitor: compatible for 640x480 pixel resolution

Optical drive: for reading CD/DVD discs or USB port (or both devices)

Internet presence (optional)

FreeBSD 8.2 is a Unix-like operating system, very popular among Internet companies, since this operating system is perfect for all kinds of web servers.

Figure 16 Os FreeBSD logo

FreeBSD is a great option for a web server because it is a powerful TCP/IP stack with support for industry standards such as SLIP, PPP, NFS, DHCP and NIS. And so FreeBSD can easily interface with other systems, as well as serve as a server for a large enterprise, providing vital functions such as NFS (remote file access) and email services, or represent your organization on the Internet, providing services such as: WWW , FTP, routing and firewall functions.

FreeBSD runs some of the largest and busiest sites on the Internet (like Yahoo!), and a large percentage of all other sites also run on FreeBSD.

But FreeBSD can be used not only as a platform for an Internet server, but also as a regular server that performs all the tasks that other server operating systems perform and there is no need to limit the capabilities of FreeBSD. FreeBSD is highly secure and performant. In addition, this operating system will cost you free and, among other things, FreeBSD is developed and supported by a large team of developers.

System requirement:

Hard Disk Space: Minimum 150 MB of free disk space for the bare minimum installation.

Video Card: Most AGP, PCI, PCIe and PCI-X video cards work in X.Org.

Sound card: any.

X86 (including Pentium® and Athlon™),

Clients often contact us with questions about choosing an OS for a server. That's why we decided to tell you about each popular OS separately to make your choice easier.

To begin with, it is worth noting that it is probably better to choose the OS with which you have already worked and are well versed in its settings. But there are still exceptions; sometimes you have to choose something new to improve your work and choose an OS that will meet the necessary requirements. So, let's begin…

FreeBSD– one of the oldest operating systems with a rich history. But every year the number of users of this system is decreasing, although it is considered one of the most reliable and safe operating systems. There are several reasons for the decline in popularity of this OS, the main one being one team of developers and a very small amount of commercial software for FreeBSD. If you have a problem with FreeBSD, it will most likely remain unresolved.

At the moment, version 10 of FreeBSD has been released, which successfully works on a variety of processor architectures and, in the hands of a master, makes it possible to fine-tune the kernel. The advantages of FreeBSD include excellent implementation of working with memory, networking and I/O systems. Are you interested in the main differences between Linux and BSD? Read more in the article.

Windows Server(using Windows Server 2008 R2 as an example) – the system is practical and has a large performance reserve. The best solution for a file server or terminal has a backup tool, which significantly increases reliability.

The main disadvantage is the demanding hardware. Windows Server 2008 R2 no longer supports 32-bit architecture, and in general it requires significantly more resources to operate than its counterparts. Important feature OS requires license purchase. It is worth not forgetting that a huge number of existing virus programs are targeted specifically at Windows.

In most cases, this product is used for “home” site testing, for connecting a remote desktop, or when using IIS and ASP.

HyperHost offers VDS. including a free license for 180 days (trial period). For example, you can order a VDS server with Windows OS 2008, 2012, 2016. More details about these versions and their main differences in the article ““. We also offer detailed instructions on installing the operating system from your own ISO image in VMmanager using Windows 10 as an example.

CentOS- a free analogue of Red Hat, which is quite popular. The number of users of this OS is huge, which allows you to quickly solve all problems and bugs that arise. The advantage is the presence of many forums where they can help you with questions about CentOS. Significant advantages of Centos also include the very convenient and fast package manager yum, but the disadvantage is the presence of not the latest versions of related software in standard package repositories (repositories) for Centos.

This OS supports almost all hosting control panels. About the pros and cons of this operating system in the article ““. If you work with this system, then you will definitely find our instructions for And .

Debianis a Linux distribution that has many fans and is actively developing. This OS is universal and is used on servers and ordinary work machines. Debian is an excellent solution for a server that needs to work stably and uninterruptedly. The excessive conservatism of the OS is the main drawback, since developers rarely delight with new releases.

About features and functionality Debian 9 in the article.

Users of the new Debian 7 “Wheezy” (desktop environments) get KDE 4.8.4 and GNOME 3.4 at their disposal. The new release contains a more modern LibreOffice 3.5.4. The standard assembly contains codecs MP3, MPEG-4, AAC, etc. The clean and licensed open source OS is winning new Debian fans. All the benefits of Debian are described in more detail.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux– one of the most popular and in demand OS. The system is mainly intended for corporate use, and is particularly reliable and secure. Proof of this is that this OS will be used to deploy important applications on global exchanges, financial institutions, leading telecommunications companies, animation studios, etc. The main disadvantage is that the OS is paid. The main feature is that there is commercial support for the distribution. The frequency of release of new versions is 3 years.

Ubuntu– widely used by many users, since the OS lightweight and easy to set up. There is an opinion that even a schoolboy can handle installing Ubuntu. If your budget is limited, you don’t expect large loads on the server and you don’t have time to read documentation in search of information, then feel free to choose this OS. Ubuntu – description of the OS: current versions, pros, cons. More details in the next one.

Ubuntu is often chosen by those who need new and fresh versions of the kernel and applications, but it is worth noting that the newest does not always work without problems or better. However, the distribution is very similar to Debian, due to the fact that it was originally and still is based on and uses a large amount of Debian OS code and utilities. ?

What should you choose? Many developers advise choosing Ubuntu. After all, there are the most manuals, forums, blogs, etc. on it. A significant advantage: it is most often used on desktops. All this simplifies working with the server: it is easier to find material if necessary and configure everything yourself. In principle, Debian is very similar to Ubuntu. CentOS is considered a more outdated option, but is also in good demand. But in terms of performance, they are all at the same level: this is the Linux family.

Choosing between Windows and Linux? Read more about all the differences between these operating systems.

There is no universal and best OS. It's all about practice if you have already worked with a certain OS, then continue to work with it. However, technical support Hyper Host™ can work with any operating systems and distributions. You can rest assured that we will always help you if necessary and will set up the OS completely free of charge. When ordering from HyperHost, free administration is included as a gift, so you don’t have to worry about the uninterrupted operation of your virtual dedicated server.

To easily work with servers, special control panels are used; read more about the types and advantages of each panel.

In addition to the operating systems described above, there are many more types of them. For example, Linux-based distributions have been developed that are also popular, but less in demand. Read more about these distributions.

Hyper Host™ wishes you a pleasant work!

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Compareeserver operating systemsrational systems of the UNIX family

Introduction

user interface server operational

There are a large number of different operating systems. In this course work, the emphasis is on server operating systems of the UNIX family. UNIX OS is one of the most widespread operating systems in the world. Versions of this OS exist for almost all hardware platforms. The UNIX OS is several decades old. This is a record result for operating systems whose lifespan is usually short-lived. UNIX OS turned out to be an exception to the rule; it continues to develop and gain popularity. We can safely say that the UNIX operating system has completely stood the test of time.

Created by a small group of developers, the UNIX system was expanded and refined; thousands of specialists have invested their talent in it, tens of thousands have enriched it with applications, and today it serves millions of people who use this operating system in their activities.

The purpose of this course project is to compare server operating systems of the UNIX family, such as Solaris (Sun Microsystems), HP-UX (Hewlett-Packard), AIX (IBM), Linux and FreeBSD.

1. Purpose, functions and features of server operating systems

If the client operating system is intended to manage the resources of the computer on which it is running and to provide the user with certain services (such as running office applications, client parts of corporate applications, and in the case of a home computer, games and other multimedia applications), then the purpose of the server operating system systems are usually completely different: these operating systems run applications that serve all users of the corporate network, and often external users. Such applications include modern database management systems, network management and network event analysis tools, directory services, messaging and groupware tools, Web servers, mail servers, corporate firewalls, and application servers for various purposes. The performance and reliability requirements of these operating systems are much higher than in the case of client operating systems. Recently, server operating systems have sometimes required such means of ensuring reliability and availability as support for clusters (a set of a number of similar computers performing the same task and sharing the load), duplication and redundancy capabilities, reconfiguration of software and hardware without rebooting operating system.

In other words, the choice of a server operating system and a hardware platform for it is primarily determined by what applications must run under its control (at a minimum, the selected applications must exist in a version for this platform) and what are the requirements for its performance, reliability and availability. Factors such as a convenient user interface, the ability to run client applications and other “user” needs, although present in modern versions of many similar operating systems, do not play a decisive role in this case - often the administration of server applications and the operating system itself can be carried out remotely from the client computer.

Server OS features:

Providing the ability to share files and printers - files, directories located on the server disks, and printers connected to the server are used by many users;

Provide transparent access to shared resources from different client environments;

Supporting a large number of users through a directory service, allowing for single sign-on to the system as opposed to separate sign-in to each system and/or network service;

The ability to automatically detect and register new devices and expansion tools, automatically configure the OS when new computing resources appear (memory, processors, disks);

Built-in encryption using certificate technology:

Support for data archiving and backup tools;

Support for Internet services (WWW, FTP, Java).

Features of server OS:

Ability to configure and update software and hardware; provision without reboot;

Rich backup capabilities;

Flexible and rich network capabilities;

Using services/daemons (a program running in the background without direct communication with the user);

Increased security and control over resource allocation

2. Server operating systems of the UNIX family

The UNIX operating system is one of the “long-lived” server operating systems market - it was created in the late 60s at AT&T Bell Laboratories. A distinctive feature of this OS, which determined its “survivability” and popularity, was that the kernel of the operating system, written in assembly language, was small, while the rest of the operating system was written in C. This approach made it easily portable to a wide variety of hardware platforms and the operating system itself, and the applications created for it. An important advantage of UNIX was its openness, which allowed both commercial and non-commercial versions of UNIX to exist simultaneously. Features common to all versions of UNIX are a multi-user mode with means of protecting data from unauthorized access, the implementation of multiprogram processing in time-sharing mode, the use of virtual memory and swap mechanisms, unification of input-output operations, a hierarchical file system, various means of process interaction, including internetwork.

2.1 Solaris (Sun Microsystems)

From its earliest stages of development, the Sun Solaris operating system, which is one of the most popular commercial versions of UNIX, was intended to work in corporate computer networks. It provides extremely efficient and reliable access to servers, DBMS, printers and other network resources. This OS has developed means of supporting network interaction (for example, servers running the Solaris operating system can be embedded in networks and domains of Novell and Microsoft networks) and is one of the most popular platforms for developing corporate solutions - there are about 12 thousand different applications for it.

The predecessor to Solaris was the Sun OS operating system, and the first version of the Solaris operating system, based on two underlying flavors of UNIX - Berkley 4.2/4.3 (BSD) and AT&T System V, was released in 1991.

Solaris OS complies with many industry standards (X/Open UNIX 95, various sections of POSIX 1003.1, X11R6). This operating system is highly scalable: it can be used on single-processor servers and even on workstations, on workgroup servers and on a 64-processor Sun Enterprise 10000 server. For the vast majority of applications, this OS provides almost linear performance growth as the number of processors due to symmetric multiprocessor computing.

Solaris is now an incredibly powerful and flexible multi-tasking, multi-user operating system available for SPARC and Intel x86 processors. Its latest version, Solaris 9, is the third (since Solaris 7) generation of 64-bit operating systems optimized to run on 64-bit Sun servers.

Here are some of the options for scaling and supporting enterprise-scale applications in the Solaris 9 operating system:

1 million simultaneously running processes in one system;

Up to 128 processors in one system and up to 848 processors in a cluster;

Up to 576 GB of physical RAM in one system;

More than 4 billion network connections;

File systems up to 252 TB in size;

128-bit IPv6 IP addressing;

64-bit Java virtual machine.

Other features of Solaris 9 include integration with the Sun ONE Directory Server and the J2EE-compatible Sun ONE Application Server (this allows you to organize a service for identifying users and objects on the network), the availability of configuration and change management tools, including reconfigurations and updating versions without rebooting the operating system, support for the RAS methodology (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability) when developing software, compatibility with earlier versions and built-in compatibility with Linux. Having a relatively small operating system kernel significantly narrows the range of errors that can cause it to crash. Support for limiting the propagation of failures, managing the process of allocating system resources, isolating applications in so-called containers using software-defined boundaries, supporting alternative servers and network paths - all this guarantees the high reliability of this operating system.

The Solaris 9 operating system is the foundation of the Sun Open Net Environment (Sun ONE). Solaris 9 includes key Sun ONE applications such as Sun ONE Application Server, Platform Edition, Sun ONE Directory Server, Sun ONE Integration Server, Sun ONE Message Queue, Sun ONE Portal Server, Sun ONE Web Server.

2.2 HP-UX (Hewlett-Packard)

The HP-UX operating system, developed by Hewlett-Packard, is a descendant of AT&T System V. Its latest version, HP-UX 11i, is available for two hardware platforms - PA_RISC and Itanium and is mainly aimed at servers manufactured by Hewlett-Packard.

HP-UX 11i features include integration with Windows and Linux, including portability of Java applications developed for these platforms, as well as tools for improving the performance of Java applications. In addition, Webgain Studio, a descendant of Symantec Visual Cafe, allows you to create HP-UX-optimized applications on Windows using the Java application development tool Webgain Studio. In addition, HP-UX 11i supports the Linux API, which ensures application portability between HP-UX and Linux. Note that applications for HP-UX 11i are portable between the two hardware platforms it supports without modification or recompilation.

Speaking about the performance and scalability of HP-UX 11i, it should be noted that one copy of the operating system supports up to 256 processors; Clusters of up to 128 nodes are also supported, which makes it possible to implement so-called server farms (again, based on HP 9000 servers manufactured by Hewlett-Packard). There are also tools for managing clustered volumes. Note that this platform supports connecting and disconnecting additional processors, replacing PCI cards, power supplies, fans and disks without the need to reboot, online backup and disk defragmentation without shutting down the system, dynamic configuration and updating the operating system without rebooting, which increases its availability.

HP-UX 11i data protection tools include detection tools for attack attempts and viruses, a plug-in identification module with authentication via LDAP, NIS+, NTLM, Kerberos, as well as support for common Windows and HP-UX identification.

The choice of software for this operating system is very wide - it has application servers from leading manufacturers (BEA, Sun), Web and WAP servers, search servers, caching tools, and directory services.

2.3 AIX (IBM)

AIX is a clone of IBM's UNIX designed to run on IBM @server pSeries and RS/6000 servers. Like other commercial versions of UNIX, the latest version of this product, AIX 5L, supports Java applications. Like HP-UX, this operating system is compatible with Linux, allowing applications developed for Linux to run on the AIX platform with a simple recompilation.

AIX 5L features include a fully 64-bit kernel, device drivers and application runtime (there is also a 32-bit kernel, as well as support for 32-bit applications), support for 256 GB of RAM, cluster support, file system, supporting files up to 1 TB, convenient administration and load control tools, including those with a Web interface, support for clusters (up to 32 computers), RAS and Java 2, advanced network support tools, and even support for the 64-bit version of OpenGL.

AIX provides self-tuning capabilities with features such as Capacity Upgrade on Demand and Processor Deallocation. Self-defense systems include technology for logging all system errors (First Failure Data Capture) and a system for predictive fault analysis (Predictive Failure Analysis), which helps prevent system failures in advance. AIX is a self-healing system in which system redundancy technologies can dramatically reduce the number of administrator interventions. Finally, AIX can self-optimize with modern features such as the workload manager and logical partitions.

IBM introduced a number of new AIX features, including:

The increased size of the memory page allows you to store large amounts of information in the computer's memory. AIX supports both traditional 4 KB memory pages and new, larger 16 MB memory pages, which improves performance for systems with compute-intensive workloads (such as large-scale commercial databases that run large amounts of virtual memory);

Scheduling affinity helps localize the workload within the system, distributing it across a well-defined group of processors that have equal access to a common memory subsystem;

Memory affinity allocates running processors the pages of system memory that are closest to them.

At the same time, plans were announced to release a commercial AIX toolkit for Grid applications, which is based on the open protocols of the Globus Association (a recognized leader in the field of management software for Grid networks) and allows for the integration of many heterogeneous servers into spatially distributed megacomputers. This set of tools includes new tools for installing and configuring operating systems, as well as enhanced security features. Among the most important new features are the Message Passing Interface (MPI), the Advanced Reservation feature, and integration with the IBM LoadLeveler batch job scheduler.

2 .4 Linux

Linux is by far the most widely used free and open source operating system and was originally developed by Linus Torvalds at the University of Helsinki. When developing it, we tried to take the best from the world of the UNIX family. Thanks to the participation of tens of thousands of software developers and their coordination over the Internet, Linux and software for it are developing very dynamically, errors and various problems in the software are usually fixed within a matter of hours after they are discovered. Great assistance in the development and distribution of Linux and related software was provided by the Free Software Foundation (USA) and the GNU license (The GNU General Public License) for software. Today there is one Linux kernel, the development of which is coordinated by its creators Linus Torvalds and Alan Cox, and many distributions (at least 2-3 dozen), differing both in functionality and in the composition of the software included in the distribution. There are distributions that take up a dozen CDs, and distributions that fit on one or two floppy disks. Everything that is true for the UNIX family is also true for Linux.

Although this OS is often used as a client operating system, its popularity is mainly due to its use as a server platform. The list of server products for Linux is perhaps no less impressive than for Solaris, HP-UX and AIX, and includes such popular products as the Apache Web server, server DBMS from almost all leading manufacturers, and application servers.

One of the major advantages of Linux is its low cost of use. In addition, a number of companies, notably IBM, are investing heavily in the development of Linux as a server platform, while simultaneously seeking to implement Linux compatibility in their commercial versions of UNIX in anticipation of a possible transition from Linux to these operating systems.

There are many different Linux distributions designed to install and configure this OS to solve specific problems; Moreover, some of them (namely distribution kits, not the operating system itself!) are commercial.

2 . 5 FreeBSD

Another popular non-commercial version of UNIX is FreeBSD.

FreeBSD is a modern operating system for computers based on x86 (including Pentium(R) and AthlonTM), amd64 (including OpteronTM, AthlonTM64 and EM64T), ARM, IA-64, PowerPC, PC-98 and UltraSPARC(R) architectures. It is based on BSD, a version of UNIX(R) created at the University of California at Berkeley. It is developed and supported by a large team of developers. Support for other platforms is in various stages of development.

An exceptional set of networking functions, high performance, information security and compatibility with other operating systems - these are the modern features of FreeBSD that are often still missing in other, even the best commercial operating systems.

FreeBSD is an ideal platform for building an Internet or Intranet server. This system provides reliable network services even under the most intense loads, and efficient memory management, which allows it to provide acceptable response times for thousands of concurrent user tasks. FreeBSD provides advanced network operating system capabilities for devices and embedded platforms, from high-end Intel-based devices to Arm, PowerPC and, soon, MIPS hardware platforms. From email and web devices to routers, time servers and wireless access points, manufacturers around the world rely on FreeBSD's embedded build and cross-build environments and advanced capabilities as the basis for their embedded products. And Berkeley's open source license allows them to decide how many of their local changes they want to put back.

With over 20,000 ported libraries and applications, FreeBSD supports applications for desktops, servers, devices, and embedded environments.

3. Comparison of server operating systems of the UNIX family

Which server operating system should I choose to install on my computer? The question is not as simple as it seems, and not unambiguous. For every argument in favor of any system, there are always equally weighty counterarguments, which constantly provokes discussions on this topic. Nevertheless, the situation is not so hopeless: each of the systems has its own advantages that you need to know and be able to use them depending on the tasks facing you. Conventionally, all operating systems can be divided into three groups: these are commercial UNIX operating systems, UNIX-like open source operating systems and the Windows family. For UNIX-like operating systems, the choice is not at all easy. To decide on the choice of operating system, let's compare some of their features.

3 .1 User graphical interface

The ease of working with an operating system depends entirely on its user graphical interface. Many years ago there was no such thing as a graphical interface, and most work was done in character mode. The very concept of “convenience” in the context of a graphical interface can be interpreted in different ways. Of course, a well-designed interface should be clear, not overloaded with visual elements, and at the same time provide effective means for sorting and presenting screen elements.

Most industrial Unix systems currently use the CDE (Common Desktop Environment) interface built on the basis of OSF/Motif; Linux OS uses a large number of different interface systems, the most popular of which are KDE and Gnome.

Graphics have been and continue to be an integral part of the Solaris environment, where users can directly use many ready-made graphics applications. Sun Microsystems has long been a leading graphics provider with the largest market share in key industries such as mechanical computer-aided design, architecture, engineering, and financial analysis.

The rapid development of multimedia applications, such as Web pages on the Internet, has led to an increasing role of graphics and image processing tools also in many non-technical areas. Solaris's innovative graphics architecture coupled with the networking capabilities of Solaris helps developers bring graphics to their enterprise environments and leverage advanced graphics technologies for mission-critical applications and e-commerce systems.

3 .2 Safety

The issue of security is critical for any server. It is better to take server equipment with a built-in firewall. The server of any company usually stores important data, the confidentiality of which must be guaranteed. Over the past few years, cases of illegal penetration into computer networks of companies and organizations in order to seize information or to disable the entire network have become more frequent. It is for this reason that a modern operating system must provide the highest possible level of protection against hacking and computer viruses.

OpenBSD is considered the most secure operating system. This is a thorough code control, checking the software code, and weeding out everything that could be broken or could somehow compromise the system. Next up is FreeBSD. Linux also copes well with the network and the LAMP bundle is the leader in the world, but with security, not everything is so smooth, holes, just like in any system, are closed, you just need to follow the updates. enough.

3 .3 Operation stability

One of the main advantages of the UNIX family of operating systems is their amazing power and legendary stability and reliability. The FreeBSD operating system is distinguished by its reliability and high stability and is often used in connection with server solutions. Most servers and resources on the Internet are organized precisely on the basis of this OS.

The stability of Linux is also high; Linux users often work for months without a single reboot. Many Linux-based servers can operate for a year or more without a reboot. At the same time, errors in program operation certainly occur in Linux, but their consequences are often less significant than, for example, in Windows.

3 .4 Features

The possibilities of operating systems of the UNIX family are almost limitless. Both operating systems allow you to fully configure the server to perform one or more functions.

Today, Linux is one of the most popular operating systems for use as a Web server. Most well-known Internet sites run on servers running Linux, corporate servers, Apache web server, gateways, proxy servers, DNS servers, print servers, file servers, email server, FTP server and much more - tasks that can be effectively implemented with using Linux.

3 .5 Scalability

Scalability has been and remains the number one challenge. When a server's load capacity is exceeded, application performance, unless it stops running altogether, begins to degrade more rapidly as more users make requests at the same time. Response time begins to be measured not in seconds, but in cups of coffee.

UNIX is still significantly ahead of other operating systems in terms of the amount of workload it can handle while maintaining acceptable response times.

The market for enterprise UNIX systems is divided between three main dialects - Sun Solaris, IBM AIX and HP-UX. All of these operating systems are constantly being improved. If we talk about scalability, then in the largest network, managed by one Unix server, up to 2,500 users can work simultaneously. That's an improvement on the mid-1998 target of 1,800 users, and far more than Windows can handle. A number of experts claim that lack of scalability was the main factor that forced them to abandon Windows.

3.6 Price

When it comes to application servers, free OSes have a hard time competing with traditional commercial UNIX OSes. And the question is not only about the performance, reliability and scalability of the operating system, although this is very important. Many leading vendors have developed or are developing enterprise-grade applications for Linux, but (to our knowledge) have no plans to support them.

Freely distributed operating systems have come very close to commercial UNIX in terms of service convenience. Few can compete with Linux and FreeBSD in the Internet server and low-end access server market. The main disadvantage of Linux and FreeBSD remains the disunity of developer efforts and the lack of a unified development concept.

Conclusion

Operating systems of the UNIX family are becoming more and more widespread. If previously they were used only in servers, now they are beginning to find application on personal computers, netbooks and even mobile devices. But these operating systems are the real leaders in server solutions. UNIX systems are very widespread in large and small companies for organizing network infrastructure, so any self-respecting IT specialist should know the basics of installing, configuring and administering these operating systems.

The widespread use of operating systems of the UNIX family is due to their following advantages:

Many UNIX distributions are free, which allows you to save money while building a system with similar functionality

The operating systems of the family are less demanding on resources than competing server operating systems

Unix servers are easily scalable, allowing you to add new functionality on the same hardware platform

UNIX servers can be easily transferred to other hardware, because all parameters and settings are stored in the form of text files, which can simply be copied to a freshly installed OS

The operating systems of the family have high stability, which is very important for systems that must be constantly in operation

Detailed collection of server operation statistics is possible, and the detail of logging is configurable. This makes it possible to detect problems with the system and eliminate them in the shortest possible time.

Many routine operations can be automated using scripts in various programming languages

Operating systems of the family have the ability to directly interact with many network devices

Of course, competing operating systems also have much of this, but they are usually either paid for or have less functionality. All operating systems in the family have common roots, so having mastered one of them, you can master another without any problems. Although, depending on the tasks assigned, a different level of training will be required to implement the same capabilities on another OS from this family, since there may be nuances in the use of some functions.

List of sources used

1. Robachevsky A., Nemnyugin S., Stesik O. - UNIX operating system, 2nd ed., St. Petersburg: BHV 2010. - 656p.

2. Tanenbaum E. Modern operating systems: Series “Classics of computer science”. - 3rd ed. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2010. - 1120 p.

3. Textbook [Electronic resource] - Access mode: http://umk.portal.kemsu.ru/admin/book/chapter3.html

4. Classification of operating systems [Electronic resource] - Access mode: http://edu.dvgups.ru/METDOC/ITS/STRPRO/ASY/METOD/UP/frame/1_4.htm

5. Introduction to Linux [Electronic resource] - Access mode: http://citforum.ru/operating_systems/linux/lig-1.shtml#ss1.2

6. Project about FreeBSD [Electronic resource] - Access mode: https://www.freebsd.org/ru/about.html

7. Reference information and practical advice [Electronic resource] - Access mode: http://hostinfo.ru/articles/219

8. Advantages of FreeBSD over other systems [Electronic resource] - Access mode: http://www.bezopasnik.org/contest/Raven2000.htm

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Linux operating systems are extremely common and have a wide range of applications. While certain Linux distributions are aimed at power users, others are much simpler and are great for switching to from Windows. Linux distributions often benefit from the significant resources of their user communities.

Although Linux operating systems offer an excellent desktop environment, Linux can also be an excellent system for server applications. Generally, Linux provides improved access control, giving greater flexibility and stability.

Therefore, Linux distributions are the ideal server landscape. Check out the 12 best Linux operating systems for servers and what kind of users they are aimed at.

What is Linux operating system for server?

What makes the Linux server operating system different from a regular Linux distribution? To answer, you need to take into account the server hardware. Servers are essentially computers with special characteristics. For example, server hardware guarantees long uptime, efficiency and reliability. In addition, servers balance processing power with electricity consumption. Therefore, Linux operating systems for servers place reliability and resource consumption first.

The Linux server operating system serves content for client devices. Accordingly, server operating systems have tools for creating simple servers. Since servers mostly operate in unattended mode, the graphical user interface (GUI) in the Linux operating system for the server has a less important role.

According to IDC, hardware sales data indicates that 28 percent of servers use Linux. However, this data most likely does not take into account home servers. Using specialized Linux operating systems, you can deploy your own server. It is important to use the Long Term Service (LTS) version and install the necessary software. LTS versions are more stable and have a longer support period.

When choosing a Linux operating system for a server, you should consider the purpose of the server. Application computer running Linux as a media server different from its use as game server.

1. Ubuntu Server

Probably the most famous of the Linux operating systems is Ubuntu. With many options, Ubuntu is a stable distribution. This system and its variants provide excellent user experience. The Ubuntu Server system comes in two versions - LTS and as a rolling release. The LTS version of Ubuntu Server is said to have a five-year support period. Although this period is not five years, non-LTS versions only have nine months of security and maintenance updates.

While Ubuntu and Ubuntu Server are very similar to each other, the Server version offers different features. For example, Ubuntu Server provides add-ons such as OpenStack Mitaka, Nginx, and LXD. They make system administration easier. Using Ubuntu Server, you can deploy web servers, provision containers, and much more. Moreover, these tools are ready to use immediately after installation.

Although not a server distribution, Ubuntu LTS provides a five-year support period. I'm currently using Ubuntu 16.04 LTS running Plex server as a Linux gaming server. LTS distributions can function very well as Linux server operating systems. You just need to install server software on them.

If you're new to Linux, or to server operating systems, then Ubuntu is a great choice. It remains one of the most popular Linux distributions due in part to its user friendliness. Accordingly, Ubuntu Server is a Linux server operating system that is fantastic for first-time users. It is excellent as a media server, game server, and email server. More complex servers can also be configured with Ubuntu Server, but it is definitely aimed at basic servers and beginners.

SUSE Linux debuted in 1993. In 2015, the open source variant of openSUSE evolved into SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE). There are two branches of openSUSE: Leap and Tumbleweed. The Leap version has a longer release cycle, while Tumbleweed is a rolling release. Therefore, Tumbleweed is more suitable for advanced users, providing the latest packages such as Linux Kernel and SAMBA. The Leap option is more suitable for stable solutions. The operating system is supported through updates.

The default tooling makes openSUSE a fantastic Linux server operating system. It includes openQA for automated testing, Kiwi for delivering Linux images on multiple platforms, YaST for configuring Linux, and the comprehensive Open Build Service package manager. By eliminating the nine-month rolling release cycle and focusing on stability as SLE does, openSUSE becomes a viable Linux environment for servers. Information technology specialists even called openSUSE"...CentOS and Debian from SUSE."

For which users is it intended: openSUSE is more suitable for advanced users such as system administrators. It is suitable for installation web— servers, basic home servers, or combinations of web servers and basic servers. System administrators can take advantage of tools such as Kiwi, YaST, OBS, and openQA. openSUSE's versatility makes it one of the best Linux operating systems for servers. In addition to server capabilities, openSUSE supports a pleasant desktop environment. For the most basic servers, openSUSE is also quite suitable, although somewhat redundant. Still not sure?

1. Oracle Linux

If you're feeling ambivalent when you read the words "Oracle Linux," you're not alone. The Oracle Linux system is a Linux distribution supplied by the technology giant Oracle. This system is available with two different kernels. One variant has a Red Hat Compatible Kernel (RHCK). This is the exact same kernel that is used in the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) system. Oracle Linux System certified to work with a variety of equipment from manufacturers such as Lenovo, IBM and HP. To increase kernel security, Oracle Linux uses Ksplice technology. The system also includes support for Oracle containers, OpenStack, Linux and Docker. Oracle themes are used as brand symbols, including Oracle Penguin.

The system is supported by the manufacturer, but it is paid. Although, if Oracle Linux does not work in an enterprise environment, then the price for support is not set. If there is a need to deploy a public or private cloud, the Oracle Linux operating system also supports these technologies. On the other hand, you can try Oracle Linux if you just want an Oracle-branded Linux system.

For which users is it intended: Oracle Linux is best suited for data centers or for building clouds with OpenStack. Oracle Linux is best suited for the most experienced users of home or enterprise servers.

1. Container Linux (formerly CoreOS)

The CoreOS operating system changed its name to Container Linux in 2016. As the new name suggests, Container Linux is a Linux operating system released to provide containers. The system is focused on simplifying the container provisioning process. Container Linux is an excellent operating system for reliable, scalable use. Clustering container deployment is easy, and the distribution includes service discovery tools. It includes documentation and support for Kubernetes, Docker and rkt technologies.

The system does not include package management. All applications must run within containers, so containerization is a must. And if you work with containers, then Container Linux is the best operating system for servers in a cluster infrastructure. It provides an etcd daemon that runs on each computer in the cluster. In addition, a certain flexibility in installation is provided. In addition to local installation, Container Linux can be run in virtualization environments such as Azure, VMware, and Amazon EC2.

For which users is it intended: Container Linux is best suited for servers in a clustered infrastructure or container provisioning. This likely doesn't include the average home user. But with the official Docker logo for Plex lovers, Container Linux can run in any environment - from a basic home server to complex clusters. Use Container Linux if you are confident working with containers. Together with openSUSE, Container Linux is one of the best new and updated Linux operating systems to try.

The CentOS operating system provides a stable working environment. It is an open source variant of the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) operating system. In this regard, CentOS provides an enterprise-grade server. This operating system from Red Hat uses the same source code as RHEL. CentOS includes the RPM package manager. In 2010, a review of sales data showed that approximately 30 percent of all Linux servers runs on CentOS. And there's a reason for that: it's a very robust server environment with support from Red Hat.

It should be noted that CentOS runs well on mainframes as well. For users who prefer GUI, KDE and GNOME are available on the system. CentOS can be used as a direct desktop operating system. Thanks to support from Red Hat and a growing user community, CentOS remains bug-free.

For which users is it intended: CentOS provides the functionality and stability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Therefore, it is ideal as a modern server operating system. If you need a free alternative to RHEL, you can use CentOS. However, it is also quite beginner-friendly thanks to its package manager. Overall, CentOS is the best free alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Many servers limit their power consumption. Reduced power consumption is a major benefit, especially for always-on machines. Therefore, Linux server operating systems must use small resources. Proper resource allocation is key to server uptime and efficiency. Many Linux distributions use fewer resources than their Windows or macOS counterparts. The Arch operating system is a simple, lightweight distribution that adheres to the KISS (Keep Things Simple) principle.

For this system in Arch Linux Wiki has a separate part related to servers. There you can find out everything related to configuring Arch Linux as a server operating system. While there is no dedicated, pre-built edition of the system for servers, this Wiki documentation describes all the steps to create your own server operating system. You can install popular server software including MySQL, Apache, Samba and PHP for Arch.

For which users is it intended: Arch Linux is a general-purpose Linux operating system for servers. It's ideal for turning an old PC into a server. But, despite its lightness, the Arch system is quite functional on more powerful hardware. Additionally, Arch Linux is best suited for users with a technical background as they will have to set up Arch as a server system.

Mageia is a Linux operating system that focuses on reliability and stability. This is a branch of Mandriva Linux that appeared in 2010. In 2012, PC World magazine praised Mageia, which today has already reached its fifth version. While there are many Linux operating systems, there is also a large list of Linux desktop environments. The Mageia system includes a whole group of user interfaces such as KDE, GNOME, Xfce and LXDE.

Instead of MySQL in Mageia includes MariaDB. Server-oriented elements such as 389 Directory Server and Kolab Groupware Server make Mageia the preeminent Linux operating system for servers.

For which users is it intended: Mageia is a trusted Linux operating system for servers. It includes tools such as MariaDB and Kolab Groupware Server. In addition, Mageia provides a reliable, secure environment. Users who require a GUI may also consider using Mageia due to its variety of desktop interfaces.

ClearOS is designed specifically for servers, gateways and network systems. The standard installation of the system provides enhanced security. It includes a network firewall, bandwidth management, mail server, and intrusion detection tools. ClearOS 7 Community Edition includes 75 apps and tools.

Although there are paid versions of ClearOS, the Community Edition remains free. Additionally, ClearOS updates from developers are also free, but such free updates are not tested.

For which users is it intended: ClearOS is a specialized Linux operating system for servers. Its rich set of applications makes ClearOS a distro aimed at Linux specialists. Linux enthusiasts and experts just need to request the applications they need. But for beginners it is better to choose other system distributions for servers.

The Slackware operating system has long been used as Linux for servers. The first release of this system appeared in 1993. According to the Slackware Linux website, the goal of this project is “a Linux distribution that resembles UNIX as closely as possible.” By default, Slackware provides a command line interface.

Full Slackware installation includes C and C++, X Windows system, mail server, web server, FTP server and news server. Moreover, Slackware is so lightweight that it can run on a Pentium platform. Continuing releases increase the stability and simplicity of the system.

For which users is it intended: Slackware Linux is best suited for seasoned Linux professionals. It has two package managers, pkgtools and slackpkg. But since Slackware runs a command line interface by default, it is most suitable as a Linux operating system for servers. Moreover, in its simplicity there is also a certain amount of complexity. To use Slackware, you must understand your operations in the Linux environment.

Gentoo is different from many Linux distributions. Instead of the traditional release model Gentoo uses a modular structure. That is, the user himself chooses what will be installed. This puts Gentoo at the top of the list of Linux server operating systems.

Each installation of this system is unique. Users can build a kernel that provides maximum control capabilities. Therefore, the server can control aspects such as memory consumption. Thanks to its modular structure and flexibility, Gentoo is becoming very popular among Linux professionals. System administrators appreciate Gentoo's approach to customizing the system according to their needs.

For which users is it intended: Gentoo is best suited for technical users and system administrators. While Gentoo can be used by beginners, it is less user-friendly than the average Ubuntu. However, the system has excellent documentation and its community is constantly evolving.

If you're looking for a fresh Linux operating system for servers, try Fedora. Maintained by Red Hat, the Fedora project receives regular updates. Developers are often involved in these updates. Fedora comes in a variety of flavors. The Workstation version is designed for regular users and comes with a desktop environment. By default, Fedora Workstation comes with the GNOME interface, but other user interfaces are available. The Fedora Server version, as the name suggests, is designed for servers.