Secure, Robust and highly functional.

Linux is a leading operating system on servers and other big iron systems such as mainframe computers and supercomputers. As of June 2013, more than 95% of the world's 500 fastest supercomputers run some variant of Linux, including all the 44 fastest.

Linux has long been used as a server operating system, and has risen to prominence in that area; Netcraft reported in September 2006 that eight of the ten most reliable internet hosting companies ran Linux distributions on their web servers.

Linux has gained popularity with local and national governments world-wide. The federal government of Brazil is well known for its support for Linux. News of the Russian military creating its own Linux distribution has also surfaced, and has come to fruition as the G.H.ost Project. The Indian state of Kerala has gone to the extent of mandating that all state high schools run Linux on their computers. In Spain, some regions have developed their own Linux distributions, which are widely used in education and official institutions.  France and Germany have also taken steps toward the adoption of Linux.

Linux can be used in a very wide range of server applications:

File Server

NFS
Linux has its own secure file sharing system known as NFS. This provides a secure and reliable way to file server services to other Linux/Unix computers. NFS provides central management to decrease the workload for administrators. NFS has a high granularity of control for file access. Files may be accessed via IP addresses, groups, users, etc. NFS allows for a user to log into any server and have access to their files transparently.

NFS has support for 64-bit file sizes and offsets, to handle files larger than 2 gigabytes. And support for asynchronous writes on the server, to improve write performance.

SAMBA
Some business networks will contain a mix of Linux and Microsoft computers. Windows users can access files and storage space through SAMBA file servers the  same way they do with Windows-based file servers: “My Network Places” or “Map Network Drive.”

Unlike Windows-based file servers, a SAMBA file server does not require any client  licenses. Reducing the cost and management of user administration.

Database Server

Linux provides two world class database servers; MySql and PostgreSQL. Both are robust reliable and secure. Indeed MySql is the database of choice for many applications, from ERP and accounting, to web based Content Management Systems.

MySql is a robust, industrial strength database, in use by governments and some of the worlds largest companies: Sage, Alcatel-Lucent, Bank of Finland, and the Swedish National Police.

PostgreSQL is a powerful, object-relational database system. It has more than 15 years of active development and a proven architecture that has earned it a strong reputation for reliability, data integrity, and correctness. PostgreSQL is used by: U.S. State Department, Apple, Fujitsu and Greenpeace.

Web Server

The webserver of choice is undoubtedly Apache. As of June 2013, Apache was estimated to serve 54.2% of all active websites and 53.3% of the top servers across all domains.

Apache can be used for a public Internet website, or a private internal website on you own business network, distributing business information to employees. 

Email Server

The email servers provided by Linux power most of the Internet email. There are email servers suitable for many thousands of users, or just a few in a small office.

Firewall

There are several firewall management applications for Linux, but at the heart of all these programs is a single powerful application that is built right into the Linux Kernel: iptables. This is the Linux firewall.

Iptables controls access to your business network from the Internet or other public network. It is extremely robust and secure.

Proxy Server

A Linux server may be used as a proxy server and web cache system. It has a wide variety of uses, from speeding up a web server by caching repeated requests; to caching web, DNS and other computer network lookups for a group of people sharing network resources. It can also be used to securely control employee access to the Internet and other networks.

To see how your business could benefit from Linux, contact us today.