November 1, 2005 (Computerworld) --
A Seattle-area start-up last week publicly released a beta version of software that enables Windows network administrators to manage Linux servers, joining at least two other companies in the space. Centeris Corp. said its Likewise 1.0 software is targeted at IT managers in midsize and large companies struggling to manage combinations of Windows and Linux servers. "The two platforms don't work well together," said Barry Crist, Centeris' chairman and CEO. "We allow Linux servers to have a specific role in a Windows network." Using Likewise, system administrators can join Linux servers to Microsoft's Active Directory, enabling them to manage and monitor the Linux servers through either Likewise or Microsoft Management Console. Centeris has been beta-testing Likewise with about 20 users. One is Steve Berg, IT manager for broadcast TV equipment vendor, Omneon Video Networks Inc., who said Likewise was "super easy to use" and install. "I had my Windows system administrator (who was not Linux savvy) play with [Likewise], and he was amazed at how he has this wealth of information at his fingertips," Berg said in an e-mail. "I was configuring Apache and file-sharing as if I was on a Windows server." Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Omneon has 18 Windows servers and six Linux servers. "I think absolutely this type of product would encourage me to deploy more Linux servers," he said. "Giving these companies the ability to deploy a lower cost/lower risk type solution such as Linux without the additional cost of hiring Unix/Linux expertise is an amazing benefit." Shipments of Linux servers are expected to increase from 1.4 million units this year to 2.4 million in 2010, according to Gartner Inc. But that growth rate could be even higher with the help of vendors of Windows-Linux interoperability products, including start-ups like Centeris and established companies such as Centrify Corp. and Vintela Inc., which is now owned by Quest Software Inc. "I'm excited about the promise of Centeris and believe they've assembled a great team to help traditional Windows customers embrace and integrate Linux into their environments," said Jeff Hawkins, vice president of Linux and Platform Services Product Management at Novell Inc., which owns SUSE Linux. Novell and another big Linux player, IBM, have also tested Likewise. "By leveraging tools that IT managers are already familiar with, it creates comfort and confidence with less effort on their part," said Hawkins. Based in Bellevue, Wash., Centeris began work on Likewise in August 2004 and several months later pulled in in $5.35 million in funding from Ignition Partners LLC, a venture capital firm made up of former senior Microsoft executives. Centeris now has 30 employees. The company expects to release the final
"When it comes to sheer, blinding speed you can't beat supercomputers, and, once more, the fastest of the fast in..."
Read more...
"When it comes to migrating those really big enterprise Unix systems to Linux, big data centers are talking the talk..."
Read more... Read more Servers & Data Center posts or See all Blogs
(Source: Computerworld) Whether it's in the front office or the server room, green thinking can save energy, trees and money. From the Editorial Staff at Computerworld, here's the latest thinking on greening your operations. Download this executive briefing
Advances in SSL and Certificate Management
Advances in SSL and Certificate Management View this webcast now! Go to the webcast
Virtualization Everywhere
Download this white paper, free, compliments of Citrix. (Source: Citrix) Adoption of virtualization is concentrated among large enterprises, while adoption by mid-sized companies has been much slower. For these companies, the cost and complexity of server virtualization solutions has been a barrier.
In this paper, we'll discuss how Citrix XenServer" provides simple, economical server virtualization for any size company. Download now!
The Vista era of Windows is here. Yet most organizations will retain Windows XP alongside new Vista PCs for some time. Your challenge is to manage a mixed environment thus reducing the disruption of change, streamlining systems management and boosting end-user productivity so that your organization can better meet its business goals.
See your link here
Subscribe to
Computerworld 
or
Other Servers Stories
Advances in SSL and Certificate Management
Download this white paper, free, compliments of Citrix. 
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services.
Computerworld