Automated Linux rollout

October 26, 2004 —

Enterprise network links include copper, fiber, radio waves, and airplanes. Since few of us have remote offices in Hawaii and Cancun, the airplane link causes the most pain.

One of the knocks on Linux systems (according to some operating system vendors, hint hint) is poor management tools. Well, the detractors can't really make quality statements without getting into another discussion, so I'll say a lack of management tools.

Troy Backus is the network administrator for the Kerr Group, a manufacturer of plastic enclosures. He's responsible for networking 13 locations all over the country.

HR requested a PC in every lunchroom so employees can check their records on a company HR portal. Troy needed a secure PC, managed remotely, that was resistant to viruses and employee "use" outside the HR app.

Enter Xandros (.com), a Linux distributor with a pro-business desktop slant. They also have a new management tool, xDMS (Xandros Desktop Management Server), that fit exactly what Troy needed. He got a beta copy.

"I configured the golden system exactly how we needed it, and made boot images on CDs. Went to a remote site, plugged the PC into the network, booted the CD, and Xandros did the rest." He did have to swap CDs once, but the boot image pulled information from the xDMS server to make the process completely hands off. Non-IS people rolled out the rest of the systems.

Here's what Xandros gave Troy: PCs configured exactly for the task at hand, essentially a kiosk, which can not be compromised by bored or curious employees looking for games or Web mischief. Because the systems hook into the single corporate network used for manufacturing and office support, virus controls are critical, and Xandros has that covered. If a user needs to access Lotus Notes, the Xandros CrossOver Office 2.1 handles that seamlessly.

Here's what Kerr Group will do with Linux going forward: test Notes backend on Red Hat Linux servers to replace 14 Windows servers, and replace 125 PCs used on the manufacturing floor with Xandros systems starting in December. Both PC populations today struggle with upgrades, patches, and security leaks, and Troy plans to put a stop to all of those.

What does management say about these Linux projects? "The manager of operations said to continue down this Linux path."

James

ITworld.com, Enterprise Networking