Chapter 61. Migration and Integration Issues: Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 2003, Unix, and Linux

SOME OF THE MAIN TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER ARE

Windows 2000/2003 Support for Unix Protocols and Utilities

Managing the FTP Service on a Windows Server 2003

Applications

Microsoft Windows Services for Unix 3.0

Samba

Sun Network Information System

It would be difficult to find two operating systems that differ more from each other than Unix and Windows. Unix has been around for a much longer time than Windows and has yielded an offspring: Linux. What started out as a developer's operating system (Unix) has evolved over the years into a stable platform that runs on more hardware platforms than perhaps any other operating system, from Alpha Servers and Sparc Stations and to even "Intel Inside" systems.

Many large Web sites use either Unix or Linux to run their Web servers. Even Microsoft has been known to use Unix/Linux to run some of its Web services, until users discovered it. After that, these servers were replaced with Windows servers!

Windows 2000/2003/XP, on the other hand, are graphically oriented operating systems that now run on only one platform: Intel-compatible chips (such as AMD). If you want to run Windows 2000/2003 or Windows XP, you'll have to replace those very good Alpha Server systems (which also run Unix, Linux, and OpenVMS, by the way ”so you might be able to put them to other uses).

The alternative is to stay with using Windows NT 4.0 on those older systems, if they still provide the capabilities you need and if you don't have any application requirements that require you to upgrade to a newer version of the operating system. If this is the case with your network, it's time for you to map out a long- term strategy to remove obstacles that keep you from upgrading, such as applications that will not run on a newer version of the operating system, whether it be a Microsoft OS or a Unix/Linux OS.

Microsoft usually does not support its own legacy operating systems for a long time. For example, certification examinations are phased out rather quickly so that MSCEs are required to upgrade their skills every couple of years to keep pace with the releases of the latest OS versions. Although the same can be said, to some extent, for the Unix/Linux community, an upgrade path is generally easier for these operating systems. The kernel of the Unix/Linux operating system might change to enhance performance, but the administrative tools you're familiar with can easily be recompiled and used on newer versions of Unix/Linux.

Note

If you're stuck with a vertical market application, such as a doctor or lawyer's office application, you can usually skip a generation of an operating system. A vertical market application is one that serves a specific purpose, often available as a packaged (or turnkey ) solution that includes hardware, operating system and, application(s). In many cases, the vendor of this type of application software will continue to provide upgrades as operating system upgrades come to market. However, that isn't always the case. As the old saying goes, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. It's common to see vertical market applications skip one or two generations of an operating system. If this is the case with your applications, the vendor will most likely provide an upgrade path because vertical market applications and the support costs are not inexpensive, and retaining existing customers is important.