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Large Scale Deployment of Linux for File/Print Services?

Posted by Cliff on from the linux-in-the-workplace dept.

sgtrock asks: "I was approached this week by a manager of the server support group at my company. He says he and his boss are trying to figure out what should host our file and print services for the company (read, replace Netware). He asked me if I thought if it would be feasible to do on Linux servers. Now, I was more than pleasantly surprised by the question, because as late as last fall I couldn't get this guy to take Linux seriously for companies our size. However, recent stories about Microsoft plus some of their actions here have really soured him on the idea of moving to Win2k services where he doesn't have to. I told him that in theory we could do it: LDAP authentication to our existing NDS on the back end, Samba file service and either LPR/LPD or CUPS based printing. The big open question mark for me is archiving. He then asked me if I knew of anyone already doing it." I'm sure there are shops out there that are using Linux as such. If you are, please raise your hand! Numbers on the size of the network and how well the system has been holding up would be appreciated.

"This is a pretty conservative company. We HATE to be first if we can avoid it. Every time we are we pay in much pain and sweat. So, I'd like to know the following: Does anyone know of or can point to success stories for this kind of application in very large environments? Mind you, I'm talking about tens of thousands of desktops, as we have 60,000 users. University stories will be looked at with skepticism by this management team. I'll read the stories, but they probably won't be given much credence by anyone else. Thanks for your time."

1 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. Moving to Linux in the Near Future by VaRunt · · Score: 2, Redundant

    I am the Network Coordinator for my company. When I first started working here my boss was very commited to Windows. But now that he has seen everything that has been going on with Microsoft. He is starting to listen to me about Linux. We are currently getting ready to place a print server that will allow three machine printing access. We are also looking into a new mail server. And we have a new Webserver that is linux. I am very pleased that my boss has decided to let me use linux in the office. For 2 reasons: 1. it is very stable and it doesn't require a lot of maintances. 2. it is very secure That's my 2 cents