Comparison of the manageability of Linux VS Win2000 two systems

As computer systems become more complex, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that it is manageable. While a user can use the operating system's own application software to manage a computer well, it is much more difficult to keep a large system composed of many machines in good working condition. Third-party management tools make it easier to manage systems and users, improve the performance of server-based applications, monitor the performance and health of the operating system, and warn administrators when problems occur.

With the increasing popularity of Linux, more and more people are considering using it to replace the possibility of the existing system, which requires a comprehensive assessment of the system, this article will be from a management point of view to a simple comparison between Linux and today's popular Windows 2000 operating system pros and cons.

The advantages of Linux

Linux is so popular and its open source is inseparable, because anyone can get the source code for free, so anyone can according to the actual situation, for the lack of system development of the corresponding management tools. Based on the principles of open source, these tools are also free to others. As a result, the more people who use and develop Linux, the more convenient and reliable the system becomes. It can be said that open source is the basis for the existence and development of Linux and the source of power.

Now on the internet can find a lot of free Linux management tools, it is really very convenient for the management of the system. For an experienced system administrator, it's easy to manage a Linux system if you can easily find these tools and use them correctly and easily.

Disadvantages of Linux

Has its advantages have its disadvantages, Linux in the management also has a lot of deficiencies. This can be discussed from two aspects of the development and use of management tools.

One of the first problems facing the development of management tools is the lack of a standard development library. Many Linux systems and management tools are now developed with different libraries, so if the operating system and management tools use different library functions, there will be incompatibilities.

Linux lacks a standard management framework for the use of management tools. Although Linux provides many free software to manage stand-alone and even large network systems, these tools do not have a standard management framework. Each tool has its own different interfaces and outputs, and administrators often need to view the interactive output of another management tool while browsing the log files of one management tool. This kind of management is not unified on the management of the administrator operation caused a lot of trouble.

In the actual application, because the Linux itself appears short time, the management function is not rich, therefore deploys a practical system to need the massive third party software support. Although some major software companies such as CAs, BMC, and Enlighten are ready to support Linux with management software, most management tools are still written by individuals or small software vendors. In the face of so many free software on the Internet, it's really not easy to find what you really want, especially for inexperienced administrators. Another issue related to this is the lack of effective security in the functionality and security of these management tools, whether there are serious bugs in the software, and whether there is a "backdoor" left.

Features of Windows 2000

The biggest advantage of Windows 2000 compared to Linux is its maturity. Windows 2000 has a self-contained management tool that is an accumulation of more than 10 years of successful operating system experience. From Windows 95 and 98 for foreground users to Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0 for SME networks, Windows 2000, which can now manage large networks, has a place for Linux to learn, both in the functionality of the management tool and in the use of it.

With Windows 2000 's own management tools, an administrator can easily manage a large system. These management tools are unified in a consistent management framework ――MMC (Microsoft Management Console). Whether it is Microsoft's own tools, or a third-party-written management software is a "plugin" in MMC (Snap-In), consistent with the unified input and output specifications.

Another advantage of Windows 2000 is the support of a large number of software vendors and developers, which makes the management features of Windows 2000 even more sophisticated. To prevent the problem of incompatible library functions, Windows 2000 uses a method called "Driver signing" to solve this problem, which is actually an examination of the validity of the calling function.

One of the biggest complaints that Windows 2000 has to manage is that the use of management tools is too complex. To support a large enterprise network, Windows 2000 provides a number of full-featured management tools to maintain compatibility with the original system, but this also increases the management difficulty. Even for an experienced Windows NT 4.0 administrator, it is not easy to really master and skillfully use these tools.

In fact, Linux and Windows 2000 have incomparable advantages over each other. The fundamental advantage of Linux is open source, and all the management advantages enumerated by its proponents are based on this. However, the analysis of the actual situation shows that, at least for the time being, there are still many problems in the management of Linux, and it still remains to be widely used in the enterprise environment. Windows 2000, which combines the advantages of Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98, may have a stronger impact on the low-end UNIX market.