Windows, UNIX, Linux Servers: Outline
What is a computer server?
Introduction to major servers
Windows
UNIX
Linux
Windows
Why do so many people use Windows?
Advantages
Ease of use
Support
Disadvantages
Cost
Lack of flexibility
UNIX
Advantages
Scalability
Portability
Disadvantages
Not as well-supported or easy to use as Windows for average user
Still proprietary
Linux
Differences from UNIX
Advantages and disadvantages of nonproprietary technology
Windows, UNIX, Linux Servers
In computing, a server provides the necessary support for the functioning of all a user's various applications, including but not limited to "email, web and even database hosting" (Edmund 2014). Some of the most common servers are UNIX, Linux, and of course Microsoft. Because of Microsoft's ubiquity, it is often the default server that most organizations and private individuals choose. However, this is not necessarily the optimal system for all computing needs. Given the challenges of switching servers once one is selected, it is essential to select the best one for the organization or individual at the outset.
Microsoft's Windows server provides support and updates in a hassle-free way. Particularly for organizations which are not specifically IT-related, using outside support is considered to be less troublesome and thus less costly than having in-house expert staff. Also, the majority of individuals, including employees, are already familiar with using Windows based upon their home use. "Majority of users utilizing the Microsoft...
Still, many IT professionals are not enamored with Microsoft. Windows is considered to be a cumbersome resource suck and as it is a proprietary technology, it can force users to rely upon Microsoft products exclusively. As more and more organizations are using Macintosh products and attempting to move away from the Windows monopoly, this can be frustrating.
UNIX, in contrast, is a non-proprietary technology and many IT professionals consider it superior. First and foremost, it is utilizes fewer resources than Microsoft. "UNIX uses its virtual memory efficiently. In UNIX user[s] can run many programs at a time without using most of its physical memory" and a "number of users can have account on one machine and even use it simultaneously. Thus UNIX is a multiprocessing, multi-user system" that is more efficient than Microsoft ("Advantages and disadvantages of UNIX," 2014). Apple, HP, and a number of other major technology companies (other than Microsoft) favor it because of its "reliability" and "scalability" over Windows as well as the fact it can be used on both PCs and Macs ("Advantages and disadvantages of UNIX," 2014). While it does not offer Microsoft technical support, the system is considered to be easier to use than Microsoft by most independent analysts. Input and output operations are simpler in UNIX than in Microsoft and UNIX "uses a hierarchical file system that allows trouble-free maintenance and efficient implementation. Everything in UNIX is file or a process" ("Advantages and disadvantages of UNIX," 2014). In other…
The main advantage of a system without GUI is higher reliability, resulted by fewer working components, as each of them may crash the whole system. For example Windows platforms cannot work because of a corrupted display driver, which is impossible in Linux configuration without GUI. Another advantage of Linux is ability to create scenarios for a number of administrating tasks and running them in command mode. Because of the
, Minoves, Garrigos, 2011). UNIX and Linux are considered the best possible operating system for managing the development of unified collaboration and workflow-based applications as a result (West, Dedrick, 2006). For all the advantages of UNIX and Linux, the disadvantages include a development and administrator environment that is archaic and command-driven, lacking much of the usability enhancements that Apple and Microsoft both have invested heavily in. The UNIX and Linux user
Windows CE: Compare/Contrast Linux and Windows XP Windows CE Windows CE (consumer electronics), as the name indicates is Microsoft's embedded operating system specially developed for many types of consumer electronic gadgets like PDA's, industrial controllers and other mobile communication devices. It is in a true sense a multitasking and multithreading operating system and hence allows for two applications to be run at the same time. The first version of Windows CE had
Linux Feasibility Linux started around 1991 because students were not satisfied with Minix. Linux operating system provided an affordable alternative for the expensive UNIX operating system. Because of affordability, Linux became popular, and Linux distributors were created. Linux was built with networking in mind hence provides file sharing. Linux can work with most computers because it does what it is told and works gracefully as a server or workstation. Workstation and servers Workstation
Storage management, creating and maintaining a file system, and integrating them into networks also share a common set of functions that allow for programmer flexibility in terms of their use and sequencing through an application. These functions are specifically called as part of the kernel of the Linux operating system, and as a result they can be selectively updated very quickly. A full recompile of the entire operating system
The Windows operating system architecture also allows for single sign-on and also relies on user name and password verification. The authentication process for a Windows operating system at the server level can also be configured to validate the identity of the person logging in at the Windows domain and Microsoft Active Directory Service levels as well. Certificates can be assigned to specific applications, databases and processes within a Windows sever-based