17 Million Gadgets End up in Landfill Sites

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BySysadmin

A Week in the Life Of a System Administrator [AVDF Humour]

July 2002 Update :

It has been suggested that this article is an adaptation of a series of (very funny!) pieces entitled the Bastard Operator from Hell, by Simon Travaglia. We're not really too sure one way or the other, as the original is from an email lost far in the mists of time.

MONDAY

8:05am
User called to say they forgot password. Told them to use password retrieval utility called FDISK. Blissfully ignorant, they thank me and hang up. God, we let the people vote and drive, too?

8:12am
Accounting called to say they couldn't access expense reports database.Gave them Standard Sys Admin Answer #112, "Well, it works for me." Let them rant and rave while I unplugged my coffeemaker from the UPS and plugged their server back in. Suggested they try it again. One more happy customer...

8:14 am
User from 8:05 call said they received error message "Error accessing Drive 0." Told them it was an OS problem. Transferred them to microsupport.

11:00 am
Relatively quiet for last few hours. Decide to plug support phone back in so I can call my girlfriend. Says parents are coming into town this weekend. Put her on hold and transferred her to janitorial closet down in basement. What is she thinking? The "Myst" and "Doom" nationals are this weekend!

11:34 am
Another user calls (do they ever learn?). Says they want ACL changed on HR performance review database so that nobody but HR can access database. Tell them no problem. Hang up. Change ACL. Add @MailSend so performance reviews are sent to */US.

12:00 pm
Lunch

3:30 pm
Return from lunch.

3:55 pm
Wake up from nap. Bad dream makes me cranky. Bounce servers for no reason. Return to napping.

4:23 pm
Yet another user calls. Wants to know how to change fonts on form. Ask them what chip set they're using. Tell them to call back when they find out.

4:55 pm
Decide to run "Create Save/Replication Conflicts" macro so next shift has something to do.

TUESDAY

8:30 am
Finish reading support log from last night. Sounded busy. Terrible time with Save/Replication conflicts.

9:00 am
Support manager arrives. Wants to discuss my attitude. Click on PhoneNotes SmartIcon. "Love to, but kinda busy. Put something in the calendar database!" I yell as I grab for the support lines, which have (mysteriously) lit up. Walks away grumbling.

9:35 am
Team leader from R&D needs ID for new employee. Tell them they need form J-19R=9C9\\DARR\K1. Say they never heard of such a form. Tell them it's in the SPECIAL FORMS database. Say they never heard of such a database. Transfer them to janitorial closet in basement.

10:00 am
Perky sounding intern from R&D calls and says she needs new ID. Tell her I need employee number, department name, manager name, and marital status. Run @DbLookup against state parole board database, Centers for Disease Control database, and my Oprah Winfrey database. No hits. Tell her ID will be ready tonight. Drawing from the lessons learned in last week's "Reengineering for Customer Partnership," I offer to personally deliver ID to her apartment.

10:07 am
Janitor stops by to say he keeps getting strange calls in basement. Offer to train him on Notes. Begin now. Let him watch console while I grab a smoke.

1:00 pm
Return from smoking break. Janitor says phones kept ringing, so he transferred them to cafeteria lady. I like this guy.

1:05 pm
Big commotion! Support manager falls in hole left where I pulled floor tiles outside his office door. Stress to him importance of not running in computer room, even if I do yell "Omigod -- Fire!"

1:15 pm
Development Standards Committee calls and complains about umlauts in form names. Apologizing for the inconvenience, I tell them I will fix it. Hang up and run global search/replace using gaks.

1:20 pm
Mary Hairnet from cafeteria calls. Says she keeps getting calls for "Notice Loads" or "NoLoad Goats," she's not sure, couldn't hear over industrial-grade blender. Tell her it was probably "Lettuce Nodes." Maybe the food distributor with a new product? She thinks about it and hangs up.

2:00 pm
Legal secretary calls and says she lost password. Ask her to check in her purse, floor of car, and on bathroom counter. Tell her it probably fell out of back of machine. Suggest she put duct tape over all the airvents she can find on the PC. Grudgingly offer to create new ID for her while she does that.

2:49 pm
Janitor comes back. Wants more lessons. I take off rest of day.

WEDNESDAY

8:30 am
Irate user calls to say chipset has nothing to do with fonts on form. Tell them Of course, they should have been checking "Bitset," not "chipset." Sheepish user apologizes and hangs up.

9:10am
Support manager, with foot in cast, returns to office. Schedules 10:00am meeting with me. User calls and wants to talk to support manager about terrible help at support desk. Tell them manager about to go into meeting. Sometimes life hands you material...

10:00 am
Call Louie in janitorial services to cover for me. Go to support manager's office. He says he can't dismiss me but can suggest several lateral career moves. Most involve farm implements in third-world countries with moderate to heavy political turmoil. By and by, I ask if he's aware of new bug which takes full-text indexed random e-mail databases and puts all references to furry handcuffs and Bambi Boomer in Marketing on the corporate Web page. Meeting is adjourned as he reaches for keyboard, Web browser, and Tums.

10:30 am
Tell Louie he's doing great job. Offer to show him mainframe corporate PBX system sometime.

11:00 am
Lunch.

4:55 pm
Return from lunch.

5:00 pm
Shift change; Going home.

THURSDAY

8:00 am
New guy ("Marvin") started today. "Nice plaids" I offer. Show him server room, wiring closet, and technical library. Set him up with IBM PC-XT. Tell him to quit whining, Notes runs the same in both monochrome and color.

8:45 am
New guy's PC finishes booting up. Tell him I'll create new ID for him. Set minimum password length to 64. Go grab smoke.

9:30 am
Introduce Louie the custodian to Marvin. "Nice plaids" Louie comments. Is this guy great or what?!

11:00 am
Beat Louie in dominos game. Louie leaves. Fish spare dominos out of sleeves ("Always have backups"). User calls, says Accounting server is down. Untie Ethernet cable from radio antenna (better reception) and plug back into hub. Tell user to try again. Another happy customer!

11:55 am
Brief Marvin on Corporate Policy 98.022.01: "Whereas all new employee beginning on days ending in 'Y' shall enjoy all proper aspects with said corporation, said employee is obligated to provide sustenance and relief to senior technical analyst on shift." Marvin doubts. I point to "Corporate Policy" database (a fine piece of work, if I say so myself!). "Remember, that's DOUBLE pepperoni and NO peppers!" I yell to Marvin as he steps over open floor tile to get to exit door.

1:00 pm
Oooooh! Pizza makes me so sleepy...

4:30 pm
Wake from refreshing nap. Catch Marvin scanning want ads.

5:00 pm
Shift change. Flick HR's server off and on several times (just testing the On/Off button...). See ya tomorrow.

FRIDAY

8:00 am
Night shift still trying to replace power supply in HR server. Told them it worked fine before I left.

9:00 am
Marvin still not here. Decide I might start answering these calls myself. Unforward phones from Mailroom.

9:02 am
Yep. A user call. Users in Des Moines can't replicate. Me and the Oiuji board determine it's sunspots. Tell them to call Telecommunications.

9:30 am
Good God, another user! They're like ants. Says he's in San Diego and can't replicate with Des Moines. Tell him it's sunspots, but with a two-hour difference. Suggest he reset the time on the server back two hours.

10:17 am
Pensacola calls. Says they can't route mail to San Diego. Tell them to set server ahead three hours.

11:00 am
E-mail from corporate says for everybody to quit resetting the time on their servers. I change the date stamp and forward it to Milwaukee.

11:20 am
Finish @CoffeeMake macro. Put phone back on hook.

11:23 am
Milwaukee calls, asks what day it is.

11:25 am
Support manager stops by to say Marvin called in to quit. "So hard to get good help..." I respond. Support manager says he has appointment with orthopaedic doctor this afternoon, and asks if I mind sitting in on the weekly department head meeting for him. "No problem!"

11:30 am
Call Louie and tell him opportunity knocks and he's invited to a meeting this afternoon. "Yeah, sure. You can bring your snuff" I tell him.

12:00 am
Lunch.

1:00 pm
Start full backups on UNIX server. Route them to device NULL to make them fast.

1:03 pm
Full weekly backups done. Man, I love modern technology!

2:30 pm
Look in support manager's contact management database. Cancel 2:45 pm appointment for him. He really should be at home resting, you know.

2:39 pm
New user calls. Says want to learn how to create a connection document. Tell them to run connection document utility CTRL-ALT-DEL. Says PC rebooted. Tell them to call microsupport.

2:50 pm
Support manager calls to say mixup at doctor's office means appointment cancelled. Says he's just going to go on home. Ask him if he's seen corporate Web page lately.

3:00 pm
Another (novice) user calls. Says periodic macro not working. Suggest they place @DeleteDocument at end of formula. Promise to send them document addendum which says so.

4:00 pm
Finish changing foreground colour in all documents to white. Also set point size to "2" in help databases.

4:30 pm
User calls to say they can't see anything in documents. Tell them to go to view, do a "Edit -- Select All", hit delete key, and then refresh. Promise to send them document addendum which says so.

4:45 pm
Another user calls. Says they can't read help documents. Tell them I'll fix it. Hang up. Change font to Wingdings.

4:58 pm
Plug coffee maker into Ethernet hub to see what happens. Not (too) much.

5:00 pm
Night shift shows up. Tell that the hub is acting funny and to have a good weekend.

Source: http://www.avdf.com/jan98/hum_h003.html

BySysadmin

System Administrators’ Code of Ethics

System Administrators’ Code of Ethics
Posted by Aslam Cader in Code Ethics. 
Tags: code, ethics, systems administrator
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We as professional System Administrators do hereby commit ourselves to the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, and agree to be guided by this code of ethics, and encourage every System Administrator to do the same.

Professionalism

• I will maintain professional conduct in the workplace and will not allow personal feelings or beliefs to cause me to treat people unfairly or unprofessionally.

Personal Integrity

• I will be honest in my professional dealings and forthcoming about my competence and the impact of my mistakes. I will seek assistance from others when required.
• I will avoid conflicts of interest and biases whenever possible. When my advice is sought, if I have a conflict of interest or bias, I will declare it if appropriate, and recuse myself if necessary.

Privacy

• I will access private information on computer systems only when it is necessary in the course of my technical duties. I will maintain and protect the confidentiality of any information to which I may have access, regardless of the method by which I came into knowledge of it.

Laws and Policies

• I will educate myself and others on relevant laws, regulations, and policies regarding the performance of my duties.

Communication

• I will communicate with management, users, and colleagues about computer matters of mutual interest. I will strive to listen to and understand the needs of all parties.

System Integrity

• I will strive to ensure the necessary integrity, reliability, and availability of the systems for which I am responsible.
• I will design and maintain each system in a manner to support the purpose of the system to the organization.

Education

• I will continue to update and enhance my technical knowledge and other work-related skills. I will share my knowledge and experience with others.

Responsibility to Computing Community

• I will cooperate with the larger computing community to maintain the integrity of network and computing resources.

Social Responsibility

• As an informed professional, I will encourage the writing and adoption of relevant policies and laws consistent with these ethical principles.

Ethical Responsibility

• I will strive to build and maintain a safe, healthy, and productive workplace.
• I will do my best to make decisions consistent with the safety, privacy, and well-being of my community and the public, and to disclose promptly factors that might pose unexamined risks or dangers.
• I will accept and offer honest criticism of technical work as appropriate and will credit properly the contributions of others.
• I will lead by example, maintaining a high ethical standard and degree of professionalism in the performance of all my duties. I will support colleagues and co-workers in following this code of ethics.

Sysadmin resources on the web Web site Description blogs.sun.com Great collection of technical articles, many Solaris-related cpan.org Authoritative collection of Perl modules freshmeat.net Large index of Linux and UNIX software kernel.org Official Linux kernel site linux.com Linux forum, good for new usersa linux.org General Linux information clearing house linux.slashdot.org Linux-specific arm of tech news giant Slashdot linuxhq.com Compilation of kernel-related info and patches lwn.net Linux and open source news service lxer.com Linux news aggregator rootvg.net AIX-oriented site with lots of links and good forums securityfocus.com General computer security info serverfault.com Collaboratively edited database of sysadmin questions ServerFiles.com Directory of network admin software and hardware slashdot.org Tech news in a variety of categories solariscentral.org Open blog with Solaris-related news and articles sun.com/bigadmin Sun-specific aggregation site for admin info sunhelp.org Very nice collection of Sun-related material ugu.com UNIX Guru Universe – all things sysadmin

Advice to employees on the proper use of the System Administrator's valuable time

Advice to employees on the proper use of the System Administrator's valuable time

(In following examples, we will substitute the name "Ted" as the System Administrator)

• Make sure to save all your MP3 files on your network drive. No sense in wasting valuable space on your local drive! Plus, Ted loves browsing through 100+ GB of music files while he backs up the servers.
• Play with all the wires you can find. If you can't find enough, open something up to expose them. After you have finished, and nothing works anymore, put it all back together and call Ted. Deny that you touched anything and that it was working perfectly only five minutes ago. Ted just loves a good mystery. For added effect you can keep looking over his shoulder and ask what each wire is for.
• Never write down error messages. Just click OK, or restart your computer. Ted likes to guess what the error message was.
• When talking about your computer, use terms like "Thingy" and "Big Connector."
• If you get an EXE file in an email attachment, open it immediately. Ted likes to make sure the anti-virus software is working properly.
• When Ted says he coming right over, log out and go for coffee. It's no problem for him to remember your password.
• When you call Ted to have your computer moved, be sure to leave it buried under a year-old pile of postcards, baby pictures, stuffed animals, dried flowers, unpaid bills, bowling trophies and Popsicle sticks. Ted doesn't have a life, and he finds it deeply moving to catch a glimpse of yours.
• When Ted sends you an email marked as "Highly Important" or "Action Required", delete it at once. He's probably just testing some new-fangled email software.
• When Ted's eating lunch at his desk or in the lunchroom, walk right in, grab a few of his fries, then spill your guts and expect him to respond immediately. Ted lives to serve, and he's always ready to think about fixing computers, especially yours.
• When Ted's at the water cooler or outside taking a breath of fresh air, find him and ask him a computer question. The only reason he takes breaks at all is to ferret out all those employees who don't have email or a telephone.
• Send urgent email ALL IN UPPERCASE. The mail server picks it up and flags it as a rush delivery.
• When the photocopier doesn't work, call Ted. There's electronics in it, so it should be right up his alley.
• When you're getting a NO DIAL TONE message at your home computer, call Ted. He enjoys fixing telephone problems from remote locations. Especially on weekends.
• When something goes wrong with your home PC, dump it on Ted's chair the next morning with no name, no phone number, and no description of the problem. Ted just loves a good mystery.
• When you have Ted on the phone walking you through changing a setting on your PC, read the newspaper. Ted doesn't actually mean for you to DO anything. He just loves to hear himself talk.
• When your company offers training on an upcoming OS upgrade, don't bother to sign up. Ted will be there to hold your hand when the time comes.
• When the printer won't print, re-send the job 20 times in rapid succession. That should do the trick.
• When the printer still won't print after 20 tries, send the job to all the printers in the office. One of them is bound to work.
• Don't use online help. Online help is for wimps.
• Don't read the operator's manual. Manuals are for wussies.
• If you're taking night classes in computer science, feel free to demonstrate your fledgling expertise by updating the network drivers for you and all your co-workers. Ted will be grateful for the overtime when he has to stay until 2:30am fixing all of them.
• When Ted's fixing your computer at a quarter past one, eat your Whopper with cheese in his face. He functions better when he's slightly dizzy from hunger.
• When Ted asks you whether you've installed any new software on your computer, LIE. It's no one else's business what you've got on your computer.
• If the mouse cable keeps knocking down the framed picture of your dog, lift the monitor and stuff the cable under it. Those skinny Mouse cables were designed to have 55 lbs. of computer monitor crushing them.
• If the space bar on your keyboard doesn't work, blame Ted for not upgrading it sooner. Hell, it's not your fault there's a half pound of pizza crust crumbs, nail clippings, and big sticky drops of Mountain Dew under the keys.
• When you get the message saying "Are you sure?", click the "Yes" button as fast as you can. Hell, if you weren't sure, you wouldn't be doing it, would you?
• Feel perfectly free to say things like "I don't know nothing about that boneheaded computer crap." It never bothers Ted to hear his area of professional expertise referred to as boneheaded crap.
• Don't even think of breaking large print jobs down into smaller chunks. God forbid somebody else should sneak a one-page job in between your 500-page Word document.
• When you send that 500-page document to the printer, don't bother to check if the printer has enough paper. That's Ted's job.
• When Ted calls you 30 minutes later and tells you that the printer printed 24 pages of your 500-page document before it ran out of paper, and there are now nine other jobs in the queue behind yours, ask him why he didn't bother to add more paper.
• When you receive a 130 MB movie file, send it to everyone as a high-priority mail attachment. Ted's provided plenty of disk space and processor capacity on the new mail server for just those kinds of important things.
• When you bump into Ted in the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon, ask him computer questions. He works 24/7, and is always thinking about computers, even when he's at super-market buying toilet paper and doggie treats.
• If your son is a student in computer science, have him come in on the weekends and do his projects on your office computer. Ted will be there for you when your son's illegal copy of Visual Basic 6.0 makes the Access database keel over and die.
• When you bring Ted your own "no-name" brand PC to repair for free at the office, tell him how urgently he needs to fix it so you can get back to playing EverQuest. He'll get on it right away, because everyone knows he doesn't do anything all day except surf the Internet.
• Don't ever thank Ted. He loves fixing everything AND getting paid for it!
• (send additional suggestions)

What Does a System Administrator Do?

What Does a System Administrator Do?

From Sysadminday

What is a system administrator? Well, look at the title. Administrator of systems. A system administrator takes care of systems.

Now, most people read "system" to mean an individual computer, and think that all asysadmin does is clean viruses off your computer and replace your monitor. That's not wrong -- but it is only one page of the whole story.

A real computing system is larger. Very few computers work just on their own anymore; when you use the web, play a game online, share files with a friend, or send email, you're using a complex and intricate collection of computers, networks and software that come together to do the job you're asking.

A sysadmin manages these systems -- they figure out how to bring storage from one server, processing from another, backups from a third and networking from a fourth computer all together, working seamlessly. For you.

It's not an easy task. Your sysadmins need to understand in depth computing protocols. They often have to know something about programming, something about hardware, a lot about software -- and even more about the people using their system.

A sysadmin is a professional, with complex skills, ethical challenges, and a daunting job. Many, if not most, people find computers difficult to use, and sometimes they're unreliable. Being a sysadmin doesn't absolve someone of dealing with unreliable computers. Oh, one can dream of such a day, but the opposite is true; no one sees more dead computers in a day than a sysadmin. No one sees them doing truly baffling things, and no one has more stories of computers failing, acting possessed, or even catching on fire.

The challenge of a sysadmin is making a computing system -- a whole network of resources and servers and software -- work together, work right, work even when parts of it fail -- and work for you.

That's the most important job of the sysadmin: to work for you. To take the staggering array of technologies, acronyms, protocols, networks, vendors, budgets, limited time, competing products, and threats to the computing network, assemble them all together in a working system. Their job is not only to be the geek in the corner who types all day. What they're doing is bringing these diverse pieces of technology into order, and fitting them together to fill your needs at work and home; to translate the world of computing into human terms.

This is a daunting task and we're still at the cutting edge; we're not perfect, and the field is still figuring itself out. Being a sysadmin takes a certain boldness, to be one of the first people to take on the challenge of turning difficult computers into easy to use systems. But hundreds of thousands of people are working in that field now, from the entry level help desk tech to the corporate CIOs and everyone in between.

So when you think of a sysadmin, think of the people who run the servers that help you clean it off, the people who run your backups to make sure your data is safe, the people who bring you the network, the people who monitor it for security -- and yes, the person who cleans the virus off your computer and replaces your monitor.

Advice to employees on the proper use of the System Administrator's valuable time

System Administration overview

System Administration overview 

     

Type of Projects we handle:

• New computer procurement, configuration and installation
• New Server setup and installation
• Network design including active directory
• Professional Network cabling
• Professional Firewall configuration
• Linux server configuration
• Internet Connectivity
• Email accounts setup
• Wireless Network and Wireless Distribution Systems (WDS) Installation
• Miscellaneous Software Installation and Configuration
• Microsoft Terminal Services configuration
• Thin client setup for use with Unix/Linux and/or Microsoft Windows
• T1/DSL/Cable Internet installation coordination
• Web site design and hosting
• E-Commerce shopping cart platform and hosting
• Software installation of desktop accounting packages, anti-virus, office suites, etc.
• Client to Point to Point VPN Solutions
• Computer hardware upgrades such as flat panel monitors, wireless keyboard mouse, etc.

From: http://www.informability.com/files/specific/systemAdministration.html

Linux Mind Map

Operating Systems Comparison

Operating Systems Comparison


Phil Hughes

This paper offers a comparison of the various operating systems that are commonly used in the business community.

1. 1: The Computer Mix
2. 2: Common Business Platforms
3. 2.1: Legacy Systems
4. 2.2: Microsoft Operating Systems
5. 3: Proprietary UNIX Systems
6. 4: Open UNIX-like Solutions
7. 4.1: *BSD Systems
8. 4.2: Linux
9. 5: Other Platforms
10. 6: Selecting the Right Operating System
11. 6.1: Addresses your current needs
12. 6.2: Interoperability
13. 6.3: Support for different hardware platforms
14. 6.4: Maintainability
15. 6.5: non-proprietary
16. 6.6: POSIX compatibility
17. 7: OS Comparision Table

Today, computers are an integral part of most businesses. Much like a fork list, the company truck or filing cabinets, businesses recognize computers as a necessary tool to make the business work.

Unfortunately, most businesses are not in a position to make as informed a decision on computers as on other needed tools. This is because computer systems are more complicated than other business choices.

In this article I will share my experience as a systems design specialist and systems programmer for government and industry.

1: The Computer Mix

Most businesses today are running a mix of computer types and computer operating systems to get their work done. For example, Intel Pentium and equivalent computer systems running Windows 95 are very common on office desktops but other types of computers may be used for graphic arts work, point of sale systems or connectivity to the Internet. In fact, it is very possible that you are not even aware of what type of computer hardware and operating system is contained in a dedicated system performing a specific function for your company.

The right mix of computers offering the necessary interoperability is almost always a better choice than selecting one type of computer and operating system and then attempting to make it fit all tasks. The latter choice would be similar to requiring all employees to have the same type of work space--whether they were a secretary, a computer programmer or a warehouse manager.

This is not to say that you should not dictate standards when appropriate. For example, you will most likely want to select one word processor that will be used by everyone. This decision, however, should really be based on interoperability rather than an arbitrary edict.

Let me introduce some common business platforms and discuss their capabilities.

2: Common Business Platforms

First, what do I mean by a platform? This is a combination of the computer equipment (hardware) along with the operating software (operating system) that offers the computing capabilities. On top of this platform you would run the applications software (word processors, spreadsheets, databases, dedicated applications) that you need to run your business.

One confusion is that you will sometimes see a specific hardware/software combination discussed here (such as MacOS on a Apple Macintosh) but, in other places, you will see operating systems choices on one hardware platform (such as DOS, Linux, SCO UNIX and Windows95 all on the same hardware) as well as hardware choices (such as Digital Alpha and Intel Pentium) for one operating system. This is because some operating systems only run on one type of hardware but other operating systems are more portable.

2.1: Legacy Systems

The term ``Legacy System'' is generally used to refer to older systems such as mainframes. They are already installed, perform some needed functions but are no longer being considered as a new solution. They still need to be discussed because it may be necessary to support these systems in the computer mix of the office for some time to come.

Common examples of such systems are

• IBM mainframes which run proprietary IBM operating systems
• Unisys and other mainframes with their own proprietary operating systems
• Digital VAX systems running VMS

These machines were commonly installed to offer specific computing capabilities to a company. This could be anything from a manufacturing control system to an airline reservation system.

The problem with these systems is that their were never designed to interact with other computers and operating systems making it hard to add new capabilities to the company computer mix. For example, Internet connectivity is becoming more and more important but dealing with such issues as electronic mail to and from proprietary systems is, at best, difficult. [For an explanation of how one company dealt with this issue, see ______ in the _____ issue of Linux Journal %%% this the the LMB about sendmail at Robers/Viking/...]

2.2: Microsoft Operating Systems

Microsoft offers the most popular operating systems for use on the desktop. Their series of operating systems started with MS-DOS and now includes Windows95 and WindowsNT. One of be big pluses for these operating systems is a wealth of relatively inexpensive applications programs are available.

One of the biggest shortcomings of this series of operating systems was the lack of decent connectivity and interoperability. These problems we more significant that with legacy systems because the single-user nature of these systems increased the need for decent connectivity.

Windows95 and WindowsNT addresses the connectivity issue fairly well among like systems but these systems are still lacking in the areas of interoperability with other operating system. This deficiency actually encourages people to still with an ``all-Microsoft'' shop. On the surface this may sound like a good solution but limitations such as poor Internet connectivity and low security may cost more to overcome.

3: Proprietary UNIX Systems

UNIX started out as a product of AT&T who then licensed the source code and trade-name to various vendors. Today, UNIX is a brand that belongs to X/Open and the original source code is owned by The Santa Cruz Operation (SCO). Any vendor that meets testing requirements and pays a fee can use the UNIX name.

In parallel with this effort, a standard called POSIX was developed that defines what makes a UNIX-like system. Thus, being POSIX-compliant means the operating supports a standard set of interfaces. It is relatively easy to port Applications software written for a POSIX-compliant system to other POSIX-compliant systems. It does, however, mean that the source code for the application must be available to do the port.

The proprietary issue here is generally that a specific vendor has developed a version of the operating system that only runs on their hardware. While it is based on original UNIX source code, modifications that make it run on specific hardware and enhancements are not available.

Examples of these systems are:

• HP/UX for Hewlett-Packard computer systems
• Solaris for Sun and SPARC-compatible computer systems
• IRIX for Silicon Graphics computer systems
• Digital UNIX for Digital Alpha computer systems
• AIX for IBM computer systems

SCO also offers SCO UNIX for personal computer systems based on Intel x86 and compatible chips. SCO UNIX differs from the systems in the list because SCO does not manufacture the hardware. This means you have a hardware choice within the constraints of using standard Intel x86 architecture.

These systems offer the following advantages:

• Excellent connectivity -- UNIX, being the operating system of the Internet and World Wide Web, has always had to offer connectivity options.
• Stability -- With over 25 years in the marketplace, UNIX systems tend to be very reliable. Note, however, that because modifications tend to be proprietary to a specific vendor it is possible that modifications do not make it back into the UNIX base that is used by all vendors.
• Scalability -- UNIX technology has run on machines from the original 8086-based PC to multi-million dollar Cray supercomputers. It has proved that it it can grow with your needs. The down side of this statement is that not all manufacturers offer machines throughout the capabilities spectrum so you might have to change vendors to change machine sizes. This could create mean purchasing new versions of applications software for the new vendor/architecture.
• Multi-user, multi-tasking -- UNIX has always been capable of running multiple programs at one time and supporting multiple users simultaneously. This means that file, print and remote access servers can be implemented using any UNIX-based system.

4: Open UNIX-like Solutions

An alternative to proprietary (and vendor-specific) UNIX systems is a system that offers UNIX capabilities without being tied to a specific hardware vendor or machine architecture. There are a series of operating systems that do not tie themselves to a specific vendor but only one, Linux, that also offers independence from a specific machine architecture.

4.1: *BSD Systems The non-Linux answers are related to BSD UNIX. What is BSD UNIX 
Starting in the 1970s, the University of California at Berkeley, licensed UNIX from AT&T and did significant work on it. This resulted in two development paths: what became known as System V UNIX (from the AT&T path) and BSD UNIX. The most significant commercial user of BSD UNIX was Sun Microsystems in their SunOS product. This isn't surprising considering Bill Joy, founder of Sun Microsystems was one of the primary developers of BSD UNIX while he was at the University of California at Berkeley.

In the 1980s, AT&T, Sun and others formed an alliance to merge the best of System V and BSD UNIX into one product. Solaris, the current operating system from Sun is a result of this merge.

While AT&T source code remained proprietary, the BSD source code is available under a very unrestrictive license. Proponents of BSD UNIX--commercial and non-commercial--put forth an effort to extract BSD-developed capabilities from the total BSD UNIX package and make this code available.

Today, the BSD, NetBSD and FreeBSD systems are based on this BSD UNIX code. The offer all the UNIX capabilities you would expect. Unfortunately they have two shortcomings:

• They diverge from the mainstream UNIX (and POSIX) capabilities
• They only run on x86 processors

These limitations make them less desirable for a general business solution that Linux but they are commonly used in dedicated systems such as routers. Their long development history and connectivity capabilities are what make them outstanding in dedicated communications systems.

4.2: Linux

Linux started out as a project of a single individual, Linux Torvalds. [You probably want to insert a link to what is Linux here]. What made Linux different from any other operating system development project is that thousands of people--from students to computer professionals--got involved in the development. While the ideas of UNIX and POSIX capabilities were always the basis, development was very pragmatic. Where BSD development tended to suffer from the ``not invented here'' syndrome, Linux development was much more inclusive. This means that capabilities that were used in other systems were integrated into Linux development.

While Linux development was started on an Intel 386-based system, the philosophy of inclusion meant that other architectures were considered. Today Linux runs on SPARC, PowerPC (including Mac), Digital Alpha and [what am I forgetting?] machines with ports on the way for others.

This portability is significant because

• Linux can grow with you. For example, if you are running a web or file server on Intel-based hardware and you need a higher performance system, you can upgrade to a system based on the Sun SPARC or Digital Alpha.
• Linux can grow with the future. New hardware is being introduced every year. The Linux community has already proved it will port Linux to new computer architecture from multiple vendors.

Along with these advantages, Linux offers the connectivity capabilities that have been the trademark of UNIX-based systems as well as some additional connectivity capabilities that are unique to Linux. These capabilities include:

• TCP/IP connectivity
• Drivers for many serial, ISDN and Frame Relay controllers
• Appletalk for Mac/Linux connectivity
• SAMBA for Microsoft Windows/Linux connectivity
• IPX protocol support for Novell Netware/Linux connectivity

5: Other Platforms

Two other platforms are common today: MacOS on the Apple Macintosh and Novell Netware. The Mac was developed as a workstation and for some specific applications such as graphics, it may well be the best workstation. It was, however, never designed to inter-operate well with non-Mac systems and, unless your company is only doing graphics work, it is not likely to be a general solution.

Novell Netware was designed to make up for the poor connectivity of early Microsoft products. It accomplished this task by offering file server capabilities for DOS and Windows-based systems but little more. With today's client-side interoperability capabilities of Windows95 and server-side capabilities of other systems such as Linux, Netware has really moved into the camp of legacy systems.

6: Selecting the Right Operating System

If you are in management of a business you may have never heard of an operating system and you are unlikely to want to select one. Unfortunately, the potential dangers of a wrong selection go well beyond the decision-making capabilities of an external sales person or a technical person. This information is designed to help the manager guide a technical person in their search for a selection that is in the best interest of the company -- both in solving problems today and working well in the future.

6.1: Addresses your current needs

The most basic requirement is that the selection you make must address your current needs. For example, if your business requires secure, on-line transactions from the World Wide Web, you need to make sure the system you select can support this.

6.2: Interoperability

It is very likely that you will need more than one type of system to perform all the tasks for your company. For example, your accounting system is unlikely to run on the same type of computer system and your World Wide Web server. Make sure that any selected systems will properly inter-operate.

6.3: Support for different hardware platforms

Company growth usually means growth in computing requirements. Make sure your selection will offer a reasonable upgrade path. This path could be the addition of networked computers, upgrades to faster and more capable hardware or support of performance-enhancing architectures such as Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP).

6.4: Maintainability

Being able to maintain the systems you choose is vital. There are many technical considerations here and many tradeoffs. There is no single 'best' answer. Here are a few of the issues:

• Hardware support is simplified for software that runs on ``commodity hardware'' such as the generic PC platforms.
• Some vendors offer hardware and software support.
• Some operating systems come with source code or source code may be purchased. This makes support of special hardware and future expansion easier -- either with an internal support staff or outside contractors.
• Single-platform solutions can easily lead to a dead end.

6.5: non-proprietary

The choice of non-proprietary operating systems can make it much easier to upgrade hardware as new technology becomes available.

6.6: POSIX compatibility

The most prominent operating system standard is POSIX. Selecting an operating system that complies with the POSIX standard offers the best chance of long-term growth and support.

7: OS Comparision Table

The table below offers a quick feature comparision. It is only a guide. There is, of course, a lot more to the selection process than can be represented in this table or even this complete article. Another thing that is not shown is what is included with the operating system. For example, Linux and *BSD come with a wealth of development tools, applications and utilities that would cost thousands of dollars if needed for any of the other platforms.

Platform Comparison Chart
System	Connectivity	Stability	Scalability	Multi-user	Multi-platform	POSIX	Non-proprietary	Avg. Price
Legacy System	Poor	Good	Medium-Huge	Yes	No	No	No	$$$$
MS-DOS	None	Poor	Small	No	No	No	No	₨5,067.99
Windows 3.x	Poor	Poor	Small	No	No	No	No	₨5,067.99
Windows95	SMB Only	Fair	Small	Insecure	No	No	No	₨5,067.99
WindowsNT	SMB+	Fair	Small-Medium	Yes	Yes, 2	Some	No	₨25,339.93
UNIX	Excellent	Excellent	Small-Huge	Yes	Yes, Many	Yes	No	₨253,399.35
*BSD	Good	Excellent	Small-Large	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	₨2,533.99
Linux	Excellent	Excellent	Small-Huge	Yes	Yes, Many	Yes	Yes	₨2,533.99