Ubuntu Wiki

SmallBusinessServer - Brainstorming and Idea Aggregation from Net This Page serves as a useful summary and brainstorming session for the various pending ubuntu Small business Server implementation. This Page is a small summary of what is being discussed and suggested and provide a basic intro for the project.

The key pieces of Microsoft's implementation of Small Business Server (henceforth SBS) are

• the Windows Server OS
• IIS web server
• Exchange mail server
• Active Directory domain server.

Functions:

• Web
• Mail
• Collaboration
• Firewall
• Database
• Desktop Management

Disadvantages:

MS wants your directory and domain control on a web server also acting as your firewall.

Possible Ubuntu Implementations

• UbuntuDownUnder/BOFs/SmallBusinessServer

• UbuntuDownUnder/BOFs/UbuntuForSmallBusinesses

• UbuntuSmallBusinessServer

• Obuntu

• Ubuntu+ebox http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=707492&page=2

• Ubuntu + http://www.netdirector.org/

• Ubuntu + Openqrm http://sourceforge.net/potm/potm-2006-07.php

• UbuntuEasyBusinessServer

• UbuntuEasyFilePrintServer

• UbuntuDownUnder/BOFs/UbuntuInstantServer

• EasyLDAPServerHardy

• Anything else?

  Status Of Ubuntu SmallBusinessServer
  Project	Phase	Status	Last Updated	Notes
  UbuntuDownUnder/BOFs/SmallBusinessServer	Requirements Phase	Not being developed	Last comment posted 2006-09-02	Good design talk and some work has begun acc to discussion
  UbuntuDownUnder/BOFs/UbuntuForSmallBusinesses	Requirements Phase	Not being developed	Last update 2005-12-25	Aims to create SBS as a package as opposed to its on distro. Seems to have suffered due to feature creep (eg. advocates new alternative to gnucash to be included!)
  UbuntuSmallBusinessServer	Design	Unsure	Last update December 2007	Has Launchpad and has started some drafting https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/ubuntu-small-business-server-blueprint
  Obuntu	Design	Unsure	Last update 2007-04-05	Has Launchpad and has started some drafting https://launchpad.net/~obuntu
  Ubuntu+ebox http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=707492&page=2	Has packages for Gutsy,	Undergoing further development	Last update recent	Receiving good progress, however still has some progress to go. Potentially the winning solution (so far!) see post http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=4696628#post4696628
  Ubuntu + http://www.netdirector.org/||TODO	TODO	Last update TODO	TODO
  Ubuntu + Openqrm http://sourceforge.net/potm/potm-2006-07.php	TODO	TODO	Last update TODO	TODO
  UbuntuEasyBusinessServer	Design	Unsure	Last update May 2007	Was Google SOC, however not much progress(that I can see) has launchpad: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/ubuntu-easy-business-server
  UbuntuEasyFilePrintServer	Design	Not being worked on	Last update May 2007	Has good discussion of 3rd party tools that can help create project on wiki. has launchpad: https://blueprints.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+spec/ubuntu-file-print-server
  UbuntuDownUnder/BOFs/UbuntuInstantServer	Not Started	Abandoned?	Last update 2005	planned to develop UbuntuInstantGroupwareServer however no progress seen besides wiki
  EasyLDAPServerHardy	Design	Abandoned?	Last update Dec 2007	Was aiming for integration into Hardy, however seems to have conflicted with Fedora directory server and ebox
  Anything else?	TODO	TODO	Last update TODO	TODO

Possible Additional Features:

• Integration of Landscape (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070724-ars-at-ubuntu-live-canonical-releases-web-based-server-management-platform-for-support-subscribers.html)

• Make Fedora Directory Server available

• (from forum post http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=191858)This server is the best I'm aware of in the open source world. With features like multi-master replication (although limited to four servers I think) and AD synchronization this is a critical starting point of matching AD.

• implement eDirectory- which as I understand beats out even AD because of it's superior replication abilities.
• There needs to be an easy interface that basically creates an internal software repositories. This would allow testing and allow IT personal to create their own debs (which needs to be simplified) for internal package deployment.
• Should be tied together and relatively simple to deploy.
• Should be able to "force updates", it's to say the admin decides if something *must* be installed (forcing a client-side apt-get install on a large scale, via a simple interface)... I want to be able to force a basic setup upon users.
• Should be Gui, or at least have gui alternatives for setup. Webadmin would be cool
• Instead of implementing Exchange- have an intermediate option to integrate with gmail or Google Apps for Mail. ( lots of small business run it already!)

Other FOSS Solutions similar:

SME Server(http://www.smeserver.org)

Advantages:

• Functions Can Be spread over several boxes (if needed)
• Webadmin Control
• Easy to Use

Disadvantages:

• No windows client Patch Management (windows has auto update!)
• No Active Directory Domain(implement a Samba Domain)]
• No commercially Available Support
• Some reports of Poor community support (not sure why!)

References:

• From Jack Daniel (windows server admin) (https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-us-ma/2007-August/000186.html)

• Posts from ubuntu forum: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=191858 (time for Ubuntu to come to the enterprise)