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)