IServ Simple Linux-based communication-server for use in small enterprises

Transcription

1 IServ Simple Linux-based communication-server for use in small enterprises Difficulty Particularly small enterprises have the problem, that the development of an own infrastructure is very expensive. If a central data protection and management is needed, in the majority of cases server solutions are chosen, which are quite expensive. But in most cases, these servers do not provide any comfortable and easy- configuring services in the network to communicate effectively, to have an easy user administration and to assure the access also from outside. Overview For this purpose a Linux-based software was developed, which is already used in many schools successfully. Even firms use this software for data transfers. Following functions are integrated in this software-product: access to company-internal data from the internet automatic installation of group- and home drivers from the internal network complete server easy user administration easy hardware inventory of all computing units shared address books locking of web sites proxy date definition high availability common knowledge-base public fora group-specific fora public chat-rooms group-specific chat-rooms Because of the easy-operation with the server, it is especially appropriated for small enterprises. All system relevant functions are accessible by a graphical display. The reduction to the essential reduces the complexity of the server.

2 By the use of Linux operating-system based software the hardware requirements are not very high. Thus a standard workstation computer is sufficient to allocate all functions in the internal network as well as for the internet. For the access to the server a usual DSL access under simultaneous use of a dynamic DNS is enough. Such dynamic DNS account is available for 18 p. a. inclusive a MS Relay-Account. Data backup can also be implemented by a standard workstation computer or with an additional streamer. The installation of the server does not require any special knowledge and can be implemented within three hours. In the case of problems during the installation the developer will assist. The price of the software is staged and depends on the number of employees. For a firm with for example eight employees the costs mount up to 600 containing a gratis 12 month update-service. The software for the backup-server cost 95 per item. We can set up a free of charge test access on for you. There you can check all functions of the server. For this, please send us an to a.hruska@tic-ohz.de. The fundamental functions: Access to the server by internet The server can be operated by a web user interface. From the network of the firm the server performs like a good configured Microsoft-server. To provide an access from internet, a DSL access with a dynamic IP address is sufficient. The server is directly connected per a RJ 45 cable to a DSL modem. In the moment, in which the server connects with internet, it receives an external IP-address. In this moment IServ sends a new IP-address to a dynamic DNS server. This dynamic DNS server synchronises the DNS entries with other DNS servers of the internet. After a short period every internet-user can access to the start site of IServ. By previous creation of a user name and an according password it is possible to log into the server. After a successful log-in an access to all data, s, fora-entries, addresses and chatrooms, for which an access-authorisation has been assigned on the server. Information, for which is no access, are not visual. It is now possible to edit the data located on the server. For edition of these documents you can download the correspondent documents by a simple mouse-click to your own computer, edit the document and storage it also under the web user interface on the server. After successful storage of the modified documents, employees in the internal network can inspect these via network drive G:, assumed that they have access to. If you want to down- or upload several documents from the internet you can use a very helpful tool. With the aid of a program similar to Winzip or WIN-RAR it is possible to pack documents locally, and to download the packed package on the server and to unpack it there again.

3 The complete folder structure persists in the process. Similarly documents can be packed, as package be downloaded and also be unpacked inclusive the whole folder structure. This function can be founded only by a few communication portals but creates the work with several documents more effective. Removing, deleting or renaming of documents or folders is also possible by user interface. service An implemented service for all arranged users of the server is available. The standardised address givenname.surname@domainename is accessible by web user interface as well as per Outlook. An automatic transmission to another address can be implemented for all incoming e- mails. With the aid of a mailrelay-server, which is permanent available in the internet and as abovementioned costs 18 p.a., it is possible to save the s, which cannot reach IServ, because the server is not online at a moment. All temporary stored s are transferred to the internal network server when IServ is online. With this technique s do not get lost, although the actual server is not online all the time. Folders can be set in the inbox. The inbox can be browsed for s. Forum By the web user interface common communication-groups can be implemented. Theme specific topics can de discussed asynchronously and information can be spread inside the firm, depending on allocation of rights on the server. Easy user administration Especially user administration is very often the most difficult point in net works. Complex instructions and safety settings make it difficult for untrained computing administrators to overview all settings. The user administration of IServ knows only four rights. These are the root-, administration-, group-, and user rights. A registered user can be named as administrator. Simultaneously this user can be assigned to various groups. Following rights are assigned as standard and without exception. a user can simply read and write in his own folder by receiving of a classification to a group, it is possible for a user to read and write in the group-folder a user can be assigned to several groups

4 an administrator have the right to implement groups and users and to change certain system settings the main administrator has additionally the right to administrate and remote all basic settings With this little, but very effective construct of rights a little firm get the necessary tools for self-administration of allocation of rights. Thereby it is not necessary to have special knowledge of computing or to buy those. Easy hardware-inventory of all computing units With the assistance of a by administrators used inventory tool, it is possible to collect the whole hardware of the firm and to display it clearly on a website. Long inventory list are then available per web user interface. Address books Addresses can be stored on the server in address books. There are two possible addressbooks- the own and the shared address book. But external addresses can only be admitted in the own address book. Locking of web sites To lock special pages for internal users, there is the possibility to name URLs, to which the access for employees is forbidden. The other way around it is possible to lock the whole internet but to permit special web pages. Depending on what company strategy and culture is followed, the internet traffic can be regulated quite exactly. Proxy To reduce the data volume, it is possible to setup a proxy-service on the server. This proxy- service stores the visited websites to an unused part of the hard drive and updates this domain of web-sites from the internal network. If an update from the driver is not necessary, the server would access to these area of the driver and provide it to the user. With the aid of this technique the data transfer to and from the internet can be reduced. Under certain conditions this technique can reduce costs. By low available bandwidth to the internet the proxy arises simultaneously the speed of page views by internal computers. High availability IServ is set up to the Linux-version 7.3 by Redhat.

5 This operating system is established through the high stability of the system. Almost all bugs are repaired already, because the operating system is already used for a long time. A reboot of the server is generally unnecessary. Crashes of the whole operating system are normally unusual. Knowledge-Base A knowledge-base can be arranged on the server. All users of the server have access to the knowledge-base. Search items can be entered to search for all documents of the knowledge-base. With the aid of the knowledge-base it is possible to centralise the knowledge of the firm and to simplify the common access. By this, a complete QM-system can be developed, be stored and later be browsed. Operating as well as process instructions, checklists or similar documents can be stored and recalled. Consequently this server is a limited but working management system for documents. Further communication-tools Fora and chatrooms can build a certain kind of synchronous or a-synchronous communication. Depending on which mode and operation function is preferred in the firm, with the aid of these tools the effectiveness of communication can be enhanced. Birthday lists If every employee enters his birthday in the personal data, the upcoming birthdays in the firm are listed in the user interface by login. The traditional generation of birthday lists can be omitted. Log files Administrators of the server have the possibility to control, which user has logged on the server and when. Thus it is possible to increase security for elimination of unauthorised access. Firewall In almost all small and medium-sized enterprises it is essential to protect the internal network by a firewall. In the server a firewall by dint of iptables or rather ipchains is integrated. Therefore an additional purchasing of a firewall is unnecessary. Administration of the operating system All important data of the operation system can be determined graphically through the webinterface.

6 Problems of the server such as an overload of CPU or a full hard drive can be controlled quite fast. Statistics The server contains also a module for statistics. By means of this module, it is possible to determine the frequency of using of the server. That way the number of user logins or the number of certain computer logins can be displayed graphically via mouse click.