8. Back-Office Infrastructure

In This Chapter

• Leveraging Your Existing Infrastructure

• Linux Replacement of Windows Servers

• Open Source Services for Back-Office Infrastructure

• Other Notable Open Source Solutions

• Summary

• Other Resources

• References

Providing the infrastructure to support a Linux, Windows, or even a heterogenous LAN can be accomplished with server infrastructure built on Microsoft Windows products or Linux and open source products. Finding out the advantages and disadvantages of each will be a complement to your Windows-to-Linux desktop migration. If you already have Windows in place, your network needs are stagnant, and you have an investment that you want to preserve, you may want to keep that infrastructure. When it comes time to expand or update your infrastructure, looking at an open source alternative that most importantly supports open standards is wise choice. Using products that adhere to open standards may help avoid vendor lock-in, enabling one standards-based solution to replace another should you become unsatisfied with any aspect of your enterprise architecture.