Dancing the Samba

A Microsoft solution that allows you to manage your users and share files comes with a hefty price tag, once a server licence, client access licences and anti-virus software have been taken into account. Using Samba, you can keep your functionality, keep your Windows desktops, but ditch the cost.

Samba is an Open Source software suite for Linux and Unix that provides seamless file and print services to SMB/CIFS clients - in other words, it can fulfil the role of a Windows file and print server. In addition, it can also fulfil the role of a backup or primary domain controller.

As far as the Windows PCs on the desktops are concerned, they're talking to a Windows server. As far as your concerned, you're providing the same service - minus the licence and security headaches.

Most popular Linux distributions include Samba as part of the package. Unix has it too - Solaris, from Sun Microsystems, includes Samba and Sun will support it too. For those who are familar with the command line, Samba is easily administered using commands and editing configuration files.

For those in a hurry, or who don't want to get to grips with what many see as one of the more initmidating aspects of administering Linux, GUI or web based administration tools are available.

A Samba server in an organisation can replace the role of the existing Windows file server, whilst allowing Windows PC users to share files, use roaming profiles and login from any desktop, as per usual.

A good example of where Samba is simple and straightforward to implement is in Oracle deployments running on a Linux or Solaris server.

Many enterprise in the region run Oracle on Linux or Solaris for good reasons - performance, stability and security. What one often sees, however, is a Windows file server thrown into the mix, usually referred to as an 'application server'.

In reality, these 'application servers' are simply file servers, providing a central place where Windows PCs can access the Oracle Forms binary, avoiding the need to place that binary on each individual PC.

Placing the required Forms files on a Samba share on the Linux or Solaris database server removes the need for a separate Windows file server and keeps costs and administration headaches down.

Getting started with Samba is easy. There's plenty of documentation at www.samba.org, as well as an excellent book from O'Reilly, 'Using Samba'.