This is where e-smith steps in. In the latest version of its popular open-source server software -- the e-smith server and gateway version 4.1 -- e-smith provides the functionality of a Linux server appliance without the hardware. Although e-smith really isn't a server-appliance provider (the company offers only the software element), its solution fits into the server-appliance product space handily. Easy to install and compatible with most X86-based computers, including older and slower units, the e-smith server and gateway addresses the same needs as a hardware solution.
You can use the e-smith server and gateway with just about any unit, and I do mean any! The ugliest machine I had on hand was an old Pentium II, 233-MHz-based beater box. In most cases you'd want something a bit beefier, but it's good to know that in a pinch you can repurpose one of those old workstations you have lying around in bits and pieces. To ensure that hardware limitations didn't cause any performance lags in my tests, I used a Pentium III, 750-MHz unit with 256 MB of RAM. You'll need a faster computer only if you intend to load up the server with every option or anticipate heavier usage than typical small-office stuff, such as file-sharing and light e-mail traffic.
Installation
The installation process basically consists of booting from the CD-ROM drive, listening to things go "whirr" and watching the pretty lights blink. For those of you with machines that don't support booting from a CD, e-smith is kind enough to include rawrite and a boot-disk image for you to create a bootable floppy. But beware: E-smith won't play nice with anything else you put on the hard drive and will erase anything already on it.
The full installation took only about 10 minutes on our test server. User prompts for information consisted of asking for the IP address I wanted to use, asking if I wanted it to act as a DHCP server, asking if I wanted to install the optional gateway and proxy services, and so on. The product's on-screen explanations for each option were extremely helpful; it would often simply prompt me with the most common or secure choice. Other than that, a wide variety of hardware components is supported, and the e-smith server and gateway autodetected everything down to my Ethernet card. After a quick reboot, the server was up and ready for service.
A small note about hardware compatibility is in order here: Although a wide variety of common equipment and adapters is supported, you're probably going to be out of luck if you're using something obscure. As with any software, it would be wise to spend a few minutes checking the hardware compatibility lists available on e-smith's Web site.
As is typical of a Linux server installation, no sound card or special video drivers are necessary; the console functions strictly in text mode (you weren't really thinking about running MP3s through an X player on your server, were you?). Now comes the fun part: configuring the services and setting up shop.
Deployment
One word describes the console-management menu -- "utilitarian." It might look sparse at first, but you'll find a lot going on under the hood. A selection for online help directs you to e-smith's latest manual, an easy-to-read, excellent resource. For those of you with machines that aren't Internet-enabled, e-smith also provides a written version.
Methods of management include administering from the shell (SSH [Secure Shell] is installed by default, but telnet is also available) or via a handy GUI Web interface. Here's the truly nifty thing: The developers at e-smith are serious about security. In most server appliances, security is the weak link. But with the e-smith server and gateway, the default is set so everything is either turned off or inaccessible from outside its local subnet. You have to go in manually to each and every remote service and make it accessible to "public," "local" (subnet) or neither (meaning you have to do whatever you need to do straight from the local console). Needless to say, this caught my attention right away. A server appliance that cares about security and your network? What a novel idea.
After instructing the management interfaces as to the amount of access I wanted for testing, I was off to the races.
Most of the services provided by the e-smith server and gateway are typical of Linux installations (the product is based on a Red Hat 7.0 distribution), but I was surprised by how complete the package install is in terms of the various services you can offer your users.
Some of the services you're just not going to find with most competing products are secure Web mail, which is an absolute must for those of you with roaming users; support for VPNs (virtual private networks) via PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) to allow for secure server access remotely; SSH installed and configured; RAID-1 support (disk mirroring); and many other gems.
In addition to being a handy local-file server and all-around decent Internet-services facilitator, the e-smith server and gateway 4.1 can also easily be configured as a firewall, proxy server or both. Although these services are generally difficult to configure on similar products (or simply not available), configuring them on the e-smith box is a snap. Instructions are even included for configuring your local workstations to interoperate with your server.
The only additional feature I would like to see in either the GUI (via web browser) or the shell menu is the ability to automatically check for system updates, such as security patches. However -- in accordance with e-smith's ironclad dedication to security and keeping things running smoothly -- the company issues periodic updates via CD to all registered users, and even proactively send e-mail to its customer base with announcements of relevant topics.
A final subject worth discussing is e-smith's business model. Since the e-smith server and gateway is purely open-source-based and GPL (General Public License)-licensed, the company can't actually sell it to you. That might sound odd, but if you're familiar with the open-source community mentality, you understand.
What e-smith does sell is service and support. For a $595 per year "subscription" fee, you get unlimited technical support and product updates. If you are already comfortable working with Linux and want to give the e-smith server and gateway a spin, you can simply download it for free from e-smith's Web site. The general idea is that, as a potential customer, you or your favorite integrator or reseller will download the product, test it, like it and want a more formal support structure in place than simply routing around newsgroups for problem-solving advice.
The company also benefits from an active and aggressive development community, which is driven by individual developers contributing distribution packages and other third-party enhancements that can be added to your server. Since it's all open-source-based, everyone benefits. Although you can buy a subscription service to the e-smith server and gateway directly from the company, e-smith prefers that you work with your local integrator or an authorized reseller to help you get the most bang for your buck.
The e-smith package is a fine piece of software, and when you take into consideration the company's high regard for your network's security, it definitely merits a look-see. We have no problem recommending the e-smith server and gateway to small to midsize businesses looking to test the Linux waters.
John Shireley is the operations support manager for Web hosting solutions at Voyager.net, a CoreComm company. Please send your comments on this article to him at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
