Sirius Corporation has recently successfully implemented a completely Open Source network infrastructure for a 120 person company with several regional offices in the UK and in the Middle East.
Our client wanted an Open Source groupware solution that, in addition to standard IMAP and SMTP e-mail services, would allow them to do group calendaring with Microsoft Outlook 2003 as the client.
Selection Criteria
It was important that whatever solution was selected should work well alongside Sendmail and Cyrus and integrate with OpenLDAP. The selection criteria used were:
Support for open standards (WebDAV, CalDAV, GroupDAV and iCAL)
Sirius tested and evaluated the best known Open Source groupware solutions including: Zimbra, Kolab, Hula, Open Xchange and OpenGroupware.
Zimbra
Zimbra first caught our eye through a heavy PR campaign last year and was, at first, glance the front runner. Only the commercial “network" edition of the software promised Outlook compatibility, although at the time of the trial a pre-release version of their MAPI connector was not made available to us for testing.
The Open Source version of Zimbra installed smoothly and relatively easily. The Zimbra web interface is polished and attractive allowing calendar entries to be easily linked with URLs and e-mail addresses and dragged, dropped and manipulated in a highly intuitive fashion. As a Java application, Zimbra did appear to run rather slow, but this was on a Xen virtual test server with limited memory.
Where Zimbra really lost out, however, was its architecture and group calendaring functionality. When we tested Zimbra, group calendaring was promised in the next version which would not have helped us greatly with our client's requirement. The other aspect of Zimbra which ruled it out for our deployment was that it came as a single bundle of modified versions of Postfix and OpenLDAP with its own hand-rolled IMAP server – all of these logging to a single file. As we were looking to build a modular and highly scalable architecture, using standard or transparently modified Open Source packages, we did not wish to use a monolithic bundle of vendor-modified software.
Whilst Zimbra may represent a good solution for small companies wishing to install all their e-mail, calendaring and directory services on a single box without worrying too much how it works, it may not be the ideal solution for larger companies wishing to deploy groupware alongside other enterprise-class Open Source infrastructure.
Kolab
Kolab has a high profile as the preferred KDE groupware solution and has won a number of awards. However, as with Zimbra, it comes as a monolithic bundle of modified applications installing as RPMs (of all things) on Debian via openpkg. We found the installation rather messy and were not impressed with the available documentation. Kolab requires a commercial plugin for Outlook compatiblity. The demo Konsec connector we tried did not work with Outlook 2003, which was not surprising as documentation was only available for Outlook 2000.
Whilst Kolab has a reasonably intuitive management web GUI it has no web interface for the user and requires a compatible client (Kontact or Outlook). As our Konsec connector did not work with Outlook 2003 we were not able to evaluate the group calendaring functionality in the context required by our client.
Open Xchange
Open Xchange, as with Zimbra, has an effective PR and marketing organisation behind it. Whilst the commercial version of the software may install smoothly, the Open Source version certainly does not. We waded through approximately twenty pages of intricate instructions and installed almost every Java package known to man. We finally decided against Open Xchange when the PostgreSQL setup files supplied with the Open Source version of the software proved to be horribly broken.
Overall we felt that the Open Source version of Open Xchange is neither well supported by its vendor nor that it would provide a robust and reliable solution for ESRT.
Hula
Hula, the Novell-developed Open Source groupware solution, fell at the first hurdle by not providing support for Outlook as the client. Although the web interface is attractive, it is not particularly intuitive. The management interface however appeared to be sitting on top of some very ugly legacy code.
OpenGroupware
OpenGroupware is not perfect. The web GUI is functional rather than attractive. Outlook 2003 compatibility requires the installation of additional server software (Zidestore) which manages translation to and from MAPI. Zidestore has a dependency on Apache 1.3 which can cause unpredictable conflicts if you have previously chosen Apache 2.0 as your preferred server for OpenGroupware.
But OpenGroupware does do the job. It provides a fully functional webmail and web calendaring solution with support for WebDAV, CalDAV, GroupDAV and iCAL, as well as a backend solution for group calendaring with Outlook as the client (although be careful that you are using Outlook 2003 as earlier versions of Outlook do not allow simultaneous use of group calendaring and IMAP).
The Outlook plugin and Zidestore server cost 30 euros per seat. OpenGroupware and Zidestore integrate easily with OpenLDAP and work well alongside Cyrus and Sendmail.
Conclusion
In the context of the infrastructure deployment we undertook for our client OpenGroupware met all the requirements. In fact our only disappointment was that the Mozilla Foundation's Sunbird has not yet managed to come up with full support for group calendaring so that we could recommend a cleaner, leaner and Open Source calendaring client. Many of our client's staff are already eagerly moving to Thunderbird for their e-mail.
by Matthew Linden, Projects Director, Sirius Corporation Limited
OPEN For Business! is all about how you can replace proprietary technologies with superior Open Source alternatives, slashing your costs, vastly improving speed and reliability and, perhaps even more important, allowing you to wrest back control of your IT infrastructure from the proprietary IT suppliers.
Let's make this month's OPEN For Business really topical after all, they're in the news yet again, in the papers, on the TV.
Yep, we're talking about VIRUSES. And I'm going to show you how, with Open Source software, you can effectively eradicate the problem for your business, once and for all!
Think back. Have you ever had to reformat and reinstall your desktops because of the latest virus epidemic? Have you had your email service taken out, or your web site made unavailable, for days? Have you had inboxes filled with floods of messages like "I sent you this file in order to get your advice" and "Really cool screensaver". Have you had management screaming at you to get the business back up and, at the same time, users phoning every few minutes complaining about yet another IT failure? Have you ever had those embarrassing interrogations as to why we got hit by viruses, again? And how much time, money and energy did you have to waste trying to fix it all?
Now, just imagine a world where this never happens.
I, and a rapidly increasing number of businesses, already live in that world. You can too. And, guess what, it's simple, very quick and easy to do, and it saves the business a fortune - not only from the cost of virus damage, but also in time, software licences and CALs. Now, won't the business like that!
What's the scale of the problem?:
I've seen many published estimates of the business cost of viruses. Regardless of which you believe, even the smallest estimate comes out at over £6 billion each year! So the damage to business is considerable, each epidemic is worse than the last, and every few weeks or so (like a London bus), along comes another one. Melissa, Sobig.F, Sven, Nimda, FunLove, Code Red, Bugbear, Klez, the list goes on and on and on.
The board, users, management, the IT team, everybody - we all hate them. But we've come to accept them, and expect them. After all, they're a part of computing life, aren't they?
Well, actually NO.
What's the reality of viruses?:
There is a set of widely held beliefs about the virus problem that, over time, seems to have become mainstream virus orthodoxy. They have been repeated over and over, mantra-like, by the vendors, the press and TV, the 'anti-virus' industry and 'technical experts' until they've been adopted by users, management, and perhaps, even by you. They are cherished like religious beliefs.
They are, however, untrue:
You have been told that viruses are a computer problem. They are not. They are a Microsoft problem.
You have been told that viruses are an email problem. They are not. They are a Microsoft Outlook problem.
You have been told that viruses will be as common on Linux when it has Microsoft's market share. They will not. Its architecture makes epidemics effectively impossible.
You have been told that expensive anti-virus software is the solution. It is not. You've bought it, but you still get them.
You have been told that viruses are inevitable, part of the computing experience. They are not. They are a consequence of flawed software design.
You've been living in a dream world Neo!
Time to take the red pill?:
The critical step is to realise that Microsoft software is almost entirely to blame. It is the problem, always has been the problem and, through the fundamental flaws in the underlying design and implementation of the software itself, will always be the problem. So the solution is simple, and blindingly obvious. Replace it!
And this is precisely where Open Source software comes in.
Open Source software doesn't have these problems, never has, and never will. It's simply better software. So you can eliminate your virus problems and, while you're doing that, gain loads of the other crucial business benefits and savings that Open Source delivers. Let's get started.
As usual the Pareto effect, the 80/20 rule, applies the certain areas give you the biggest returns for least effort. They can be tackled first, simply and very, very quickly. This way IT gets a clear, high profile, instant win. Now, there's a first!
Let me give you some examples.
Viruses wreak havoc with, and spread like wildfire around, Windows File and Print servers - so don't use them. Replace them with Samba. Samba does everything that Windows servers do, and then some, but does it far, far better. Samba 3 is now out and has been benchmarked at two and a half times faster than W3K and over four times as scalable. So, not only is it impervious to viruses, it is quicker, more reliable, and more scalable. It also saves your business an absolute fortune in licence fees and CALs.
Most viruses exploit Outlook right there on the user's desktop - so stop using it. Use Mozilla Messenger instead. It's full featured, faster and better and, for all you multi-platform businesses out there, it's available on all of them. You can tailor how it looks (your MD will love that) and, of course, has shared calendaring as standard. Viruses can't pull the 'Outlook Address Book Trick". And, guess what, it doesn't lose emails!
Most viruses enter your network via email and pass through your mail server. And Exchange is desperately vulnerable. You should replace it with the far better Open Source alternative. If you really want to save on licence fees and CALs big, big time, this is The One! And, of course, while you're at it, replace ISA (see last month's Open For Business for full details) and you'll gain even more!
Viruses just love IIS. So, whatever you do, don't use it. Deploy Apache instead. You'll gain unprecedented uptimes (years, not weeks) plus see an instant performance increase. It's great to see a server just sitting there, quietly in the corner, simply doing its job, and not needing continual nursing, patching, and maintenance.
Do all this and next time the latest Windows virus epidemic comes around, you'll be sitting, like us, wondering what all the fuss is about! Your users will thank you, your staff will thank you, and your board will thank you. OK. Maybe not. But we all like to dream don't we!
So there you have it. You've eradicated a massive and costly IT and business problem. No more viruses. Plus you've delivered a far faster, far more reliable service from IT, and cash savings that any Finance Director in any business would die for. It was quick and it was easy - and all simply because it's better software.
If you're connecting a couple of networks together, or connecting a network to the Internet, most people would instantly reach for a Cisco router (or, if you were really radical, maybe go for something from Juniper Networks). It's what you do, right?
Wrong!
Have you ever taken a router apart? I know I have. If you were expecting to see real cutting edge hardware for your money in that nice black plastic box you've yet to find it right? Hmmm, wonder what all my money's going on . . .
I know. It must be the operating system that goes with it. After all, it's really complicated connecting a network to the Internet and running all those weird routing protocols isn't it? And as for packet filtering, boy I can see why they have to charge me loads extra to add that to my box. And if I change protocols, like from ISDN to ADSL or Frame Relay, it's obvious that I should need to buy all those special new modules and updates to my software. . . isn't it?
No it isn't!
Let's get real. The simple truth is, it really isn't rocket science, and you can actually do everything one of those exclusive, very expensive proprietary boxes does on an old 486. And you can do it do it better and faster.
Here's what you do. Take a commodity PC or low-end server, install Debian GNU/Linux or your favourite Open Source OS, and then slot in a Sangoma Technologies WAN card. Bingo! Instant router! Not only that, but you've now got a router that can grow, shrink, do anything you want, and handle anything that is thrown at it. More than this, you have just saved your business a great deal of money.
We think Sangoma cards are terrific. And that's why we're their UK reseller.
Getting off the treadmill
Let's take one of our clients as an example. They're a very rapidly growing business, naturally with a busy Internet connection. They'd done the Cisco thing and bought themselves a 1603 for the best part of a couple of thousand pounds, but within 6 very short months found themselves bumping up against its capacity. Guess what, they were told they should throw it away and buy themselves a mid-range 3600 series. This was going to set them back another £4-5 K just to get started (not a lot really - when the time comes for them to have their own E3 line they'll be asked a cool £6K just for the adapter module alone!). Then there was the additional training their staff needed, the management toolset the reseller felt they really should have, plus the extra . . . With Ciscos, it can very rapidly get very, very expensive.
That's when the realisation fully set in with our clients. They were on the proprietary suppliers' upgrade treadmill - they would have to do the same thing again, and again, and again, and again.
So we didn't let them do this.
We got them a nice little 1U server from Dell and slotted in one of our Sangoma WAN cards - all for less money than they originally spent on that 'entry level' Cisco. Even with their growth rate it lasted over 2 years! When they did finally reach the limit and had to upgrade, we simply swapped the Sangoma card out and put it into another, bigger, box (this time from DNUK . . .). And, since the old 1U server was commodity hardware, we used it for something else!
What they've got is a system that knocks spots off any Cisco equivalent and at a fraction of the cost. They love it, the FD in particular.
Open Source, simply better software
Kicking out the Ciscos means more than just up-front savings too. Updating your Linux box doesn't have to cost you anything. But updating your Cisco IOS most certainly will! And, if you want anything extra, other than bog-standard routing, with the proprietary suppliers you're going to have to pay for that as an extra too!
That's why our clients don't go that way. Once your Sangoma card equipped PC has Linux (or perhaps FreeBSD?) on it you can do anything you want. Packet filtering – no problem, just add IPtables. Cost of packet filtering - nothing! Proxying – no problem, just add Squid. Cost of proxying - nothing! Now just try doing that with a Cisco. They'll be laughing all the way to your bank! No wonder they power the Internet. I could on all that money!
But, they say, 'dedicated hardware' - it's bound to outperform a plain vanilla Intel/Linux box isn't it? Actually, NO. We've seen it in practice, and figures from Sangoma prove it. The figures show the Sangoma card outperforms the Cisco under ALL measures (with small packet sizes, by over 50%!) right up until saturation of the line, when the Cisco eventually achieves parity!
By the way. There's another thing our clients like about doing routing this way. You stick a Cisco into your network and you've got another box, another set of cables, another hop on the way out, and yet another operating system to learn all about (and have you looked at IOS?).
Why would anyone want all this complexity, hassle and cost? Stick one of these WAN cards in your Linux box and you simplify the whole thing. It's faster, it's cheaper, and it's a whole lot simpler to set up and administer. Have a look at Sangoma's home page. It may not be as funny as routergod.com but, if you ever do need a good laugh, there's always Slashdot.
So there you have it. A couple of day's work and you have a router that's as powerful as anything on the market. And, believe me, it really is as easy as that. You've now got a more reliable, simpler and faster solution. You've eliminated another box in your server room, and replaced it with something far easier to administer. You've reduced your exposure to, and dependency on, proprietary technologies and the constant hardware/software upgrade treadmill they force you on. Even more than this, you've saved the business a great deal of money on hardware, support staff time, software licences and 'extra' modules.
