Integrating Linux as mailstore into Win2k3 environment?

Spider · 30 Jun 2006 at 11:37

Note even sure if this is feasible so thought I would ask.
We have a large number of users (>100) OST files stored centrally on a Windows 2003 server. Our Windows 2003 server is becoming a little bogged down now with the bazillion things hosted on our server so we are looking at moving the PST’s to a separate mail store.

Before we go ahead any buy another licence for Windows 2003, I was wondering if its possible to use Linux perhaps to host the PST’s and get the Windows XP to connect and access their PSTs.
The only problem is, at the moment access to the PST files are controlled using windows 2003 security that only allows the owner/user of the file and the admins to access them. Could I replicate this restriction in Linux? My use of Linux is a little limited but something i'd like to get into.

Can anyone suggest a good way to overcome this problem, or should I just buy another copy of windows 2003?

SiHH · 30 Jun 2006 at 12:57

You could use Linux yes but do you not have any other file servers you could use that are already existent on the domain ?

J1nxy · 30 Jun 2006 at 13:05

Yes you can do it and assuming you run a domain you can use it to secure the files. Whether its worth the saving of a few £££ over the hassel etc of setting it all up is another question. Don't forget you'll also want to be backing these up.

Do you use Exchange BTW?? might be more cost effective to dump an external storge array on that box and dump the mail back into there.

Steve

Spider · 30 Jun 2006 at 14:37

siloleth said:
You could use Linux yes but do you not have any other file servers you could use that are already existent on the domain ?

Our (dated) mailserver currently runs on XP, which is no good becuase it has a 10 concurrent connection limit, which causes no end of problems. We only have one Win2k3 server at the moment

Spider · 30 Jun 2006 at 14:39

J1nxy said:
Yes you can do it and assuming you run a domain you can use it to secure the files. Whether its worth the saving of a few £££ over the hassel etc of setting it all up is another question. Don't forget you'll also want to be backing these up.

Do you use Exchange BTW?? might be more cost effective to dump an external storge array on that box and dump the mail back into there.

Steve

We do have a domain, and its these security rights we want to base the access permissions on. is this feasible?
No, we plan on upgrading to Exchange next year which will be a big job. Just looking for something in the interim, which was why i though of using Linux.

J1nxy · 30 Jun 2006 at 20:48

OK so you could use a LINUX box running samba and then join that box to the domain. You can then use the domain accounts to secure the files. As I said above you also want to ensure you have a backup solution in place which can deal with open files etc as well.

Whether this saves enough money over an OEM of 2K or 2K3 server based on the time etc to build and configure only you can answer.

zetec452 · 30 Jun 2006 at 21:42

Surely purchasing another windows 2003 license would be beneficial for a company of your size. You could then have a dedicated exchange server and a separate file server. A much better solution.

By the time you’ve messed around with Linux you’ll have easily saved for a Windows 2003 license.

M0KUJ1N · 30 Jun 2006 at 23:16

As much as I like FOSS alternatives to Microsoft, I would go for Windows Server 2003 unless you have in-house expertise with Linux/UNIX. In an ideal world Id even suggest running a linux IMAP mail server instead of what you have running on a single XP box (thus eradicating the 10 connections limit) but this is non-trivial to establish and its one thing messing around with a linux server box on your home network. Its an entirely different matter in an enterprise environment.