Software: Systems and Application Software - Principles of Information Systems - page 144

Windows Server
Microsoft designed Windows Server to perform a host of tasks that are vital for Web sites and
corporate Web applications. For example, Microsoft Windows Server can be used to coor-
dinate large data centers. The OS also works with other Microsoft products. It can be used
to prevent unauthorized disclosure of information by blocking text and e-mails from being
copied, printed, or forwarded to other people. Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is the most
recent version of Windows Server and delivers benefits such as a powerful Web server man-
agement system, virtualization tools that allow various operating systems to run on a single
server, advanced security features, and robust administrative support.
UNIX
UNIX is a powerful OS originally developed by AT&T for minicomputers. UNIX can be
used on many computer system types and platforms, from personal computers to mainframe
systems. UNIX also makes it much easier to move programs and data among computers or
to connect mainframes and personal computers to share resources. There are many variants
of UNIX—including HP/UX from Hewlett-Packard, AIX from IBM, UNIX SystemV from
UNIX Systems Lab, Solaris from Sun Microsystems, and SCO from Santa Cruz Operations.
Sun Microsystems hopes that its open-source Solaris will attract developers to make the
software even better.
The online marketplace eBay uses Sun Microsystems servers, software, storage, and ser-
vices to run its operations. 7 Sun's Solaris operating system manages eBay's systems, including
database servers, Web servers, tape libraries, and identity management systems. The online
auction company found that when they switched to Sun and Solaris, system performance
increased by 20 percent. The Idaho National Laboratory also uses Solaris to conduct research
in their work to design more efficient and safe nuclear reactors. 8
NetWare
NetWare is a network OS sold by Novell that can support users on Windows, Macintosh,
and UNIX platforms. NetWare provides directory software to track computers, programs,
and people on a network, helping large companies to manage complex networks. NetWare
users can log on from any computer on the network and use their own familiar desktop with
all their applications, data, and preferences.
Red Hat Linux
Red Hat Software offers a Linux network OS that taps into the talents of tens of thousands
of volunteer programmers who generate a steady stream of improvements for the Linux OS.
The Red Hat Linux network OS is very efficient at serving Web pages and can manage a
cluster of up to eight servers. Linux environments typically have fewer virus and security
problems than other OSs. Distributions such as SuSE and Red Hat have proven Linux to be
a very stable and efficient OS.
Mac OS X Server
The Mac OS X Server is the first modern server OS from Apple Computer and is based on
the UNIX OS. The most recent version is OS X Server 10.5 Leopard. It includes features
that allow the easy management of network and Internet services such as e-mail, Web site
hosting, calendar management and sharing, wikis, and podcasting.
Enterprise Operating Systems
New mainframe computers provide the computing and storage capacity to meet massive
data-processing requirements and offer many users high performance and excellent system
availability, strong security, and scalability. In addition, a wide range of application software
has been developed to run in the mainframe environment, making it possible to purchase
software to address almost any business problem. As a result, mainframe computers remain
the computing platform of choice for mission-critical business applications for many com-
panies. Examples of mainframe OSs include z/OS from IBM, HP-UX from Hewlett-
Packard, and Linux.