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Ten Leading Open Source Server Technologies

If you think open-source server technologies are limited to Linux distributions, think again. Although these software projects pair well with Linux, it isn’t an integral part of any of the 10 listed. Open-source software no longer refers to a Linux-only environment. In fact, open source now crosses all operating system boundaries, so much so, that […]

Written By

Kenneth Hess

Mar 2, 2010

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If you think open-source server technologies are limited to Linux distributions, think again. Although these software projects pair well with Linux, it isn’t an integral part of any of the 10 listed. Open-source software no longer refers to a Linux-only environment. In fact, open source now crosses all operating system boundaries, so much so, that Microsoft launched its own open-source laboratory called Port 25, and it is a platinum-level sponsor of the Open Source Business Conference in San Francisco. To introduce you to 10 hot server-oriented open-source technologies you need to know, I compiled a diverse list of projects and applications for you to discover and explore. Many of these products are free of cost or close to it.

1. Zenoss

Zenoss is an open-source IT Management suite. You can observe and monitor your entire network using Zenoss. It consists of an alert console, network discovery, performance monitoring, service monitoring and inventory modules. It is enterprise-ready, free, easy to install and maintain, and modular through ZenPacks.

2. Mono

Mono is the open-source implementation of Microsoft’s .NET technologies. When I first heard of the Mono Project, I didn’t know how to put a Microsoft technology into the open-source world category, but it has captured the attention of developers and businesses on a worldwide scale. Sponsored by Novell, this technology combines two incompatible worlds (*nix and Microsoft) into a single agile, open-source and stable realm. Mono allows you to develop powerful and advanced server-side applications on Linux, Mac OS X and Windows

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3. Apache

The Apache Web Server is the Internet’s most popular Web server, and the project everyone associates with apache.org. However, it might surprise you to know that there are more than 70 other projects under the Apache umbrella. Enterprise-level projects include ActiveMQ, Geronimo, SpamAssassin and Tomcat. Although many of the Apache projects relate to Java (e.g., Geronimo and Tomcat), several are stand-alone projects (OFBiz), and a few directly enhance Apache (mod_perl). If you haven’t checked out apache.org lately, you should. Apache.org has morphed into more than the just a URL from which you download the Apache Web Server; it’s a repository of the most powerful open-source software in the world.

Read the rest at Server Watch.