Ceci est for a small company (12 developers) who n'ont pas implemented tout centralized user database - they've grown organically et juste created accounts on computers as they needed.
From a management point of view, its a nightmare - 10 computers tous avec différent user accounts. If a user is added to one computer, they manually need to be added on tous le others(that they need to access). Ceci est far depuis ideal. Moving forward et growing le business will mean exponentially more work as more computers/users are added/hired.
Je sais that *some* kind of centralized user management is sorely needed. Cependant, Je suis debating entre Active Directory et OpenLDAP. Two current servers function as simple backup et file-sharing servers, les deux running Ubuntu 8.04LTS. The computers are a mix of Windows XP et Ubuntu 9.04.
Je ne have experience avec Active Directory (or really OpenLDAP for that matter, mais Je suis comfortable avec Linux), mais si one solution outweighs le autre alors its warranted that I learn that.
Upfront cost n'est pas *really* an issue, TCO is. If Windows (SBS Je suis assuming?) will save me enough time to make up for le increased upfront cost, alors Je pense I should go avec that solution.
For mon needs, what solution should I be looking at implementing?
**edit:** Email is hosted off-site, so Exchange n'est pas necessary.
Active Directory vs OpenLDAP
Re: Active Directory vs OpenLDAP
Stick avec le open-source, si Je suis reading votre question correctly:
- You ne care about Exchange
- You ne have a huge need for minute control of XP settings - I love group policy primarily to save le admin/sales staff depuis themselves, le developers mostly need me to stay out of leur hair
- You're more comfortable avec *nix than windows
AD is great at managing windows to a fine degree, mais si you ne need that, you're buying yourself a learning curve that ne va pas likely bring a great deal of benefit.
2 caveats
- If you've got le time/interest to push yourself more on le MS side of things, this is a good way to provide that.
- WSUS is a good way to control workstation/server patches. If you ne peut pas juste flip le "automatic" switch on tous machines, this might push le balance over to SBS (if SBS does WSUS?)
- You ne care about Exchange
- You ne have a huge need for minute control of XP settings - I love group policy primarily to save le admin/sales staff depuis themselves, le developers mostly need me to stay out of leur hair
- You're more comfortable avec *nix than windows
AD is great at managing windows to a fine degree, mais si you ne need that, you're buying yourself a learning curve that ne va pas likely bring a great deal of benefit.
2 caveats
- If you've got le time/interest to push yourself more on le MS side of things, this is a good way to provide that.
- WSUS is a good way to control workstation/server patches. If you ne peut pas juste flip le "automatic" switch on tous machines, this might push le balance over to SBS (if SBS does WSUS?)