Introduction
Windows operating systems provide certain advantages over other operating systems in specific environments. However, for certain operations such as those required by Linx LLC new research and development group, a new version of Linux operating system triumphs Windows operating system. It is imperative to point out that Microsoft no longer offers support for Windows XP operating systems. Also, it is worth noting that the new research and development group for Linx LLC has several computers and systems running and operating on Windows XP.
Given the lack of support by Microsoft in addition to other factors such as security issues of the operating system, it is imperative for Linx LLC to select a new operating system to migrate the systems running Windows XP. Before the migration process is started, it is imperative to select the appropriate version or distribution of Linux operating system to migrate to. Linux offers a wide range of distributions or versions that exhibit different and several advantages and attributes. For this proposal, the desired distribution of Linux operating system is Redhat distribution (Chen& Noble, 2001).
It is crucial to ensure that the selected distribution will be capable of addressing and handling all the requirements presented by the new research and development group of Linx LLC. Redhat distribution of Linux operating system should be able to access resources as well as share resources with the organisation's Microsoft Active Directory domain. It is imperative to have a thorough understanding and operation of Redhat distribution of Linux operating system before the implementation and migration process is commenced. Redhat distribution of Linux operating system comes in two versions; the 32 bit and the 64-bit operating system. In most cases, the versions of the Redhat distribution are referred to as x86 and x86_64 platforms.
Additionally, it is worth noting that Redhat distribution of Linux operating system comes with features and attributes which are capable of addressing the networking requirements presented by the new research and development group of Linx LLC. The attributes of Redhat distribution will be configured appropriately so as to address all the networking concerns presented by the new research and development group of Linx LLC.
Hardware requirement
It is crucial to have an in-depth understanding of all the requirements of the selected operating system and its preferred distribution before implementation and migration process is started. At the core of requirements to be researched and understood are the hardware requirements. The hardware requirements and specifications of the selected distribution of the new operating system are very crucial (Karp, O'Reilly & Mott, 2005).
Their hardware requirements should be assessed against the existing system so as to confirm whether the system meets minimal hardware specification of the new operating system. In case the hardware specifications of the new operating system and its distribution are not attained, it is necessary to upgrade the hardware for the existing systems before migration and implementation of the new operating system is started (Mosberger & Eranian, 2011).
The current systems that are targeted for migration to Linux operating system from Windows XP have the following hardware specifications: The systems run and operate on Intel Core 2 processor; they also operate on a memory of 2GB ram; they are installed with a hard disk space of 80 GB; a network card of 10/100 Mbps conducts all the networking needs; the systems are configured with 4 USB 2.0 ports; and an LCD monitor of screen size 15 inch.These hardware specifications should be checked against the hardware requirements for Redhat distribution of Linux operating system.
Any operating system and version of that operating system have minimum hardware specifications, and requirements below which they cannot operate efficiently are required. As a consequence, it is imperative to check and verify that the systems intended for migration meet the minimum hardware specifications of the selected operating system and its preferred distribution (Chen& Noble, 2001).These hardware requirements must be met so as to gain the full features and smooth operation of the installed operating system.
The minimum hardware requirements and specifications for Redhat distribution of Linux operating system are as follows; the operating system requires a CPU or processor type which is Pentium 4 or higher (Karp, O'Reilly & Mott, 2005).It is crucial that the speed of the processor be at least 2 GHz or higher. Additionally, the distribution runs and smoothly operates on a memory of not less than 1 GB. Any memory size less that the specified amount may result into slow functioning of the operating system.
On the other hand, Redhat distribution of Linux operating system does not require much hard disk space. It can successfully operate on a hard disk space as low as 4GB. However, any hard disk space less than the specified 4GB will lead to unwarranted slow operation and response of the system. It is also imperative to point out that the distribution comes with both 32 bit and 64-bit platforms. It is crucial to set up the directory server as root so as to run the directory server using port numbers which are less than 1024 as the default port 389.
It is rational to conclude that the systems targeted for operating system upgrade and migration meet the minimum requirements for Redhat distribution of Linux operating system. They systems are installed with sufficient hard disc space (80 GB), Memory (2 GB) and processor (Intel Core two processor) that are sufficiently capable of running and operating Redhat distribution. As a consequence, there is no need to upgrade the existing hardware specifications for the targeted systems for migration.
Migration from Windows XP to Linux
The first step to migrating and implementing Linux operating system is to understand the various distributions of Linux operating system which are available for selection. It is imperative to carefully understand the various distribution of Linux operating system before selecting one to install. The selection process should be determined by the requirements presented by the new research and development group of Linx LLC organisation. It is crucial that the selected distribution be able to address and to access resources as well as share resources with the organisation's Microsoft Active Directory domain (Chen& Noble, 2001).
It should be able to handle Microsoft Active Directory, access DNS, access and share resources, printing services as well as web services. The selected distribution of Linux operating system which will be used for the upgrade and migration is Redhat distribution. Redhat distribution of Linux operating system has numerous features which can be configured to address all the networking needs of new research and development group.
After selecting the appropriate distribution of Linux operating system (Redhat), the next step to the migration and implementation process entails data backup and imaging. All the crucial and critical data should be backed up in a safe location such as external hard drives or DVDs. In other cases, a partition of the existing hard disc of the systems can be made specifically for backing up the critical files (Mosberger & Eranian, 2011).The other partitions will be used for the installation of Linux operating system. It is imperative to ensure that the selected partition for installation of Linux operating system meets the minimum requirements for hard disc space.
The next step entails a thorough understanding of the selected distribution of the Linux system. It is crucial to comprehend the basic features and operation of Redhat distribution of Linux operating system before an installation is started (Karp, O'Reilly & Mott, 2005). After understanding the basic operations and features of the selected distribution, the new operating system will be installed in each of the targeted systems one by one. All the necessary configurations will be made so as to enable the new operating system address all the required needs presented by the new research and development group of Linx LLC.
Accessing DNS
Redhat distribution of Linux operating system will be configured to access and address the IP addressing needs for the systems so as to properly communicate with the organisation's Microsoft Active Directory domain. The main function of the DNS is to transform Internet Protocol (such as 192.134.56.234) into a readable name (such as yahoo.com). Additionally, it is utilized internally to decide computer and systems names to the server. The Redhat distribution destop and laptop client systems can be set up to utilize windows server DNS as well as an external DNS server.
It is crucial to ensure that the DNS and reverse DNS are working appropriately on the host and client machines. The DNS will be configured through the DNS resolver and NIS domain name through modifying the following files in the client systems; /etc/resolv.conf, /etc/netconfig and /etcnsswitch files. Also, the DNS resolver will be configured for name resolution. It is also imperative to modify the /etc/default domain file so as to include the NIS domain name. The modification process guarantees that entirely qualified domain and host names are used for the directory server resolve to a valid internet protocol address. Additionally, it ensures that the internet protocol address resolves back to the appropriate host name. The systems should be rebooted after the files have been edited so as to apply the changes and enable them access and properly address Internet Protocol addresses.
Accessing and Sharing Files
There are several features which will enable the freshly installed systems to access and share files via the organisation's existing Microsoft Active Directory domain (Karp, O'Reilly & Mott, 2005).Redhat distribution of Linux operating system comes with a feature known as Samba, which can be used to connect securely to Windows share and access and share files. It is worth noting that Linx LLC organization has numerous Windows Server 2012 R2 running various services like file services, printing services DNS, DHCP and active directory services. Redhat will employ the use of Samba to successfully share and transfer files from the main servers to the client systems (Love, 2005).While encryption may be necessary, Redhat distribution o0f Linux operating system come installed with Access Control List (ACL) which performs the access restriction work. Access Control List feature enables Redhat distribution systems to add an additional level of protection to the data and files that are being shared over the organisations network.
The Acces Control List feature in Redhat distribution will enable LSDG to securely share files between their groups and members of other groups. The feature enables secure sharing given that it allows the group to add and remove the desired group of people for file sharing. It ensures that the selected files are only shared among the listed members in ACL.
Printing services
Redhat distribution can use the same software drivers employed by Windows XP for printing services. In most cases, the software driver for printing services employed by Redhat distribution of Linux operating system is known as Common Unix Printing System (CUPS). The software driver can be set up to add auto printers in the network when properly configured. Conclusion
The selected distribution of Linux operating system is competently capable of handling all the requirements of Linx LLC new research and development group. After a thorough research into Redhat distribution of Linux operating system, it is apparent that the existing systems posses the required minimum hardware specification for smooth installation and operation of the new operating system. As a consequence, systems will not require any hardware adjustments or upgrades. Additionally, it is apparent that Redhat distribution can be appropriately configured to address all the networking requirements and concerns raised by the group. All in all, it is safe to migrate to Redhat distribution of Linux from Windows XP.
References
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Mosberger, D., & Eranian, S. (2011). IA-64 Linux kernel: design and implementation. Prentice
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