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Looking for some advice re: Windows vs Linux servers. One site uses Windows server and another uses Linux. For ease of management we want to replace the Windows server to a Linux server.

How can Windows accounts be transferred to a Linux server using automation rather than manually doing this, as there are roughly 400-500 users? Does this involve scripts, I have read Ubuntu has migration tools?

Also AutoCAD and other design software including Photoshop is used heavily, so alternative need to be looked at for these, so that does make me wonder if Linux is a good idea, or instead of migrating the Windows server to Linux, should the Linux server be replaced with a Windows Server? The other pro of Windows is the use of AD and management, I have read about Samba, but wanting opinions of alternatives to AD.

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Do you have a Windows domain with Domain Controllers, or is it one big workgroup? Is it a cost issue? I’d just have a DC at both places. (actually 2 at both).

Also with all those files you must have a file server-think about all the permissions you need to address.

If you’re an advanced Linux person, then you might get though it with some scripting.

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Windows domain controller.

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Then I’d stay with a DC at the other location. Linux has its place but imo if you’re a Windows shop stay with Windows DC’s.

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This topic has been discussed awhile ago on the forum before Migrate from windows server to Linux server? and there are more recent instructions here: https://ubuntu.com/server/docs/samba-introduction
I suggest that you can (literally freely) experiment by setting up a Ubuntu server (on an old PC if no server or VM facility) so that you gain first hand experience and can decide for yourself. If you can immerse yourself in Linux by putting it on your laptop that will reduce your learning time. Any Ubuntu installation can become a server and if you have a Ubuntu server you can easily add a Windows to it and some other programmes to help you if you are not so keen on the command line.

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I don’t really understand Samba itself though. Is this to be used if you want a mixed environment? e.g. keeping location 1 one Microsoft server and keeping location 2 on a Linux server?

Or is this used as an alternative to managing Linux servers?

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Prefered would be to use windows on all locations. Samba has DC functionality, but it’s limited and old.

Most of the time in hybrid environment you would use MS DC in the back…

And for 500 users I wouldn’t even think of hybrid. Also, migrating to linux would bot be an easy task, this is not plug-n-play…

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If you don’t seriously know how to do this with Linux, moving to Linux will not save you any management time. To save management time, ditch the Linux and do all Windows for your servers.

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There are two things that you are talking about - the server operating system and then the workstation operating system which is when you start to think about AutoCAD etc, unless you are running drawing management software on the server.
If you are running software on the server, the. I would recommend staying with Windows.
Others here have mentioned AD - it’s a very powerful management solution, so be careful if you decide to dump it. It’s always easier to run these systems on the OS they were designed on, anything else is just going to give you long term pain.
The whole change also depends on your skillset - are you a Windows or a Linux person? You need to be confident in the OS you choose to be able to support it. The cost of buying a Windows license pales into I significance if you are not able to adequately support the company’s business systems.

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You can use Zentyal https://zentyal.com/ this is a commercial release but there is a free version and here is their migration guide Migration from Windows Server to Zentyal - Zentyal Linux Server . This distro is based on Ubuntu. I hope this helps.

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It really shouldn’t be a question of which is better. At the end of the day (in my eyes) it comes down to down time. If one of these servers goes down or encounters an error, how comfortable are you in being able to diagnose and resolve the issue in a timely manner in a Windows system? What about in Linux? In terms of system outages; time is money. The longer those services are down while you’re diagnosing/repairing, the more revenue the company loses. The one other consideration I would make if trying to standardize the environment is if the software/services being hosted can run on the OS you’ll be migrating to. Obviously if you’re hosting a service that can only run on a Linux host, you’re going to have to figure that out (or vice versa). There is no one answer, and no one size fits all. Start with an analysis of your whole environment. If standardizing is where you’d like to go, look at all services and see what would work best for YOU. Don’t put yourself in a position where people are relying on you to support something you don’t fully understand.

There is something to be said of the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.

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Nobody asks other than file servers & DC…what other servers and if the applications support other OSes (Linux or even newer windows server etc).

Else if only file server & DCs, why not Synology NAS ?

  • 2 NAS. one NAS backup to 2nd NAS

  • 3 NAS, one NAS HA to 2nd NAS, backup to 3rd NAS

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I would say not just down time, but time to implement and maintain. If if takes the organization 6 months to figure out how to replace 1 Windows Server with a linux one, I don’t see how the organization is served. That time can be better spent doing other things.

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If you have an Active Directory Domain stay with Windows.

If you need an fileserver do Windows (for proper AD implementation) or think about a NAS. With the cheaper NAS you may reach configuration limitations because of the permissions, ect.

Linux in my opinion is very good for doing Webservices, hosting Cloudservices and such stuff.

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Consider the use case of the server and how comfortable you are with Linux. If you need AD and all the related stuff, stick with Windows. Linux can require a fair amount of work on your part to set it up. If you’re not comfortable with it stick with Windows.

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Samba is used to give windows clients access to the Linux file shares

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Before anything is done you need to logically consider the situation. One site uses Windows and the other uses Linux and so if it is eventually decided that a site has to change then you run the risk of upset systems and staff at the changing site, together with a situation foul up. If I where in higher management covering both sites then I would want to explore the idea of simplifying the management of the IT of both sites. I would want a detailed review done of the situation covering what each site does and the programmes they use and the people skills they have. For instance, it is no good just telling the Windows site that they have to use Linux if the guys there do have the skill to do so. Being in higher management, I would not want to be the guy that ordered changes that resulted in a total mess.

The good news is that, presumably, the sites have two teams of IT people from whom two open minded members can be bought together to start that review. They may identify reasons for or against the idea or they may come up with other options for rationalisation.

Whichever way it goes there will be no harm in the Windows and the Linux IT people becoming more familiar with each others technology such that they can communicate better and help each other out more. That will also be a development opportunity for the IT people.

It seems to me that the rationalisation thoughts are only at the desire stage and jeffers21 should be encouraged to prepare himself by investing some time looking and trying Linux (because that is what the management want) and proposing to his bosses the review leading to a proper plan.

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The problem is often that management looks at the license costs for Windows Servers. And Linux is free.

What they do forget, is that Linux has a learning curve. In order to manage a Linux server, you will have to acquire knowledge of the operating system and it’s functions. This takes time. And time equals money.

So if the decision to move to LInux is based on financial grounds, management should reconsider this…

Linux is absolutely capable of hosting an LDAP instance. What you don’t get, is GPO.

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So does this mean a hybrid setup could be used?

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A would echo the above comments and recommend you stay on Windows, at least for the Active Directory part of things.

If you are fully confident you need Linux for some other roles than DC, a great option would be running those roles virtualized, having a virtual Windows domain controller inside one virtual machine, and a Linux server inside the second one. You can use any existing hypervisor for that purpose since they are all free.

If you don’t want to reconfigure much, you can enable the Hyper-V role on your existing Windows Server installation, but that will require you to remove the DC role from it anyway. Having DC and Hyper-V running side-by-side bare-metal is a bad idea https://www.hyper-v.io/combining-hyper-v-dc-role-server-bad-idea/ .