Linux
Total Linux Coverage
When it comes to Linux, we really do it all.
Below are just some of the Linux Services we offer. If you want a Linux Service not listed here, please contact us to build on that.
We are adaptable to your current and future needs and scale. Available to Calgary Alberta Canada, the USA, and Globally, we are ready to help you (on this planet).
Consulting
Our Linux Consulting Services provide you direct access to seasoned Linux Subject Matter Experts. These flexible services can include answering questions, providing professional opinions, architectural, implementation planning, strategic planning, & other advisory.
Support
You want support for existing, and upcoming Linux things. You also want to leverage multiples of our "Specific Offerings". We can build a support relationship to meet the needs you have and the needs you plan for. We recommend you reach out to us and we can schedule a nice conversation to build on.
Specific Offerings
Your needs are more specific and focused. With the Services and Products in our Specific Offerings, the choice is yours. Click here to be sent to the menu of Specific Offerings.
Servers, Desktops, & Laptops
Our Linux coverage includes Servers, Desktops, & Laptops.
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Servers
Windows Servers are slow, rigid, have unreliable updates, high licensing costs, hugely bloated, and plenty more problems. Linux Servers do not have these problems.
Linux servers are very fast and efficient with resources. Highly flexible, with endless permutations of configurations and architectural structures. Updates are so reliable you will forget the last time they broke. A Windows Server default installation starts at 32GB. Linux Servers can be just a few GB.
Linux Servers give you substantially more tangible value than Windows ever can. And there are so many things that Linux does, that Windoesn't.
Application Hosting, File Serving, Samba Active Directory Domain Controllers, Network Services, Security Services, Remote Access, Monitoring & Alerting, Databases, And on, and on, and on. Linux really does it all. And we really do it all.
Where can we bring you tangible value with Linux? Reach out to us and we can schedule a lovely conversation about that.
Desktops & Laptops
Using Linux on Desktops and Laptops results in a typical lower TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) compared to alternatives such as Windows and macOS. This is a combination of both CapEx (Capital Expenditure) and OpEx (Operational Expenditure). Some noteworthy areas for savings are in licensing, support costs (lower break/fix frequency), reduced security incidents (higher security), and performance reliability (helping productivity).
There are many other benefits to choosing Linux on your Desktops & Laptops instead of Windows or macOS. Fleet Management is substantially more reliable and capable. Windows Viruses do not work on Linux. Upgrading Major Edition versions in-place is reliable. Patching is extremely reliable. Hardware Lifecycles are many years longer. Linux is actually just faster than Windows on the same hardware, by a lot.
You may not want Linux for your entire Desktop and Laptop fleet, but chances are there is a substantial amount of that fleet that would significantly benefit from migrating to Linux. We recommend you reach out to us and we can schedule a nice conversation to build upon.
Specific Offerings
What a yummy buffet.
Capacity Planning
We work with you and available Monitoring, Metrics, & Alerting insights to determine appropriate actions to address Capacity aspects. Are your Linux systems running really slow? Do you keep running out of storage space and do not know why? Are you unsure what kind of resources to allocate to a new Linux project? Do you have any over-allocated Linux Systems? Our Capacity Planning addresses these aspects and so much more for new and existing Linux systems.
Fleet & Patch Management
We work with you to improve your existing Linux Fleet Management Systems, or build out new ones. Whether your Linux Endpoints are Servers, Desktops, Laptops, Workstations, or Embedded Devices, we have you covered. Linux Fleet & Patch Management increases reliability, security, reduces administrative overhead & cost, while also providing additional insights across your fleet. How many Linux endpoints do you want to manage? 50? 500? 5000? More?
Monitoring, Metrics, & Alerting
Monitoring of Linux Systems produces useful Metrics that provide short and long term benefitis. In the short term Monitoring & Metrics enable you to evaluate the impact of recent changes to your systems, as well as enable Alerting of immeddiate problems. In the long term Monitoring & Metrics provides critical insights that enable successful Capacity Planning. Such as identifying system usage patterns, resource contention, and cost savings opportunities.
Backups & Restorations
Our Backups & Restorations capabilities for Linux are highly flexible and reliable. We only treat Backups as reliable if we can regularly prove they have successful Restorations. When we work with you on your Backup needs, we consider regular Restoration Validations of your Backups to be a requirement for success. We also provide multiple-tiers of Backup capabilities, including ZFS Snapshots, Proxmox VE Backups, SMB Network Share Version History, and so much more.
Proxmox Migration
We work with you to determine if migrating from your existing Hypervisor (VMWare, Hyper-V, etc) to Proxmox makes sense, and what it would take to accomplish. If we agree that such a migration makes sense, we then work with you to migrate your important Virtual Machines to Proxmox, and also validate success post-migration. There are many reasons where Proxmox does and does not make sense, and we look forward to exploring that with your own interests.
Website Systems
Whether it is Concrete CMS for your internal intranet websites, reverse-proxying for Security & Performance, an existing LAMP stack website, or some sort of other website you run on Linux, we have you covered for your Website Systems. If you need a new public or internal website built, we would build that for you with Concrete CMS. Perhaps you need configuration & security improvements for the Linux Systems running your website. Where are your needs for your Website Systems?
Break/Fix
You have an immediate Linux problem that needs solving, but it keeps happening. When we work on Linux Break/Fix or other such problems, we seek to solve any related root causes as well. Do you really want problems coming back if you can help it? We prefer to sleep well at night, just like you.
Authentication
Our Linux Authentication Consulting covers existing Authentication Systems (Windows Active Directory, Samba Active Directory, LDAP, etc), building out new ones, and anywhere in between. Whether you have Staff or IT Systems that need to log into Linux systems, using Authentication Systems improves productivity & security. Do you still have Staff logging into Linux systems with local accounts? Let us make that better for you, and your Staff.
Storage
We help you with your Linux Systems connecting to your existing Storage systems (SMB, NFS, iSCSI, etc), build-out new Storage systems, identify Storage connectivity & usage problems, and any other Linux Storage need you may have. Do you have slow network storage that is holding your performance back? Do you have permission issues for network storage? Do you want more Storage? Are you inefficiently using your existing storage? Do you need more Monitoring, Metrics, & Alerting for your storage?
High Availability
We work with you to identify the SLA & Capacity needs you have, where your existing Linux systems are falling short, & what it would take to implement High Availability of Linux systems to meet your SLA needs. Linux High Availability increases Systems reliability, performance, scalability, and enables daytime patching without service interruption.
Containers
We work with you to identify where Linux Containers (Docker, Kubernetes, etc) makes sense for your interests. Whether it is for Linux Containers you develop, using public Container Images, or working with your existing Container Ecosystems, we have you covered. Linux Containers enable rapid deployment, scaling, recovery, and capacity efficiency improvements.
Application Serving
Applications that run on Linux still need Support, and we help you with that. Application Vendors targeting Linux typically present requirements and specifications to follow, and we ensure the needs of the Application can be met. Whether you need a system to run SAP, nextCloud, GitLab, Apache, NGINX, or more, we are here to support you.
Secure Remote Access
Your modern business requires Secure Remote Access to ensure that Staff can complete work without compromising security. We can help you improve existing Linux Secure Remote Access Systems, or build-out many different new Secure Remote Access Systems. Whether you need a fleet of Linux Remote Desktop Systems, a secure HTML5/Web interface to access existing IT Systems, SSH Reverse-Proxy/Relay, or other Secure Remote Access capabilities, we have you covered.
Security & Hardening
We explore with you your existing Linux IT Security needs, identify areas for improvement, and implement appropriate Linux IT Security Solutions. This can include Linux Hardening, Fleet & Patch Management, IT Security-centric Monitoring, Metrics & Alerting, Secure Remote Access Systems, User Authentication, Security Target Compliance, and so much more. Good IT Security keeps you safe, Great IT Security keeps you agile at the same time.
Databases
Databases keep your modern business running, and yours probably run on Linux. We enable your Databases on Linux to run fast, be reliable, and scale as your business does. Do you need to migrate existing standalone Databases into a new Cluster? Are your Databases constrained for resources or run poorly? Whether it's MySQL, PostgreSQL, or other Databases on Linux, we have you covered.
Lifecycle Management
Our Linux Lifecycle Management covers from Cradel to Grave of your Linux systems. Ensuring that the right version of Linux is used, managing major version upgrades, and any appropriate licensing is applied. If you have Linux Systems that are approaching End of Life for Vendor Support, we help you with that. If you need to perform major version upgrades of Linux Systems to maintain vendor support, we help you with that. If you need to sunset Linux systems but need to keep sections of data securely, we help you with that. And more.
Forensics & Security Auditing
Our Linux Forensics & Security Auditing services are scoped for dealing with IT Security concerns for Linux systems of any kind. This can include identifying existing security threats within Linux systems, reviewing activity within Linux systems to audit past activity, gathering of forensic evidence for legal and law enforcement purposes, advisory services on improving IT Security for Linux systems, and lots more related IT Security services for Linux systems. We even offer IT Security monitoring for Linux systems in a variety of ways.
Linux Migrations
Do you have a crusty old Windows Server that nobody likes, but everyone needs? Or maybe you're still using FTP to send and receive files from your clients. Maybe you have bloated IT Systems that use way too much disk space than they should, are a pig to work on, & are barely working.
What about your Staff Desktops & Laptops? How many of them would benefit from migrating from Windows to Linux? Probably at least some of them would.
At LANified! we have found significant value in migrating ourselves, and our partners, to Linux systems wherever possible. We know that not everything can really be migrated, but if you're reading this then there's probably value in our Linux Migration Services for you. We have some Linux Migration Examples for you to consider, but our Linux Migrations are so much more than just the examples.
Linux Migration Examples
Perhaps consider some of these example Linux Migrations.
(S)FTP to nextCloud - Files
Sending and receiving files of all sizes between you, your customers, and your partners, is pretty universal. But why are you still doing it the hard way with (S)FTP? Instead of using a clunky (S)FTP Client Application to send/receive files, migrate to nextCloud and use the very delicious web interface to drag and drop files and folders easily!
Which would your clients like more?:
- They need to install an FTP Client just to do business with you
- They can click a secure website link and use their browser of choice to do business with you
nextCloud offers so much more than just file sharing, but the value is very real, and let's be frank: nobody likes (S)FTP, nobody wants it. nextCloud will reduce your barrier to entry to do business with you, improve your security, improve the experience for you staff, and so much more.
Active Directory - Windows Server
Active Directory on Windows Server doesn't just cost licensing for Windows Server itself, you also need to buy Access Licenses. This cost adds up more and more over time, and becomes a treadmill. Maybe you only really use Active Directory for basic User Authentication? At that point it really does not make sense to even pay for Windows Server licensing, let alone the Access Licenses.
It's not for everyone, but there are plenty of legitimate cases where Samba Active Directory (running on Linux instead of Windows Server) makes a lot more sense than Windows Server Active Directory.
From a cost perspective, Samba Active Directory has ZERO licensing costs. That includes the Operating System, as well as Access Licenses. What if you could just create accounts, and scale up, without having to worry about licensing costs for those new users? Or not having to worry about licensing costs when your Windows Server stops receiving updates?
In addition to costing less for licensing ($0), Samba Active Directory (on Linux) also uses way less CPU, RAM, Disk. It is also faster for updates, rebooting, and so much more.
All the core things you probably care about are already there in Samba Active Directory. This includes GPOs, Domain Controller fail-over, RSAT integration, LDAP(S), and so much more. It doesn't do everything Windows Server Active Directory can, but it probably already does what you care about.
Sharepoint to Concrete CMS
Sharepoint is often sold as a universal intranet tool, but is it actually any good? In a lot of cases, it's absolute horrible. Sharepoint is slow, painful to administrate, obnoxious to actually modify content, the search capabilities often gives useless results, oh and it costs a whole lot of money too.
On-premise the costs are substantial. Windows Server licensing, Sharepoint software licensing itself, Access Licenses, MS SQL Licenses, huge capacity costs (CPU, RAM, Disk, etc), and that's before you even pay someone to implement and support it.
Cloud hosted Sharepoint you lose any sense of control over your infrastructure and feature sets. If the service goes down, you really can't do anything about it but sit and twiddle your thumbs (or maybe call and get angry at Microsoft). Plus if you're dealing with lots of files you're now uploading them and dowloading them across the internet, which is way slower than your local network.
Most of the time staff don't even like Sharepoint, they just put up with it because they are given no choice. Does it even really need absolutely all the features that Microsoft tries to stuff in it? No.
In contrast, with Concrete CMS (on Linux) you can have many intranet websites and pages that cost substantially less. There's no licensing costs for Concrete CMS (there are paid addons if you want them), it uses way less resources than Sharepoint and Windows Server, it works more reliably, is faster, and gives you way more flexibility in how you build your intranet websites. This includes an actually working search capability too.
We at LANified! use Concrete CMS exclusively to build our websites. This website you're reading right now was built with Concrete CMS, and that's the same for our main gaming website, and others!
Bitwarden/Vaultwarden - Passwords
Passwords stored in spreadsheets, written down on pieces of paper stuck under keyboards, attached to screens for everyone to see. There are countless bad habits and practices when it comes to passwords. These habits form from convenience and not having something that's better.
Bitwarden and the Vaultwarden variant enable top tier security for the passwords and accounts you care about. But in addition to all the lovely security fluff and details, the ecosystem actually is really convenient and nice to use!
Instead of having passswords and credentials stored in a spreadsheet on a single computer, use the web interface for Bitwarden/Vaultwarden, the desktop application options, the mobile application options, the browser plugins, or several other ways you can conveniently (and securely) add/edit/delete/use credentials across your whole organisation!
Alternatives like CyberArk have much higher costs, are more obnoxious to work with, have clunky access grant/revoke controls, and fewer modern features. Why even pay more when you get less with alternatives?
We could go on and on about the exhaustive security features, access control and organisation features, how great it is to use, that people actually LIKE using it, and more. But really if you've come this far, we probably should have a conversation.
Remote Access - RDP
Whether it's users accessing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), IT Staff remotely working on IT systems, or others, there are legitimate reasons to remotely access systems with a graphical interface. You could be using Citrix or an RDP client, but that can be costly and at times clunky.
By using Guacamole (on Linux) instead, you can securely access remote systems in your browser! This means you do not need a special RDP or Citrix client installed on your computer, and the traffic is more secure. Guacamole can even work with RDP, SSH, VNC, and other protocols behind the scenes, and you get a nice web interface that has all the features you really could want!
But wait, the licensing cost is... $0! How much does your Citrix and/or RDP farm cost you?
Guacamole cannot replace everything that Citrix and RDP ecosystems can do, but chances are it can save you a lot of money in areas you're over-spending, while increasing security along the way. And you may have even used Guacamole in some tools without realising it. Reach out to us and we can schedule a nice conversation about improving your Remote Access.
Windows Desktop to Linux Desktop
With so many tools now having web interfaces, there are far fewer reasons to even be running Windows on your computer. Whether it is a desktop, laptop, or workstation, Linux distrubitons such as Ubuntu have significant benefits over Windows.
Ubuntu Linux, for example, is worlds faster than Windows at booting, shutting down, applying updates, and pretty much doing anything else. Linux updates are substantially more reliable than Windows Updates.
Out of the box Ubuntu Linux is more secure than Windows, and viruses for Windows just don't work on Linux. By default your security posture will immediately improve just by migrating some of your staff from Windows to Ubuntu Linux on their staff computer.
Ubuntu Linux is also actually easier to use than Windows. Searching for files and applications is faster and more reliable than on Windows. Ubuntu Linux has ZERO adverts (Windows has so many adverts!). We have even helped many Senior Citizens happly and successfully migrate from Windows to Ubuntu Linux, and not one of them has wanted to switch back! Anyone who says Ubuntu Linux is harder than Windows has not actually tried Ubuntu Linux.
We also offer fleet management for Linux Desktops & Laptops.
We recommend that you reach out to us and we schedule a lovely convesation regarding Linux for your Desktops and Laptops.
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