NT vs. UNIX

Unix: a brief historyUnix: a brief history OverviewOverview Unix featuresUnix features Comparing the Operating systemsComparing the Operating systems what IT professionals are saying about thiswhat IT professionals are saying about this conclusionconclusion

unix: a brief history

during the early 1960s , many computers were working in the batch mode, running single jobs. programers had to use punch cards to input their programs and then wait for the output on the line printer.

Unix : a brief history

The UNIX operating system was born in 1969 as a response to the frustration of the programmers and the need for new computing tools to help them with their projects.

Universities and colleges have played a great role in the popularity of the UNIX operating system.

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In 1975, bell labs offered the UNIX OS to educational institutions at minimal cost.

Many versions have been released since then, the most popular ones are: AIS, HP-UX, LINUX, SOLARIS, UnixWare.

overview

the operating system is system software that controls, and coordinates the activities of the computer. Like other operating systems, the UNIX is a collection of programs that includes text editors, language compilers, and other system utility programs .it is implemented in a layered style software model.

the model

kernel: also called the base operating system ,is the layer that manages all the hardware dependant functions

resident modules layer: it provides service routines that perform users-requested services.

utility layer: is the Unix user interface commonly referred to as a shell.

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virtual computer: consists of a terminal for user interface and shared access to the other computer resources such as memory, disk drives, and most importantly the CPU.

processes: the UNIX allocates resources to users and programs by way of processes. Each process has a process identification number and a set of resources is associated to that number.

unix features

portability Multi-user capabilities Multitasking capabilities Hierarchical file system Device independent input and output

operations User interface shell

portability

the use of the C language made Unix a portable system. It decrease the user’s learning time when moving from one system to an other .it also provide more choices among the hardware vendors.

Multi-user capabilities

under Unix, a number of users can share computer resources simultaneously with each user running a different program.

Multitasking capabilities

Unix allow the user to initiate a task and then proceed other tasks while the original task is being run in the background.

Hierarchical file system

Unix provide users with the ability to group data and programs in a manner that provide easy management.

Device independent input and output operations Unix treats all devices (printers, terminals,

disks) as files. With Unix you can redirect the output of your commands to any device or file

User interface shell

experienced programmers find Unix simple, concise, and elegant. On thew other hand ,beginners find it terse ,not user friendly. the user’s interaction with Unix is controlled by a program called “shell”. Shell is the face of Unix and the part with which most of the users interact.

Comparing the operating systems

Product costs and licensing issues Functionality Reliability System Management Performance Web Servers

Product costs and licensing issues

Product Price (US-$) NT server 4.0(5 users) $809NT server 4.0(5 users) $809 NT server 4.0(10 users) $1,129NT server 4.0(10 users) $1,129 NT server4.0(ed 25users) $3,999NT server4.0(ed 25users) $3,999 NT server4.0(ed 50users) $4,799NT server4.0(ed 50users) $4,799 NT documentation kit $ 69.95NT documentation kit $ 69.95 20 quantity client lisence $32920 quantity client lisence $329 single quality client lisence $19.95single quality client lisence $19.95

that is it?

Of course no! we all know that in a networked operating system we also need a telnet server, SMTP server(for e-mail) , disk quotes, news server. By adding all that, the final price will go up to $4,000 for a NT solution.

Functionality

NT can communicate with many different types of computers. So can UNIX.

NT can secure sensitive data and keep unauthorized users off the network. So can UNIX. both operating systems meet the minimum requirements for operating systems functioning in a networked environment. Put briefly, UNIX can do anything that NT can do and more

Reliability

it is in the area of reliability that the choice of operating systems has the most influence. Even if one operating system offers more functionality, is more scalable, and offers greater ease of system management, what good are these advantages when a server processing real-time financial transactions is plagued by frequent crashes resulting in unacceptable downtimes?

System Management

The argument that NT is easier to manage due to its GUI (point-and-click graphical user interface) is unfounded. The advantage, if any, of GUI over CLI (command line interface, i.e. having manually to type commands from a keyboard) is questionable. The first assumption is that NT has an advantage over UNIX because of its GUI. This is wrong. UNIX operating systems have a GUI as well.

Performance

UNIX has been historically an operating system for high-end hardware.

NT's lack of reliability is only surpassed by its lack of scalability. The superior scalability achieved by the commercial UNIX operating systems on their respective hardware is the reason why large corporations with high capacity computing needs cannot switch to NT even if they wanted to

Web Servers

The life-blood of the Internet is the Web. This is the face that the public sees. If your site is slow, plagued with technical problems, or inaccessible, this will surely have adverse effects. Since most large corporations are UNIX-oriented, they normally go with Web server software like Apache or Netscape-Enterprise.

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Apache was conceived with UNIX in mind. It is free and currently rules the Internet. Roughly half the Web servers on the Internet are running Apache.

Microsoft's IIS Web server software does not even amount to one-quarter of all Internet-connected Web servers.

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Apache is currently being used by FBI , JAVASOFT, FINANCIAL TIMES, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OF AUSTIN.

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Microsoft's IIS is one of the few things that actually comes with Windows NT. It does not possess any special or unique qualities not already found in other Web server software. It excels neither in speed, nor in popularity, nor in the number of concurrent hits it can handle. It is currently being used by TEXCO, EXXON, COMPAQ, NASCAD, The NFL.

What IT professionals are saying about this "Windows NT systems carry lower sticker prices

than their Unix counterparts, but ongoing maintenance and support requirements can make them much more costly to run."

"Any UNIX with loadable module support is therefore by nature more appropriate for a server environment because almost all configuration changes do not require system restarts.”

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"Oracle, a database firm, is planning to offer Linux versions of some of its software. . . . Even without such endorsements, Linux has achieved a measure of success. In only a few years, the program has evolved from a hacker's toy into software that is, at least in part, technically superior to Windows NT.”

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" NT doesn't even come close. Even insignificant changes to a Windows NT configuration require or request a shutdown and reboot in order to make the changes take effect. Change the IP address of your default gateway and you need to reboot. You can't even change the type of modem you use for a dial-up PPP connection without a reboot to update the system. None of these limitations exist in UNIX.”

more comments..

"I heard from one reader who said that at his site, Linux on a 486 is outperforming NT on a 200MHz Pentium, and he has Linux machines that have been running without interruption since before NT 4.0 was released. “

conclusion

if you are a manager, you have to act wisely to enhance the computing environment at your facility. Talk to your technical people and ask them what works. Make the right decision. Don't be fooled by salespeople who use buzz words but can't explain them, remember that your priority is to consider your company's computing goals.