Operating systems are the cornerstone of modern industry. On the one hand, they consume valuable server resources that could be spent on something more useful. On the other hand, the operating system acts as an orchestrator for server applications and allows you to turn a single-tasking computing complex into a multi-tasking platform, and also facilitates the interaction of all interested parties with the equipment. Now the main mainstream of server operating systems is Windows Server + several Linux distributions of various kinds. Each of these operating systems has its pros, cons and application niches. Today we will briefly talk about those systems that come with our servers.
Windows Server
This operating system is extremely popular in the corporate segment, although most ordinary users associate Windows exclusively with the desktop version for PC. Depending on the tasks and the infrastructure required to support companies, there are now several versions of Windows Server in operation at once, starting with Windows Server 2003 and ending with the latest version - Windows Server 2019. We supply servers with all of the listed operating systems, that is, Windows Server 2003, 2008 R2, 2016 and 2019.
Windows Server 2003 is used primarily to support enterprise systems and networks built on Windows XP. Surprisingly, the version of the desktop OS from Microsoft that was removed from support about five years ago is still in operation, since a lot of proprietary software for production was written for it at one time. The same goes for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2016 - they are the most compatible with older but working software and therefore are still used today.
The main advantages of servers running Windows are the relative ease of administration, a fairly large amount of information, manuals and software. In addition, you cannot do without a server on Windows if the company's ecosystem includes software or solutions that use libraries and parts of the Microsoft systems kernel. You can also add RDP technology here for user access to server applications and the overall versatility of the system. In addition, Windows Server has a lightweight version without a GUI with resource consumption at the level of a Linux distribution - Windows Server Core, about which . We ship all servers running Windows with an activated license (it's free for new users).
In the cons of Winserver, you can write down two parameters at once: the cost of the license and the consumption of resources. Among all server operating systems, Windows Server is the most gluttonous and requires at least one processor core and from one and a half to three gigabytes of RAM just for the core and standard services to work. This system is not suitable for low-power configurations, and also has a number of vulnerabilities related to RDP and group and user policies.
Most often, Windows Server is designed to administer company intranets and ensure the performance of specific software, the operation of MSSQL databases, ASP.NET tools, or other software created specifically for Windows. At the same time, this is still a full-fledged OS on which you can deploy routing, raise DNS, or any other service.
Ubuntu
Ubuntu is one of the most popular and steadily growing distributions of the Linux family, first released in 2004. Once a "tench for housewives" in the Gnome shell, over time, Ubuntu has become the default server OS due to an extensive community and ongoing development. The latest popular version is 18.04, but we also supply servers under 16.04, and about a week ago , which brought a lot of goodies.
If Windows Server was used as an OS to support specific and windows-oriented software, then Ubuntu as a Linux distribution is a story about open source and web development. So, it is Linux servers that are used to host web servers on nginx or Apache (as opposed to Microsoft IIS), to work with PostgreSQL and MySQL, or currently popular scripting development languages. Routing and traffic management services will also fit perfectly on a server with Ubuntu.
It is worth writing down the pluses and lower resource consumption than Windows Server, as well as native work with the console and package managers for all unix systems. In addition, Ubuntu, being originally a “desktop home Unix”, is quite user friendly, which makes it easier to administer.
The main disadvantage is unix, with all the consequences. Let Ubuntu be friendly, but only relative to other Linux systems. So to work with it, especially in a full-fledged server configuration - that is, exclusively through the terminal - you will need certain skills. In addition, Ubuntu is more focused on personal use and is not always suitable for solving corporate cases.
Debian
Ironically, Debian is the progenitor of the hugely popular and previously mentioned Ubuntu. The first Debian build was published over 25 years ago, back in 1994, and it was the Debian code that formed the basis of Ubuntu. In fact, Debian is one of the oldest and at the same time hardcore distributions among the Linux family of systems. For all the similarities of Ubuntu, unlike its "heir", Debian has not received the same level of user friendliness as the younger system. However, it also has its own advantages. Debian is more flexible than Ubuntu and can be more deeply configured and more efficient in solving a number of specific tasks, including those of a corporate nature.
The main advantage of Debian is greater security and stability compared to Ubuntu and, moreover, to Windows. And of course, like any Linux system, it has low resource consumption, especially in the form of a server OS running a terminal. In addition, the Debian community is open source, so this system is primarily focused on the correct and efficient work with free solutions.
However, you have to pay for flexibility, hardcore and security. Debian is developed by the open source community without a clear core, through a branch master system, with all the consequences. At one point in time, Debian has three versions at once: stable, unstable, and testing. The problem is that the stable development branch seriously lags behind the test one, that is, often already obsolete parts and modules can be found in the kernel. All this translates into a manual rebuild of the kernel, or even a switch to the test branch if your tasks overtake the capabilities of the Debian stable version. In Ubuntu, there are no such problems with breaking versions: there, once every two years, developers release a stable LTS version of the system.
CentOS
Well, let's finish our conversation about server OS RUVDS on CentOS. Against the backdrop of more massive Ubuntu and, moreover, Debian, CentOS looks like a teenager. And although the system became popular among the masses not so long ago as Debian or Ubuntu, the release of its first version took place at the same time as Ubuntu, that is, back in 2004.
CentOS is mainly used for virtual servers, as it is even less demanding on resources than Ubuntu or Debian. We ship configurations running two versions of this OS: CentOS 7.6.1810 and older CentOS 7.2.1510. The main use case is corporate tasks. CentOS is a story about work. Never a home-use system, as it was, for example, with Ubuntu, CentOS was immediately developed as a RedHat-like open source distribution. It is the heredity from RedHat that gives CentOS its main advantages - focus on solving corporate problems, stability and security. The most common use case for the system is web hosting, where CentOS performs better than other Linux distributions.
However, the system also has a number of disadvantages. A more restrained development and update cycle than Ubuntu, for example, means that at some point you will have to put up with vulnerabilities or problems already solved in other distributions. The system for updating and installing components is also different: no apt-get, just yum and RPM packages. Also, CentOS is not quite suitable for hosting and running Docker/k8s container solutions, where Ubuntu and Debian clearly excel. The latter is important, as virtualization of web servers and applications through containerization has been gaining momentum in the DevOps environment in recent years. And of course, CentOS has a much smaller community compared to the more popular Debian and Ubuntu.
Instead of deducing
As you can see, any OS has its pros and cons and has got its own niche. Servers running Windows stand apart - the Microsoft environment, so to speak, has its own atmosphere and rules of work.
All Linux distributions are similar in terms of resource consumption, but have their own specific features and differences depending on the task. Ubuntu is easier to use, Debian is more configurable. CentOS can act as a replacement for the paid RedHat, which is important if you need a full-fledged corporate OS in unix version. But at the same time, it is weak in terms of containerization and application virtualization. In any case, you can contact our specialists and we will select the necessary solution and configuration for you based on your tasks.
Only registered users can participate in the survey. , you are welcome.
Dear readers, what server OS do you consider the best?
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22,9%Windows server119
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32,9%Debian171
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40,4%ubuntu210
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34,8%CentOS181
520 users voted. 102 users abstained.
Source: habr.com