SME Server
Encyclopedia
SME Server is a Linux distribution
based on CentOS
offering an operating system
for computers used as web, file, email and database servers. It employs a comprehensive UI for all management-related tasks and is extensible through templates.
The letters SME stand for Small to Medium Enterprise, as that is the target market of the software.
One of the most noticeable features of this distribution is its template system.
The most recent version, SME Server 7.5, was released on 2010-05-26.
SME Server are based on CentOS which is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
SME Server 7.x based on CentOS 3.
Future SME Server 8.x releases will be based on CentOS 5.
The core of any network environment is easy and simple access to shared files and printers. SME Server software allows for the easy sharing of files and printers to Windows and Macintosh clients. The "Information Bay" (i-bay) feature provides easy and convenient information storage and retrieval by multiple groups via web, ftp, or file sharing.
Small business customers are looking for a simple solution that works with different types of connections to the Internet. SME Server automates the process of connecting to the Internet. Just connect the server and supply your ISP account information. The server solution acts as a gateway for your entire network and requires no additional client software and minimal configuration. Users can immediately start browsing the Web, using email, and access other Internet services.
With the pervasiveness of email, small businesses increasingly need to support email for all their employees. SME Server provides a secure reliable email server and allows easy creation of individual and group addresses. For greater versatility, it works with any mail client that uses the industry-standard IMAP, POP3, and SMTP protocols. Secure webmail allows users to access the server from a web browser anywhere on the Internet, to send and receive e-mail via an encrypted (128-bit SSL) link. On top of that it is equipped with ClamAV Antivirus and SpamAssassin
to reduce the amount of unsolicited mail.
Security is always a priority when a company starts using the Internet. SME Server offers a multi-layer architecture, protecting the external interface through packet-filtering and service restriction. It offers selective address or port binding, application-level access control lists, and protects the internal network from any intrusion.
Businesses with remote or branch sites or telecommuting employees require remote access to their email and to other resources on the local network. SME Server provides multiple tools such as webmail access to email using any browser, 128-bit PPTP (for secure client-to-server VPNs) and open secure shell (SSH
) to provide encrypted access to the internal network and server resources for administrators.
Companies typically require a central directory of email addresses that all users can access. SME Server features a robust directory service that can be used by most email clients (including Outlook, Outlook Express, and Netscape Communicator). This feature is implemented using the industry-standard LDAP protocol.
Small businesses also need a secure and reliable web presence and an intranet to communicate with employees. SME Server includes the Apache
web server used by over 60% of the Internet. The content can be easily edited and updated from desktop clients (including dynamic content). It also supports the use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connections for e-commerce.
SME Server software supports both hardware and software disk mirroring (RAID
1), USB Disk backup & tape backup for additional data protection.
Almost all of the packages that SME Server includes from upstream vendors are included unmodified. The purpose of doing so is to take advantage of the stability that comes from the huge user base that uses these packages, for security, and to allow automatic updates as soon as an update is available from the upstream vendor. Security updates from Redhat/CentOS should be available until 2012 for CentOS
4.
The SME Server architecture explicitly supports developers by making it easy to drop software into place and remove it without needing to modify existing files. Extensions can easily add new features, a few popular examples are Asterisk
VOIP PBX, HylaFax
server, DansGuardian
web content filter, Joomla CMS, Jinzorra jukebox, Mediawiki
, Thin client server, OsCommerce online shop.
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution is a member of the family of Unix-like operating systems built on top of the Linux kernel. Such distributions are operating systems including a large collection of software applications such as word processors, spreadsheets, media players, and database applications...
based on CentOS
CentOS
CentOS is a free operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux . It exists to provide a free enterprise class computing platform and strives to maintain 100% binary compatibility with its upstream distribution...
offering an operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
for computers used as web, file, email and database servers. It employs a comprehensive UI for all management-related tasks and is extensible through templates.
The letters SME stand for Small to Medium Enterprise, as that is the target market of the software.
One of the most noticeable features of this distribution is its template system.
The most recent version, SME Server 7.5, was released on 2010-05-26.
SME Server are based on CentOS which is based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
SME Server 7.x based on CentOS 3.
Future SME Server 8.x releases will be based on CentOS 5.
Features
- File and Print Sharing
The core of any network environment is easy and simple access to shared files and printers. SME Server software allows for the easy sharing of files and printers to Windows and Macintosh clients. The "Information Bay" (i-bay) feature provides easy and convenient information storage and retrieval by multiple groups via web, ftp, or file sharing.
- Internet Connection
Small business customers are looking for a simple solution that works with different types of connections to the Internet. SME Server automates the process of connecting to the Internet. Just connect the server and supply your ISP account information. The server solution acts as a gateway for your entire network and requires no additional client software and minimal configuration. Users can immediately start browsing the Web, using email, and access other Internet services.
- EmailEmailElectronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
With the pervasiveness of email, small businesses increasingly need to support email for all their employees. SME Server provides a secure reliable email server and allows easy creation of individual and group addresses. For greater versatility, it works with any mail client that uses the industry-standard IMAP, POP3, and SMTP protocols. Secure webmail allows users to access the server from a web browser anywhere on the Internet, to send and receive e-mail via an encrypted (128-bit SSL) link. On top of that it is equipped with ClamAV Antivirus and SpamAssassin
SpamAssassin
SpamAssassin is a computer program released under the Apache License 2.0 used for e-mail spam filtering based on content-matching rules. It is now part of the Apache Foundation....
to reduce the amount of unsolicited mail.
- FirewallFirewall (computing)A firewall is a device or set of devices designed to permit or deny network transmissions based upon a set of rules and is frequently used to protect networks from unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communications to pass....
Security is always a priority when a company starts using the Internet. SME Server offers a multi-layer architecture, protecting the external interface through packet-filtering and service restriction. It offers selective address or port binding, application-level access control lists, and protects the internal network from any intrusion.
- Remote Access
Businesses with remote or branch sites or telecommuting employees require remote access to their email and to other resources on the local network. SME Server provides multiple tools such as webmail access to email using any browser, 128-bit PPTP (for secure client-to-server VPNs) and open secure shell (SSH
Secure Shell
Secure Shell is a network protocol for secure data communication, remote shell services or command execution and other secure network services between two networked computers that it connects via a secure channel over an insecure network: a server and a client...
) to provide encrypted access to the internal network and server resources for administrators.
- Directory Services
Companies typically require a central directory of email addresses that all users can access. SME Server features a robust directory service that can be used by most email clients (including Outlook, Outlook Express, and Netscape Communicator). This feature is implemented using the industry-standard LDAP protocol.
- Web Hosting
Small businesses also need a secure and reliable web presence and an intranet to communicate with employees. SME Server includes the Apache
Apache HTTP Server
The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. In 2009 it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone...
web server used by over 60% of the Internet. The content can be easily edited and updated from desktop clients (including dynamic content). It also supports the use of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) connections for e-commerce.
- Raid and Backup
SME Server software supports both hardware and software disk mirroring (RAID
RAID
RAID is a storage technology that combines multiple disk drive components into a logical unit...
1), USB Disk backup & tape backup for additional data protection.
- Automatic Updates
Almost all of the packages that SME Server includes from upstream vendors are included unmodified. The purpose of doing so is to take advantage of the stability that comes from the huge user base that uses these packages, for security, and to allow automatic updates as soon as an update is available from the upstream vendor. Security updates from Redhat/CentOS should be available until 2012 for CentOS
CentOS
CentOS is a free operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux . It exists to provide a free enterprise class computing platform and strives to maintain 100% binary compatibility with its upstream distribution...
4.
- Extensible
The SME Server architecture explicitly supports developers by making it easy to drop software into place and remove it without needing to modify existing files. Extensions can easily add new features, a few popular examples are Asterisk
Asterisk
An asterisk is a typographical symbol or glyph. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often pronounce it as star...
VOIP PBX, HylaFax
HylaFAX
HylaFAX is the leading fax server for Unix-like computer systems. It uses a client-server design and supports the sending and receiving of faxes as well as text pages, on any scale from low to very high volumes, if necessary making use of large numbers of modems...
server, DansGuardian
DansGuardian
DansGuardian, written by SmoothWall Ltd and others, is content-control software: software designed to control which websites users can access. It also includes virus filtering and usage monitoring features...
web content filter, Joomla CMS, Jinzorra jukebox, Mediawiki
MediaWiki
MediaWiki is a popular free web-based wiki software application. Developed by the Wikimedia Foundation, it is used to run all of its projects, including Wikipedia, Wiktionary and Wikinews. Numerous other wikis around the world also use it to power their websites...
, Thin client server, OsCommerce online shop.
Open Source Components
- ApacheApache HTTP ServerThe Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache , is web server software notable for playing a key role in the initial growth of the World Wide Web. In 2009 it became the first web server software to surpass the 100 million website milestone...
- WebserverWeb serverWeb server can refer to either the hardware or the software that helps to deliver content that can be accessed through the Internet....
- Webserver
- QmailQmailqmail is a mail transfer agent that runs on Unix. It was written, starting December 1995, by Daniel J. Bernstein as a more secure replacement for the popular Sendmail program...
with QpsmtpdQpsmtpdqpsmtpd is an SMTP daemon written in Perl. It was originally designed to be a drop-in replacement for qmail-smtpd, the SMTP component of qmail, and it is now also compatible with Postfix, Exim, sendmail and virtually any software that "speaks SMTP"...
- Mail server
- DjbdnsDjbdnsThe djbdns software package is a DNS implementation created by Daniel J. Bernstein due to his frustrations with repeated BIND security holes. A $1000 prize for the first person to find a privilege escalation security hole in djbdns was awarded in March 2009 to Matthew Dempsky., djbdns's tinydns...
and dnscach- Domain name system server
- Proftpd
- FTP server
- SambaSamba (software)Samba is a free software re-implementation, originally developed by Andrew Tridgell, of the SMB/CIFS networking protocol. As of version 3, Samba provides file and print services for various Microsoft Windows clients and can integrate with a Windows Server domain, either as a Primary Domain...
- windows file sharing
- SSHSecure ShellSecure Shell is a network protocol for secure data communication, remote shell services or command execution and other secure network services between two networked computers that it connects via a secure channel over an insecure network: a server and a client...
, PPTP, HTTP over SSLTransport Layer SecurityTransport Layer Security and its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer , are cryptographic protocols that provide communication security over the Internet...
- remote administrationRemote administrationRemote administration refers to any method of controlling a computer from a remote location.Software that allows remote administration is becoming increasingly common and is often used when it is difficult or impractical to be physically near a system in order to use it, or in order to access web...
- remote administration
- Flexbackup
- tape backups
- HordeHorde (software)Horde is a PHP-based Web application framework.It offers applications such as the Horde IMP email client, a groupware package , a wiki and a time and task tracking software.-Horde Email Platform:...
- webmail