Network operating systems, their characteristics and selection criteria

In the event that users face the tasks of optimizing the separation of network resources (for example - disk space), they can use network operating systems. Such systems provide an opportunity to transfer many administration functions to the network space. Using network resources that significantly exceed the user's resources, the administrator is able to professionally identify shared resources and by assigning unique passwords to each of them, making them stand-alone and accessible to each individual user or group of users. This division also determines the classification of network OSs for server and OS, intended for users.

Today, special network operating systems are developed and widely used, but they have the characteristics of the operating systems that are familiar to us. A special network OS has been developed, which has the usual parameters, for example, the operating system windows xp. It should also be noted that to date, almost all conventional systems have built-in options and functions of network systems.

Therefore, the network OS is such an operating system, the built-in optional features of which allow efficient work in the network space. These properties include:

- Support for a wide range of network equipment;

- Ability to use network protocols;

- ensuring the use and support of network routing protocols ;

- Traffic filtering;

- providing uninterrupted access to remote network resources (disks and printers);

- Implementation of the remote access capability for solving network tasks.

The most common network operating systems are: Novell NetWare, various versions of the GNU / Linux OS, ZyNOS, and, of course, the most common Microsoft Windows (95, NT, XP, Vista, 7).

Modern network operating systems and their diversity is due to the fact that today there are many types of computers in the world. That is why systems for mobile devices, home workstations, server systems, corporate operating systems are developed and distributed. The very classification emphasizes the variety of those performance characteristics and options that differentiate the resources considered. This diversity, positive on the one hand (provides user choice, OS for its financial capabilities and in accordance with the tasks at hand), creates certain inconveniences, on the other. This inconvenience is the need to ensure compatibility of the OS, especially for corporate units operating within the same network policy. A very important property that characterizes the parameters of a particular network OS is the available boot of the operating system and the ability to update it operatively.

The most widely used such OS in the work of various enterprises and institutions, where processing of large data sets is required. The question naturally arises as to how correctly to choose network operating systems for effective business dealing, without spending superfluous money resources. It seems that the main criterion in choosing the appropriate OS should be the following. If you need a resource of the scale of a large enterprise or corporation, then pay attention to such a parameter as scalability, i.e. Stability of operation in various network conditions. Also important is a high degree of compatibility - the ability to effectively use the online update mode. In addition, such OS, it is desirable, should ensure the integration of heterogeneous resources - servers and computers.

Of course, it is quite difficult to find and select an operating system that fully meets the requirements of a particular user. Therefore, their choice is desirable to carry out taking into account the critical evaluation of real problems and the specific situation that this software will solve.