Network Software and Network Administration
Setting up a network requires not only hardware configuration, but software as well. The software that manages the network is known as a network operating system (NOS). The NOS includes tools for creating user accounts, setting permissions on shared resources (like files and folders), and generally managing every aspect of the network.
- Netware (Novell) — Once the most popular server software, it has lost market share to Windows over the last few years. However, Novell also offers a Netware file management system that is capable of running on top of Windows, giving users the combination of Netware's resource management tools with Windows' hardware and software compatibilities.
- Windows 2000 Server (Microsoft) — An upgrade to Microsoft's Windows NT 4.0 server software, Windows 2000 Server offers built-in network management tools and the graphical user interface that Windows users are used to.
- UNIX — All versions of UNIX can be used with a network server.
- Linux—Linux has become very popular as a NOS because of its reliability. Commercial versions of Linux, like Red Hat Linux and VA Linux, have built-in network management tools.
Role of a network administrator
The network administrator has the responsibility of ensuring that the network is up and running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They add new users to the network and manage user names, passwords, and network permissions (which network resources each user is allowed to access).
As discussed in Peer-to-Peer Networks, both Microsoft Windows and Macintosh operating systems include software to allow network connectivity. For a simple peer-to-peer network, additional server software is not necessary.
