How Linux Runs the Internet

Babak Moghimi Spring 2012

Agenda

What is Linux? Linux as a Router Linux as a Firewall Linux as a Web Server Linux as a DNS Server Linux as the Mail Server Linux as a Operating System

What is Linux?

is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released 5 October 1991 by Linus Torvalds.

Linux as a Router

A router is a device that forwards data packets between computer networks, creating an overlay internetwork. Linux Kernel can be modified in a way that it forwards every packet it receives based on the rule. It is fast, cheap and stable.

Linux as a Router: Examples

DD-WRT RouterOS from Mikrotik RouterOS ZeroShell Talisman Sveasoft Vyatta (Cisco alternative) CoovaAP (OpenWRT-based)

Linux as a Firewall

It controls the incoming and outgoing network traffic by analyzing the data packets and determining whether it should be allowed through or not, based on a predetermined rule set

Linux as a Firewall (Contd.)

Linux as a Firewall (Contd.)

Linux can also act a firewall distribution like: ClearOS IPCop eBox Platform (Also a business server) Monowall And many many more...

Linux as a Web Server

It delivers the web content as seen mainly through browsers. Linux dominates web server market. Apache, Nginx, CERN, lighthttpd, Jigsaw Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo!, Amazon, Wordpress...

Linux as a DNS Server

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities. Google.com ---> 74.125.237.9

Linux as a DNS Server

BIND Dnsmasq Djbdns Cisco Network Registrar PowerDns About 90% of DNS servers run on Linux

Linux as a Mail Server

Novell Groupwise Sendmail Postfix Qmail Exim Open-Xchange Zimbra Scalix

Linux as a Operating System

It is a leading operating system on servers. Mainframe computers and supercomputers: more than 90% of today's 500 fastest supercomputers run some variant of Linux Also runs on embedded systems such as mobile phones, tablet computers, network routers, televisions and video game consoles; the Android system in wide use on mobile devices is built on the Linux kernel. About 500 different distributions.

Any Questions?