Koozali SME Server

This is something from the past, when CentOS and ClearOS were a big thing in the FOSS environment. Today, all that is just history. There was a large number of SME (Small to Medium Enterprise) Server before and when Windows Server was a badly wrapped heep of Linux apps. Today only a few has surviwed.

Koozali SME Server is a complete, secure, stable and versatile Open Source Linux Server distribution targetimg small to medium-sized enterprises. The new version 11, is based on Rocky Linux, 10 was still based on CentOS. The pedigreee of Red Hat makes it a rock-solid platform.

The history, Koozali SME as the e-smith Server and Gateway, later Mitel SME Server and then SME Server, initial release was back in 1999.

A FOSS Small to Medium size Enterprize Server

Core Features

• HTTP server : Apache HTTPD
• FTP server : ProFTPD
• SMTP server : Qpsmtpd and Qmail
  • Spamfilter : using Qpsmtpd plugins and Spamassassin
  • IMAP and POP3 server: Dovecot
  • Webmail : Horde
• Antivirus : Clamav
• DNS cache and server : dnscache and tinydns from Djbdns
• Firewall : Iptables
• File share : Samba
• DHCP server: Hit Add hostname Add as local, and add IP and MAC
• Backup and Restore
• LDAP

Features and Benefits

Ease of Administration

Koozali SME Server software uses a web-based interface to enable easy administration from any web browser anywhere in the world, securely protected and accessible remotely via SSH or a VPN, based on strict ACL's and firewall settings.

File and Print Sharing

The core of any network environment is easy and simple access to shared files and printers. Koozali 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. Koozali 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.

Email

With the pervasiveness of email, small businesses increasingly need to support email for all their employees. Koozali 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.

Antivirus & Antispam

Koozali SME Server comes default with Antivirus and Antispam mechanisms based on well known and industry standard ClamAV Antivirus and SpamAssassin products. To reduce the amount of possible unsolicited mail, Koozali SME Server fully automatically updates Antivirus signatures, and Antispam rules on a daily basis.

Firewall

Security is always a priority when a company starts using the Internet. Koozali 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) 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. Koozali SME Server features a robust directory service that can be used by most email clients (including Outlook). 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. Koozali SME Server includes the Apache web server, the most commonly used web server 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

Koozli SME Server software supports software RAID 1, 5 and 6, for security and redundancy of Terabytes of data.

Backup

Koozali SME Server provides flexible backup methods such as USB Disk backup, tape backup or backup to a remote server. Backups can be fully automated and can include both full and incremental backups.

Automatic Updates

Almost all the packages that Koozali 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.

Extensible

The Koozali 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, and there are dozens of them freely available. A few popular examples are Nextcloud, Asterisk VoIP PBX, WordPress, MediaWiki, Zarafa, Roundcube, Sogo, BackupPC and Zoneminder.

• http://wiki.contribs.org/SME_Server:Press | SME Server reviews

Minimum Hardware Requirements

The following information outlines what we consider the bare minimum system that will function as a basic file/print server and network gateway. Note that we do not believe such a system will provide satisfactory performance for features such as webmail, remote access via VPN, Virus and Spam Scanners, which are CPU intensive will not perform well on this platform.

To utilize all the features of SME Server 10.0 take a look at the Recommended Hardware Requirements. Note: as Koozali SME Server is based on CentOS 7, the hardware requirements and support for CentOS 7 also apply here.

Note Minimum: 2048 MB to install and run while disabling Clam AV, 4096 MB to effectively run all services including Clam AV, more memory is better. SATA or SCSI - at least 10–20 GB. Add space for the file server.

Note Recommended: At least 4 GB for all services, 8 GB supports most likely applications, more will be utilized if available.
One or more SSD/NVMe/SATA or SCSI - at least 50 GB for the system, and more for the space needed by your data. Server-grade drives are strongly recommended for critical servers. Add space for the file server.

RAID and ZFS

The specifics of the RAID setup depends on the number of drives available, to balance redundancy and capacity. The root and swap volumes are configured using LVM on the RAID device /dev/md1 as follows:

• 1 drive - no RAID
• 2 drives - RAID 1
• 3 drives - RAID 1 + hot spare
• 4 drives - RAID 6
• 5+ drives - RAID 6 + hot spare

The /boot volume and EFI partition, if necessary, is always a non-LVM RAID 1 array on the device /dev/md0.

If you use a hardware RAID controller to manage your drives, this should be configured to present a single volume, which SME will configure without software RAID. You shold understand the implications of using HW RAID.

Rocky Linux has full support for ZFS. You can consider using it as it's supirior in a storage server over traditiona RAID.

Installation

You may use real rust or a virtual machine for running the SME Server.

Option 1: Server and gateway mode

In server and gateway mode, your server provides services (such as e-mail, web services, file and print sharing) to your network and also acts as a gateway between your internal network and the outside world. The fact that it serves as a "gateway" means it has separate interfaces with each network, and provides security and routing.

If you configure your server to operate in server and gateway mode, your server will require either:

• two Ethernet adapters (one to communicate with the local network and the other to communicate with the external network/Internet)

There are a number of extra parameters that will need to be configured.

Option 2: Private server and gateway

This mode is a variation of option 1 and provides the same functionality with the following differences:

• The web server is not visible on the WAN.
• The mail server, is not accessible from the WAN.
• Additional firewall rules have been configured to drop packets for various services (such as 'ping' requests).

All services are available on the LAN.
All the differences are in how your server is seen by the external world.

You would select this mode if you wish to use the server only as a gateway, but do not wish to publish any services to the external Internet.

Option 3: Server-only mode

Server-only mode is appropriate if you do not wish to use the gateway capabilities of your server. In this configuration, your server connects only to the LAN and does not connect directly to the outside world (although it may connect indirectly through your firewall or another server). Most ports are open.

After Installation

The first step is to set up the enterprise in the server. Login to your server IP <address or FQDN>/server-admin. The credentials are admin and the password you assigned for the Administrator.

Collaboration

Here you set up things like Users, Groups, Quotas, Pseudonyms and the Information Bays. I-bays is a simple, very flexible and powerful way for you to share information with other users. See the documentation.

Administration

This is where you configure Backup and Restore, View log files and Reboot or Shutdown the server.

Security

Security section is for controlling ingress like Remote Management, FTP and VPN settings. LAN setup, Port forwarding and proxy settings.

Configuration

Features you administer here is Software Installation and Updates, Date and Time, Printers, Hostnames and addresses, Domains, E-mail, Antivirus.

For Software update to function, you need to enable it and remember to select the packages to update. The add-ones are availeble as groups like: ContainerManagement, SystemTools, VirtualizationHost and many more.

Hit Change software installer setttings to add repositories, like Docker.

Miscellaneous

Here you find the License Agreement and how to report a bug.

How to keep FOSS free and open source?

Subscribe, like, share, discuss, clap, star, follow, watch, and anything that can help with social media algorithms. Also buy a license, donate, buy merchandise, use Patreon. Remember that most free software is produced by professional (need salary) using platforms and machines that cost money.

References

Koozali SME Server ^[1]