16th meeting
From BLUG
Topic: The File Engine
Presenter: Kim Brand
Date: Wednesday, Febuary 8th, 2006
Time: 7-9pm
Location: Monroe County Public Library room 1B
Attendance: 16
Synopsis
Kim Brand invented a new type of file sharing and backup server called the FileEngine. It is based on Linux and has some interesting modifications and software to make it work well in office environments. He will be demonstrating how the device technically works as well as providing some other information about it. This will not be a sales pitch.
Pizza and drinks will be provided at the meeting. I hope that this Wednesday meeting will provide the oppurtunity for more and different people to come that haven't been able to make it on Tuesday nights.
Post meeting summary
Well, it was about 75% sales pitch, 25% technical talk. I think we've learned our lesson about inviting companies to give presentations, no matter what their good their intentions may be. Many of the regular BLUG members were not in attendance.
The following is from Kim Brand, one of the presenters:
Actually, I thought our presentation was fairly balanced. I gave a half hour presentation on why Open Source software is going to succeed in the marketplace. That wasn't technical, but it wasn't advertising. My own experience is that for Open Source to win in the business world, we need to present the Business Case. Out product: FileEngine, competes with Microsoft's ubiquitous Small Business Server. Using Open Source software gives us the flexibility to deliver a solution that works better for business: it costs less, is more reliable, offers reduced complexity and a much friendlier license!
Tom Lapp presented the technical details: custom engineered Debian distribution, LDAP, ReiserFS, PostgeSQL, Lisp, Apache, custom WIN32 Admin console, custom Domain connection wizard, web based configuration prior to shipment to customer site, SSH remote administration, backup to DVD+RW, 3Ware SATA RAID, etc.
I'm a board member of CINLUG: Central Indiana Linux Users Group, and an organizer of TechPoint's Open Source for Business Peer Group. I present all the time on Linux and Open Source: recently to the Indiana Computer Educators Conference on Moodle and Linspire, and next April at Linux World on Linux + Windows integration. The audiences I usually speak to want the WHOLE STORY. My take away from the BLUG presentation was the information was timely and well received.
