I myself have Google’s OSS presentation on video for any one who is interested. Moving on, I think it is interesting how Google uses the Open Source world and yet at the same time, manages to protect their trade secrets.

I am a member of the Phoenix Linux Users Group or PLUG, and at our last meeting Google gave a presentation on how Linux is used at Google. Vince and Pat explained what Linux is used for and many of the challenges they have faced in pushing the Linux envelope.

While Google has many engineers using Linux, only a few have much experience with Linux. When asked though, they said that there were “not many” Windows machines being used by the engineers.

Managing the Network

The set-up of their internal network is similar in concept to a college computer lab. while most college computer labs may have just one - or at most several - locations that are close to each other or on the same campus, Google has employees all over the world and they are all on the same network. Engineers that live on different continents work together on projects using the Google Enterprise Network.

All of the computers on the network receive an automatic installation and all of the resources are remotely mounted. Directories such as AFS, CiFS and NFS are managed by administrators. They get a ‘custom’ debian install with Red Hat Kickstart. Updates are automatic and every computer must ‘call home’ daily with a status report that goes into a central repository that tracks ‘out-of-date’ machines. This allows the admin’s to quickly look up what machines need updating with exact information on what they need…. Source: LXer

[tags]linux,google enterprise network,college computer labs,engineers,windows machines[/tags]