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For cost-conscious Unix IT managers who want to save money without placing their organizations at risk from products that are not backed by big-name firms, there is now a unique window of opportunity. Unix IT managers can get Linux, StarOffice and Apache for very little or no. But they can also get the backing for those products from companies such as Red Hat and Sun Microsystems, thereby reducing their risk. That said, please be sure that you have the right people who can make these products work in your organization.

If you like Apache functionality but would also like additional functionality, service and support available from an established firm, you have an increasing array of choices. IBM offers the Apache Web server as part of its WebSphere family. Red Hat offers a Linux-based secure Web server that even supports PKI (public key infrastructure) services. In addition, Red Hat recently acquired C2Net, the maker of the popular Apache-based Web server Stronghold, which adds SSL (secure sockets layer) functionality to Apache. BSDI offers an Apache-based Web server with its BSD version of Unix. Tenon Intersystems offers a Mac port of Apache called WebTen. Alternatively, if you are not interested in add-on products but want commercial support, ASF lists companies that provide such support, including Covalent Technologies, which offers 24 x 7 support in its Premier Plus Support Plan.

Besides its popular Web server, ASF is also involved in other related projects. These include the Jakarta project, the goal of which is to "provide commercial-quality server solutions based on the Java Platform that are developed in an open and cooperative fashion." The first product download available from this effort is a reference implementation of Java servlets and JavaServer Pages called Tomcat. Another ASF initiative called the Apache XML project is focused on developing XML solutions. Apache Issues for the Unix IT Manager

A lot of the issues around Apache stem from the common perception that free software lacks accountability, and there is a big risk in trying to use the software for production use. While the perception may be difficult to change, the risk factor can be mitigated using add-on products and/or commercial support from established companies.

In organizations where there are already a number of Windows production and office applications in use, and interfacing with these other applications is a strong requirement, IIS is a better choice than Apache.

While the ability to pick and choose modules gives you some flexibility, some users prefer to obtain a product where the combination has already been tested rather than trying to put the pieces together by themselves. This points to the need to have a strong skills base if you are planning to use Apache, even if you decide to get commercial support for Apache. Peek Into Apachešs Future

There is no indication that Apachešs development model will not continue to succeed for the foreseeable future. The open-source model is actually gaining acceptance, and established companies are trying to adopt this model. Although companies will offer commercial versions with support for a fee, it is unlikely that such fees will rise to the point of mitigating the cost advantage of Apache compared with IIS. This is because there is a limit to which users will be willing to pay for support, given that the source code is freely available as an alternative to both the end user and competing companies. Conclusion

Apache 2.0 continues the strong foundation laid by Apache 1.x and should continue its strong growth because of the benefits of the open-source product-development model and from the backing from companies like IBM and Sun. The current interest in Linux and similar trends should also help Apachešs continued growth. IT managers who currently use Apache 1.x and those who are considering Apache, should definitely include Apache 2.0 in their Web server plans.

References: ASF is at www.apache.org. Information on the Netcraft survey is available at www.netcraft.com.

Raj Rajagopal is with The MITRE Corporation. Send your comments on this article to him at rajagop@mitre.org.