samba-mirror/docs/Samba3-ByExample/SBE-foreword.xml

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<preface lang="en-US">
<title>Foreword</title>

<sect1><title>By John M. Weathersby, OSSI</title>
<blockquote>
<attribution>
Executive Director, Open Source Software Institute
</attribution>

<para>
The Open Source Software Institute (OSSI) is comprised of representatives from a broad spectrum of business and
non-business organizations that share a common interest in the promotion of development and implementation
of open-source software solutions globally, and in particular within the United States of America.
</para>

<para>
The OSSI has global affiliations with like-minded organizations. Our affiliate in the United Kingdom is the
Open Source Consortium. Both the OSSI and the OSC share a common objective to expand the use of open-source
software in federal, state and municipal government agencies and in academic institutions. We represent
businesses that provide professional support services that answer the needs of our target organizational
information technology consumers in an effective and cost efficient manner.
</para>

<para>
Open source software has matured greatly over the past 5 years with the result that an increasing number of
people who hold key influential decision-making positions want to know how the business model works. They
want to understand how problems get resolved, how questions get answered, and how the development model
is sustained. Information and Communications Technology directors in defense organizations, and in other
government agencies that deal with sensitive information, want to become familiar with development road-maps
and, in particular, seek to evaluate the track record of the main-stream open-source project teams.
</para>

<para>
Wherever the OSSI gains entrance to new opportunities we find that Microsoft Windows technologies are the 
benchmark against which open-source software solutions are measured. Two open-source software projects
are key to our ability to present a structured, and convincing, proposition that there are alternatives
to the incumbent proprietary means of meeting information technology needs. They are the Apache Web server
and Samba.
</para>

<para>
Just as the Apache web server is the standard in web serving technology, Samba is the definitive standard
for providing inter-operability with UNIX systems and other non-Microsoft operating system platforms. Both
open-source applications have a truly remarkable track record that extends well over a decade. Both have
demonstrated unique capacity to innovate and to maintain a level of development that has not only kept
pace with demands, but in many areas each project has also proven to be an industry leader.
</para>

<para>
One of the areas in which the Samba project has demonstrated key leadership is in documentation. The OSSI
was delighted when we saw the Samba Team, and John H. Terpstra in particular, release two amazingly well
written books to help Samba software users to deploy, maintain and trouble-shoot Windows networking
installations. We were concerned that, given the large volume of documentation, the challenge to maintain
it and keep it current might prove difficult.
</para>

<para>
This second edition of the book, <quote>Samba-3 by Example</quote> barely one year following the release
of the first edition has removed all concerns and is proof that open-source solutions are a compelling choice.
The first edition was released shortly following the release of Samba version 3.0 itself, and has become
the authoritative instrument for training and for guiding deployment.
</para>

<para>
I am personally aware how much effort has gone into this second edition. John Terpstra has worked with
government bodies and with large organizations that have deployed Samba-3 since it was released. He also
worked to ensure that this book gained community following. He asked those who have worked at the coal-face
of large and small organizations alike, to contribute their experiences. He has captured that in this book
and has succeeded yet again. His recipe is persistence, intuition, and a high level of respect for the people
who use Samba.
</para>

<para>
This book is the first source you should turn to before you deploy Samba and as you are mastering its
deployment. I am proud and excited to be associated in a small way with such a useful tool. This book has
reached maturity that is demonstrated by reiteration that every step in deployment must be validated.
This book makes it easy to succeed, and difficulty to fail to gain a stable network environment.
</para>

<para>
I recommend this book for use by all IT managers and network administrators.
</para>

</blockquote>

</sect1>

</preface>