Server admins who have to manage mixed Windows/Linux environments might want to keep an eye on a new, free open source software tool announced last week by Linux management start-up Centeris.

The software, called Likewise Open Agent, allows users to administer Linux servers from the Microsoft Management Console - a system administration tool that comes with Windows server operating system software.

The agent, which runs on the Linux machines to be managed, allows users to perform all the standard Linux system administration tasks, such as setting up file and print services, stopping and starting services on a Linux box, as well as viewing and monitoring system event logs, processor and memory utilization statistics and physical environment readings.

The Likewise Open Agent software will be licensed under the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL) for open source software, and will be freely downloadable on Nov. 18.

Centeris itself launched as a company last month, with its Likewise Linux/Windows server management suite. The software allows users to consolidate management of many Red Hat and SuSE Linux servers and integrate them into a Windows Active Directory structure. The management and configuration software runs on a Windows PC.

For organizations that have leaned heavily on Windows in the past, but want to explore Linux and open source operating systems, Centeris' free and commercial offerings could be helpful in getting a penguin flipper in the door. However, users that have deployed and managed Linux-based networks for a long time might balk at managing Linux machines from a Windows workstation, or find tying Linux servers into an Active Directory tree instead of OpenLDAP as tedious.

According to the Yankee Group, two-thirds of organizations that have Windows servers also run Linux. If you're one of the folks charged with running such an environment, I'd be interested to hear your strategies, approaches, or tricks for this task.