Microsoft issues free Unix migration tools

Microsoft is offering free tools to allow customers to migrate applications from Unix and Linux to Windows.

Windows Services For Unix 3.5 is available as a free download and supports Windows 2000, XP and Server 2003.

The tools can be used with all major versions of Unix and some flavours of Linux, including RedHat.

Microsoft Windows server system product manager Hilary Whittmann explained that the move is about making Windows more approachable for Unix professionals.

"This is part of our whole strategy for the Unix world. We want to make available as many tools for Unix migration as possible," she said.

Services For Unix 3.5 also allows users to share files between Unix and Windows, and offers administrators access to Windows servers via Telnet.

Version 3.5 includes improved performance to allow Windows servers to be used as file and print servers for Unix, and the ability to port Unix threads for more complex applications.

Giovanni Marchetti, senior systems engineer at Microsoft, said: "A lot of Unix administrators like to be able to Telnet into a box. They are used to working with Unix commands."

He added that the tools are being used to add Windows into Unix data centres.

Marchetti explained that users of Services For Unix 3.5 often "port scripts rather than full software packages, which are already ported over. You just port over the customisation you've done."

Services For Unix 3.5 can be downloaded here.