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Knowledge base

Plain-English guides to the platforms and vendors we work with. Each guide explains what the technology is, what businesses use it for, how KawaConnect uses it, and where to read more.

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Platforms

Linux

The operating system behind most servers.

Kubernetes

Runs containers across a group of servers.

Talos Linux

A locked-down operating system built to run Kubernetes.

Ubuntu

A widely used Linux distribution.

Debian

A long-standing, community-run Linux distribution.

Arch Linux

Rolling-release Linux, and home of the Arch Wiki.

Docker

Packages applications into containers.

Proxmox VE

Open-source virtualization for virtual machines and containers.

Ceph

Storage spread across several servers.

ZFS

File system and volume manager with snapshots and checksums.

Microsoft

Windows, Microsoft 365 and Azure for business.

Apple Business Manager

How a company owns and enrolls its Apple devices.

Microsoft Intune

Microsoft device management for PCs, Macs and phones.

Microsoft Azure

Microsoft's cloud platform.

Amazon Web Services

Amazon's cloud platform.

S3 storage

Object storage in buckets, the standard target for backups.

Networking and security

Ubiquiti

UniFi switches, Wi-Fi, and cameras.

Cisco

Business switches and desk phones.

Arista

Data-center and campus switches.

Juniper

Routers, switches, and firewalls running Junos.

Aruba

Wi-Fi and switching from Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

Hanwha Vision

Enterprise security cameras and recorders.

SSH

Encrypted logins to servers and network gear.

Remote desktop and RDP

Controlling a Windows PC or server from somewhere else.

VPN

An encrypted tunnel into a private network.

WireGuard

A modern open-source VPN protocol.

Tailscale

Private networking built on WireGuard.

Firewalls

What decides which traffic gets in and out.

OPNsense

An open-source firewall and router.

pfSense

Open-source firewall software from Netgate.

Fortinet

FortiGate firewalls and the Fortinet platform.

Authentik

Open-source single sign-on you host yourself.

Keycloak

Open-source identity and login for applications.

Hardware and chip makers

HP and HPE

Business PCs from HP and servers from HPE.

Dell

Business PCs and PowerEdge servers.

Lenovo

ThinkPad business PCs and ThinkSystem servers.

Supermicro

Server and storage hardware for clusters.

Intel

Core and Xeon processors.

AMD

Ryzen and EPYC processors.

Nvidia

Graphics processors for AI and graphics.

Wireless and ports

2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi

Range versus speed, and why it matters where access points go.

Wi-Fi 6 and 6E

Better Wi-Fi for offices with many devices.

Wi-Fi 7

The newest Wi-Fi standard and who needs it.

Bluetooth

Short-range wireless for headsets and keyboards.

2.4 GHz dongles and Bluetooth

USB receivers versus Bluetooth for keyboards and mice.

USB4

Data, display, and power over one USB-C cable.

Thunderbolt

One cable for docks, monitors, and charging.

Email, chat, and office apps

Windows licensing

Windows Home, Pro, and how Windows is licensed.

Microsoft 365 licensing

Which Microsoft 365 plan each person needs.

Microsoft Office

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Microsoft Teams

Chat, meetings, and calling in Microsoft 365.

Google Workspace

Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Meet for business.

Slack

Business messaging organized into channels.

Discord

Chat, voice, and video in servers and channels.

ShoreTel

Business phone systems now under Mitel.

FreePBX

Open-source business phone system software.

Email

How business email gets from sender to mailbox.

Email authentication

Why SPF, DKIM and DMARC all matter.

SPF

Which servers may send mail for your domain.

DKIM

A signature that proves a message is yours.

DMARC

The policy that ties SPF and DKIM together.

Cannabis and retail systems

Metrc

State track-and-trace for licensed cannabis.

MJ Platform

Seed-to-sale software for cannabis operators.

Dutchie

Point of sale and online ordering for dispensaries.

PrintNode

Cloud printing for web applications.

QZ Tray

Lets a web page print to local printers.

Printers and scanners

Label printers

How thermal and color label printers work.

Receipt printers

Thermal printers at the register.

Barcode scanners

1D and 2D scanners and how they connect.

Zebra printers

Desktop and industrial label printers.

Zebra scanners

Handheld and cordless barcode scanners.

Star receipt printers

Receipt printers for retail counters.

TSC printers

Thermal label printers from TSC Auto ID.

Epson label printers

ColorWorks color labels and TM receipt printers.

Displays and retro video

CRT displays

How picture tubes work and why people still want them.

LCD displays

Flat panels with a backlight and a fixed pixel grid.

OLED and QLED

Self-lit pixels versus quantum-dot LCDs.

SCART

The 21-pin connector that carries RGB.

S-Video

Sharper than composite, one small round plug.

RGB and sync on green

How analog RGB carries its timing signal.

OSSC

Connects old consoles to modern screens without lag.

Websites and domains

DNS

The address book of the internet.

Cloudflare

DNS, caching, and protection in front of a website.

Domain registrars

Where a domain name is registered and renewed.

Web hosting

Where a website lives and who keeps it running.

WordPress

The content management system behind many websites.

Elementor

A visual page builder for WordPress.

SEO

Helping search engines find and understand a site.

Yoast SEO

A WordPress plugin for titles, sitemaps, and schema.

WooCommerce

An online store inside a WordPress site.

SSL certificates

What puts https and the padlock on a site.

Let's Encrypt

Free certificates that renew themselves.

Software and development

Git

A record of every change to code and configuration.

GitHub

Where most open-source code is hosted.

GitLab

Git hosting with built-in CI/CD pipelines.

Python

A general-purpose language for automation and data.

TypeScript

JavaScript with types, for web applications.

API

How one piece of software talks to another.

Ansible

Configures servers from plain-text playbooks.

Terraform

Infrastructure described in code, then planned and applied.

AI

Claude

Anthropic's AI models and assistant.

OpenAI

The company behind ChatGPT and GPT models.

Claude Code

Anthropic's coding agent.

Codex

OpenAI's coding agent.

OpenRouter

One API for models from many providers.

AI API keys

The secrets that let software use AI services.

Agentic AI

AI that uses tools to finish multi-step tasks.

Transformer models

The design behind modern language models.

Concepts

Identity providers

One login for every application, and who checks it.

Single sign-on (SSO)

Sign in once, open every work application.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

A second proof after the password.

RMM

The software IT providers use to look after computers.

Clusters

Several servers working as one system.

Virtual machines

A complete computer that runs as software.

Virtualization

Many computers as software on one server.

Open source

Software anyone can use, study, and change.

GNU

The project behind much of what runs on Linux.

Free software

Software that respects the freedom to run, study, share, and change it.

Closed source

Proprietary software licensed from a vendor.

Cloud

Running systems on a provider and paying as you go.

On-premises

Running systems on hardware you control.

Support tickets

One tracked record for one request.

x86

The processor design in most PCs and servers.

ARM

The power-efficient processor design in phones and newer laptops.

RISC and RISC-V

Simpler processor instruction sets, and the open RISC-V standard.

64-bit

What 64-bit means for memory and software.

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KawaConnect

Linux, Kubernetes, Proxmox, and managed IT for businesses in Western Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio.

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419 40th Street
Beaver Falls, PA 15010

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