[ale] Advice

[Rob Fauls]

Ok, so ive been trying to stay away from asking you guys on here because
that's not really what you are all about, but I've been trying to arrange a
few different things for my company and im faced with a difficult answer.
The whole thing, without going into huge detail, as I will below, boils down
to windows or linux for the mail server keeping in mind that the company is
not currently staffed with anyone that can support linux, they don't want to
outsource work, and there isn't time for us to send the tech to training. 

 

            That was the short version, here's the medium/long version.  We
have a trucking company that is based in Atlanta, but operates throughout
the country.  We have a software package that currently runs off a mixed
unix/windows system. The main database and character version of the software
runs off a RISC 6000, while the windows version operates off a windows 2003
server.  Fyi, when I talk about the two systems, the unix system is the
backbone of everything, the windows system simply pulls the database off the
rics.  On the client side, there is a character-based telnet login, and on
the windows side, a gui-based program that runs on the server through remote
desktop/terminal services.  There have been threats/promises that the unix
side will be done away with and the system will only be updated on the
windows side after a period of time, thus far, PDS, the software
manufacturer, has not removed support for the unix side, and they have not
stated a specific time that they will discontinue support. They have only
said that it will be done because the new system is windows, not unix.bottom
line (nothing to do about this, its economics, so moving on)  As a company,
we are considering a move to thin-clients that will login to a 2003 server.
We have to stick with windows here because a good portion of our software
simply wasn't made for anything but windows and the people that works for us
don't want to learn a new system or new software and it isn't worth pushing
them over.  Considering the thin clients, I think it's a good move to get us
on board with the windows 2003 server for the PDS server.  Chapter 2:  The
other half of this, and the one that im really concerned about, is the
server that we are about to purchase. We have been looking around for a
number of months at possibilities and options for our mail server, and
started to go with a linux machine to begin with, but because we bought the
wrong system (an HP DL-180 instead of a DL-380.the 180 didn't have the power
we wanted out of it or the raid function we needed) the project was
questioned and there were arguments made that we should stick with windows
because there wouldn't be nearly as much of a learning curve associated with
it as there would be with a linux system.  I understood where they were
coming from. Their current full-time IT guy isn't trained in linux and to be
frank, is limited in his general knowledge of networking altogether.  He is
great for what they do now, he knows pds back and forth and can fix the
day-to-day problems that we have.  He has trouble learning new tricks,
though.old dog.  I feel that this issue can be fixed with simple training,
but I am unsure whether or not they will want to go through the "hassle" of
training and retraining a linux guru as new things come out.  I understand
the problem there is that the company stagnates and will be left to drown as
new tech comes out and they aren't able to integrate it because they didn't
keep up with the changing times.  In any case, now, the contract was handed
off to the company that is doing the setup/install/qos for our VoIP system.
They have quoted out a system that comes out to approx 10k for a dl-380,
3x36gig 15k rpm HD, 4x512 ram, and a 3.0 intel along with M$ smb server 2003
with exchange with 35 licenses.  For a M$ product, its great.  The question
is, do we need to go with this system or would we be better off switching to
a linux server and using open source to get all this done.  As far as I am
concerned, I think that setting aside the fact that we currently have nobody
on site to support it, there isn't a con to linux, but the simple fact that
95% of out business is done over email confirmations, if an email server
goes down, another has to be able to pick up the slack without fail.  As far
as I see, the advantages of windows are that we will be able to utilize the
remote desktop feature to be able to utilize thinclients, but with pds we
already have this. We also have the ability to integrate the blackberry
enterprise server and to synchronize schedules and setup meetings, and all
the other "cool things" that exchange does that I haven't seen from a single
package in linux.  Maybe im blind. Maybe I don't know what im talking about,
but I guess that's why im coming here in the end, because I have totally
confused myself and im too new at linux to be able to give them a straight
answer.  The biggest thing stopping me, as I think ive said enough that you
probably could quote me without saying it is that im nervous about leaving
them without an on-site person to handle the email server and if they loose
an hour, they have lost a huge chunk of money that could easily offset that
months profits entirely.  Yes, I know that the M$ would probably crash more,
but going off the theory of many small crashes vs one large crash is more
digestable.  The contract was going to be signed on wed (today/tomorrow,
depending on when you read this) but it has been put on a hold until I talk
with some of the people tomorrow morning.  I know a guy that is willing to
help setup the server and will get everything running on it, the only
problem is that he already has a full time job, so I cant count on him and I
don't have anyone else around.maybe its time to look at the employment
mailing list that I seem to remember ale having. *pulls up mozilla* I  think
ive prattled on enough to make everyone's ears ache and heads explode.
Thanks for any input, guys.

-Rob

 

P.S.- Still offering that ftp site, just still don't know how I should setup
everything or what to tell you guys.

 

 

Equipment that is in the office or will be (to give an idea of the hardware
we have if it will change anyone's decision.don't think it will, but as I
said, I don't know what to do so im kind of throwing everything I can think
to say at your guys)

2x cisco 3560 48-port

1x cisco 1840 router

~35 workstations (win XP)

~35 ip phones (cisco 17-something)

RISC 600 server (PDS database/old pds system)

Windows 2000 server (not sure what it does, to be honest)

Windows 2003 server (Windows PDS)

10 monkeys in a room with only 8 typewriters

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