Date: Thu, 16 Dec 1999 01:32:12 -0800 (PST) From: Alfred Perlstein <bright@wintelcom.net> To: John <papalia@UDel.Edu> Cc: freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Need to justify FreeBSD vs. Win2K Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.21.9912160123200.4557-100000@fw.wintelcom.net> In-Reply-To: <4.1.19991215224130.009ed100@mail.udel.edu>
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On Wed, 15 Dec 1999, John wrote: > Hey all, > > I've been helping my old boss to design a WAN for the company. What it > will consist of is three offices connected by Frame Relay. All main > servers centralized to one office, the other two to be remote. The remote > offices will have fileservers/routers. The main office will have: > > - Mail server > - Router > - Existing AIX-based box > - Possibly web server > - Firewall (separate machine). > - A single NT machine for a proprietary software package - simple > client/server architecture. All communication with it will be IP based. > > Simply put, my plans were to make all severs FreeBSD, with the exception of > the one machin that HAS to be NT, and the existing AIX machine (it has a > maintenance contract from the supplier on it). > > We're trying to make sure that all is well in the world, and today my boss > comes to me and says "how about using Windows 2000 for the network?". I've > been hunting high and low, but have only come up with a bunch of articles > on what Win2K is SUPPOSED to do, not what it IS doing (yes, I do realize > it's still in Beta). > > I need help justifying one against the other. Any thoughts? > > Here's the needs: > - Ease of maintenance > - GREAT stability > - High security > > If I walk, they really don't have an IT guy. The one they have is supposed > to be an "NT guru", but I had to explain to him what a hosts file is for. > I don't hold much hope for him lasting long. So, the idea of support is > somewhat important. My concern is that they install an MS network now, and > spend an eternity doing upgrades and security patches on a monthly basis, > with the every present fear of MS turning off the support (ala Win3.1 --> > win95). My thougths were that with a well configured and well documented > FreeBSD network, they'll be running solid until a) the first breakin, b) > the first major crash, c) a security upgrade is necessary (like the recent > need to update RSAREF2), or d), we're up to v.6.x-stable, and they're > running 3.x-stable, and a new port comes out that they REALLY need that > only runs on the newer versions. > > Any thoughts of how to reason this out with them, or where I might find > more information? First off I'm not sure exactly what your problem is. here you have FreeBSD something: 1) you're skilled at setting up 2) has been working for people for ages 3) is available right now then you have Lose2k: 1) can't set it up becasue it isn't released 2) no one besideds yourself would probably be able to set it up anyway 3) would take longer than FreeBSD to setup because you'd have to learn MS's beta software which will probably have major changes once the release is made and require upgrades. I would ask your boss: 1) do you want me to waste time learning something when I already know something that will do the job. 2) do you want to have to upgrade all the machines the instant the 'real' lose2k comes out 3) do i really have a need to run Halflife on a server? becasue i'm not really even sure Halflife is on lose2k's compatibility list. 4) do you have the nagging urge to spend 6k on software licenses? because if he does there are dozens of under-payed sysadmins would could use a copy of Halflife, money better spent. > I need help justifying one against the other. Any thoughts? > > Here's the needs: > - Ease of maintenance > - GREAT stability > - High security How do _any_ of these come into light when lose2k isn't even released yet? *sigh* -Alfred To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message
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