Looking for some upgrade advice

[Fairlight]

Only Boaz Bezborodko would say something like:
> I am leary of using MS products.  I've had really good experiences with 
> Novell.  The server hasn't gone down except when I take it down.  The 
> last time I did that was almost 6 months ago because the tape backup 
> drive failed and I had to replace it.  When I took it down the server 
> had been up for over 560 days.

I suspect the only reason I haven't seen comparable uptimes on my linux
systems is because the kernel updates require a reboot.  I talked directly
to the 2nd in charge of the kernel, as well as some of the other kernel
devs, and the consensus was that if I wanted a hot-swappable kernel, I
could go and write the hot-swap code myself.  They didn't consider it a
priority, or even desirable.

But I've had over 200-day uptimes.

Totally different envionments.  There -will- be a learning curve.  There's
no avoiding that.  If you don't have an in-house linux admin, I suggest you
contract one to help you at least get the initial system in, configured,
and hardened--and perhaps maintain it on an ongoing basis.  You'll save
yourself a lot of pain if you really don't want to learn it, or don't
currently have the time.

As for Novell's ties to SuSE...  This is kind of a dodgy thing.  People
just assume that because SuSE is owned by Novell now that Novell actually
is designing the stuff.  To the best of my knowledge, SuSE is more a wholly
owned subsidiary and functions more or less the way it used to before the
buyout.  It's not like the Netware engineers are ensuring the quality of
the linux that Novell is putting out.  The primary reason Novell even
bought SuSE was so that they could have an in-house team that knew linux
well enough that they could also put a linux kernel -into- Netware.  Their
vision was Netware available with -either- a Netware or a linux kernel.

But aside from the level of tech support you can expect, I wouldn't read a
thing into the Novell name being attached.  I think too many do.

mark->