Fail over capability is the area Linux is particularly weak for mid-range.
Some projects are afoot to change this. I once again recommend the essay by
Jon maddog Hall at http://performancecomputing.com/Linux-IT/penguin/9908.shtml.
If your boss has read what D. H. Brown said about Win NT and Linux and their
shortcomings as mid-range servers, then show him the essay. The D. H. Brown
rating is pretty damning of Linux for that purpose as well as of WinNT. As Jon
said in his article, it is time for us to develop the tools needed for that
market with Linux speed. So in a very few months, Linux likely will be ready.
If someone has information that I don't about programs that run reviews of
error logs and set to "read-only" disks with weak blocks (from increasing soft
errors), moves their files to other disks for removal (hot-swap) from the
system and replacement, I would love to hear it. I would rather see linux in
the mid-range applications than what is there now.
Scalability goes easily to four processors, as the benchmarks done by c't
magazine do show, but that is pretty much a roof right now. Fault tolerance
with, say, RAID 5 is no problem at all for Linux. No server meister who wants
to keep his job would consider RAID 0 as was used in the Mindcraft "benchmarks."
Non-stop computers beyond that are out of the range of Solaris and of Linux and
fall into the realm of custom programming for redundant systems, or so I
believe. Again, if someone has something better, I would be overjoyed to learn
of it.
On Thu, 15 Jul 1999, you wrote:
> Hi,
>
> My boss wants scalability, fail over capability and fault tolerance . We
> are looking at an enterprise e3500.
>
> Dunc
>
> Fred Macinster wrote:
>
> > Any reason why your boss wants to move to Solaris ? Our company is
> > planning to start offeringmid range servers next month running Linux.
> > Sorry but, I do not agree that Linux is not ready. If you go with Sun
> > there are those pesky license fees. They get you now or they get you
> > later.
>
> --
> //----------------------------------------------------------------
> Duncan Hall
> SysAdmin/WebMaster
> Viator Systems [ http://www.viator.com ]
> ... e-commerce systems for the travel industry
> ttel: +61 2 9361 6137 fax: +61 2 9360 9885
> -----------------------------------------------------------------//
--
Civileme Say:
"Man who buy on leading edge learn what it is to slide down razor blade of
life."
"Man who buy Dual-Scan display discover new best friend in optometrist."
"Man who read the fine material available make wiser decisions, much wiser
after some experience."
