Re: ISP asking about switching to Debian from OpenBSD
[Please do not waste bandwidth with HTML mail]
On Tue, Nov 20, 2001 at 13:28:36 -0600, David Batey wrote:
> I'm with an ISP having about 300 customers who use our servers for DNS,
> HTTP, POP, SMTP, and on one server we have FrontPage extensions running.
> We're wondering about Debian's scalability, stability and functionality --
> for example...
My previous employer was an ISP serving several thousands of customers using
servers running Debian exclusively (DNS, web, FTP, mail, shell etc.). For
case histories, you may want to ask on the debian-isp list.
> STABILITY: is Debian a good choice for heavy lifting?
Yes. I've seen a single Debian box that provided webmail services to several
tens of thousands of users with an uptime of several hundreds of days;
machines that you regarded obsolete for desktop use three years ago are
powerful enough to host say a hundred websites using virtual hosting.
> I know about apt-get for easy installation of bug/security patches; does
> the ease-of-install ever compromise security or functionality?
If you're paranoid, you can always build from source.
> OpenBSD is pretty secure; how does Debian compare?
Debian is perhaps slightly less paranoid, but a well-maintained Debian box
is likely to be quite secure. As always, the system administrator's skills
are a key factor.
> Is Woody ready for prime-time yet?
I would still recommend potato for a production environment as it is indeed
stable as a rock. Woody can be used in production environments if you have a
good administrator, but be aware that it is still fluid.
> (If not, would an upgrade from potato to woody likely cause hiccups?)
Definitely not once woody is released (as the release process involves
testing upgrades between releases specifically); at the moment, I'm not
aware of problems upgrading a potato system to woody.
> FUNCTIONALITY: We need DNS server packages, ssh (with ssh tunneling
> available for other services), smtp/pop, web-based
> scheduling/claendaring/email facilities, HTTP (apache/mod_perl) servers,
> and so on...
All of which are available, AFAIK.
HTH,
Ray
--
Give a man a fire, he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire, he's warm for
the rest of his life.
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