[TriLUG] TCO - Linux, UNIX, and MS

[David McDowell]

We are a mixed environment and find benefit from running Microsoft AD
for single sign-on, Exchange and for some 3rd party software packages
which require Microsoft AD for user/group sync and MSSQL for their
database.  However, we also leverage Linux for web services, SMB PDF,
systems monitoring and a variety of other small tools.  I find a mixed
environment gives you the best of all worlds.  It all depends on what
your needs are vs. what you are willing to sacrifice.  I believe if
you are 100% Microsoft or 100% Linux, you "may" be missing out on a
feature/application which you could find beneficial to your
organization.  One example of such is here, if we were 100% Microsoft,
I'd have to use IIS (yikes) and I'd lose the benefit of Apache on
Linux.  What was I able to do?  Integrate!!:
http://www.turnpike420.net/linux/Apache_PHP_FreeTDS_MSSQL2000.txt
If I was a 100% Linux shop, I wouldn't have a tool such as Exchange
(which our organization feels is beneficial) or other tools such as
Adobe InDesign or Photoshop.  But oh, I can have those on OSX... yes,
but not if I'm a 100% Linux shop.  :)  It's a give and take and with a
little knowledge (ok, probably a lot) integration CAN work and you get
the best of both worlds.

yeah!
David McD



On 8/1/06, Jason White <jason at jw2.org> wrote:
> Anyone care to share any insight or reference material on questions
> that management is asking?  We are a mixed shop with a lot of MS
> servers, a growing list of Linux servers, and a declining list of UNIX
> (migrating to Linux) servers.
>
> - TCO for Linux vs UNIX vs Microsoft from a server perspective?
> - Forrester/Gartners perspective on Linux, UNIX & Microsoft?
> - Financial Industry's perspective of LINUX, UNIX & Microsoft?
>
> Thanks for any ammunition you can provide...
>
> Jason
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