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My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

I started a new job about a month ago and for some reason that completely escapes me, the company uses Microsoft Windows for everything. Even to do important, mission critical tasks!?Huh
Since day one I could see that there is an onging battle, the company vs Microsoft Windows. Continously things stop working so someone needs to log into a remote server, kill a few processes and try again. Of course every server that is logged into is crying out that it needs updates or begging to be restarted, it is a server for god sake, I cannot restart it every day!
It seams that the company like others I am sure are unaware that there is in fact an alternitive. An operating system that actually works, can update at any time without anyone evening noticing and virtually never needs restarted. It will produce better performance and stability from the same hardware and it is complete free! I am sure I don't need to tell anyone what this amazing opperating system it.  Grin
I did think previously that Microsoft Windows belongs only on the desktop of home computers if even. I am now completely convinced that this is the case.
13 REPLIES 13
artificer
Grafter
Posts: 1,850
Registered: ‎11-08-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

have you not suggested it to them?  i understand that centos is good on servers.
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Yeah, I run CentOS on both my Webserver here at home and on my VPS. I like it.
I have only started the job so I am going to wait until I am more settled before I start pushing them to make the change. The problem is that there is software in use that is produced by the company and has being designed to run on Windows. Switching to Linux would be a huge task but one I know they would not regret in the long run.
zubel
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,793
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎08-06-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Windows on the server has it's place for certain things.  Stuff like domain administration, GPO etc. all fits together very nicely.
However, using Windows for more dedicated tasks like mail, databases, web hosting etc is IMO a folly.
We have two Windows domain controllers here, but we run mail on a CentOS box (which integrates to Windows using LDAP lookups), a MySQL database server on another CentOS box, plus lots of other dedicated *nix boxes for other tasks.
The easiest way to look at migrating away from Windows is to start looking at ways to move individual functions onto a Linux based host.  Doing it en-masse is the wrong way to do it.  Perhaps look at introducing postfix/dovecot on *nix to replace an Exchange server (although you do lose some nice functionality like shared folders, calendaring etc - but this can be recovered by using other OpenSsource replacements) and move on from there
B.
artificer
Grafter
Posts: 1,850
Registered: ‎11-08-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

that sounds like a plan.  on the pclinuxos forum we do our best to help members use whatever suits them while they wait for linux to catch up.  many applications will work perfectly well in wine, some will require windows emulation and some gets ported.  so long as a workable solution can be found, who cares which os is used?  open source will prevail ultimately.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Quote from: Sean
Continously things stop working so someone needs to log into a remote server, kill a few processes and try again. Of course every server that is logged into is crying out that it needs updates or begging to be restarted, it is a server for god sake, I cannot restart it every day!

Could this be a clue that these servers have not been properly maintained?  Of course you cannot restart your servers every day but Microsoft only sends updates once a month so once the server has caught up it should sit there quietly for at least month or two without crying or begging.  And if all your servers are in various indeterminate unmaintained states it's hardly surprising if things continuously stop working.
I'm not saying you should not go with Barry's plan to migrate away from Windows but maybe in the meantime some planned maintenance on your Windows servers would reap some benefits. 
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Smiley I was waiting for someone to mention the maintenance thing. If they were Linux servers they would not need any maintenance. They would happily check for updates with a cron job every day if you so wished.
My own Linux web servers are updated automatically with a cron job daily when new updates are available. Never once have they asked me to restart them, nor do they stop working if I don't restart them.
ReedRichards
Seasoned Pro
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Yes, yes, so your belief that Linux is vastly superior to Windows is confirmed; the title of the thread gives that one away.  However in the short term a more pragmatic approach is needed.  If your Windows servers are liable to stop working if you don't maintain them (is that really true?) then you have little option to but give them the attention they are seeking. 
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Quote from: ReedRichards
If your Windows servers are liable to stop working if you don't maintain them (is that really true?)

?? It was you who suggested that, not me.
My personal opinion is that they will not work properly, maintained or not so long as they are running Windows.
ReedRichards
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Registered: ‎14-07-2009

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Quote from: Sean
Continously things stop working ....

You said it first (but spelt it wrong)! 
I take it you just want to vent about how bad Windows is running on servers?   
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Yes I did state that things stop working, to be more exact, SharePoint, on a daily basis.
I never once suggested that this was due to a lack of maintenance. It was you who posted this then questioned it in a later post.
If you feel the need to bring the thread down to the level where you are going to moan about typos then feel free. Just remember that there are members of this forum who would be very offended by this not to mention that nowhere in the forum rules does it state that you must spell all words correctly!
zubel
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,793
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Registered: ‎08-06-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Sharepoint...... /shiver...
B.
seanbranagh
Grafter
Posts: 1,236
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

PHP/MYSQL all the way I say Grin
on a Linux server obviously.
ReedRichards
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Re: My beliefs about Windows confirmed.

Sean, it seems to me that all you want to do is moan about Windows.  Me moaning about typos really isn't going to bring this thread down any further because there isn't much further to go!  Even if you abhor my suggestion, Barry and artificer have tried to be helpful but you don't seem to be paying them any attention.
For whatever reason, you have taken a job that requires you to work with a whole load of Windows servers, at least in the short term until you can change things around.  Let's agree that Windows is deeply flawed, especially for server requirements.  If there is a question associated with this thread then it is surely "how do you make the best of a bad lot"?  But is this the question, or is it more specific, or do you really just want to vent your frustrations?