web server suggestions

[Peter Murray]

--On Tuesday, September 5, 2000 4:26 PM -0700 George Fowler 
<FowlerG at cts.db.erau.edu> wrote:
> I have recently been tasked with looking into the purchase of our
> library's own web server.  I am not going to mention the types of
> servers that are currently used on campus so that I don't bias any
> of  the responses.

You said you didn't want to influence responses, but I think what you can 
find support for on your campus is an important part of the decision 
process.  In an extreme example, I could tout the wonders of a web server 
under the MacOS platform, but if you don't have any Macs on campus it 
wouldn't do you much good.

There are good web servers for all flavors of UNIX, Windows, Mac, Netware 
-- and who knows...maybe even Apple II and Amigas?  So what you are familar 
with should greatly drive you decision.

As for my preferences, I'd pick Apache running on a Linux platform using a 
Pentium machine of some sort (as it happens, that is the platform just 
installed at the UConn Law School).  If you use a recycled Pentium machine 
with not enough horsepower for a desktop Windows platform and buy the 
RedHat Linux CD (for convenience sake -- you could download everything from 
the net), you could do it for under $100.  Add a tape drive for backups 
(one normally wouldn't find that on a desktop platform) and you'd be in 
business.

Disk space shouldn't be a problem for your PDF files -- it is easy to add 
to any platform.  The web databases are a more interesting issue -- if they 
are already in something like Microsoft Access, there is something to be 
said for putting your web platform under WindowsNT/IIS because the 
integration of the database onto the web will likely be easier.  Others 
will say that using MySQL with PHP is a good option.

Good luck!


Peter
--
Peter Murray, Computer Services Librarian              W: 860-570-5233
University of Connecticut Law School             Hartford, Connecticut