Help! Summary of WinNT vs Linux/UNIX

[Karen Perone]

Many thanks for all of you who replied to my request for assistance on why  a 
site with a systems dept. of one and no UNIX guru should pursue Windows NT for
a server. I've got a lot of ammunition for my proposal. Here is a summary of 
the responses that I received:

Windows NT pros:
--Easy to manage -- similar to Windows 3.1 and 95.
--Less of a learning curve because of existing familiarity with Windows.
--More time can be spent on maintaining the data because there will be less 
system maintenance.
--Server and application software are easy to use.
--Scripting can be done easily because of drag and drop functionality.
--Many products and being developed for the NT platform for Internet use.
--Has received favorable reviews in the trade press.
--Less likely to have hackers attack because of easier administration.
--Less time needs to be spent on administration of the server so more time can
be devoted to site development (page creation).
--Very stable, powerful and works well with Pentium processor.
--LAN management is being developed for NT platform.
--Performs well allowing many simultaneous hits per second.
--Runs on inexpensive, ubiquitous hardware.
--Time spent on setup is minimal.
--One can expect to have a server up with sample documents in less than one 
hour.
--Help is readily available and easier to understand than UNIX man pages.
--Page creation can be done infamiliar Windows word processor.


Other helpful information that was passed along includes the following:
--Put money into RAM to speed the retrieval of frequently requested files 
(This was suggested instead of the faster Pentium Pro processor)
--Look for a machine with a large memory cache.
--32 MB of RAM is adequate for an NT server.
--NT server software may be more robust for heavy usage over the workstation 
software.
--The MS Internet Information Server is free for NT; it will be included in a 
$999 NT Server Network Value Pack.
--Don't forget a UPS for graceful shutdown of the server in case of a power 
failure.
--Check out the WebServer comparison chart by Paul E. Hoffman at:
    http://www.proper.com/www/servers-chart.html
--The speed of the network connection is more important than the speed of the 
CPU.
--A dedicated machine is necessary for a server to maximize its availability 
and reliability.


As far as server software that is in use by those responding, the following 
were mentioned:
      WebSite (O'Reilly)
      Purveyor 
      MS Information Server
      EMWAC HTTP Server
      PowerEdge 5133 (Dell)

I was surprised that no one mentioned Netscape as their server software. It 
got great reviews and best of all, it's FREE to libraries! 

I'd like to conclude with a great quote from O.Ryan Tabibian's review of 
Netscape Communications Server and Netscape Commerce Server in the Oct. 10, 
1995 issue of PC Magazine:
   "Netscape's Windows NT servers are an excellent choice for those who want 
to run a robust and scalable web server but don't have Unix expertise 
in-house."

Wish me luck!
Karen Perone                  kperone at roc.rodman.lib.oh.us
Systems Coordinator           
Rodman Public Library         voice: 216-821-2665
215 E. Broadway Street
Alliance, OH 44601            fax: 216-821-5053