Server Management

[Lynn Eades]

Hi!  We are in the process of evaluating our servers and their
maintenance.  I would like to hear how other libraries are dealing with
their web and database servers.

1)  Are you (the library) in charge of the maintenance of the web
server?  If not, is another department on campus in charge of
maintenance?  Who is responsible for the hardware?

2)  If another department is in charge of maintenance, what procedures
do you follow to make changes on your server?  Are they responsible for
updates/patches and security?

3) Are all of your library databases on one server or spread across
several servers?

We have the opportunity of putting our web server in a server farm here
at UNC, but would like to look at all options before we proceed.
Currently the maintenance of our web server is split between me and our
Network Manager.  We each know enough to keep it running, but not as
much as we feel we should.

We have several projects each with a database.  We have purchased a
database server, but are wondering if having one server be only
databases is the safest and easiest way to work.

I appreciate your help with this.  If anyone else is interested in the
answers, I will be happy to post a summary.

Lynn
--
B. Lynn Eades
Web Development Librarian
Health Sciences Library
CB# 7585
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC  27599-7585

Phone: (919) 966-8012
Email: beades at med.unc.edu