Re: Windows or Linux

Hi,
I am a Systems Administrator and DBA with 17 years experience. I've worked with Oracle on WinNT, Linux, UNIX (HP-UX and AIX). Here's my professional opinion.

Linux PROS
- Low Cost: Linux can be downloaded for free, and Red Hat's flagship
product, 2.1 Advanced Server is half the cost of Win2000 Advanced Server   and comes with 1 year of support. Windows does not come with any support. Each incident (or question) is about $250.
- High reliability. Many Linux machines run for years with out a reboot.
This may seem like a small point but, when your phone rings at 2:00 AM because the production database server is down, it becomes a huge point.
- Support: Multiple support choices including big vendors like IBM means
competition which obviously leads to quality support. And if you don't like IBM ,try Red Hat or Linuxcare.
- Highly scalable: Linux cluster solutions can support thousands of
nodes or machines, none of the supercomputing centers use Windows, many do use Linux.
- Hardware: Linux can be adjusted to suite very specific needs, like a
database server. There are a multitude of performace tuning options to get the most from your hardware dollar.

Linux CONS
- Install: More difficult to install, configure and maintain.

• Learning curve: Linux requires more technical ability. A Linux savvy pro is recommended if you don't have one already.

Windows PROS
- Install: Easier installation configuration. Integration issues like
Single Sign On are usually easier.
- Learning curve: Windows requires less technical competence.

Windows CONS
- High Cost: The Windows2000 server price tag. Upgrades usually cost
more than 50% of the original version.
- Poor security: The Windows platform distributes all the modern viruses
like melissa, red worm, sircam, need I go on?
- Poor reliability: Most production Windows servers generally need to be
rebooted at least monthly.
- Poor support: Nobody competes with Redmond for support contracts so,
they have little motivation to provide quality support.
- Poor scalability: MS Cluster server supports a maximum of only 4 nodes
and is quite tricky to install and poorly documented.
- Hardware: Windows requires more expensive hardware to produce the same
results and hardware upgrade intervals are more frequent.

Summary:
- If your business will depend on this Oracle database and you will
loose money if it is not working. Use Linux.
- If you have Linux/UNIX experience, employ some who does or intend to
hire (contract or perm) someone who does than again, the answer is clearly Linux.
- Some small organizations like to assign the administrator or DBA roles
to an accountant (or some other person) who may be fairly good with a PC. This type of administrator usually can't learn Linux fast enough to be effective in a business environment. So if you don't have Linux/UNIX experience, don't employ someone who does and don't want to hire or contract someonewho does - you probably want Windows.

Good Luck
Jay Emerson - Systems and Database Administrator www.sysadmincorner.com

Linux or UNIX are more reliable and perform better in multi-user environments.

Tim Ashman wrote:

> Todd Parnell wrote:
> 
>> Just out of curiosity, all other things being equal, on a
>> single-processor machine deploying Oracle 9iR2, would you use Windows
>> 2000 or Red Hat Linux?  I am trying to get responses from users who have
>> tried both scenarios.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Todd
>>
> 
> I'm a newbie three years running,  I support an accounting application 
> running on HP-UX.  When I made the decision to purchase the HP-UX for 
> our app I knew very little about Unix/Linux.  I knew it's reputation for 
> stablity.  I figured if it never fails there isn't much to now about it.
> 
> So three years in I have had to shutdown this server all of maybe six 
> times and 4 of them where because HP hardware failed not the OS.
> 
> My opinion go with any version of Linux/Unix, you won't be sorry.
>