*** Sent this already, doesn't seem to have arrived so I'm sending it again ***
Hi guys, I just got something of a promotion and I've been asked to change the network over to hardware/software/OS over to something more professional. my plans are: - Mandrake Linux on all box's that will take it. (I thought about a unix variant (Solaris specifically), but I'm now more familiar with Linux, and most familiar with Mandrake. plus I decided to support the movement :-) - Rack mount servers with Hotswap SCSI UW harddisks, two per box setup to mirror. (speed not that important, at least initially.) - Digital switch for single monitor/keyboard/mouse per rack tower. - Mail (postfix, amavisd-new, spamassasin), Web (apache extranet), DNS (DynDNS (if I can figure out how to change over from Bind9.x)) servers. - Master router/firewall, preferably hardware, but linux box if easier. must be able to handle NAT and straight routing at the same time on different interfaces. and must be able to handly two NET connections and switch between the two if one goes down. (say for example two ADSL connections, or a T1 and a backup ADSL.) My Questions are: 1. SCSI controllers/drives and hotswap... can linux handle hotswapping? And whats the best controller cards to use? I have heard many a complaint about Adaptec cards and the like.. whats the best supported trouble free card? 2. Hardware router/firewall setup, anyone have any suggetions here??? a box capable of handling multiple connections and offer NAT AND routing to different interfaces on the back of the unit? 3. Whats the best prefab backup system for linux box's??? (don't tell me its tar.. I was hoping for something more inclusive). 4. DYNDNS. I have working BIND9 installs, and I am not used to Dyndns, but the config pages on Bernsteins site read like gibberish to me, I want to edit a config file or two like with BIND.. is there a way of doing that?? 5. Multiple CPU's, I was thinking of using Dual AMD CPU's on the mail and web servers.. the mail and web will be doing all the mail and sites for about 100 websites and is likely to have some high usage statictics as time goes on.. Is this a good idea or should I just create multiple web/mail servers and configure them via round robin or similiar?? Any hardware tips, suggestions, flames etc about config and stuff from those of you using this stuff would be most appreciated. kindest regards Frank
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