I can give you a real world example which is based around an HP OpenView implementation that I'm aware of.
1 Support by 3rd party vendors The people responsible for first line support have Linux workstations. Every so often, the HPOV backup hangs. As soon as HPOV support is phoned they say that Linux is not a supported platform and that only HP and SUN workstations are supported and that if the problem can be repro'd on that kit, they'll be only too happy to troubleshoot it. Until then, bye-bye. 2 Microsoft weenies Yes, I know that this is a derogatory term but believe me, the people involved deserve it. This particular HPOV implementation is based on a redundant SUN cluster with the monitoring defn's dragged out of a WinNT-based SQL server. The problem . . . one of the problems, for there are a few . . . one of the many problems, is that the SQL db is accessed through the main SUN box. If this SUN box goes down, the backup takes over. Theoretically. The problem is that the SQL db is accessed only through the main box (duh! lousy design!) The development people have redesigned things to use MySQL and dump the NT box completely. Unfortunately, the person in Ops who is in charge is a Microsoft weenie and doesn't like this. So, he promptly says that this is not acceptable. When prompted as for why, he says that MySQL is an Open Source product and therefore, by definition, has no support. Sigh. It was pointed out to him that it is possible to buy support from the MySQL people to which his reaction was akin to "I didn't know that." He hadn't even checked on the web site to see if this was possible. Add to this the way that the project owners (not the development staff) were overheard to be trying to come up with ways to justify an MS machine for the SQL db and I can only conclude that these people just are not technically literate. Frankly, it's enough to make a grown man cry. Sigh... again... Anyone in The Netherlands looking for a VM sysprog with 18 years experience who was playing around with the Linux for S/390 port before he was downsized from a certain large computer firm in a cost savings exercise? Rod Furey