IT Manager’s Journal: Migration from Windows to Linux Saves Thousands

“Nearly three years ago I rebuilt my company’s corporate
network, comprising six geographically dispersed offices and
approximately 300 users, using a budget smaller than what most
system administrators and IT managers make in a year. Our migration
to Linux servers and software was a success, and offers a lesson
for other administrators.

“When I began, I had quite a mess on my hands, and I don’t mean
the kind that our company, a maker of water treatment products and
services, was accustomed to cleaning up. I encountered problems
such as not enough memory for the servers to run their services and
not enough hard drive space to accommodate growing data needs. We
did not have enough licenses to support our company user base, and
Microsoft was contacting us to request we update our licenses and
become compliant. I was also experiencing unplanned down time at
least once a week, and suffering with an inadequate backup system,
a shaky T-1 line, and no security ? not even a firewall. Our
company lacked a single corporate email system; out of 300 users,
approximately 50 were using Exchange Server; the other 250 were
using AOL or another ISP…”

Complete
Story