|
|
RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE
How Do Your Server Options Compare?
Analysts and enterprises provide insight into the leading server options on the market, their strengths, and where they limitations.
If you're a small/mid-sized business in the market to bulk up -- or revamp -- your company's server configuration, you might consider what others have to say about their experiences with some of the most common platforms.
Gartner Group has conducted a survey of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) regarding which servers companies were using. Researchers then ranked the servers by different criteria.
To get a general feel for the most popular platforms, researchers first asked participants which operating system they would choose if they had to do it all over again. Responses were as follows (note the results do not indicate the percentage of enterprises actually using the platforms):
- Microsoft Windows -- 54 percent
- NetWare -- 22 percent
- Linux -- 15 percent
- UNIX -- 7 percent
- Other -- 2 percent
Gartner recommends that once you make the decision to invest in servers, you should consider six key criteria when evaluating different server environments and products: software availability, skills, support, system reliability, price/performance, and system viability.
Based on its research, Gartner examined these criteria against the top server choices in the market today -- Windows, NetWare, Linux, Solaris, and AS/400 -- and gave them a score of Best, Acceptable, or Worst. Here's how they stacked up:
 | Windows | NetWare | Linux | Solaris | AS/400 |
| Software availability | Best | Acceptable | Worst | Acceptable | Acceptable |
| Skills | Best | Acceptable | Worst | Acceptable | Worst |
| Support | Acceptable | Worst | Worst | Acceptable | Best |
| System reliability | Acceptable | Acceptable | Acceptable | Acceptable | Best |
| Price/performance | Acceptable | Acceptable | Best | Acceptable | Worst |
| System viability | Best | Acceptable | Acceptable | Acceptable | Worst |
The factors
In general, the most important factors for companies looking to choose a server infrastructure are their existing investments in servers and their in-house technical skills. Gartner adds that switching technologies can be especially difficult for SMBs, which usually depend on a small internal workgroup to handle the computing environment.
Software availability -- According to Gartner, the software availability for a given platform is probably the most important selection factor for an SMB, other than existing infrastructure. Researchers report that Microsoft offers the widest range of business packages and the best development tools. AS/400 (now iSeries) provides an acceptable, but aging portfolio, and NetWare's application set is largely limited to file and print serving. The most popular UNIX platform today, Solaris, features a reasonable SMB package. And finally, Linux has potential but needs to mature into a general-purpose SMB platform.
Skills -- Entry-level Windows skills are the most prevalent, and usually the least expensive. While there are many NetWare certified professionals, there are few new NetWare skills being developed. Solaris skills are available, but are typically pricier because of the complexity of UNIX. Gartner points out that while AS/400 is perhaps the easiest system to administer, hardly anyone is developing new skills in this area, and people that already have them are hard to find. Finally, Linux suffers from a serious lack of skills.
Support -- Because smaller businesses have to rely on a smaller server infrastructure, controlling downtime is extremely important. Therefore, support and service are key factors for you to consider. IBM provides solid support for AS/400. Gartner adds that Microsoft and third-party support for Windows has gotten a lot better, and should continue to improve. NetWare and Solaris provide decent support (although third-party NetWare support is shrinking quickly). The support model for Linux is just forming, and will have to mature over the next few years.
System reliability -- AS/400 leads the pack, with world-renowned reliability and stability. Solaris is strong, and Windows and NetWare have very good reliability when you use packaged solutions rather than software developed in-house. Linux is reliable for fixed roles such as Web serving or e-mail and file/print serving; however, it hasn't proved itself in general-purpose business computing.
Price/performance -- Linux offers an appealing price/performance model: open-source software running on commodity servers. Gartner suggests that businesses that can find the right software solution and handle service/support concerns and skills issues will have success with Linux as their server solution. Window, NetWare, and Solaris fit within SMB budgets, and IBM is the most expensive option (up to 50 percent more than other options), although its lower administration costs can lower the overall price.
System viability -- By far, Windows is the safest bet in terms of long-term viability. NetWare has a large installed base, but faces an uncertain future. Solaris and Linux are good choices for the long run, but they might not be the best fit for smaller and midsized enterprises. Finally, the AS/400 has a very large, solid base, but Gartner warns of waning SMB sales and says its future viability looks weak.
Final advice
If you're running an AS/400 or NetWare infrastructure, you're in good shape: Those systems will retain their value through 2006. But Gartner notes that for new installations, Windows is your best choice in terms of software, available skills, and future viability. Solaris is good for Web-related applications, and the price/performance of Linux holds great promise.
Gartner suggest that you consider the costs, trade-offs, and benefits of computing appliances and thin-client computing as you shop around.
Keyword Tags: Business Technology, Computer System, Finance, IBM, IBM AS/400, Infrastructure, IT Industry, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Novell, Novell NetWare, Operating System, Performance, Platform, Research, Server, Software, Sun Microsystems, Sun Solaris, Technology Management
ADVISORAMA There is nobody so irritating as somebody with less intelligence and more sense than we have. -- Don Herold |
ARTICLE INFO
Web Edition: 2001.04.24, Doc #08107
 FREE ACCESS
|
|
|
|
|