Windows versus Unix Server

[markymrk22]

Hello,

I would greatly appreciate some help.

I have been using oscommerce on a shared windows server for over a year. I have now decided to switch to a dedicated server, so that I am not constantly interupted with problems and downtime, and most important slow response time.

Can anyone help me decide on what platform I should look to get?

I know nothing about unix. and alot about windows, but I plan on joining a managed host, so I do not even know how much my knowledge matters.

Here is what matters most to me, speed of my site and uptime of server.

Thank you for all of your help,

--- also if anyone has a good dedicated hosting company that they would like to recommend I could really use the help.

Mark

[jpf]

Short Answer - Lunix - Cost less - runs faster (on a exact same hardware - with out any tweaks on ether install - even if you tweak both - Lunix would still be blasing faster than Windows)

Stable - Lunix - some boxes have run for YEARS (and have many software UPGRADES too) with out requiring "reboot" - however some on the 'net show only a max of 497day and it resets the counter... The Max I have seen is 1813 days....Unix box sill going....Nearest Window server 1097 days next nearest 886 days (ONLY 2 out of the top 30 server with a reported uptimes is Windows based and is 8 out of the top 50)

Actually tonight one of my servers are being upgraded-MySQL-there will be NO web outage at all however ADMIN features will not be available durring the process - NO REBOOT WILL BE DONE. This server has been up now for nearly 2 years when it was moved to a new faster server.)

Average UP time for a WINDOWS 2000 server - 90-150 Days....(not sure of Window 2003 - but I think it was much longer...but less than a year.)

Apache serves Web pages FASTER than ISS....(on Windows) But not by MUCH - However ASP is only available on Windows with ISS (there use to be an old version of ASP on Apache...no longer available/updated?) and in general make the server slower....

I can have a PSP (yes that hand held game system) run Apache and serve out webpages.....get Windows with 64MB Ram (or less) and less than 128mb drive space to server webpages - Not in any way possable....

You can have a older Intel P3/P4 1gig with 64MB ram and a 100 MB or so HD space and LOAD a full webpage server from it.... (it might chook a little with MySQL/PHP but not fail) Give it 256MB ram and some HD - and it can keep up with a full loaded 3.0G-P4 Windows 200? and ISS....

Security - Lunix - Open source - fixes generaly released quickly - ALL HOLES are PLUGGED....Windows - Only holes that "they" warent fixing are fixed.....even ones that are - can take weeks/months - if they are "low" on the list.

My choice - IF your not plaining on using .NET or ASP or "other" MS required s/w... Lunix is #1 - even the BIG boys I work for are supporting Lunix on there (and are pushing it as the OS of choice on ANY server - web or other) servers they sell. (BTW I work for IBM)

Hosting company Depends ...... LOOK at there location (Backup? Generators? How many Backbones)?

Not Sure of AABOX but anyone co-located with Hurricane Electric, EV1Servers, 1and1, RackSpace are a good starting point

To see a list of the higher quality Hosting companies
http://uptime.netcraft.com/netmove/thismonth

Window vs Lunix server in use: http://news.netcraft.com/archives/we...er_survey.html

BTW most of www.microsoft.com servers - are rebooted within 30 to 45 days.....Max was 90 days back in Jun04....

EV1 main server - 275 till aug 05 and none since...