Replacing Novell with Linux?

RatzMilk asks: "The firm I work for has several clients who are still running Novell 4.11 which Novell is stopping support for in early 2001. As such they will require expensive upgrades to the latest version to be able to continue their support with Novell. I have suggested to one of the clients that they could replace their Novell with Linux which would have the added advantage of being able to utilize their existing hardware. The Novell upgrade would also require a hardware upgrade has well. They have agreed but their only concern was stability as the Novell boxen has been very reliable and Linux is an unknown to them. My company's policy is to provide the best possible support to our clients. My question to Slashdotters is, do you think I have made the right recommendation? Should I just do the switch with one client and see how it goes, or go the hole hog and recommend it to all?" Would Linux be the ideal solution in this case? Would BSD be any better or worse in this situation? And is holding on to the outdated hardware a good idea? As it is, systems can't go on forever, and depending on age of this system, maybe a full upgrade is a good idea.

Comments

Issues

[maggard]

It's folks like you that scare so many customers. You want the customer to go to Linux, or BSD, but can't provide a reason aside from "it's hip". So now you go fishing for reasons?

First, Novell is a company & Netware is a product. Novell makes a bunch of products and although Netware is their flagship being accurate tends to reassure customers.

Second the client already has Netware. Clearly it works well for them. Clearly it's integrated into their operations. They seem to have support for it, the users are used to it, the files and rights are likely well established and well understood. There are doubtless ancillary systems like backups, print servers, email, etc. that all rely on Netware that would need to be reconfigured or replaced should Netware go away.

Next support folks for Netware are easy to find and have well established credentials. Support for Linux or other comperable OS's is pretty much a dice-roll these days. Application support is the same - everything understands how to work in a Netware environment - few applications yet know how to optimize their file calls or locking in a Linux/etc. environment. Have a problem with Whizbang2000? Call their support line and say Netware or NT; it's a click in their decision tree. Say something unusual like Linux or BSD and the phonetech will go into a crash & burn, likely after first trying to blame your Linux/etc for the problem.

Look, I'm not knocking Linux or BSD varients or anything else. I'm just pointing out that there's a hell of a lot of issues involved in changing from one server OS to another. Lots (most) of these issues have very little to do with the quality or qualities of the OS itself but rather with external situations like legacy compatibility, support mechanisms and the basic horrors of reengineering a typically complex network environment.

To encourage a customer to change their server OS, particularly when it's one that they seem so happy with, is not to be done lightly. To encourage them to move to an OS that you & your company don't know well enough to even recommend a particular choice is sheer folly.

I can see suggesting Linux or some other non-traditionial OS (damn we need a word that encompasses Linux & the BSDs but leaves out the more obscure varients) for a client with a specific need for something not found in their current Server-OS-of-choice. I can even see encouraging them to use Linux/BSD/etc. in new deployments where there isn't much legacy material to worry about. I'd definately encourage them in cases where they've found thier current Server OS unsuitable or they've outgrown it (all assuming I was well familier with the specific product I was recommending.)

In your situation? It's a good thing your company is researching the alternatives. It's a better thing your boss will likely take your results, read them with interest, and not mention this to this client. Be cheered though that your studies won't have gone to waste as it wouldn't be suprising if soon some other client either requests Linux/etc. or has a situation where you folks can legitimately recommend Linux/etc.