I also run a small MS shop, servicing about 150 desktops and about 15 servers, all MS.
I too have been looking to make a migration, but there is no straight forward solution.
We also use SUS and Group Policy to push updates and security settings.
If a migration was to be feasable, a stepped approach would have to be taken.
First start changing client apps on Windows desktop, then change desktop OS. Such as Firefox for IE, Openoffice for MS Office. It would be very helpful to be able to use Group Policy and SUS for maintaining those apps!
Same on server side, port.Net apps to Mono running on Apache on Windows (yikes!) than move OSs. The other option would be to port the app and run on new server. Course, one of the apps has been done with Java, so no probs there.:)
I know I can run Samba for shares and printers and the like, but what about services like MS Exchange. Apps will have to be moved from MS SQL Server to Postgres or the likes.
Big job! Plenty of costs involved. Then there's training! Talk about vendor lockin.
What I've seen happen more often than not, is the company developing the software will loadup on middle management and bring the whole process screaming to a halt.
The project becomes mired in paper work that goes around and around.
In Cringley's lastest column he talks about companies that develop for profit only. There's little incentive for the program to actually work.
"In other words, would it facilitate or inhibit the creation of good software?"
Good question!
It would probably help facilitate good software creation and hopefully do away with companies who do as little work as possible. All they do is just enough to satisfy their contracts and could give a damn about the actual product and whether it worked or not!
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I also run a small MS shop, servicing about 150 desktops and about 15 servers, all MS.
.Net apps to Mono running on Apache on Windows (yikes!) than move OSs. The other option would be to port the app and run on new server. Course, one of the apps has been done with Java, so no probs there. :)
I too have been looking to make a migration, but there is no straight forward solution.
We also use SUS and Group Policy to push updates and security settings.
If a migration was to be feasable, a stepped approach would have to be taken.
First start changing client apps on Windows desktop, then change desktop OS. Such as Firefox for IE, Openoffice for MS Office. It would be very helpful to be able to use Group Policy and SUS for maintaining those apps!
Same on server side, port
I know I can run Samba for shares and printers and the like, but what about services like MS Exchange. Apps will have to be moved from MS SQL Server to Postgres or the likes.
Big job! Plenty of costs involved. Then there's training! Talk about vendor lockin.
The contractor often does.
What I've seen happen more often than not, is the company developing the software will loadup on middle management and bring the whole process screaming to a halt.
The project becomes mired in paper work that goes around and around.
In Cringley's lastest column he talks about companies that develop for profit only. There's little incentive for the program to actually work.
"In other words, would it facilitate or inhibit the creation of good software?"
Good question!
It would probably help facilitate good software creation and hopefully do away with companies who do as little work as possible. All they do is just enough to satisfy their contracts and could give a damn about the actual product and whether it worked or not!