Help me setup my test labs

D

Digital-Vortex

Gawd
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Messages
961
Hey all,

Over the summer i want to get my test lab sorted out. I want to have a range of OS's to work with diffrent network server types. So im asking what OS's you network admins suggest.

Currently for servers I have
SUSE Linux
Windows 200X Server (which ever one i can get my hands on)
Netware 6.5
Sun Solaris 10

and for clients.
Windows XP
Linux (probably Mandarke)

depending on how many machines i have i will be dual booting some. But what other ones do you recomend, and any nifty tools i should be looking at? I want to learn more than i know, its never a bad thing :D
 
FreeBSD

Only server OS I use right now and will probably stay that way for awhile, shoudl give it a go and see if you like or not.
 
rcolbert said:
Vmware, Vmware, and Vmware.

Seriously, don't run a lab without it.
Click to expand...

Yea, But i dont want virtual machinesm server OS's running ontop of an OS.. on slow machines... :(
 
SIlverSkull said:
FreeBSD

Only server OS I use right now and will probably stay that way for awhile, shoudl give it a go and see if you like or not.
Click to expand...

Noted, will download and be sure to try it!
 
If you're in learning mode, I'd try and get my hands on a 64-bit capable x86 box of any kind and take XP-64bit and Server 2003 64-bit beta out for a test drive. Nothing like getting ahead of the curve.
 
my 2 cents is go with Redhat instead of SuSe and dump Netware unless you have a specific need for it.

Redhat has the lion's share of the enterprise market [AFAIK (at least in the circles I support)] and Netware is not as pervasive as it used to be.

Also running Linux AND Solaris is a pain since, while they are both Unix-ish, trying to keep sysadmin chores straight in your head is hard since they both implement the same tasks sooo differently. Even the run levels don't correspond to each other and don't get me started on the goddamn automounters. ;)

Cheers!

P.S. I have to support Solaris, Redhat, and Windows as well as the occasional HP-UX, Tru64, and VMS on every processor from Itanium to Athlons, Xeons, Alphas, etc and I can vouch for what a mess just doing something simple, like figuring out the syntax of a simple command like ifconfig or configuring SNMP community strings on a bunch of hosts, turns into a complete cluster-f*(& due to quirks in each OS. :eek:
 
I wont be running ALL of these at once! Dual and triple boot some and run them when i want them. And since im still working with netware at college might aswell throw it in :-P

As for the 64bit ideas, well its a great idea, but lack of funds says not just yet :p

Thanks for the advice
 
Suse Enterprise Linux 9 is pretty good, If you can get Netware 6.5 up and going at the same time you can have some giggles playing with integrating the two. Redhat is the dominant now, but I believe Suse will start making some dents here and there. Dunno how deep into networking you are but if you can get your hands on a Zenworks 4 package you can play with ADM files for user management at least. I'm planning on building a Suse Linux server this summer and integrating it with Tiger server via LDAP...cuz I really wanna learn LDAP. May even try integrating OS X server with Active Directory, but I've been kinda lazy lately.
 
Also if you do have the gumption to do Suse Linux Enterprise 9 (you can download an eval) Novell also has a release of their vision of Suse workstation which you can also eval. Pick up the CLP and CLE books on Amazon and get your feet wet on Linux...I got the books, just gotta get off my butt and build the rest of it...
 
Novell OES might be a good product. I imagine if a number of existing Netware shops get on board with Novell's migration path to Linux servers then there'll be a decent niche' market for people with OES migration skills.
 
^^ I've only played with it minimally thus far, but I've read a number of cert sites that are proclaiming this one of the top ten certs to get (Novell CLE) because they are breaking away from the question and answer type of tests and using practicum exams instead. Hopefully this will give it more weight as opposed to a cert you cram and brain dump for from an education shack that gets you to pass an MCSE. Those in the business know that passing the exam is nothing compared to experience. I myself am running 3 Netware 6.5 servers in an education environment. Novell makes some good products, its a tragedy they got trounced by Microsoft, but I still think its a good system.

I'm also liking Apple OSX based servers, but I have to do more experimenting for windows clients.
 
Once Novell moves everything to SUSE it will be a great system, EDirectory is on of the best ive used, with Zenworks its fully featured and very easy to use!

I was wondering, would it be worth while spending money and getting a Mac for my test lab? As well as using it for video editing would it make a good addition?
 
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