Criteria:
1) Reliability & Stability
2) Functionality
3) Scalability
4) Cost(actual and opportunity)
5) Support
6) Bundled Software
7) Security
Choice of Server Platforms:
Depending on your priorities, which should consist of the list mentioned above but not necessarily in the same order, there are two popular choices:
1) Unix(including Apache and other Unix derivative platforms)
2) Microsoft NT/IIS
Reliability & Stability:
Hardware is irrelevant since both OS platforms can run on similar machines; unless you’re using a 64-bit architecture OS(which is available for Unix and not M$). From my own experience as well as from others who have worked with both Unix and NT machines, Unix is definitely more reliable. In some instances, a Solaris machine ran for two years without needing a reboot. NT machines are newer and so less tested than Unix machines, which can explain NT’s notoriety for crashes and frequent system freezes requiring reboots(a.k.a the Blue Screen of Death).
My recommendation for reliability & stability: Unix Wins(Get it? Unix Windows!)
Functionality:
Most people would agree that the NT interface is easier to use than the Unix Line command interface. However, with Solaris and X-windows, Unix can be just as easy to use as the NT interface.
From an administrative functionality standpoint, NT requires more human interaction than Unix. Automating tasks in NT is not effective since the GUI requires human interaction. Unix on the other hand offers IT staff a slew of highly configurable scripting options, such as cron, allowing them to schedule’jobs’ or in Microsoft jargon’tasks’ with minimal human intervention once the script runs.
From a Web application standpoint, you can do basically anything on Unix that you can on NT machines, but not the reverse due to Microsoft’s proprietary nature and non-compliant code. Dynamic websites using PHP/ASP/XML connected to a database are definitely more desirable on Unix machines because of the scripting features that allow modules to be added on and removed without restarts. NT on the otherhand require downtime.
My recommendation for functionality: Unix Wins
Scalability:
Unix machines run faster and more stable than their NT counterparts on the same machines. An independent survey conducted among IT professionals revealed that Unix outperformed NT by close to 50% on similar systems that were upgraded with new processors/or multiple processors.
Although 64-bit computing isn’t essential for networking, it is on the rise with Unix being the mature platform of the two. NT is still 32-bit.
My recommendation for scalability: Unix Wins
Cost:
Unix has been around for over 20 years and so it’s more cost effective than NT in terms of actual costs. When considering the opportunity costs of man-hours for support, administrating, and rebooting NT machines, the cost increases for NT due to the higher incidents of crashes.
My recommendation for cost: Unix Wins
Support:
MSDN is definitely a great support forum when you don’t have major issues. Faced with too complex an issue, you’re most likely to spend money for support. If you notice, most of the people on the MSDN are looking for answers to problems and the typical solution to NT problems is to look at the most recent patches issued by Microsoft. If your NT machine is crashing, it’ll be down more due to the patches you’ll need to install. If that doesn’t work, you’re bound to pay money for additional support.
Unix on the otherhand is well-supported with tons of documentation, free scripts, example code, and hundreds of support forums dedicated to supporting the Unix family.
My recommendation for support: Unix Wins
Bundled Software:
This is easy. Unix all the way. Microsoft has seen how ineffective its efforts were to thwart Unix and FreeBSD that it now offers for FREE the development tools as part of its .NET initiatives. The major problem I see with Web applications produced by MS dev kits is that they’re proprietary and very tough to debug. If your Web Application(created using one of the .NET IDEs) crashes, it’ll crash again and again. Cost wise, licenses for add-ons are much higher for Microsoft.
My recommendation for Bundled SW: Unix Wins
Security:
NT’s password encryption is weak and doesn’t offer disk usage quotas. Examining error logs will reveal that most of the trojans, vti_, cgi, and exe path probing targets M$ vulnerabilities.
My recommendation for Security: Unix Wins