Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

Web Server: Apache 1.3.23; Red Hat Linux 7.3, Dell PowerEdge 1650

• Primary decision factors: Security, staff experience

Our discussion on the choice of a Web server was short. We put Microsoft's Internet Information Server and Apache on the table, and picked Apache. Security was the primary driver, though our familiarity with Apache also worked in its favor. With nasty viruses and worms around, and considering that even a firewall won't stop attacks on IIS, Apache won with little argument.

Web Application Server: IBM WebSphere 4.01, microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Dell PowerEdge 2650

• Primary decision factors: Cost, experience, availability of additional staff

Experience and the availability of experienced developers played heavily in our choice of WebSphere. Our staff has plenty of experience with both Java and WebSphere, and there are many experienced Java developers in the Green Bay area.

The selection of Windows 2000, on the other hand, was based solely on cost. Although we would have loved to put WebSphere on some IBM big iron, the cost of hardware, software and training could not be justified. We considered BEA WebLogic, but it also was cost-prohibitive; moreover, our staff lacked experience with the product and would have needed additional training.

Mission-Critical Database: IBM DB2 7.2, Windows 2000 Server, Compaq DL760

• Primary decision factors: Interoperability, scalability, staff experience, migration paths

We had our hearts set on an Oracle database to provide mission-critical storage for NWC Inc. Unfortunately, the cost was too high. We bandied about the possibility of using SQL Server 2000 instead, but WebSphere doesn't play as nice with SQL Server as it does with DB2, Informix, Sybase or other corporate-class RDBMSs (relational database management systems), and our staff has experience developing for DB2. Because such a large percentage of our revenue is Web-based, we needed to consider the abilities of the development staff heavily: They will be required to use the database on a regular basis. Staff experience with DB2 administration and the availability of professional services with serious DB2 administration experience was relevant too. Using a combination of WebSphere and DB2 will provide NWC Inc. with features and functionality that would otherwise be difficult to implement.

We also plan on growing our business, so our primary database must be scalable in terms of capacity and be able to migrate to other platforms if necessary. SQL Server could not have migrated to any operating system but Windows, while DB2 can be deployed on any number of operating systems, including more traditional corporate-class hardware-operating system combinations.

NWC Inc Start-Up Costs click to enlarge

• Primary decision factors: Cost, interoperability

We chose Microsoft DNS solely on the decision to deploy ADS as our directory server, and picked ADS because of its cost and interoperability with our chosen groupware application. We considered a Sun solution for directory services but were once again driven by cost concerns in terms of hardware. Sun SPARC hardware would have been more costly and, given that our employee count is nowhere near the limits ADS can handle, we went with the less expensive option.

Groupware Server: Microsoft Exchange 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Dell PowerEdge 2650

• Primary decision factors: cost, staff experience, user training/support

In choosing a groupware server we needed to take into account myriad factors, not the least of which was user training and support for client software. In a world where Microsoft Outlook is used not only in the workplace but also at home by a vast majority, we needed a solution that could interoperate easily with the client to avoid racking up additional user training and support costs.

Although a good number of vendors have introduced adapters to provide connectivity between Outlook and their groupware offerings, our staff has extensive experience with Exchange. We decided that our experience coupled with the ease of interoperability with Outlook and cost made Exchange the best solution.

General Ledger: Great Plains eEnterprise 7.0, Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, Compaq DL580

Oracle Financials was our first choice but the cost of acquiring an Oracle database, as mentioned earlier, forced us to reconsider. We looked at offerings from PeopleSoft and SAP as well, but again, cost became a factor. Great Plains offered an affordable solution, and though it meant an additional database to support, we felt the TCO of such a solution outweighed the requirement for a departmental SQL Server installation.

Financial Database: Microsoft SQL Server 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Compaq DL580

• Primary decision factors: required by general ledger software, future application support

You can't run most Microsoft products without SQL Server 2000, and given that our general ledger choice required SQL Server 7.0 or 2000, we chose the latter. We also felt that the availability of a departmental-level SQL Server was typical in the enterprise and would offer us some flexibility in decisions regarding future application deployments.

Although DB2 is widely supported, many applications support only SQL Server. While we don't necessarily like it, it's a fact that all enterprises, including NWC Inc., must deal with, and having a SQL Server installation provides us the flexibility to choose such products in the future if they suit our needs.