Remote hosting decision - Mac or Window's server - feedback?

Andrea

I'm wanting to remotely host my Aware app on a Mac xserve (dedicated)with MySQL. Since that is not a popular thing to do, I'm wondering if anyone is doing that already and what is your good or bad experiences with it.

Since the primary reason for the server is to run Aware and host my clients, I want to choose the platform that will have the best uptime. If Window's works best with Aware, then I will (grudgingly) use it.

Thanks!

kklosson

I'm struggling with my hosting decision as well but it's influenced more by secondary concerns. For example, I would like to use certain third-party tools to help me maintain and secure my MySQL database. For those reasons, I'm being drawn more toward a Linux server. I suggest you also give some considerations to any other tools that will make your hosting work more efficient and make a requirements-oriented hosting decision.

Just a thought.

aware_support

If you choose Linux MS Word document templates will not be available (if your application is using them).

Windows offer much better remote connection tools, which make the experience of controlling the remote server similar to working with your local machine.

kklosson

Thanks.

Any thoughts on an easy way to encrypt the MySQL database? Best tools for that I have seen only support Linux. But you've made a good case for the Windows server. Hmmm.

Andrea

update: I ended up going with a co-located, mac mini with Snow Leopard Server. So far I'm loving it and it's already giving me less headaches then the Windows 2003 server one of my clients is running. Setup was also a breeze for me, a newbie, when it comes to servers.