RE: FN-FORUM Virtual Internet - Don't go there.

date posted 13th July 2001 17:19

> SysAdmins don't come for free and for a company to offer free
> maintenance on
> all dedicated servers that are sold is a logistics nightmare and not very
> cost effective. End users could have configured their boxes in
> any-way, and
> applying patches like that could break something -- and then who
> would have
> to pay compensation??

Depends on how the dedicated server is provided and the requirements of the
customer. We provide Linux based dedicated servers but don't provide root
access yet provide a flexible enough environment for the customer to install
/most/ applications that they require. Therefore we can manage the core
system, thus removing the requirements for the customer to have their own
sysadmin, for minimum cost. They are maintained, patched etc. along side all
of our other shared hosting servers so there are no additional logisitics
involved.

> So I am sorry, but I must disagree with you and say that if you need a
> dedicated server, you'll probably need someone to do maintenance just like
> any other computer does. If you don't have a maintenance
> agreement, or your
> own sysadmin, then you don't get maintenance!

My exact point, it means that many servers don't get updated (probably
because the customer doesn't have a sysadmin or maintenance contract because
they are both expensive) and the Internet is full of more holes for the
script kiddies to exploit. All because the customer is not aware that there
are vulnerabilities. It may be that the hosting company is responsible
enough to notify their customers of potential problems, does anyone have
experience of a hosting company that does this?

James
DSVR