Testbed Requirements
Following up on Jim's idea about a testbed, I've looked at a few
possibilities, but I could really use your feedback.
I'm trying to identify criteria that we can use to select a hosting
service for the testbed.
Here is my first cut on requirements:
1. Both Unix (Linux) and Windows platforms - Both virtual and dedicated
servers.
2. Hard Drive space > 100GB (What we really need is expandable space
that can grow as we need it).
3. Memory - at least 4GB, possibly more if heavy simultaneous use.
4. Transfer limits - Realistically we won't have more than a few
GB/month. But we need the ability to grow.
5. Administrative Tools - We need a way to control access to the server.
We need a logging facility to track usage. We need to allow vendors to
install software without impacting others.
6. Toolset - We need a basic tool package provided by the hosting
service.
7. We need techical support to help with administration and problem
solving. What level of support is provided? At what hours is each level
of support provided?
8. We need a service level agreement - i.e. 99.9% uptime.
The emphasis is finding a company with excellent technical support.
A quick web search has found four companies which provide these
services. At least the comparison sites tend to put these four companies
together. The companies are:
Fastserver.net
Rackspace.com
ThePlanet.com
SoftLayer.com
Of course, there are literally hundreds of sites which offer web
hosting. But we want a testbed environment with technical expertise.
If anyone has any experience with any of these companies, or has another
company to add, then feel free to respond.
Best regards,
Dan
=======================
Dan Brennan
dan.brennan@us.army.mil
Army Net-Centric Data Strategy (ANCDS) Center of Excellence
CACI