[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Using an Ubuntu (or KTL) server for Evergreen

[Don Butterworth]

Hi Everyone, 

At my library, I've been pushing for many months to get an Evergreen installation up and running, so that we can give it a test drive. At one point we were told that a dedicated server would become available this month, but a new use has been found for it. Now the proposal from our IT department is to "use an Ubuntu (or TKL) virtual server" which apparently cannot be put in place until the Summer or Fall of this year. As a cataloger, I interpret the phrase "use an Ubuntu (or TKL) virtual server" as "wawa wawa wa wa wa wawa". 

So here are my questions. Does the use of a virtual server make sense? Are there problems we need to know about before moving this direction? How much time would it take for an IT professional to create this installation? How much IT time would be involved in maintaining the system? Will this give a realistic test of Evergreen's capabilities? What alternate methods are available that might minimize IT involvement so we can start testing in a more timely manner with our own settings, parameters and live data? Please don't get the wrong impression. Our IT group is terrific. They are just under tremendous pressure and a lot of their time has to be spent putting out fires. 

Even though this might start out as a test, if it is successful, I am hoping to move the technical services components directly into full production. So if it is possible, it would be good to start out with a testing environment that can become a permanent environment. But that is not a deal breaker. Depending on the cost, at some point we might be interested in a cloud solution. The bib records we have on our server now is probably in the 700,000 range. Any insights you might have would be very much appreciated. If the answers are too technical for me, I do have access to some interpreters. Besides, I did once stay at a Holiday Inn Express. 

Don 

Don Butterworth 
Faculty Associate / Librarian III 
B.L. Fisher Library 
Asbury Theological Seminary 
(859) 858-2227 
don.butterworth at asburyseminary.edu 
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