[Answered, Discussion Still Open] ArchLinux as webserver

StaticPhilly · 2009-05-19 12:13:05

Hello,

Ok I am thinking of deploying ArchLinux as my primary service provider on two virtual servers.
This is whats going to be my layout

--> Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (as host & first firewall) @ 1280 meg ram
----> ArchLinux @ 512 meg ram
------> SSH
------> HTTP (Apache)
------> FTP (Proberly SFTP)
------> Mail (FetchMail & ProcMail & Courier-IMAP)
------> DNS (Bind)
----> ArchLinux @ 256 meg ram
------> SSH
------> DNS (Bind as secondery)
------> Mail (As secondery)

can anyone tell me what ArchLinux is like as a server and if it will handle the layout above?
They wont be getting a desktop or any other UI for that matter as they are servers not toys

thanks
Philly

Last edited by StaticPhilly (2009-05-19 13:31:53)

LeoSolaris · 2009-05-19 13:15:00

In theory it should be able to handle it just fine. I am in the process of setting up a server as a basic web server as well.

If this is a production machine that has to be up and running 24/7... I am not sure how well the rolling release model will work for a critical production machine. The updates come as they are ready upstream rather than in conveniently time-able groups like, say, Ubuntu. Over all you may have less down time, but they will be more frequent. I suppose you could schedule a reboot every week or so on your slowest day at the slowest time.

Best I can offer as advice is this: Set up the two Arch virtual servers, then quietly make a pair of servers out of another distro as backup. They do not have to be running.

You could set up the web pages on the Windows host and share the folder with the Linux guest, that way you could conveniently switch to the secondary virtual machines any time you wished. It would be a down time of a matter of minutes for the web page, while you worked on the main virtual servers on another machine. (Updating, upgrading, testing, tweaking...)

-----------------------

By the way, what is motivating you to put all of this on top of a Window's Server? Usually Linux is used as a firewall for Windows, not the other way around! (I am not 100% sure if the host machine's firewalls protect the guest machine or not... It would make sense if it does, but I am not sure if that is the case.)

Besides, you will get better performance out of them if you only virtualize the smaller one.

Virtualbox has a headless virtualization that would allow you to run the second one without a desktop. Set up the virtual server, then transfer it onto the host server, make the command to start it into a script, add the script to your daemons and it should start automatically with every start up. (though it would start as root... hmm... maybe a manual start would be more secure.)

StaticPhilly · 2009-05-19 13:31:18

hello LeoSolaris,

thanks you,

I like the idea of creating two backup systems on a diffrent distro, i'll problerly use CentOS or Ubuntu. I'll just create a partition on the host for stored data (e-mails, configs etc) and just mount it to the virtual servers. that way it wont matter what i boot it will always have the current configurations and data. As for a reboot a week, I usually set them up with a reboot every 2 weeks anyway, normally every other monday at 00:00 hours.

as for using the windows box,
This is more of a personal thing, iv spent years exploiting windows systems to find and patch and black holes i managed to use. So as a result of this I can secure the system and also try and exploit it myself to see what its like. Every system out there has security holes its just finding them, and there will always be somone that can bypass your security somwhere in the world. so with that said its really just a personal thing, I know the security of windows a lot better then i do with linux systems.

thanks again for your input its much appreciated

cheers,
Philly

LeoSolaris · 2009-05-19 13:57:35

Alternate backup servers:

Cool! Glad I could help and give you a new idea.

It will take a little more to configure, but hey, I would rather have a lot of up front work and little hassle later than a ton of work all the time!

Window's server:

I am not a Window's security guy. I have started learning more about Linux hardening, so I am personally more apt to consider Linux more secure. I may have been using Window's back in the 3.2 days, but I was not internet connected back then, so my learning Windows security was more as a desktop user than anything else. (Strong antivirus, simple firewall, and sense enough to keep my butt out of the more viscous parts of the web.)

You are absolutely right that any system can be cracked by someone who is dedicated enough.

StaticPhilly · 2009-05-19 14:07:54

Well i just made a rash decision, going to phone my dedi host up and get him to change the OS for me and give me extra ram for the price diffrence of the windows licence.

So time to start learning how to secure linux so - winki, google here i come

I'll give it ago anyway, if it gos tits up i'll just go back to a win box.

just been asking on irc on which OS to chose, Cent or Ubuntu for the host and it looks like CentOS.

So my plan of action,
Get a new note pad because its going to be full after this
Setup the hosts security... theres a days work in its self
Take some pain killers for my head off hitting it off the wall...
Setup the ArchLinux servers.

I'll keep this updated and let peeps know what i find works and dose not just incase anyone else is wanting to do somthing similer

LeoSolaris · 2009-05-19 14:33:26

Have fun!

If you have the time, document it as much as you can. The notes may prove valuable to you and to other people. (Like me for instance )

Arch Linux

#1 2009-05-19 12:13:05

[Answered, Discussion Still Open] ArchLinux as webserver

#2 2009-05-19 13:15:00

Re: [Answered, Discussion Still Open] ArchLinux as webserver

#3 2009-05-19 13:31:18

Re: [Answered, Discussion Still Open] ArchLinux as webserver

#4 2009-05-19 13:57:35

Re: [Answered, Discussion Still Open] ArchLinux as webserver

#5 2009-05-19 14:07:54

Re: [Answered, Discussion Still Open] ArchLinux as webserver

#6 2009-05-19 14:33:26

Re: [Answered, Discussion Still Open] ArchLinux as webserver

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