
			Got Linux, Inc. Thinking Outside The Box.

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Frequently Asked Questions for Got Linux?

Q: What is Got Linux?

A: Got Linux, Inc. is a business I (Linda Bissum) built to give small– and mid–sized companies access to senior Linux and UNIX system administration advice, which is otherwise only available to large companies.

Q: How can you help me?

A: I can save you money by creating an efficient approach to your Linux/UNIX system administration needs. By drawing on my broad experience in a variety of settings, I can help you develop the larger strategic picture of the Linux/UNIX system administration strategy — such as data center infrastructure builds, which includes the initial definition of requirements and planning, managing the build, and implementing monitoring. I can also provide technical assistance with issues such as DNS, storage, and organization of UNIX/Linux servers.

Q: How can I get the most for my money?

A: The short answer is by leveraging my expertise to implement cost-effective solutions. Apart from planning strategic solutions, I can negotiate with ISP and co-location facilities for first-time users, participate in meetings with vendors to sort through technical specifications, and in general, sort out the facts from the hype. Another way I can help you save money is to train your Linux/UNIX system administration staff.

Q: I can find a less expensive system administrator. How do you add value?

A: You get what you pay for. It is possible to run a Linux/UNIX installation for a while using less experienced people. However, they will not be able to plan expansions in a manner that will allow optimal operation, and when the systems breaks, there is a real risk that they may not be able to fix the problem in a timely manner. Also, small issues tend to grow exponentially over time.

Q: What is your background?

A: I have more than 20 years' experience working with many brands of UNIX and Linux in small and large companies, from the very small startup to Fortune 1000 companies.

Q: You are only one person; what do I do when you are on vacation?

A: You do not want to use my service in place of a vendor-specific support contract. You get the most mileage out of my time and your dollars when you use my expertise to create long-term plans and specific inputs in a project-oriented setting.

Q: Can you teach my system administrators?

A: Yes, I can put together a teaching plan targeted at your organization and specifically for your UNIX/Linux system administrators. Because I have extensive hands-on experience, I will be able to explain not only how things works but even more important, why things should be done in certain way (known as best practices). I have taught at large venues such as SANS and the now defunct UniForum, but my most effective teaching has been in small, informal settings and as a mentor for junior staff.

Q: Do you do security projects?

A: Yes, I have been working with UNIX security issues since the early 1990s, when firewalls and network security first became an issue. The 1988 internet worm brought these issues to my attention, and I have found it an interesting area of my work ever since then. From 1994 to 1996 I worked with NEC, developing an internet firewall for the Japanese market. From 2001 to 2006, working for 2Wire, I was responsible for the system security in their internet-facing CMS application server farm.

Q: Can you help with SAN and NAS projects?

A: I have worked with NAS, especially during my time at Auspex. I have also built NAS (NFS & Samba) servers for small companies that did not have the money for commercial solutions. I have also have been involved with high-level planning of several mid-sized SAN solutions.

Q: What is your networking expertise?

A: I have worked with UNIX TCP/IP networks since 1984. I have worked with implementing networking solutions on the UNIX server side ever since then. I have also worked with small routers and load balancers, switches, and firewalls of all sizes.

Q: What sets you apart from other consultants?

A: Most important, my ability to see the big picture. Many system administrators do system management on a host-by-host basis, creating an ever-increasing diverse collection of individually managed machines, the purpose and operation of which will become less and less understood over time.

Q: Can you give me some examples of where the big picture is important?

A: When developing a data center infrastructure, it is very important to do so with the big picture in mind. Although startup costs are often the a major concern in the planning state, it is even more important to consider future needs because later, easy management, security, and scaling become the huge hidden costs. You do not want to replace your entire data center infrastructure just because you have seen a 500 or 1000 percent growth in traffic, and security and ease of management cannot be added as an afterthought. Doing it right from the beginning may be a bit more expensive, but it will save many frustrations, unscheduled downtime, and many times the initial cost later on. One data center I designed, built, and managed had a growth over four orders of magnitude without any changes in the basic design.

Q: What is your project management experience?

A: I have managed a number of mission-critical system administration projects. Examples of this are moving a data center to new location, building a fail-over data center (including successful fail-over and fail-back), as well as numerous smaller projects that are part of the day-to-day life of a senior system administrator.