ok....
I'm gonna defend my linux server here.... I have experience with both Linux and Windows Servers.
Now..... A Properly setup linux box is more reliable then a Windows 2003 Server.
http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/hosted?netname=EVRY...8.0,207.44.255.255
Theres a perfect example. Netcraft shows the servers with the top uptime from a given netblock owner. ev1 now has a datacenter dedicated to windows servers, and yet not a single one, including there main website shows in there top 50 servers.
The problem with your old setup was that you were running Ensim. Any controll panel software that limits your ability to update the server, Makes the server unstable and open to attack by default. If you want a properly running linux server. You need to build it from the ground up, using tested Hardware, Build the distro from the base up, and it will be the most reliable server you've ever owned.
My experience with Windows servers is that there fine. They do ok, They tend to crash for no aparent reason. I have a Microsoft SQL server at work, It crashes about once a week requireing a full reboot. We've had professional consultants look at the server and neither my self of the consultants can find anything wrong. All system diagnostics show the server hardware is fine. The server has More power then it could possibly need. IT's a Dual 2.8ghz Xeon, 2gb Ram, 3 72gb Raid Arrays (Raid 0+1), Windows 2003 Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2000 with all the updates.
I've had mixed experiences with both. I've had linux servers overheat, I've had windows servers crash for no aparent reason, I've had windows boxes stay up for months, I've had a linux box up and serving a website for 2 years stright, I had a Unix server serving a website for 4 years with NO downtime. The Unix Server was a 16 Processor Mainframe, But still
. It had 16 486's when the latest processor was a Pentium 4 2.0ghz. The fastest proc in the mainframe was 50mhz.
That was the best server ever! Until we had a power surge and replaced it with a Dual Pentium 3 server.
Servers are a fragile balance of proper software, precession hardware, Complete understanding of the OS and the Software running on it.
Patchou, I respect you opinion that a windows server is better then a linux server, But how often do you have to reboot it for those updates? On another note, I'm sure your much more comfortable with the Windows server as you program a very popular application on it. But Still, I think that if you had spent as much time as I have working with Linux Server you would love them too.
Theres my 2 cents worth.... Actually about $4.50 worth if I was at work.