Consolidating Linux boxes (was Re: [clue-talk] Linux Counter)

[Nate Duehr]

Michael Fierro wrote:

> So, my question is: has anyone gone through this type of consolidation? Any tips/pointers?

My only advice would be:

"How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."

Pick the box that's going to serve as the "do everything" machine via 
whatever criteria you like...

Then pick one thing you want to migrate there permanently... and move 
it, dealing with whatever issues/connectivity changes/whatever you have to.

Do that enough times, and you find everything's on one box after a 
while.  :-)

I'm too "addicted" to having static IP's at home, or I'd just move all 
the stuff on the "do everything" box to a data center/co-lo and be done 
with it.

I've looked at virtual hosting, but can't quite bring myself to trust 
it... although I know putting all my stuff on someone else's 
professionally administered (and backed up) machine would be long-term 
much smarter than hosting things at home.

I just like the flexibility of having a couple of unused real IP's and 
the ability to grab a machine, slap Linux and whatever else on it, and 
have it online in the "real world" in just an hour or so.  But really -- 
nowadays with Virtual Machines, the same functionality could be handled 
by a VM-ized box at a data center for me...

Nate