Practical Linux Topics

CHAPTER 4

Zero Downtime Linux

One of the key factors that made me take Unix-type systems so seriously, when compared to Microsoft servers, was the lack of reboots that were required for production systems.

In my experience, after their initial build you can generally expect Unix derivatives to run continuously for a year without even a hint of them needing your attention. Some sysadmins even claim to have inherited boxes that haven’t been rebooted for a decade and, in the right environment, I can believe it. That’s not to encourage such a practice, of course, because that means there hasn’t been any kernel security patching taking place over ...