[PLUG] Colo recommendations?

[Lennon Day-Reynolds]

There's also the option of using a setup somewhat like John Companies
(http://www.johncompanies.com), where one multi-processor box hosts
multiple "virtual servers" -- not in the sense of normal virtual
hosting, where each client gets a regular user account and
Apache/MySQL/mail services, but in the sense of using User-Mode Linux
and an equivalent FreeBSD extension to allow multiple full instances of
the OS to run on one machine. 

That means that every "user" of the system gets full root-level access
to a full instance of their preferred *NIX on a *very* beefy box (2GB+
RAM, 10,000+ RPM SCSI RAID, etc.), without the risk of other users on
the same machine causing issues. With a low number (3-4) of instances on
each server, you end up much better off than with your own standard 2U
colo server in terms of available disk space, processor time, and
memory, and the machines can be much more robust than compact standalone
boxes.

The co-op could provide the bandwidth, add servers as needed to support
the number of clients, and perhaps offer some of the basic services
people have mentioned (firewall, mail server, database cluster, etc.).
Since John Companies manages to sell all of this for $65-75 a month
while staying in business, a non-profit should be able to shave a good
portion off of that price and still stay viable.

Personally, I would absolutely jump at the opportunity to get something
like this going, and while I don't have a large chunk of startup capital
sitting around, I would be more than happy to invest as much sweat
equity as necessary to get the thing off the ground. 


Lennon Day-Reynolds
lennon at day-reynolds.com