Stephen Bannasch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have a question for the group. How much work is it to install and > maintain a mailhost integrated with spam assassin for a company of > about 40 employees. We have experience with sendmail and linux. > > My IT guy gives the following estimate. He's comparing this with the > administrative cost for installing and running PureMessage. > >> -- Time estimates for an open source solution: >> -- 60+ hours to setup and test sendmail/anti-virus/RBL/anti-spam >> software from source. >> -- 8 hours every month to verify that things are working and up to >> date >> -- 8 hours every month to upgrade software >> (sendmail/RBL/virus/spam, all >> different) >> -- 8 hours of down time every month while working and testing
Since we're doing this very same thing *right now* (started yesterday), here is what I've found. Note: I've got a sophmore student worker doing this. He's very good with Linux, but has never messed with anything but a basic sendmail install before. INSTALL Exim, SA, and Amavis all at the same time and begin testing took just under 12 hours (with a part time student worker remember...). VERIFYING that everything is working: maybe 5 minutes per month. Most AV programs create a log that shows when they update their definations, and the success status of it. They also log virus detections. Looking at the log and the presence of a virus detection should be nothing more than a "ls" command and a "less log" command. I suspect it will not be much different for SA. Time for UPGRADE of Exim are a sunk cost - if it were sendmail we'll still have to do it as a normal part of our job (and probably your IT guy too). Almost all AV programs upgrade themselves (I wouldn't install on that didn't). Thus, only upgrade time for SA is needed. Imho, you upgrade this package just like anyother - ie. when there is a REASON to do so (I don't upgrade 'packages' just because one exists). I don't know how fast SA changes, but I would guess this is a couple hours every 6-12 months.... Personally, I think he's blowing smoke into dark places. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes Computer Systems Manager ph: 979-845-7801 Department of Physics fax: 979-845-2590 Texas A&M University ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: INetU Attention Web Developers & Consultants: Become An INetU Hosting Partner. Refer Dedicated Servers. We Manage Them. You Get 10% Monthly Commission! INetU Dedicated Managed Hosting http://www.inetu.net/partner/index.php _______________________________________________ Spamassassin-talk mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/spamassassin-talk
