[gentoo-user] SQL Server Advice for Small Business

[Randy Westlund <rwestlun@gmail.com>]

Hey guys,

I'm planning to set up an SQL server for my dad's small canvas awning business, and I've never done this before.  Most of my sysadmin-type skills are self-taught.  I could use some advice.

My dad needs infrastructure to allow ~ 15 of his employees to schedule appointments, track order status, and analyze random things about job status and customer base.  I intend to set up a PostgreSQL server and write simple graphical front ends for the employees.  I'll do most of the advanced customer base analysis for him.  Eventually, I want to be generating heat maps of cashflow from cities and telling him where most of his materials are being used, etc.


Operating system:

I feel more comfortable on gentoo than anywhere else, so I'd like to put gentoo on the server.  How often should I update packages?  How often should I update the kernel?  Any general management advice?

I'm not really familiar with all the RAID options.  Which should I be using?  Should it be implemented in hardware or software?

I'm also planning on using samba to give everyone a shared directory, but that should be easy.


Hardware:

What kind of hardware should I be looking at?  One of Dell's PowerEdge models?  How much of the hardware will need to be enterprise grade?  I believe the hard drives will be the most important, right?  I installed one of NASA's servers in Antarctica once, but someone else spec'd the hardware ($6k PowerEdge) and put ubuntu on it.


Table structure:

I'm diving into database design and normalization rules now.  I'll need to store binary files (pictures of job site, scanned documents), and am currently planning on base64 encoding them (or something similar) and storing them in the database to keep it ACID compliant.


Any other random advice or good resources would be much appreciated.

Randy