Looks like we're finally getting the opportunity to dump Win2K/IIS/ASP and move to *nix/Apache/mod_perl. (Woo hoo!!!) Problem is, for now at least, we have to keep the databases in SQL Server 2000.

So, the question is: What kind of experiences/recommendations does anyone have with this kind of cross-platform setup?

None of us here have experience in this exact arena, so we're still actively looking for a solid approach. However, here are some of the possibilities we're considering, based mostly on perusing the web for ideas:

• Using DBI with DBD::ODBC, although that still leaves the issue of what ODBC drivers to use. We'd prefer to stick to non-commercial, open-source products, so the prime candidates appear to be unixODBC (http://www.unixodbc.org/) and iODBC (http://www.iodbc.org/).
• Using either Sybperl (http://www.mbay.net/~mpeppler/) or DBI + DBD::Sybase with FreeTDS (http://www.freetds.org/), which apparently works due to SQL Server's and Sybase's shared origins and use of the TDS (Tabular Data Stream) protocol.
• And of course, there's always the option of retrieving XML via URL requests over HTTP (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/nhp/Default.asp?contentid=28001300), but that involves running IIS on the SQL box. That box only has an internal face, but this would still add another level of complexity, security and dependence on MS.

So ... tell us what you think ...

-jehuni