As I told Daniel I really didn't want to end up playing server admin, but I'll do it if there's nobody else to do it.
I hope your job can be reduced to installing and maintaining the osm-specific software/service.
There are certain concerns about private data at play here which don't make it easy to give access freely.
That's indeed the problem. Another obvious candidate would of course be JeLuF, but I'd rather suggest to let him take care of the "production" map servers.
Do we have a list of people who're interested in the administration aspect of this? I.e. setting up & maintaining database & tile rendering services and/or doing other miscellaneous <http://wikiatic.com/wikisearch/search?q=miscellaneous%20>administration tasks.
If you can come up with such a list, we can ask WMF (that is, Brion) who could get access. Someone with previous involvement with wikimedia, that is, community trust, would be preferrable.
I can help with some miscellaneous tasks related to mapping software and databases, but not managing or approving accounts which I think should be handled by WMDE and/or toolserver admins.
I just learned that Tim Alder said that he'd take care of account approval. I think that would be fine, even though I'd like DaB or myself to keep an eye on it, at least in the beginning. The actual account creation will be handled by a toolserver admin, in the past usually DaB or Werdna.
And, I don't want to over commit myself to too many tasks -- more than my time available to handle.
I know that problem :)
Anyway, since you are an admin on some WMF projects, you'd have good chances of getting admin access if you want it, i think. But since this means access to private user data, it's up to the foundation to decide.
For the database setup on the toolserver, I think PostgreSQL (with PostGIS) is essential for its spatial data capabilities, along with OSM specific tools.
Perhaps it would be useful to prepare a list. You can use wiki.toolserver.org for this.
A word about the "production" map servers: It's up to the foundation (that is, Mark and Brion) to decide who gets access there, and how. I'm not sure what security concerns this entails. I think JeLuF would be the obvious choice for managing these systems, but I don't know if he has the time. I hear that SvenAnders volunteered for it, but I do not know what level of trust he enjoyes from the foundation. I'll ask Mark what he had in mind.
-- daniel