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Server Consolidation: Why Less is More: Page 7 of 14

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• OS consolidation

A server-consolidation project is a good excuse to reduce the number of operating systems in your data center. For example, it may be time to put your old SCO boxes out to pasture and move to Linux. Unfortunately, this often calls for an application upgrade and relicensing. The business case here is to get the most out of the server-consolidation benefits we outlined above.

The other main consideration in terms of OS consolidation is to make sure that your chosen OS platform(s) operate well on your preferred processor platforms. Sounds like a no-brainer, but remember: Just because a given OS runs on a particular processor platform, that doesn't mean it runs well or is widely supported. Solaris on x86 is a prime example, though Sun recently has shown growing warmth toward the x86 platform.

• Database consolidation

Databases can be the root cause of some of the server sprawl in your data center. Now may be the time to consolidate to one database platform to support all of your applications. This idea may be as politically charged as the server-consolidation project, but it will pay off: The simplification of your environment will reduce the need for custom integration because fewer databases will need to talk to one another (for a look at database area networks, or DANs, "Savantis Introduces Its DAN,").