User-Friendly Linux

If just a couple years ago we'd told you Microsoft had tasked its sales force with selling SUSE Linux Enterprise and agreed to refrain from suing Novell customers for patent infringement, you'd check to see if you were reading the April 1 issue. But not only is the

Novell-Microsoft deal a reality, Oracle has made some bold statements about Unbreakable Linux. The operating system has gained hardware support from IBM, Hewlett-Packard and others, plus virtualization from VMware and XenSource. Myriad application-certification programs are emerging for SUSE and Red Hat, and we're even seeing increased ISV support, expanded subscription options and software choices for free distributions like Ubuntu. At a recent Gartner conference, 68 percent of attendees surveyed had at least part of their data centers running on Linux, and 84 percent planed on increasing expenditures.

Linux has not only arrived in the enterprise data center, it's unpacked, kicked some butt and claimed the top bunk.

"We aren't on a mission to eliminate Windows, just to find the right OS for each app," says David Daniels, director of technology for Aleris International, a recycler and maker of aluminum products. And often, Linux has filled the bill. In 2005, Aleris consolidated about 30 Lotus Notes servers down to 10 using SUSE Linux and VMware, and Daniels has been pleased: "Linux servers don't go down, they scale well, we don't have to continually patch them, they aren't affected by viruses, and they're secure. That translates to a lot of time we can spend on other things."Aleris still uses Windows for its Avocent IP KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) and Hyperion software, among other things, but Daniels says where there is a Linux alternative, he generally goes with it.

"It typically is easier to deploy and allows us to run more services from different vendors on the same box," he says.

Aleris receives SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as part of its Novell OES (Open Enterprise Server) maintenance, so there's no added cost for running SLES. Not everyone has that advantage: Our analysis shows that if you're buying Red Hat, SUSE Linux or even Ubuntu with support to save money over Microsoft Windows Server, you're in for a rude awakening (see "Three-Year Costs of an Application Server" in the image gallery ).

We decided to bring four Linux distros into our Green Bay, Wis., Real-World Labs® to see whether enterprises can cut these costs. We examined two commercial variants, Novell SLES and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, along with Canonical's Ubuntu and Slackware, both freely distributed under the GPL (GNU public license), with an eye toward usability.

We found that even companies without hard-core Linux pros can get out from under high mandatory support fees by adopting Ubuntu, which lives up to its slogan, "Linux for Human Beings" ... as opposed to the aforementioned command-line jockeys, perhaps. And it's been good for competition: Since Ubuntu stormed the scene and claimed the top free distro spot, Novell and Red Hat have been forced to pick up the pace (see "Storming the Last Bastion").

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The Borrowers

In the open-source paradigm, code is written and tested by thousands of developers around the world, from hobbyists to those who work for companies like IBM, Novell and Red Hat. This code is available for everyone to use and modify, with the stipulation that you don't distribute it in binary-only form without also providing access to the source. All this open collaboration means Linux source code is run and tested on many different platforms as it's being developed. Then, it's further hardened when vendors like Red Hat and Novell prepare the software for their enterprise-class products.

Now, with all this code in the open, what's to stop someone from taking someone else's product and rebranding it?Nothing. In fact, Oracle is doing exactly that to Red Hat Linux, and it plans to undercut Red Hat's support costs by more than half. With every Red Hat release, Oracle will download the code, remove all Red Hat trademarks and compile it. Oracle will also provide bug fixes for current and past releases of Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

This may sound like cheating on Oracle's part, but it's really true to the nature of open source. Look at it this way: Red Hat does contribute a lot of source code that everyone can take advantage of, but the company receives more benefit from other developers than it gives. In the end, choosing one vendor over another is based on which offers the amenities you need--if Red Hat's services are really worth what the company's charging, it has no need to worry.

To that, Oracle's Monica Kumar, senior director of product marketing, told us that Oracle customers running Red Hat are not satisfied with the support they're receiving. "Problems range from delays in bug fixes to the inability to diagnose interoperability issues," Kumar says.

When we asked Nick Carr, director of marketing for Red Hat, about Oracle's plans, he responded in true open-source fashion: "The question is, will it shrink or grow the open-source world? Clearly, it will grow the market."

The winner here is the enterprise. Because Oracle products on Linux are a significant growth area, it makes good business sense for the company to make sure its Unbreakable Linux platform is truly unbreakable. And, with more than 9,000 Oracle developers busily developing Oracle Database, Oracle Fusion Middleware and Oracle E-Business Suite products, the company clearly sees Linux as the platform of the future and has a lot of incentive to see it succeed.Value Proposition

When you purchase a Microsoft Windows license, you're buying the right to use the software, but you're not buying unlimited use--you're restricted on server instances, for example, and you don't get source code for modification.

In contrast, when you buy Linux from Red Hat or Novell, you're not buying a license to use the operating system, because the GPL already gives you that right. What you're buying is a service that makes installing, updating and using Linux easier.

All well and good, except that, with support costs starting at $349 for 30 days of support, Red Hat and SUSE Linux provide virtually no savings over Windows Server 2003 (see table in the image gallery). The picture gets even grimmer for commercially supported Linux when you compare it with Windows Server 2003 Web Edition: At press time, Microsoft has this version listed at $399, no CALs (client access licenses) required.

On the other end of the spectrum, OS costs can be slashed to zero if you go with a free distribution, like Slackware, but you may have a hard time running ISV applications and getting support, and IT will spend time patching and keeping systems up to date.That's not to say free distros don't have a place in the enterprise. My firm, Wisconsin Public Service Resources, a utility holding company here in Green Bay, runs Slackware on the mini-ITX-based servers it uses to run meter-reading applications. No per-system license cost, and all required development tools are included free. We found that Slackware provides an ideal platform for this application because it's easy to strip down to just the necessary pieces--something that can't be done as thoroughly with Windows XP Embedded. Other, less quantifiable, savings include no need to reboot after most patches and fewer security concerns.

Two Problem Birds, One Stone

Beyond support-cost concerns, enterprises have said loud and clear that they don't know if there are intellectual property issues in Linux, and they don't care--just make the problem go away. Likewise, interoperability glitches between Windows and Linux have stymied IT. In response, Novell and Microsoft entered into an agreement that, among other things, prevents the two companies from suing each other's customers. The pact also has Microsoft and Novell working together to improve interoperability, including releasing a translator between ODF (Open Document Format, supported by Open Office and Star Office) and Open XML (supported by Microsoft Office).

Novell continues to deny that any known patent issues exist in Linux, while Microsoft claims there is infringement, but says it won't sue Novell customers because of the agreement. This kind of public squabbling only breeds FUD. Microsoft should let the open-source community know what areas of Linux it believes infringe on Windows so the matter can be resolved once and for all. Furthermore, Microsoft shouldn't require a formal agreement before working with Linux vendors to improve interoperability. Novell, having entered into the agreement, further perpetuates the notion that non-SUSE Linux customers are at risk of being sued by Microsoft, which gives its distro an unfair advantage.

Enough with the "he said, she said." Bottom line, Linux is established and secure, as evidenced by its strong ISV following that includes DB2, SAP and Oracle, among others. Novell claims to be porting 50 to 60 applications per month, and as part of its deal, Microsoft purchased $240 million worth of subscriptions with a mix of standard and priority support, according to Justin Steinman, Novell's director of marketing. Steinman adds that Microsoft salespeople have a SUSE Linux subscriptions quota.We won't go so far as to say Microsoft endorses Linux, but it has clearly accepted that the operating system is entrenched in the enterprise and finally has an option to present to customers that want to run a heterogeneous environment.

What Can You Do For Us Now?

A few features are table stakes if an OS wants to be viable in the enterprise. All the Linux versions we tested support both iSCSI and Fibre Channel. Canonical provides AoE (ATA over Ethernet) support for Ubuntu. Red Hat and Novell told us they don't see the demand at this time, but the Linux kernel supports AoE, and there are open-source tools available.

Integration with Microsoft's Active Directory and Novell's eDirectory are widely supported; Novell played a large part in this through the Samba project. Samba was originally developed without Microsoft's cooperation by reverse-engineering; since the Novell-Microsoft deal, the primary Samba developer has left Novell. Given recent developments, we expect support and integration to get even better. Then there's the buzzword du jour: virtualization.

Virtualization And Thin ClientsThere are two types of virtualization we're concerned with in the context of Linux: paravirtualization and full virtualization. With paravirtualization, the guest OS--meaning the OS running on the virtual machine--must be modified to run on legacy processors without chip-assist technology. Full virtualization allows the guest to run unmodified on the latest generation of CPUs, but an Intel (Intel VT) or AMD (AMD-V) virtualization processor is required.

Under their recent agreement, Novell and Microsoft will make Windows Server 2003 run under Xen on SUSE Enterprise Linux. They're also working to make SUSE Linux Enterprise run under Microsoft Virtual Server on Windows Server 2003.

Any changes Novell makes to Xen to support running Windows under Xen will make it back to the rest of the open-source community. What that means to the enterprise is that we could eventually see other Linux vendors, like Red Hat, enabling us to run Windows Server under Xen on Red Hat; Microsoft won't formally support it as it does on SUSE, however.

Today, Novell offers paravirtualized SLES 10 under Xen, with several customers taking advantage of this option. In pilot programs, Novell likewise has customers running fully virtualized SLES 9 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, while the ability to run SLES on Windows is in the works. The view here is clear: Customers have asked for more virtualization options, and Novell is responding. If you want Xen virtualization with support today, you'll have to go with SUSE. Meanwhile, Red Hat has Xen in beta tests now, with plans to ship sometime during the first quarter of this year with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5. Of course, VMware is already a mature option and works with all different combinations of Windows and Linux.

Another consolidation option that Linux and open-source are making easier is the use of network-bootable thin clients. The Linux Terminal Server Project (LTSP) brings Linux back to the days of green mainframe terminals ... almost. Under the LTSP architecture, low-powered clients load their OSs and run programs from a central server. If the client has a network card with PXE (network-bootable) support, the client need not have any local storage. No storage, no maintenance.The newest version of Ubuntu--version 6.10, code-name EdgyEft--contains a prerelease version of LTSP 5 that supports client-attached devices, like USB drives. This is an awesome feature, considering most of the system is actually running on the server and displayed on the client only through an SSH session.

Support And Training

Chances are, you already have a few Linux users on staff, and Unix gurus will be right at home at the Linux CLI. For rookies, we suggest opting for a distribution with GUIs to smooth the installation process. Free versions of Linux that we consider easy to install include Fedora, openSUSE, PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu. Although Slackware comes with several desktop options, you're presented with a command-line interface by default. Configuration is done mostly through config files, with few GUIs. Shops with critical systems and little in-house expertise, or those that need strong ISV support, should stick with Red Hat, Novell or Canonical's Ubuntu.

Unsure where to start? Red Hat and Novell offer consulting services to help companies determine where Linux is a fit and to create timelines for adoption--and they'll also provide training. Aleris' Daniels prepared his staff with a one-week, specialized "boot camp" provided by Novell. You won't go from zero to expert in five days, but the OS has come far enough that IT pros familiar with Windows Server will feel mostly at home with the Linux GUI. We found tools for adding printers, configuring wireless cards and mounting network shares, for example.

Want to branch out but still need that warm feeling that comes from a support contract? Third-party consultants specializing in myriad Linux variants are popping up all over. Michael Pardee, owner of Open Sense Solutions, specializes in Ubuntu and says he does a lot of business with smaller organizations, especially libraries. Local consulting generally comes with per-incident support, which helps keep costs down.How much support you need from your Linux vendor will determine the cost of your subscription. With no support, Ubuntu is free, and you'll still get security and program updates and new OS releases. For $750 per year, Canonical offers 9/5 e-mail and phone support, while $2,750 buys 24/7 e-mail and phone support, both for one year.

Red Hat and Novell each offer their server OSs for $349, including 30 days of phone and e-mail support and one year of updates. If you want a more robust support arrangement, Novell offers 24/7 e-mail (four-hour target response time) and phone (one-hour target response time) support for one year for $1,499. Red Hat sells a similar package for $2,499, or $1,499 for 12/5 support with a four-hour response time.

One of the very real benefits of a Red Hat or Novell subscription is updates--not just security and program updates, but new OS releases. Subscribing customers are free to upgrade their OSs at their leisure or use old releases, unlike in the Windows world where a new license is required, and they can opt to receive and have updates installed automatically. Canonical, meanwhile, provides updates free of charge. With a time-to-market of two years or less for new GNU/Linux OSs--a lot shorter than what Microsoft has typically offered--enterprises can always be running the most up-to-date OS.

On the downside, with SUSE and Red Hat distributions, you get updates only as long as your subscription is valid. With Canonical, the updates are free, but support you pay for--if you want it.

For those who don't need OS support but would like to update automatically and want a strong ISV roster, is $349 per year justifiable? We think not. Officially, that $349 buys access to Novell's or Red Hat's servers for downloading updates and patches. But let's get real: What we're really paying for is connectivity to the vendor's servers and ISV support. Very large accounts can generally negotiate 50 percent to 70 percent discounts on list prices, according to Gartner, but what's missing is an updates-only alternative, priced at perhaps $175 and available to any size enterprises. Incident-based support would also be a nice option. We're not holding our breath for any of these.Ben Dupont is a systems engineer for WPS Resources in Green Bay, Wis. He specializes in software development. Write to him at [email protected].

View From The Trenches

"There's no longer any one single factor that is acting as a barrier to Linux adoption," says Dr. James Bottomley, vice president and CTO of SteelEye Technology, a maker of business continuity and disaster-recovery software. As a member of the Open Source Developer Labs board of directors and an avid Linux user, Bottomley may have a bias, but he definitely walks the walk: SteelEye uses Linux across the board for development, Web sites and security infrastructure, and the company also helps customers migrate to Linux.

For word processing, Bottomley uses OpenOffice 2.0 and says compatibility with Microsoft Office is not an issue. "As CTO, I get mostly PowerPoint and Word documents across my desktop, but OpenOffice 2.0 seems to handle all of them just fine."Storming The Last Bastion

Linux has long been a staple in niche markets and can be found in products from TVs to PDAs. Lately, it's gained ground on every facet of servers in the enterprise. The two nuts yet to crack: enterprise desktops and the home PC. In fact, it's a veritable David versus Goliath scenario: Microsoft Windows owns more than 95 percent of the desktop market, according to Gartner, while Linux holds less than 2 percent.

Why? A number of enterprise applications, both purchased and developed in-house, still run on Windows only. In addition, with Microsoft supporting Windows XP until 2013, there's little impetus to switch, given the cost of end-user training.

If your company is using .Net, you may find that the Mono platform in Novell SuSE, available for all Linux variants and Windows, provides the functionality needed to port your applications to Linux, possibly without modification. Also working in Linux's favor is the move toward Web-based applications. As Ajax development kits and Flash-based technologies become more feature-rich and easier to use, enabling developers to build RIAs (Rich Internet Applications) with functionality and usability very near desktop applications, this trend should snowball. Many users are already familiar with Firefox, and Open Office is eerily similar to Microsoft Office.

When most everything is Web-based, the OS running on the desktop becomes a nonfactor ... which means you should spend as little as possible on it. Yes, Vista has some whiz-bang features, but if a stripped-down version of virtually any free flavor of Linux will suffice, can you justify it? Alternatively, you could use LTSP (Linux Terminal Server Project) to serve thin clients, which will further reduce costs on the hardware side.Another drag on adoption has been that though Linux supports almost all enterprise-level hardware and peripherals, consumer hardware support is a bit lacking. Most drivers are reverse-engineered--if a new chipset is introduced, Linux will likely not support it as fast as Windows because Linux support will be added sometime after the device hits the market, whereas the Windows driver is provided with the device.

Our take: As Linux catches on with enterprise desktops, end users will want to run it at home as well. When that happens, we should see more peripheral and hardware vendors providing at least binary Linux drivers, which will benefit the enterprise. For now, though, there's still a ways to go. Mice, keyboards, printers, USB drives and many digital cameras, to name a few common peripherals, generally work out of the box. The items users might have a hard time getting to work include some Wi-Fi and TV tuner cards. ATI and Nvidia provide binary Linux drivers for most of their video cards, with 3-D support, but these must be downloaded and installed separately.

And of course, there's a discouraging lack of games ported to Linux.

For pilot tests of desktop Linux, we recommend Red Hat, SUSE and Ubuntu--all have complete, easy-to-use desktop versions of their OSs. Slackware is ideal for the tech-minded users who don't want everything hidden by GUIs. If you check out Slackware, be prepared to edit config files.

Ubuntu and Slackware don't provide separate versions of their OSs for home and enterprise use. In fact, Slackware doesn't provide commercial support for its OS, but there are consultants who do.Red Hat and Novell keep the enterprise and public versions of their OSs separate; Novell calls its free version openSUSE; Red Hat's free version is Fedora. There are two main differences between enterprise and public versions: First, free versions are released more frequently and include more-recent kernels (which usually means more hardware support), and they also include what the enterprise might consider beta versions of some software, as well as some other software that the enterprise has no need for but home users love. We can draw a parallel to the proprietary world, where businesses pay a premium for a few extra features that home users don't get.

Ubuntu, openSUSE and Fedora, in that order, top the list in hits per day on the DistroWatch Web site, and for good reason. All three OSs are user-friendly, easy to update, and they come with a ton of free software to play with. Ubuntu, the youngest distro in the list, has made installing, updating and removing software as easy as point and click. The Synaptic Package Manager provides a GUI for browsing packages (programs) that are installed or can be installed, and they're grouped by likeness. If you select a package that requires another package not already installed or selected, the manager will warn you and automatically install the other packages. Our only complaint is that there are so many to choose from, it's sometimes hard to find the package you're looking for. Synaptic also provides a search function that works well.

Before Ubuntu came along, there wasn't a good, easy-to-use Linux distro for new users. Since Ubuntu took the Linux world by storm, claiming the No. 1 free distro spot, openSUSE and Fedora have really picked up the pace.

Previous versions of Fedora were extremely bloated and had usability problems, and SUSE didn't have very good hardware support. Both lacked software. Today, these are both stellar OSs. It just goes to show how open collaboration helps everyone. Not only has Ubuntu raised the bar in terms of usability and cleanness in a desktop system, it's also contributed a lot to the open-source community, which benefits everyone.