Where it gets used
Despite the increasing availability of specialised business applications, enterprises that are using Linux tend to follow a simpler and more predictable path, implementing Linux as a cheap, stable replacement for basic server functions.
“The first applications that they’ll start using Linux for is file and print serving,” says CA’s Schiavello. “Another area they can target pretty quickly is messaging systems such as mail servers and Web servers.” Again, this echoes the deployment patterns for Windows in the past.
“Typically, the first deployment is infrastructure: Web, file, print, firewalls, and LAN domain controllers,” agrees Lawrence. “This is where Linux has usually been deployed first, and this is where Linux is most mature.”
What this means is that Linux is yet to make a major impact in the heart of the enterprise. “Somewhere between 85 and 90 percent of the demand is in one to two CPU servers, primarily at the edge of the network,” says Sun’s Bennet. “None of our mission critical, large-scale customers are wanting to put Linux in the core of the data centre.”
“While Linux has been gaining momentum, there hasn’t been a lot of middleware opportunity until recently,” says IBM’s Troughton. “We’re seeing the next level of Linux really starting to emerge.
“The first thing we saw a lot of customers asking was could they use it for important but not necessarily mission-critical kind of servers, consolidating file and print servers, for instance. Customers are starting to say those strategies are working quite well, so what’s next?”
Issues to consider
Once Linux is introduced into the environment, training can quickly become an issue for many IT staff. “A company needs to build some core competencies in the OS before they start,” says Schiavello. “If they’ve come from a Windows environment, it’s a big challenge,” adds Lazarus.
It’s generally assumed that the transition from Unix to Linux is rather more straightforward. “People with skills in a Unix platform can pick up Linux in no time at all,” says Lawrence. “For users with a Windows background, it’s more of a challenge. But in the server world, there’s a lot of skill available.”
But not everyone is convinced. “That is a little bit of a fallacy,” says Bennet. “If you look at any developer shop, the costs in running multiple environments are rather high, even if the environments are quite similar. Many of our customers look quite closely at that.”
Assuming that you don’t commit to a Linux-on-every-system philosophy, your network management tools and strategies will also need upgrading and refining. “With any operating system, you need tools to be sitting in the background, monitoring what’s going on,” says Lazarus. “People are realising that whatever they run, they really need to manage it.”
One ongoing concern with Linux has been the proliferation of distributions. This has led to two related questions: will the number of Linux distributions available cause maintenance headaches, or will a single Linux distribution achieve a Microsoft-like dominance over the market?
Of the two scenarios, the latter seems the more likely at the moment. According to IDC’s figures, Red Hat makes around 75 percent of total Linux server sales to the enterprise. In a bid to counter the distro developer’s growing influence, its major rivals, including Caldera, Conectiva, SuSE, and Turbolinux have joined forces to create TurboLinux, a rival distribution currently in beta testing. (For its part, Caldera recently announced plans to change its name to the SCO Group, reflecting the popularity of the SCO Unix versions which it acquired in 2000.)
Ultimately, observers don’t think that a single supplier will exert undue influence on the market, if only because the open source nature of Linux development means that it’s rather more straightforward to switch suppliers in the event of a dispute. “I think the market will sort itself out in terms of dominant suppliers,” says Schiavello.
For enterprise customers, the selection of a distributor will be an important choice, as close collaboration will usually be required to make the most of new Linux-based systems, especially for early adopters. “Clients are going to lean heavily on their major suppliers of software to support these systems,” says Schiavello. In some cases, clients may actually change their preferred distribution to better meet their application needs (see sidebar AusRegistry turns to Linux clusters for details). Because the software can be acquired for free, enterprise distributors must ensure they offer good service to remain competitive.
In a similar vein, Sun is hoping offering a combined support offering will separate it from the pack. “Our Linux products are fully supported by Sun, both hardware and software,” says Bennet. “We see that as a differentiator.”
Thinking Linux? Consider these issues
- Think applications, not platforms. Ultimately, your business won’t rise and fail solely on whether you choose Linux. However, if mission-critical applications can run on Linux, you can save substantially on hardware costs.
- Start small. Most Linux servers used today are for essential but not mission-critical functions such as Web serving and file and print servers. Cutting your teeth in these areas is a good first step to wider Linux usage.
- Skill up. Even if your staff have Unix experience, switching to Linux won’t be an automatic process. Invest in training and documentation.
- Manage well. It’s unlikely that you’ll be running an exclusively Linux shop, so make sure your network management tools are up to the task of handling heterogeneity.
- Pick partners. As your Linux applications grow in complexity, you’ll need to co-operate closely with your application vendors and distribution developers.
Better off without?
Having established possible uses for Linux, another issue remains: identifying where you don’t want to use it. The most obvious case is if a critical business package simply isn’t available under Linux. “Customers don’t choose a platform, they choose a business application, and that can constrain their choice,” says Lawrence.
The next area where Linux seems unlikely to make major headway is in desktop applications. “I don’t think you’re going to see it on the desktop,” says Forrester’s McCarthy. Even Linux proponents tend to agree. “In general, Windows seems to be the best fit for most people [on the desktop],” says Lawrence.
Other than these areas, however, few see many potential roadblocks for Linux use. “I couldn’t think of any applications that it wouldn’t be suited for,” says Schiavello.
Some observers are still sceptical about the use of Linux for databases and other mission-critical systems. “I’d be cautious about mission critical applications—not because it is likely to fail, but to minimise risk in the case of failure,” says Rational’s McLaughlin. “Linux support is pretty good these days but there is a risk that you might not get support when you most need it. A solid vendor might come in real handy at that point.”
“By 2007, Linux will become mainstream in replicated and distributed deployments on commodity Intel architectures, but lack the proven ROI in high-end applications for widespread replacements of Unix and Windows platforms,” predicts Gartner Group analyst George Weiss.
As with most IT deployments, a pragmatic approach will generally reap dividends. “There’s some tremendous value in Linux, but it’s not a silver bullet,” says Bennet. “Our industry tends to hype everything.”
According to Lawrence, application selection tends to be based on a combination of financial, strategic, and technical factors. Despite Linux’s undoubted technical clout, “the one that Linux makes people sit up and think about is the financial one,” he says. “While it may not be the best, it’s certainly good enough for most deployments.”
Warmed over **** That comment is so unprofessional I can not believe a publication would even consider it being printed.