Linux on servers: News, tips and advice

Spotlight: Linux and server report

The advent of low-cost commodity servers was a boon to Linux, which offered a low-cost operating system for that platform. The capabilities of relatively low-priced servers have increased, and Linux has kept pace. This collection of news, expert advice and user stories shows how and why Linux plays well with blades, 64-bit servers and more heavy metal. If you think we missed something, email us!

Linux, virtualization help bank tackle downtime issues
A healthy dose of Linux and VMware virtualization was all Stonebridge Bank needed to eliminate the downtime issues that plagued its older Windows-only architecture.
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Industry trends and news:

• Beowulf co-founder Don Becker: Provisioning, booting, driver troubles virtually unfixable
  Don Becker, co-founder of the Beowulf project, describes the inevitability of hardware administration headaches and warns users not to expect a silver bullet to solve these problems.
  
  
• Centeris CEO: Managing Linux servers in a Windows world
  Two years ago, Linux and Windows didn't play well together in the data center. But not any more. Today, Linux is creeping into Windows-only worlds more than ever.
  
  
• Niche Linux servers break out of HPC into enterprise
  Watch out, IBM, Dell and HP! Linux server vendors that have carved out a space in high-performance computing markets are taking their tailor-made servers into new enterprise markets, providing a welcomed change for businesses that want to save money and get customized products.
  
  
• IDC: Sun Microsystems, blade servers continue growth
  IDC study released today shows that server revenue remained mostly flat, with large gains seen from blade servers and Sun Microsystems.
  
  
• CTO clears air about clusters vs. virtualization, blades vs. racks and more
  Scali CTO Hakon Bugge discusses how to combine server clusters with virtualization technology and offers ways to develop a good virtualization strategy in this interview.
  
  
• HP lets user take Linux for a virtual spin
  HP TestDrive let one vendor try out Linux on Itanium before committing to a specific hardware platform. Other shops can learn a lesson from this virtual testing ground too -- just make sure what you want is certified on HP.
  
  
• Blades cutting a slightly larger share of server market
  Four years after their inception, blade servers may finally be emerging as a viable enterprise-class platform for corporate datacenters.
  
  
• Mainframes and the changing face of ISVs
  Can System z take advantage of the changing role of independent software vendors? Decreasing low end license costs and boosting Web service conversion tools will help.
  
  

Case studies:

• Linux, virtualization help bank tackle downtime issues
  A healthy dose of Linux and VMware virtualization was all Stonebridge Bank needed to eliminate the downtime issues that plagued its older Windows-only architecture.
  
  
• Red Hat Linux centralized Bryant University IT
  The Bryant University campus IT department was slow and inefficient behind a wall of multiple vendors and sluggish servers -- until Red Hat Linux came along.
  
  
• Data center consolidation drives server availability at Columbia
  Columbia's University's biophysics department recently consolidated five data centers to one with the help of Collective Technology.
  
  
• Linux, virtualization help GHY meet post-9/11 requirements
  In the post-9/11 world, security measures have been tightened, especially in the import/export industry. Learn how one firm used Linux and hardware virtualization to keep up with changing rules and add flexibility to client IT environments.
  
  

Tips:

• What Linux on the POWER5 architecture has to offer
  The meshing of Linux with the POWER5 architecture is a big deal. If marketed properly, this may be the operating system's biggest success story to date, pushing Linux out into the enterprise in a big way.
  
  
• Installing and running Linux on IBM p5 systems
  Mixing Linux with p5 architecture can help your IT shop reap rewards in support, gain the capacity to run on a 32-way system and more.
  
  
• Blade servers in virtualization: One size does not fit all
  Advice for choosing blade server hardware for virtualization projects from a CDW systems consultant: blade servers and hardware space, blade server design.
  
  
• Blades for server consolidation: Some considerations
  In this column on server virtualization and blades, Barb Goldworm described the drivers for consolidation and how blade servers can help address server sprawl. Blades, in combination with server virtualization, provide a strong foundation on which to build next-generation data centers as part of your consolidation efforts.
  
  
• Server consolidation: Why virtualize with blades?
  Barb Goldworm discusses the numerous advantages of blade servers, including space savings, improved scalability, reduced complexity and better manageability.
  
  
• Mainframe virtualization: Old friends are often best
  Mainframe virtualization is more attractive than ever, according to Big Iron guru Wayne Kernochan.
  
  
• Ten things to consider when calculating the cost of downtime
  The cost and impact of downtime includes a wide range of variables that extends beyond the lost revenue and customers. To accurately asses the true cost, a study should be taken of all the items that contribute to reduction in availability as well as the cost of implementing mechanisms to reduce the impact of loss of service in critical areas and determine a cost-versus-benefit ratio.
  
  

Expert advice:

• Determining process locations on a compromised server
  Clusters and servers expert Don Becker recommends looking at the /proc entries for a server that servers that have possibly been compromised.
  
  
• Reliable network booting
  Clusters and servers expert Don Becker describes different workaround such as minimizing image sizes sent over the TFTP and avoiding multi-casts.
  
  
• Reprovisioning blade servers with Red Hat Kickstart
  Linux cluster and server expert Don Becker explains how to reprovision blade servers with Red Hat Kickstart.
  
  
• What to look for when upgrading a server system
  Linux cluster and server expert Don Becker explains how to go about choosing the right servers, consolidating server resources and moving applications to them.
  
  

For the latest updates, visit our website at SearchOpenSource.com, part of the TechTarget network.

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