The Four Hundred

Commercial Linux distributor SuSE has announced a new version of its Linux Enterprise Server. SuSE is perhaps the most dedicated supplier of Linux versions for IBM eServer hardware, including the iSeries. The latest update from SuSE is Linux Enterprise Server 8, based on the UnitedLinux 1.0 consolidated Linux version being put together by SuSE and rivals Turbolinux, The SCO Group, and Conectiva to combat the market leader, Red Hat.

The UnitedLinux 1.0 distribution supports the Linux Standards Base (LSB) 1.2 and OpenI18N specifications put forth by the Free Standards Group, one of the emerging standards bodies for the Linux community trying to rein in Linux developers and keep them from repeating the mistakes that the open systems Unix vendors made in the 1980s and 1990s. UnitedLinux 1.0 supports 32-bit Pentium and 64-bit Itanium processors from Intel; 32- and 64-bit PowerPC and Power4 processors from IBM; 32-bit Athlon X86-compatible processors from AMD; and 31- and 64-bit S/390-type processors used in IBM's zSeries line. UnitedLinux 1.0 also supports the future 64-bit "ClawHammer" workstation and "SledgeHammer" server processors from AMD, which are expected to be on the market next year.

Enhancements available to Linux through the UnitedLinux 1.0 distribution include enhancements to SMP scalability and to multithreading support--both of which are important to commercial server applications. The Linux scheduler (akin to a workload manager in OS/400 or Unix) has been tweaked so that it is not a bottleneck for performance. The distribution also includes tools to build and manage server farms, and support for asynchronous I/O and hot-plug PCI peripheral cards. The software also includes better event logging and dynamic system probes to help system administrators isolate and fix problems in running servers. The Linux implementation also includes a journaling file system (which scales better and is more reliable for transaction processing environments than a regular file system), as well as continuing support for the Linux community's Reiser File System and the XFS and ext3 file systems. UnitedLinux 1.0 supports up to 64 GB of main memory in a single system and supports IBM's Memory Expansion Technology (MXT) memory compression algorithm, which has been implemented in a number of Intel-based server chipsets.

The SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 implementation of UnitedLinux 1.0 has been certified on IBM's entire eServer product line--iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, and zSeries--and on Hewlett-Packard's 32-bit Intel-based ProLiant server line and its rp Series Itanium-based line. Fujitsu Siemens' Primergy Intel-based server line has also been certified. SuSE says it will have support for these platforms rolled out in December. On the X86 platform, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 costs $749 at expected street prices. That price includes CDs, manuals, and one year of maintenance service. Customers with SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 7 can upgrade for $129 if they were already under a maintenance contract.

In other SuSE news, the company said last week that it has formed an alliance with electronics distributor Arrow Electronics. This alliance will see Arrow's SupportNet organization (which sells iSeries and other IBM server brands) and SMB organization (which pushes HP platforms) peddle SuSE's Linux on those machines. Arrow and SuSE will also be providing training, education, and support to Arrow's resellers, so they can go out and win deals installing Linux on this hardware. The two companies will also be engaged in telemarketing, e-mail, and Webinar campaigns in the coming months to push SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8.