January 8, 2001
by sjvn01
0 comments

Linux 2.4: It’s Here!

Latest and long awaited kernel is finally here and it will please the enthusiasts, but don’t rush to install on to your business servers.

It’s here! It’s here! Linux 2.4 has arrived and Linux fans are beside themselves with joy. If you have friends who love Linux you can forget about seeing them for the next week. They’ll be busy overloading broadband Internet connections downloading the new 2.4.0 kernel and compiling it.

Yes, it’s a great day for Linux enthusiasts. For users with personal systems, Linux 2.4 brings more device and Universal Serial Bus support. For administrators, Linux 2.4’s big news is that it makes Linux much more scalable. This going-on-a-year-late operating system is the one that should fulfill every Linux enthusiast’s–not to mention IBM’s–dream of Linux being a full-fledged enterprise operating system.

It just isn’t going to happen today — or this month — or this quarter.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m as pleased as punch that Linux 2.4 is here. I know where I’m going to be spending my time over the next few days. I’m going to be bringing my test bed Caldera 2.4 beta machine and two other test machines to 2.4 status.

What I’m not doing? And neither should businesses is taking my production Linux systems to 2.4. My VA Linux workstation running Red Hat 6.2 and my Corel PC are sticking with 2.2.x kernels. And on my production server I’m sticking with Caldera’s OpenLinux eServer 2.3 for now.

Why? Because, even after thousands, no, tens of thousands of programmers and beta testers have worked on 2.4, I know there will be bugs. Heck, I can read the Linux developers lists as well as anyone, I know there are bugs.

And, frankly, I don’t upgrade to any .0 release for exactly that reason.

For now, Linux 2.4 is for the adventuresome, the Linux lover — not someone whose bottom line depends on Linux. Besides, even after Linux 2.4 ages well, most users won’t get that much more from it anyway. Yes, Linux 2.4’s new device support is a win. But if you don’t have any of these devices on your PC, you’re not going to see much of an improvement.

So what’s the big deal then? The big deal is that Linux’s vastly improved support for clustering, multiple processors and memory are great news — for enterprise level servers. If you’re dealing with a basic Intel box as either workstation or server, Linux 2.4 isn’t that big a deal.

And if you do have top servers, you need more than just a high end kernel. You need programs that support the kernel’s new functionality, and those aren’t here yet.

Besides, if you’re serious about business Linux, you need the support of serious Linux vendors. Except for SuSE, they — Caldera Systems, Red Hat and TurboLinux–aren’t going to be releasing 2.4 kernels for their commercial products for a while yet.

To put it in terms of Microsoft operating systems, for most PC Linux users, the jump from a Linux 2.2.x to a 2.4 kernel will be similar to that from Windows 98 to Windows 98 Second Edition. Good, but no reason to spend the next 48 hours installing it unless you love the stuff with the passion. For server use, the Linux jump is much bigger; it’s like the leap from NT to W2K Advanced Server. But like Advanced Server, to get the most from it, you need the applications and support in place before making the jump.

The final answer is that while it’s exciting news for technologists, the Linux excitement for business deployments is still months away.

A version of this story was first published in Ziff Davis’ Sm@rt Partner.

December 8, 2000
by sjvn01
0 comments

IBM brings DB2 and WebSphere to mainframe Linux

IBM’s using Linux to deliver e-business on mainframes; may prove to be competition for Sun.

Yesterday, IBM took a bite out of Sun by replacing Scandinavia’s biggest telecomm and ISP Telia’s Sun Web-hosting servers with a single IBM mainframe S/390 G6 enterprise unit running SuSE Linux under the hood. Today, Big Blue is announcing that it’s bringing both its DB2 DBMS Enterprise Edition and Web application server software, WebSphere Advanced Edition, to mainframe Linux.

Scott Handy, IBM director of Linux Solutions Marketing, explains, “IBM has moved into Linux because of customer demand.” He adds that “traditionally, ISPs have used racks of servers,” like those from Sun, and “by addressing this with Linux Virtual Machines on a IBM mainframe, IBM will impact Sun.”

By bringing both DB2 and WebSphere to mainframe Linux, Handy points out that this brings e-commerce and e-business power to the mainframe. Specifically, he notes that on the extremely stable underpinning of the Virtual Machine operating system, those Linux driven applications enable developers to build complete soup-to-nuts e-solutions on a single machine. With one mainframe, a customer could run thousands of Virtual Linux servers that use WebSphere to design their Web interfaces, while using DB2 and IBM’s new IMS Connect to pull data directly out of DB2 databases, mainframe commercial-transaction systems, and older databases. IBM + Linux partners = customers

Customers wanting to use those services will be encouraged to go through IBM Global Services. The Linux partners–Red Hat, SuSE and TurboLinux–will be providing tightly integrated and bundled packages of their 390 Linuxes and the IBM software. For a revenue stream, the companies will be providing Level three support through Global Services. The Linux powers’ profit from the mainframe deals will come from revenue-sharing contracts with IBM.

But the Linux companies and their reseller partners aren’t limited to playing a supporting role. Paul McNamara, Red Hat’s VP of Products and Marketing, says that Red Hat expects “to have direct relations with some 390 customers where we’ll provide Level one through to three support.” McNamara also sees the possibility of “other customer deals, like configuration management and performance management, where Red Hat and its resellers would be the senior partners in a 390 deal.”

But where will the customers come from? McNamara thinks that a big selling point will be that with the combination of IBM and Linux, customers will like knowing that they can get applications that can grow on a single common operating system from Intel-based servers to IBM mainframes with every step in between also covered.

To that, Dan Kusnetzky, IDC’s VP of System Software Research adds, from a prepared statement, “Linux is seeing increasing usage as a part of basic IT infrastructure at many organizations. IBM has positioned itself well to be considered one of the leading suppliers in this emerging market.” In short, IBM supported Linux is becoming part of the enterprise IT infrastructure already. Horizontal, as well as vertical

IBM isn’t just focusing on the potent promise of mainframe Linux. The company also announced that DB2 Universal Database for Linux would be made available on Intel-based clusters. WebSphere, already available on single Intel CPU Linux, also will be supported on the clusters. That way, a company can scale either vertically up to RISC or mainframe architectures, or horizontally on existing Intel servers. Here Handy explains that the new database will be supported not only by Red Hat, SuSE and TurboLinux, but also by Caldera Systems. Unlike the other Big Four Linux vendors, Caldera, according to CEO Ransom Love, has opted to focus on the Intel side of its business. But, according to Handy, IBM is still partnering with Caldera on the Intel platforms.

IBM also announced that the DB2 Universal Database for Linux will be available on December 15, with new WebSphere for Linux on Intel release on December 22, the mainframe, zSeries, version will be out on January 26, 2001.

That last date is optimistic for a full rollout. Only SuSE is currently shipping a 390 Linux. TurboLinux still promises one by the end of the year. Red Hat’s McNamara freely admits that Red Hat won’t be rolling out its mainframe Linux until quarter one 2001, and as for the bundled operating system, DBMS and Web application server, he expects that it won’t be out until the second quarter. IBM may be gunning for Sun, but Sun will have time to reload.

A version of this story was first published in Sm@rt Partner.

October 13, 2000
by sjvn01
0 comments

Sun Buys Cobalt Networks

And a way into the Linux market.

Sun Microsystems is presenting its stock-for-stock merger with leading Linux network appliance maker Cobalt Networks as primary being a way to accelerate Sun”s entry into the server appliance marketplace.

That\’s one way to take it. The other, while not mentioned by Sun in its press release, is that it gives Sun an instant entry into the Linux market. Unlike the quiet Solaris on Intel efforts, this move gives Sun not only its first Linux products, but it also marks the first time that Sun has made a splashy entry into the non-Sun hardware product market.

Under the merger agreement, every Cobalt common stock share will be converted into 0.5 Sun shares. In total, that adds up to an aggregate purchase price of about $2-billion.

This deal is being accounted as a purchase. Sun expects to close the deal in Sun\’s fiscal 2000 second quarter, which ends Dec. 31, 2000. The closing of the acquisition is subject to governmental approvals, Cobalt shareholder approval and customary closing conditions. Once the merger is done, Sun representatives say that Cobalt will become the server appliance business unit of Sun’s Network Service Provider organization under Sun executive VP John McFarlane. According to Ed Zander, Sun’s president and COO, in a statement, “Today we\’re acquiring Cobalt to establish ourselves in low-end server appliances and immediately jump into the marketplace with a proven, world-class product offering.” He added, “We think the demand for these high-volume, turnkey devices will explode in the next couple of years. Cobalt is our bet for the future.”

Continuing Cobalt\’s lawsuit against Apple, however, doesn\’t seem to be in Sun\’s plans. The suit has been based on Cobalt claims that Apple\’s G4 Cube apes the look of its Qube server appliance and that violated its trademarks.

Also–because of its announcement last week of the UltraSPARC-IIe, a 64-bit SPARC processor for low-end embedded devices–it is unclear how Sun is laying its money down in the appliance space. No mention was made on how this low-end (in volume, the 400MHz version will sell for US$145) chip will fit into Sun\’s new plans for low-end servers and network appliances. The Cobalt products, like its flagship product, the Qube 2, use 64-bit MIPs CPUs.

Stephen DeWitt, Cobalt\’s president and CEO proclaims that, “Cobalt’s world-class products are a perfect complement to Sun”s industry-leading server offerings. Our customers will benefit through access to the full range of Sun\’s engineering, sales, marketing and service resources.”

Matthew Szulik, Red Hat CEO, also is happy about the deal. “This is terrific news. We seen this as a validation of the open-source model since Cobalt is a Red Hat Linux customer.”

In early post announcement trading, Sun sank slightly. Cobalt\’s stock, however, exploded upward almost 14 points, more than 33 percent, on the news.

A version of this story first appeared in Sm@rt Partner.

August 28, 2000
by sjvn01
0 comments

Monterey Partners Miffed. IBM denies death of 64-bit Unix project.

BIG BLUE IS TRYING TO PUT a happy face on its 64-bit Unix strategy. But many people still are hopping mad over how IBM is handling the morphing of Project Monterey into AIX 5L, an upcoming operating system that’s supposed to run Linux, SCO UnixWare and IBM AIX apps.

Specificbones of contention include the name of IBM’s OS, as well as how much code will be used from joint development work with Monterey partners SCO and Sequent. Mostly however, Monterey watchers just want to be better informed about what IBM is really doing.

In presentations at IBM’s recent Solutions 2000 conference, IBM marketers told developers that AIX 5L–an OS ultimately slated to run on both the IA-64 and PowerPC processors–will add “Linux affinity” in release 5.1, due out next spring. “With AIX 5L, Project Monterey effectively goes away,” remarked Miles Barel, IBM’s program director for Unix marketing.

Unfortunately, though, all of IBM’s partners didn’t yet know about all of IBM’s plans. Deepak Advani, IBM’s director of Unix strategy, since has admitted that, as of last week, IBM still hadn’t informed Caldera about choosing the name AIX 5L. Caldera has announced plans to acquire SCO’s Unix operations (see related story, p. 26).

David McCrabb, president of SCO Server Software, says he was personally included in IBM’s loop. McCrabb is set to become president and COO of Caldera, assuming shareholders approve the deal.

Despite some market confusion, IBM’s Advani maintains that Monterey remains “alive,” pointing to continuing joint development work, as evidence.

But how much of Monterey’s code actually will show up in AIX 5L? The answer depends on whom you ask. After reading our online coverage of Monterey, Israeli resident Hetz BenHamo placed a string of trans-Atlantic phone calls to his IBM and SCO contacts. He says he was told that Project Monterey will contain only half of the features he had been expecting.

The relationship between IBM and SCO had been getting strained even before IBM’s announcement of AIX 5L, say industry analysts. According to Stacey Quandt of Giga Information Group, SCO staffers have worried that the 5L code will be mainly “an enhancement of IBM’s existing AIX.”

Last week, it was SCO’s turn to pull a surprise. SCO unveiled a new version of UnixWare, containing an application binary interface to Linux kernel personalities. SCO’s McCrabb disclosed that, even before the Caldera deal, SCO had been planning a Unix product of its own, respective of the joint development work of Monterey.

Meanwhile, some Monterey watchers accuse IBM of rewriting history. Dozens of people have flooded online forums to discuss the controversy. Many are unhappy over IBM’s apparent attempt to whitewash the fact that Project Monterey has changed course.

“IBM doesn’t like to admit they’re killing a project. Look what happened earlier with OS/2,” says Giga Group’s Quandt. Indeed, IBM never officially pulled OS/2’s plug, but no major upgrades are planned.

Originally Published in Sm@rt Partner, August 28, 2000

August 21, 2000
by sjvn01
0 comments

Not so Fast! Monterey Shambles On

IBM insists that Monterey really isn’t dead. Its just metamorphed into AIX 5L. too bad, Caldera/SCO, IBM’s main Monterey partner wasn’t told.

Ransom Love, Caldera Systems’ CEO said that IBM’s announcement that Monterey was completed “could not have been an official statement. We have partnership agreements with IBM and it would not be appropriate for IBM to declare the project done.” That said, Love agreed that many of Monterey’s goals had been completed. He also said that that the Linuxication of Monterey AIX 5L was a good thing for both AIX and Linux users.

Caldera/SCO’s take can be summed up as they can see why Monterey should move on. After all, with the advances of Project Trillian, 64-bit Linux for Intel, there’s little practical point to spending more time and effort on advancing another 64-bit Unix. IBM’s timing and presentation, however, are another matter.

Officially, IBM is saying “IBM has accomplished its objectives as set forth in the Project Monterey initiative.” In other words, that AIX 5L for the RS/6000 and IA-64 is simply Monterey taken to the next step. An executive at another Unix system vendor, however, icily commented that “Isn’t it hard to declare a project over when the silicon (IA-64) isn’t even ready for deployment?”

And, in fact, those next steps, however, aren’t completely laid out yet. An IBM spokesperson said today, “that not all the code of Project Monterey will not be included in the first release of AIX 5L; Version 5.0.” In past, though, IBM has also characterized Monterey as a version of Unix based on AIX as well as an evolutionary step in AIX.

Other observers were even more critical of IBM’s spin of its operating system news. Hetz Ben-Hamo, system administrator at Israeli software development company, Intercomp and open source developer, comments that, “more then HALF of what project Monterey features that should have been there – are not. Monterey is D-E-A-D! Only some parts of Monterey will be folded to the next version of AIX OS.”

August 14, 2000
by sjvn01
0 comments

Red Hat and Caldera get in the Ring

February 4, 2008–This is a look at a future that never happened. When Caldera bought SCO, we assumed it would stay in the Linux business. We assumed that Red Hat and Caldera/SCO would duke it out for the Linux championship of the world. Instead, Caldera turned on Linux, changed it name to SCO, and, oh yes, destroyed itself along the way.

I wrote this article with Joseph C. Panettieri, now editorial director at Nine Lives Media, in the summer of 2000. It was first published in Smart Partner on August 14th 2000. And, now with no further adieu, let’s look through a broken crystal ball at a Linux future that never happened.

Caldera chief executive Ransom Love is a Novell veteran who was a very early champion of Linux for business. While at Novell in 1994, he suggested that Linux might serve as the foundation for future NetWare or UnixWare releases. When his idea fell on deaf ears, Love and Brian Sparks (now chief exec of Caldera’s sister embedded-Linux company, Lineo) ran for the door and launched Caldera.

Not far behind them, Red Hat entrepreneurs Bob Young and Mark Ewing also spotted Linux’s business potential early. Today, Red Hat is the biggest pure Linux software company, in terms of annual revenue.

Company chairman Young, with his trademark red hat, arguably is the Linux industry’s most recognized personality. No offence intended, Linus Torvalds… Meanwhile, Red Hat president and chief executive Matthew J Szulik is making a name for himself cutting worldwide business deals with the likes of Dell.

Continue Reading →

Practical Technology

for practical people.