User-Friendly Linux Part II By Ben DuPont

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 . 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.