OS Crossroads, Windows or Linux?

There have been several announcements and items in the press about new OS releases. These apply to both Server OS and Desktop OS.

Article: Linux at a Crossroads in the Enterprise

First, Is Linux ready for the Corporate Desktop? Well from what I've personally seen in the corporate environment... no. Users are really tied to their Windows Applications, such as MS Access and others. In my environment full of nurses, and doctors it would be very stressful for the end users to change. However while I was at Novell, the migration to Linux on the desktops was very successful. Yeah... if you work with a company full of tech geeks! Of course it was. But here is my take - Bring Linux into your corporate environment as a choice. Let the techies install it or have it as a choice. At least allow the techies to dual boot. I try to use Novell Linux Desktop as much as possible, but I still have to resort to using MS Windows from time to time.

As a home desktop Linux is most definately ready for prime time!

Soon we'll have to choose with future releases of Windows Vista with the six flavors, and / or new versions of Linux with the new Kernal such as Novell Linux Desktop 10 which is sporting some very cool new features. If you do decide to go Windows Vista, be ready to take out your wallet for some serious upgrading of hardware and migration of some Windows Applications. Or you may just get by with Windows Vista pre-installed on new hardware. The Linux Desktop is definately more cost effective.

Now for the OS Server Side:
Quote, "Linux servers generated $1.6 billion in quarterly revenue, the fourteenth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, with year-over-year revenue growth of 20.8 percent. For the full year, Linux server revenue was $5.7 billion, rising to third place for the first time as businesses found new ways to deploy Linux servers."

Article: Linux, Windows gain in Server Space

It's time to take a serious look at your future OS strategy and Linux should be a serious consideration. I'm particularly talking to the NetWare shops out there. What about new training? What about skilled IT workers? In my opinion and I'm talking to mostly Novell NetWare customers, Novell has a great strategy to help you migrate from NetWare to Linux. Novell offers free online training and great tools to migrate to OES linux with the same look and feel of using eDirectory with ConsoleOne, Novell Remote Manager, iManager, and allowing the Novell Clients to connect to Linux without any changes for the end user. You can also run Novell GroupWise PO's on Linux and soon Lotus Notes. To me, and I admit I'm a Novell advocate (or Novell Bigot as some of my customers used to say), it's a no brainer. One more factor, Novell OES linux is here now. Windows Longhorn is still a few months away. Virtualization which is a big deal is here now with Linux. With Windows Longhorn... we're looking at 2009.

Article: Can Microsoft Keep the OS Server lead?

For many customers it may make sense to stick to Windows, particularly if you're entrenched in Windows Client / Server applications, but still the cost savings with a Linux Strategy is worth a look. And if you're still using Novell NetWare and there are a lot of customers still using NetWare, the Novell Migration Strategy is definately worth a look!

- Bucky



Other resources:

• Why Windows Vista will suck

Quote: Speaking at Novell's BrainShare conference and expo in Barcelona, Spain, Messman said, "The cost of migrating from XP to Vista will be higher than the cost of migrating to Linux and that will push migrations to Linux."
Reference Article: Novell CEO sees Vista as a Desktop Linux Opportunity

Novell does Podcasts - Open Audio

Novell has just launched a podcast site called Novell Open Audio. This will focus primarily on technical level discussions with product managers, engineers and others involved in Novell's product development.


The first podcast includes a look at iFolder with Brady Anderson and Calvin Gaisford and an update on Novell Linux Desktop from Guy Lunardi. Upcoming planned topics include Samba, Banshee and Novell Identity Manager. Take advantage of this podcast site to see what's going on inside and around the Novell universe.

- Bucky

Virtualization on Novell Linux

Novell last week announced support for a start-up's virtualization and management technology, a first step in making it easier for customers to combine Linux servers into a pool of resources that can be allocated depending on application demand.

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 9 Service Pack 3, which began shipping several weeks ago, is built on a kernel that is preconfigured to support start-up Virtual Iron's software. That means all applications certified to run on SuSE will run in a Virtual Iron environment without modification.

In the past Virtual Iron Software required a kernal recompile. So this is very good news. This is becoming a much needed asset as Linux makes its way deeper into the data center. Watch for more news on this.

Read the Article from NetworkWorld.

Novell Linux 10 Demo Videos

LinuxEdge has posted the videos of the presentation of Novell Desktop Linux 10 by Nat Friedman.

See the Videos

"A preview of Novell Linux Desktop 10 was shown to an audience at the Solutions Linux conference this week. We have a selection of videos which display a variety of amazing effects through the use of XGL, including transparency, wobbling windows, a 3D cube for desktop switching, and a task switcher which displays a preview of windows."

DANUG Meeting with Steve Meyer of Avanti

Last night I attended the DANUG meeting and presentation by Steve Meyer, President of Avanti Technology, Inc.

I remember meeting Steve many years ago in my early days at Novell at one of the NetWorld Trade Shows. We're talking 1990 or 1991. It was very cool to meet Steve again. The meeting was well attended. And I finally got to meet Danita Zanre`, GroupWise Expert / Consulting. I've had email exchanges with Danita but we've always missed being in the same location. You can see Danita, myself, and Steve in the photo.

It was great to see so much excitement about NetWare. Steve has been developing for NetWare for years, since the very first version of NetWare 68 ( NetWare 68 aka S-Net; it ran on the Motorola 68000 processor and used a Star network topology. ) NetWare is the platform of choice for Avanti.

Steve gave a demonstration of TaskMaster. TaskMaster provides full manual and automated control over the Server environment via one single NLM, not a conglomeration of NLMs and configuration files. By fully utilizing TaskMaster's features, Server resources can be proactively managed in a more simple and automated fashion than possible using any other combination of tools and utilities. Highlights of the TaskMaster NLM are:

• TMConsole (Shell).
• Enhanced Batch Processor engine
• Flexible Task Scheduler to support both NCF and .TSK scripts.
• Server-to-Server support. Servers don't have to be in the same tree.
• File Replication / Data Synchronization
  

It was a very good meeting and for those who were not able to attend I recommend downloading the evaluation version of TaskMaster. Oh... and we didn't really talk about or show this much but there is a Task Management Windows Client. The TMClient.EXE provides the means to monitor, schedule and terminate Tasks via a workstation.

Steve also discussed some great tips on Optimizing File Server I/O. After the meeting some of us old NetWare guys hung around in the cold and talked a lot about the good ol days and joining the grass roots "Keep NetWare Alive" campain. Go to IWANTNETWARE.COM. I also got to give Steve a hard time about the public inter-dialogue with Dave Kearns.

- Bucky

DANUG, Uptime, Dave and Steve Avanti CEO

This post ties together Server Uptime, Dave Kearns from Network World, Steve Meyer - CEO of Avanti Technology, and DANUG - Denver Area Novell Users Group. Where to begin...

Back in November I posted a blog and link to Novell Cool Solutions which was running a contest and asking for screen shots for the longest NetWare Server Uptime.

Dave Kearns from NetworkWorld got wind of the Novell Cool Solutions article and posted an article titled Marathon servers about NetWare Server Uptime also. Dave mentioned the lack of NetWare 6 longetivity so Steve Meyer, president of Avanti Techology posted a screen shot of a NetWare 6 server that had been up for 7 years. Some of us examined the screen shot and noticed that it was a screen shot of a NetWare 6.5 SP3 server. Well... you can do the math.. there is no way a NetWare 6.5 server has been running for 7 years..... so... what gives?

I quote from a follow up article from Dave Kearns:
"Now even though Meyer gets early beta and even alpha releases so he can develop the great utilities he publishes, there were no copies - even alpha copies - of NetWare 6 back in 1998! Meyer said, "I swear that I did not alter or edit the image in any way shape or form." And I believe him. On the other hand, he also said: "All right, I admit that I might have played around in the kernel a bit." I hope the guys at Novell Cool Solutions don't accept entries from developers!"

Recently Steve Meyer issued an apology on Avanti's Website directly to Dave Kearns with more explanation:

Avanti's President Issues Long Overdue Apology

This is very big of Steve Meyer to come clean.
Now... as a side note: Notice on this very web page with the apology toward the bottom of the page.

You'll notice an invitation to come meet Steve Meyer as he gives a presentation to the Denver Area Novell Users Group or DANUG.

DANUG (Denver Area NetWare Users Group)
Date: Time: Location:		Thursday, February 9th, 2006 6:00pm - 8:30pm BurgSimpson ( map ) 40 Inverness Drive East Englewood, CO 80112 http://www.burgsimpson.com

TaskMaster on Tour: Automating NetWare Server Management Tasks

Replicating Data and Synchronizing Files between NetWare Directories, Volumes and Servers, on a local LAN or across the WAN, COMPLETELY AUTOMATED with FULL NetWare compatibility. All with only a single NLM and a single TaskMaster Command (SYNC). The Scheduler, Scripting Language and Extended Command functionality, plus Multi-Session NDS Secure Remote Console support, all built-in. And SYNC is but one of over 60 Extended Commands included in TaskMaster.

Note: This is a live technical demonstration by the Steve Meyer (President of Avanti Technology, Inc. & Chief Architect for TaskMaster), not a sales pitch or slide show presentation.

I hope to see many of you there because this will be a very good presentation! And we can all give Steve a hard time about his server uptime!

- Bucky

Web Site References:

• Bucky's Blog Post 11/15/05 on Server Uptime
• Dave Kearns Article 12/01/05
• Dave Kearns Artocle 12/13/05
• Avanti Technology News Web Page, Public Apology, DANUG Reference
• Novell Cool Solutions Article, Updated 1/12/06
• Steve Meyer's Screen Shot