[Discuss] MS and Novell

[Thor Heinrichs-Wolpert]

Yes, I see a huge benefit to Linux getting into M$ shops.  I already see it here in California and the annoucement was just made.  The businesses here that are strictly Microsoft in the data centre now think they can look at Linux without extra security worries.  That SuSe already ships with Mono (.Net) applications further enforces the thought that integration hell isn't really going to be that bad, especially with Microsoft saying they'll offer support in that arena.

For Oracle, they have to perform a complete set of tests (a few million automated test scripts) as well as a number of configuration and multi-machine deployments for the RAC (Real Application Cluster) environments.  The business goal is to have paying customers buy support, but create a stable and easy to use environment that does not require support calls.  Reality is that people still call, but to give your support group a fighting chance of answering the call correctly, they will need to mimic the client environment ... so they have chosen a couple of distros to support based on who is using it (in the case of SuSe - IBM, Sun, and loads of their EU clients).

Locally we're a HP hardware client and can buy our SuSe support through HP at less than 1/2 of direct Novell costs.  Unlike Oracle offering RedHat support and watching the RedHat stock drop, the Novell stock wen up as HP is a Novell channel partner and uses the Novell/SuSe support channels (and pays Novell for the priviledge).  Everyone there wins and in the end it is similar to getting RedHat support from Oracle ... just Novell was able to use their channels to be part of the pie.

One thing you have to remember, Novell is one of the the very few companies with a stellar track record of beating Microsoft in the courts, so they are unlikely to get screwed in the deal as say Sybase, 3-Com, QEDM, and other have been in playing with the green giant.  Not that these others were small companies, they just didn't setup the legal partnership correctly and negotiated away the jewels without realizing it, IMNSHO ;).

Cheers,
Thor HW


-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at vlug.org on behalf of pw
Sent: Wed 11/8/2006 11:56 AM
To: discuss at vlug.org
Subject: Re: [Discuss] MS and Novell
 
Thor Heinrichs-Wolpert wrote:
- How about Novell outs the screws to Miicrosoft, drops the 
multi-million dollars owed

-to Novell in favour of making Windows operate iin a more friendly 
manner with Linux.

- Novell also made sure their free SuSe offering is equivalent

-to the one available for subscription, unlike RedHat and was one of

-the main reasons we moved to SuSe.  We use a lot of Oracle products,

-which developers can use and obtain for free, but then have to spend 
$4K to run

-them on RedHat (If they want to match their client environment).  Using 
SuSe our contracted

-developers can use the same target OS, get support if required (or we 
can raise the issue

-under our support agreements) and still aren't required to buy 
licenses.  It made me very

-unhappy to have been a supporter on RedHat's and bring in the first 
Oracle on RedHat installs

-here in Victoria, to have them close off their free offering and 
thereby limit the consulting

-community we were positioing to leverage.  Switching to SuSe maintained 
that original goal of

-a $0 software license load on the developer and keeping the more 
cautious client environment

-in a licensed, supported and local gov't standard Oracle db.


- I'm happy that Novell was able and willing to convert lots of owed 
dollars into something

-that could potentially lower the barriers to using Linux in a Microsoft 
environment.  I can tell

-you that annoucement alone has lowered worries for clients here in the 
US (as of yesterday) of

-putting SuSe in the Windows data centre.

- Cheers,
- Thor HW


Interesting. So you see a net benefit to the enterprise
linux community fro this. Mostly due to Microsoft picking
a platform/distro to officially support with MS drivers
etc.

The use of Oracle on linux is also interesting. Why does
Oracle not work on other distros? Or is it manly a support issue?

Peter


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