Start with the wind! Linux or can be rapid development in the cloud

Source: Internet
Author: User
Keywords Cloud computing Linux

The story about Linux is actually a battle between the two ends. In the cloud, the operating system has become a top player. While in the enterprise, Linux is eroded the exclusive territories of Unix systems, but if you want to talk about the operating system, still Microsoft's Windows in the enterprise dominate. With the popularity of cloud computing, Linux may (but not be guaranteed) gain more and more acceptance in the enterprise.

Linux was born in 1991, a small but growing share of the business. The operating system never let big companies think it better than Microsoft Windows, but in recent years has become an alternative to Unix. As the cloud becomes more appealing, Linux may begin to invade Microsoft's reach in the enterprise space. There are several factors that make Linux suitable for cloud computing. First and foremost, many cloud providers are starting to build new data center architectures. Unlike business users, they are not tied to existing systems like Windows. Therefore, they can choose the cheapest computing settings, and the lower cost is the Linux label. Because Linux is based on the open source model, the core software is free to download and use. In addition, the use of Linux cloud can circumvent licensing fees and usage fees. Flexibility is another big feature of Linux. Fledgling cloud service providers and other start-ups are initially small, but they must also have the capacity to scale and support huge workloads. Linux can also be a device as small as a smartphone to a supercomputer. Flexibility will attract business attention. Lealta Media, a three-year-old digital media company, has bought dozens of servers and 200GB of storage in support of emerging businesses that help universities prepare for the money. All of its data center architectures run on Linux. "We chose Linux because it provides us with a solid platform to meet the needs of business growth," said Nitin Shingate, vice president. "Our computing architecture can work side-by-side with Linux and catch up." The Linux cloud also works well in other ways. Because cloud is an emerging computing paradigm, its implementation lacks clear standards. But standards are missing, and vendors often provide proprietary solutions that lock users into their own products. Since Linux is based on open source, it avoids vendor lock-in. Flexibility extends to application development. Linux open source mode provides users access to the open source operating system path. Therefore, users can practice different configurations until they find the best solution for their environment. To reduce costs, many cloud service providers buy commercial hardware, networking and storage products. These companies can then modify the Linux open source model, adjust the configuration, and maximize system performance. TW Telecom has the appeal that this $ 1.5 billion IaaS (architecture as a service) vendor deliver hosted data, internet and voice networking solutions. The company runs a U.S.-based fiber optic network, 75,000 miles long, covering 17,000 commercial buildings. "We built a large number of user systems to deliver and manage our services and rely on Linux to allow us to adjust to our needs at any time," said Sosh Samuel, Senior Technical Services Manager. "We started using Linux from 2006." TW Telecom has 500 Linux servers , Manage 2PT data with 500 Unix systems in support of service. Application flexibility extends the reach of service cloud vendors in developing products for their users. Some vendors are determined to focus on the underlying operating environment system features, such as providing EC2 services after Amazon provides AWS. Other vendors provide only abstract services, such as Google released App Engine service. Based on these benefits, Linux became popular among cloud computing vendors. "Most cloud providers are using Linux to build their data centers," said Jay Lyman, senior analyst for enterprise software at 451 Research. In the enterprise, Linux has also made progress. "Linux has become a viable and cost-effective alternative for large companies," said Christian Perry, senior analyst, Technology Business Research Inc. (TBR). TBR found x86-based server revenue grew 13% in the second quarter of 2012 compared to the second quarter of 2011. This growth comes at the expense of purchasing expensive, proprietary Unix hardware. TBR also found a 5% drop in revenue from these products in the second quarter. There are several reasons why companies choose Linux. The advent of cloud computing has made cost once again the focus. Because it runs on commodity hardware, Linux offers companies an inexpensive way to scale computing resources. Instead of spending tens of millions of dollars on proprietary systems, they can buy white box Linux systems for just a few thousand dollars. A few years ago, companies had to buy expensive products because there were no other alternatives. "Traditionally, Linux did not scale very well and did not provide as much processing power as a proprietary solution," Lyman said. Scalability is usually a problem, but hardware vendors have been able to handle it. For example, Intel's latest Xeon chip offers the same processing power as a proprietary solution. But as the company finds Linux more useful, they face new challenges. The first is to discover and own Linux technology. "It's very demanding for Linux programmers," said Shingate of Lealta Media. "It usually takes us months to digest and understand." Businesses often need to reap high-priced technical talent and keep them cool . Similarly, while Linux is an eye-catching player in emerging markets, it lags behind Microsoft's Windows in the enterprise. Stability and inertia are why companies do not want to migrate existing applications to another platform. If large-scale system ERP has been running, the company does not want to make any significant changes. User accessibility is another reason for Windows success. "Microsoft has done a great job of delivering solutions and many end users like it," said TWuel's Samuel. They use Windows to support a large number of everyday business operations applications such as desktop production systems and ERP. Linux moves fast in the cloud and gains growth in new applications. Linux continues to get angry, slowly into the Windows territory, stable invasion of Unix applications, the significant development in the cloud.

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