Remember, Linux--like open source in general--is all about choice. If it makes sense for the business and the bottom line, then don't be afraid to make the move. Linux is data-center ready and waiting for the invitation, but it's up to you to determine where and when to invite it in.
Lori MacVittie is a Network Computing senior technology editor working in our Green Bay, Wis., labs. She has been a software developer, a network administrator and a member of the technical architecture team for a global transportation and logistics organization. Write to her at [email protected].
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In May 1999 we called Linux the "Swiss Army knife of networking," but said it wasn't quite ready to take over the enterprise. In June 2000 we made our Chicago labs all Linux, all the time, and said adoption was in full swing. In November 2001 we asked, "Are We There Yet?" and tested enterprise-class distributions not only on the server side but also on the workstation side. And last year we looked at a slew of distros and Linux-based appliances. In fact, our 2003 Well-Connected Award winner--SecureLogix Enterprise Telephony Management System--runs on, yes, Linux.
Now, in early 2004, we can say with certainty that Linux is, indeed, there. The backing of industry heavyweights like Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Novell and Sun Microsystems, enterprise-class management and support, and more than 4,500 supported commercial applications have led three-quarters of our 1,029 poll respondents to declare Linux a strong choice for the data center. In "Inside Linux," we look at the remaining roadblocks and offer tips for deciding on an initial deployment, overcoming resistance and when it's wise to wait. In "Where to Find a Fit," we run down the areas where Linux shines and where you should exercise caution.One of the biggest concerns surrounding open-source software--even before SCO became a household name--is the about the potential to accidentally include open-source code in proprietary software and vice versa. Furthermore, there are more than 60 separate licenses, with more than 45 of them approved by the OSI (Open Source Initiative), each containing different restrictions and requirements (see www.opensource.org/licenses for a list and explanations).
In the face of so many licenses and the possibility that you might not be complying with them, how do you make decisions about deploying open-source software without hiring an army of legal advisers? Black Duck Software may have a solution: Its eponymous software reports on the ramifications--both legal and economic--of combining proprietary and open-source software (the standard edition launched Jan. 21 at LinuxWorld, and the enterprise edition will be available this spring).
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