Running Production Linux

1
Running Production Linux

• Companies that are Today
• Steve Cochran
• Dartmouth College

2
Worldwide Linux Deployment

• 1/6 of server revenue by 2005
• Linux PCs to grow 25-30 in 2004
• Pass 3 of desktops in 2004
• 6 by 2007

Source IDC Research
3
Munich, Germany

• 14,000 desktop migration from Windows
• Linux plan developed by IBM and SuSE
• July 1st started final bidding process

4
Austin, Texas
Allied Irish Bank

• One Year Linux Pilot
• 30 desktop migration
• OpenOffice on both Windows and Linux desktops

• 1,500 Branch Office user migration
• Java Desktop System from Sun
• Replacing Windows 3.1

5
Deployment Issues

• Usability
• General productivity apps all available on Linux
• Support
• Growing number of companies offering support
  models
• Cost
• Support contract
• User and support staff retraining
• Compatibility
• Built using open standards where possible
• Reverse engineered proprietary standards
• Emulation VMWare, Wine, etc

6
Local Linux Survey

• Servers
• 100 reporting any servers had at least one
  running Linux
• 40 of all servers running Linux
• Most in traditional roles
• DHCP, DNS, Firewall, Webserver

• Most interesting role
• Driving the real-time OCR at USPS in WRJ

7
Local Linux Survey

• Servers (cont)
• Higher percentages in the smaller companies
• Linux made up 72 of servers for companies with
  less that 10 servers total

8
Local Linux Survey

• Desktops
• Again, much more likely to be in small sites
• Only 8/15 reported Linux desktops
• 43 of desktops running Linux
• 0.14 disregarding company O
• Mostly technical users/uses
• Development, IT Staff

9
Local Linux Survey Results
10
Local Linux Survey Results
11
N - Dartmouth College

• 24x7 operation
• Most Linux servers migrated from UNIX
• Redhat (7.x through Enterprise Linux 3)
• Traditional roles
• DNS, DHCP, Web Servers, Mail servers
• A few applications servers (Webmail, courseware)
• No move towards Linux on the desktop
• Not officially supported by help desk
• A few faculty members and researchers using it
  Computer Science, Physics, Engineering, etc.
• Growing use in controlling lab equipment,
  replacing Win95 and even DOS machines

12
O - Burlington Coat Factory

• Linux running 50 of servers
• 400 out of 800
• 7000 Linux desktops deployed
• POS stations in stores
• Admin staff in stores and corporate office
• StarOffice, Mozilla
• Largest Issue third party applications not
  supporting non-IE browsers
• Improving rapidly

13
J - SnoCountry

• 100 Servers Linux
• File sharing, Email, Web, DNS, Database
• 4 Desktop Linux users
• Mostly developer workstations
• Email, browser, IM, light productivity users

14
J - SnoCountry

• First Non-technical User Migration
• OpenOffice, Evolution, Kopete, Epiphany, GIMP
• No major obstacles encountered
• Initial cost for Linux desktop 400 less than
  WinXP with the same hardware
• Support time lower for Linux desktop

• Planning Linux on new desktops in 2005
• Request a follow up in a year

15
Thanks

• Thanks to all those who returned the survey, with
  a special thanks to the following
• Tom Clark, SnoCountry
• Matt Fahrner, Burlington Coat Factory
• Wayne St. Jacques, GDT, Inc
• A copy of this presentation is available at
• http//www.dartmouth.edu/angus/uvcia/uvcia.ppt

16
Questions

• Steve Cochran
• Dartmouth College
• stephen.a.cochran_at_dartmouth.edu