A resource management solution.

Novell

Introduction

The rapid rise of popularity in Linux and Open Source computing complicates resource management by introducing a new way of writing, testing, packaging and acquiring software. A solution is presented that permits management of the entire IT infrastructure including servers, desktops, laptops, and handhelds across all popular operating environments including Windows, NetWare, and Linux.

The Need to Unify IT Resource Management

IT professionals in most organizations face the challenge of managing IT resources in a highly complex and diverse, environment. They have to manage multiple hardware platforms including servers, desktops, laptops and handhelds, and they have to manage multiple operating environments, including Windows, NetWare and Linux. Managing the Linux (Open Source) environment presents a new and particularly vexing challenge because it redefines the way software is developed and distributed.

A number of additional factors further complicate resource management:

* Dependency Resolution. Nearly every software package that's installed has dependencies on other software within the system.

* Bandwidth issues. Machines may be spread out geographically across a wide area network with low-bandwidth interconnects creating bandwidth issues. (Most of the bandwidth required for software maintenance is for software download.)

* Diversity of applications. Desktops and servers differ considerably with respect to their software configurations.

Aggravating the problem is that the IT infrastructure must be continually evolved with new applications, software updates and patches to meet changing business needs. The complexity of the IT infrastructure combined with the need to evolve it continually necessitates a delicate balancing act for the IT staff. Administrators must deploy updates, especially security updates, quickly, yet they must ensure that updates don't disrupt services. What is required is a single resource management solution that allows organizations to manage all their IT resources across all operating environments, including Linux, from a single point. Only in this way can the IT staff streamline operations and reduce management costs while increasing the value of the organization's IT resources and services.

Managing The Linux Environment

Linux and the open source community have fundamentally changed the way software is written, tested, packaged and acquired. The open source community consists of literally hundreds of thousands of developers around the world. These developers are typically engineers and IT professionals who are experienced in creating stable, high-quality software.

Unlike proprietary software, open source software is open to peer review and intense scrutiny. So organizations can review and modify code before installing it, permitting greater control of production software. Security problems are openly acknowledged, giving customers the opportunity to proactively evaluate the level of risk and take actions to mitigate risk until a resolution is available. When security issues surface, the entire open source community can and does propose the requisite changes, resulting in rapid problem resolution as well as bug fixes.

As a result, the Linux environment is highly dynamic. Developers are continually evolving the Linux operating system, and generating and evolving many new applications. Also, independent software vendors who previously sold their applications only into proprietary operating environments are now extending their applications to the Linux environment. The end result is a rapid and continuous flow of new applications, and of operating system and application updates from a wide variety of sources both inside and outside the organization.

A Double-edged Sword

The unique characteristics of open source computing offer a number of advantages, including lower total cost of ownership, a high level of flexibility through support of open standards, rapid detection and fixing of bugs and security holes, and a large and rapidly growing array of applications. However, open source computing also brings a new and unique software management challenge, especially in companies with large numbers of Linux systems. The rapid and continuous flow of operating system and application updates that enhance Linux security, reliability and functionality make update and patch management difficult. In an effort to simplify the deployment and update of Linux software, there are many companies, organizations and individuals that create Linux distributions. There are over 300 Linux distributions available today.' Some, such as SUSE. LINUX and Red Hat, offer generalized distributions and are well known. Others, such as BlueCat, and Tivo, offer specialized packages for particular applications and are lesser-known.

These companies combine the best of what's available in free and open source software. They aggregate the software components into distinct packages-called Linux distributions- testing the components together to ensure that organizations can property install and configure them. They then distribute the packages to their user communities. When new software source code is released for a particular application that is included in the distribution, the distributing organization compiles and packages the new software for distribution to their user community.

A complicating factor in the Linux environment is that different software projects release changes on their own timetables, based on the needs of their particular communities, and not all releases are implemented in packages by the Linux distributors. Because a distribution is a snapshot in time of the current state of software, it may contain out of date software on the day it is released. In addition, some organizations have deployed multiple Linux operating system distributions, such as Red Hat Linux and SUSE LINUX. This means that the IT staff has to manage updates for multiple versions from multiple vendors as well as from other sources such as internal developers. As a result, a major challenge for administrators is how best to update the applications delivered with their distribution.

Some companies provide update services either free or as a paid service. For example, the two most popular Linux distributions- SUSE LINUX and Red Hat-provide dedicated update services. Web sites such as rpmfind.net offer complete repositories of past and present software packages. Some organizations take on the Linux update process by themselves to permit them to customize the applications for their particular IT environments. In any case, managing Linux resources presents a new and difficult resource management challenge.

A Solution is Required

Organisations need a solution to help them meet the challenge of managing their Linux resources. Especially the challenge of update and patch management. To be effective, a Linux resource management solution should support the update process typically employed in the Linux environment. This process consists of four major phases:

Obtain new updates. The solution should automate the access of updates, not only updates from outside the organization but also those from internal developers.

Move updates into test environment. The solution should facilitate the move of updates into the test environment and, if desired, automate the move.

Organise and manage software through testing. The solution should provide the means to monitor and manage the software test process, tracking progress.

Distribute tested software into the production environment. The solution should permit the management of migration of tested software to the appropriate production systems, automating the Process where practical.

Novell Resouce Management

Novell has added the power of Ximian. Red Carpet Enterprise to its Novell Resource Management solution. ZENworks Linux Management combines the cross-platform power of Novell ZENworks with the Linux software management capabilities of Ximian Red Carpet Enterprise. Novell ZENworks permits organizations to manage all the resources of diverse systems including desktops, laptops, servers and handheld devices across multiple operating environments that include Windows, NetWare and Linux-all from a single point, extending the capabilities of the Novell Resource Management solution to meet the unique requirements of the Linux operating environment.

Novell ZENworks

Novell ZENwarks has been recognized as a cross-platform resource management solution, providing policy-driven automation based on device or user identity for application management, patch management, asset management and operating system migration.

Its functionality enables organizations to continually evolve their IT infrastructures to meet evolving business needs while maintaining a secure and stable environment. It also helps reduce administrator effort and lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) of IT resources.

The business benefits of ZENworks have proven to be significant and include increased IT efficiency and productivity. International Data Corporation (IDC) recently interviewed IT executives at a number of large companies that have been using ZENworks.

IDC found that over a three year period:

* The companies surveyed saved an average of more than $2.3 million annually from increased IT efficiency, amounting to $14,348 per 100 users.

* The companies also saved an average of almost $1.2 million annually from the reduction of IT travel costs and lower hardware, software, training and outsourcing costs.

* Improvements in IT productivity contributed further costs savings of more than $2.6 million annually, amounting to $16,296 per 100 users.

* Increased user productivity also had an impact on savings, contributing close to $20.4 million annually, or $126,288 per 100 users.

* Reduced downtime allowed the recapture of an average of $153,395 annually, or $950 per 100 users, in revenue that was previously lost.

Overall:

* The average savings over the three year period after employing ZENworks had a net present value of $355,028 per 100 users.

* The average three year ROI from deploying ZENworks was 1,012%.

* The average payback time was 98.5 days. www.novell.com